Cabinet Painting & Refinishing San Marco Historic Jacksonville

By Thomas Drake, Founder & Owner, A New Leaf Painting Contractors  ·  Painting since 1988  ·  Updated April 2026

Cabinet refinishing in San Marco is a different job than refinishing modern cabinets — and the differences matter. Most San Marco kitchens were built between 1925 and 1945, with original cabinets made of solid wood (often oak, maple, or pine) that’s been painted, varnished, and re-coated dozens of times across nearly a century. Behind that finish is almost always lead-based paint from pre-1978 layers. Doing this work right requires EPA RRP certification, lead-safe practices, and a refinishing system designed for 80-year-old wood that’s been through everything. Here’s what 15 years of historic-home work in Jacksonville’s most beautiful neighborhood has taught us.

San Marco was developed primarily in the 1920s and 1930s as Jacksonville’s first planned suburb, and most original kitchens still feature solid-wood cabinetry from that era. Unlike modern factory-built cabinets (MDF cores, thermofoil or laminate fronts, machine-applied finishes), historic San Marco cabinets are typically site-built or custom-millworked from solid hardwood — oak, maple, sometimes heart pine.

They’ve been painted and refinished many times across the decades, which means the existing finish is layered, sometimes uneven, often containing pre-1978 lead-based paint, and almost always too thick to take a new coat without aggressive prep. The work is slower, more detailed, and requires craftsmanship that modern cabinet refinishers aren’t typically trained for.

Any home built before 1978 is presumed to contain lead-based paint somewhere in its history, and that includes virtually every original San Marco kitchen. The federal EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule requires any contractor working on pre-1978 housing to be RRP-certified, follow lead-safe work practices, contain dust during the project, and provide homeowners with the EPA’s lead pamphlet before work begins.

Most painting companies don’t talk about this because most aren’t certified — and homeowners hiring uncertified contractors expose themselves and their families to lead dust during the project. We are RRP-certified and follow lead-safe practices on every San Marco project. The protocol adds steps but protects everyone in the home.

The first decision is whether to strip down to bare wood or work over the existing finish. Stripping is the right answer when the existing layers are too thick, peeling, or chipping; it gives the cleanest result but adds 5 to 10 days to the project and significantly more cost. Working over a sound existing finish is the right answer when the layers are stable, the surface is smooth, and the homeowner wants a faster turnaround. Either way, the surface gets thorough cleaning to remove decades of grease and cooking residue, full deglossing or sanding to break the existing finish, careful spot-priming on any bare wood revealed by sanding, and a high-quality bonding primer over the entire surface.

Topcoat is two coats of Benjamin Moore Advance (waterborne alkyd, dries hard like oil but cleans up like latex) or Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel.

Modern cabinet refinishing aims for a uniform factory-spray look. Historic kitchen refinishing aims for something different — a finish that respects the age and character of the cabinets while looking fresh and well-maintained. We typically brush-and-roll San Marco cabinet projects rather than spraying, because spray finishes can look out of place on hand-built cabinets. Brush-and-roll with the right paint produces a soft, hand-finished appearance that complements the original craftsmanship.

Sheen choice matters too: most historic kitchens look best in a satin or semi-gloss, not the high-gloss factory finish that modern cabinets often have. The final result should look like a kitchen that’s been properly cared for across decades — not one that’s been replaced with new cabinets.

A new homeowner on Naldo Avenue in San Marco called us because two cabinet companies had quoted her $34,000 to $42,000 for full cabinet replacement. The cabinets were original to the 1932 build — solid maple, hand-built, with beautiful detail that no modern factory cabinet could replicate. We walked the kitchen with her and showed her what was actually under the existing layers (lead-tested first), what the original wood looked like, and what a proper restoration would deliver versus what tearing them out would cost in lost character. Final scope: full lead-safe stripping on doors and drawer fronts (back to the original maple), restoration of two damaged corner cabinets, all-new soft-close hinges and modern hardware, and a brush-and-rolled finish in Benjamin Moore Advance in a soft white. Total project: $14,800. The homeowner kept the soul of her 1932 kitchen and saved over $20,000.

A New Leaf Painting is Jacksonville’s most reviewed painting contractor — founded in 2010 by Thomas Drake and trusted by more than 5,000 homeowners and business owners across Greater Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee, Fleming Island, Amelia Island, and all of Northeast Florida. Our 700+ verified five-star reviews across Google, Facebook, Angi, Yelp, BBB, Houzz, and Nextdoor reflect one thing above everything else: a painting experience that actually feels easy. From the first phone call to the final walkthrough, every project is backed by proper preparation, premium painting products from Sherwin-Williams® and Benjamin Moore®, and our Iron-Clad Guarantee. Whether you need exterior house painters near me or reliable interior painting contractors near me, that is what you get.

When you are ready, call or text 904-615-6599 for a free, no-surprise estimate from the painting contractor Jacksonville homeowners have trusted since 2010.