
An apartment kitchen facelift in Alexandria — the original oak vinyl wrap doors and panels refinished in 2pac polyurethane MDF with new chrome D-shape handles, and a failed DIY washer cavity rebuilt, all without demolishing the kitchen.
This Alexandria apartment kitchen was structurally sound but dated. The doors and panels were oak vinyl wrap, which had aged badly and dropped the whole unit, and at some point the owner had cut into the run himself to squeeze in a small washing machine — a cavity he ended up never using, so it just sat there as a gap in the cabinetry. Rather than rip the kitchen out, we refurbished it. The carcasses, the layout and the black benchtop were all fine and worth keeping, so the work was in the faces: every door, drawer front and exposed panel was refinished in 2pac polyurethane on MDF, the old DIY washer opening was closed up and rebuilt to match the rest of the run, and new chrome D-shape handles went on throughout. The tiles, the benchtop and the appliances stayed where they were. The result reads as a new kitchen from across the room, but nothing was demolished and the owner kept the use of the space the whole way through. On a unit like this, where the bones are good and the finish is the problem, a resurface gets most of the way to a full replacement for a fraction of the disruption.
Every door, drawer front and exposed panel refinished in 2pac polyurethane on MDF, over the original carcasses. No demolition, and the kitchen stayed usable throughout.

The owner had cut into the cabinetry run beside the sink to fit a small washing machine, then never used it. We closed the opening up and rebuilt it so the run reads as one continuous line again.

New chrome D-shape handles throughout, against the white 2pac faces and the original black benchtop.






The unit reads as a new kitchen without a single cabinet being torn out — the carcasses, benchtop, tiling and appliances all stayed, and the owner kept use of the kitchen while the work was done.
InsideOut Joinery & Renos is a family-run custom joinery and renovation business based in Liverpool, Sydney NSW 2170, serving homeowners Sydney-wide. Call 02 5000 0402 or email info@insideoutjoinery.au. One point of contact — we organise and manage every trade on your job, with quick turnaround and 12 years of experience. Licensed contractor — licence 383725C, ABN 62 912 909 739.