Before and After: Real Kitchen Remodels in Doral and Coral Gables

Real Kitchen Remodels from Miami-Dade Homes

The kitchen is usually the room that bothers homeowners the most. You use it every day. You see every flaw. The dark cabinets that swallow all the light. The laminate countertops with burn marks. The backsplash that was trendy in 2005 and now looks tired.

We have remodeled kitchens across Miami-Dade at every price point. Some homeowners spend $4,500. Others spend $38,000. The right answer depends on what you are working with and what you actually need.

Here are three real kitchen projects we completed in Doral, Coral Gables, and The Crossings. Real homes, real budgets, real results.

Project 1: Doral Cabinet Painting ($4,500)

The home: 2008 single-story, 3-bed/2-bath in a Doral subdivision. The kitchen had dark cherry wood cabinets that made the whole room feel like a cave.

What we were working with: Solid wood cabinets in good structural condition. No warping, no water damage, no broken hinges. The cabinets were fine. They just looked dated. The rest of the kitchen had white appliances, a neutral backsplash, and beige granite countertops. The dark cabinets were dragging everything down.

What we did:

• Removed all cabinet doors, drawers, and hardware
• Cleaned and deglossed every surface
• Applied bonding primer designed for stained wood
• Sprayed two coats of white semi-gloss cabinet paint (we use a professional HVLP sprayer for a smooth factory-like finish)
• Installed new brushed nickel hardware on all doors and drawers
• Reinstalled everything with adjusted hinges

What we did NOT do: We did not touch the backsplash, countertops, appliances, or flooring. The homeowner did not need to. Once the cabinets went white, the whole kitchen opened up.

The surprise: One section of upper cabinets near the stove had grease buildup that needed extra degreasing and an additional coat of primer. Kitchen cabinets near cooking areas always take extra prep. We factor that in, but this one needed a bit more than usual.

What went well: This is honestly one of our favorite types of projects. The transformation is dramatic, and it costs a fraction of new cabinets. New custom cabinets for a kitchen this size would run $12,000 to $18,000. We achieved a similar visual result for $4,500.

The homeowner kept her existing granite counters, which paired perfectly with the new white cabinets. The brushed nickel hardware tied everything together. The kitchen went from dark and dated to bright and modern in four days.

The homeowner's reaction: She posted the before and after photos on her neighborhood Facebook group. She told us she got over 50 comments from neighbors asking who did the work. Her exact words: "People think I spent $20,000 on a new kitchen."

Total cost: $4,500 (including all paint, primer, materials, hardware, and labor)

Why cabinet painting matters: If your cabinets are solid wood and structurally sound, painting them is the single best bang-for-your-buck kitchen upgrade. We see homeowners spend $15,000 to $20,000 on new cabinets when their existing ones just needed a color change. Read more in our kitchen cabinet painting guide.

Project 2: Coral Gables Full Kitchen Remodel ($38,000)

The home: 1955 Mediterranean-style, 3-bed/2-bath. The kitchen had been "updated" in the 1990s with oak cabinets, laminate countertops, and a layout that wasted a lot of space.

What we were working with: A galley-style kitchen with cabinets on both sides and barely enough room for two people. The oak cabinets were showing their age. Laminate countertops had chips and water damage near the sink. The backsplash was 4x4 beige tile with yellowing grout. The layout put the refrigerator in an awkward corner that blocked traffic flow.

What we did:

• Complete demo of existing cabinets, countertops, backsplash, and flooring
• Redesigned the layout to open one wall and create an L-shape with a breakfast bar
• Installed custom Shaker-style cabinets in a soft gray with soft-close doors and drawers
• Quartz countertops in white with subtle gray veining
• White subway tile backsplash with contrasting dark grout
• New undermount stainless steel sink with a pull-down faucet
• Relocated the refrigerator to improve traffic flow
• Under-cabinet LED lighting
• New porcelain tile floor in a warm gray
• Electrical work for additional outlets and under-cabinet lights
• Plumbing adjustments for the new sink location

The surprise: When we opened the wall to create the L-shape, we found that the original 1955 wiring in that section was cloth-insulated. It was not up to code and needed to be replaced. The homeowner's electrician handled that portion, but it added about a week to the timeline. In older Coral Gables homes, you should always expect at least one electrical surprise.

What went well: The layout change made the biggest impact. Going from a narrow galley to an L-shape with a breakfast bar gave the homeowner nearly double the usable counter space. The custom gray cabinets with white countertops gave the kitchen a clean, timeless look that fits the home's Mediterranean style without trying too hard to be modern.

The homeowner's reaction: The couple told us they had been eating out more than cooking because the kitchen was so frustrating to use. After the remodel, they started cooking together again. The breakfast bar became their kids' homework spot. They said the kitchen finally felt like the center of their home.

Total cost: $38,000 (including all materials, labor, custom cabinets, plumbing, and electrical. The electrical upgrade by their electrician was separate.)

Project 3: The Crossings Standard Kitchen Remodel ($24,000)

The home: 1992 single-story, 4-bed/2-bath in The Crossings. The kitchen was original to the house. White melamine cabinets with gold hardware, laminate countertops, and a tile countertop section near the stove that collected grease in every grout line.

What we were working with: The cabinet boxes were in okay shape, but the melamine fronts were peeling at the edges. The countertops were a mix of laminate and tile, which looked messy. The backsplash was a 4-inch strip of the same laminate material. The lighting was a single fluorescent fixture in the center of the ceiling. Functional, but tired.

What we did:

• Refaced all cabinet doors and drawer fronts with new white Shaker-style panels
• Added soft-close hinges and new brushed chrome hardware
• Removed all existing countertops (both laminate and tile sections)
• Installed granite countertops in a neutral gray-brown tone
• New subway tile backsplash from counter to upper cabinets
• Under-cabinet LED strip lighting
• New stainless steel undermount sink
• Fitted the existing appliance openings for new appliances the homeowner purchased separately
• New pendant lights over the sink area
• Fresh paint on walls and ceiling

The surprise: The tile countertop section near the stove had been installed directly on the cabinet base with no plywood substrate. When we removed it, the cabinet top was damaged. We rebuilt that section before the granite templating. It was about three hours of extra work, but the granite installers needed a flat, solid surface.

What went well: Cabinet refacing gave the homeowner the look of brand-new cabinets at about 40% of the cost of full replacement. The granite replaced two different countertop materials with one continuous surface, which immediately made the kitchen look more put-together. The under-cabinet lighting was something the homeowner had not initially asked for, but once we showed her a sample, she added it. She said it is now one of her favorite features.

The homeowner's reaction: She said the kitchen looks "like something from HGTV" but at a price she could actually afford. She was especially happy that we were able to fit her new appliances into the existing openings without needing to modify the cabinetry. She told us the under-cabinet lights changed how she uses the kitchen at night.

Total cost: $24,000 (including all materials, labor, cabinet refacing, granite, tile, and lighting. Appliances were purchased separately by the homeowner.)

The Takeaway from These Three Kitchens

You do not always need to gut the whole thing. The Doral project proves that. $4,500 in cabinet painting made a kitchen look brand new. If your cabinets are solid, start there.

Layout changes are expensive but worth it. The Coral Gables kitchen cost more because we changed the footprint. But the homeowner got a kitchen that actually works. Sometimes the layout is the real problem, not the materials.

Refacing splits the difference. The Crossings project shows what is possible in the middle ground. New look, new countertops, new backsplash, but without ripping out every cabinet box.

Miami homes have surprises. Old wiring. Damaged cabinet bases. Grease buildup. None of these are deal-breakers. But they are reasons to work with a remodeling team that has seen it before and knows how to handle it.

Ready to Talk About Your Kitchen?

Whether you want a $4,500 cabinet painting refresh or a $38,000 full overhaul, we will walk through your space and give you honest options.

Check out our kitchen remodeling services or read our kitchen remodel cost guide for detailed 2026 pricing.

Want to know more about cabinet painting specifically? Read our kitchen cabinet painting guide.

Call us at (786) 363-7039 or request a free estimate online.