Kenneth Lewis Blog

Most homeowners know that you get the best ROI on home improvements when those projects have to do with the kitchen. If you want the most return on your investment in home value and resale value kitchen home improvement projects are the way to go.
 
But kitchen remodeling projects force homeowners to live with disruption. When the kitchen is being remodeled your everyday life is upside down. There is an answer. Your kitchen can get a new look by replacing the countertops.  Add a kitchen island and increase your kitchen work space and home value. The interruption to your normal life is minimal as well because the average actual time Kenneth C. Lewis will spend in your home is 3-4 days.

When you want to save money but totally change the look of your kitchen, countertop replacement is usually the perfect option. We use all types of countertop finishes and can help you with your selection between granite, corian, cambria quartz and other materials for. If you are interested in updating the look and feel of your kitchen, contact us.

In today’s economy many homeowners are opting to stay put. Others, who are in the market for a new home, are looking for more modest homes, McMansions have seen their day, and it may be passed for a while.

Sometimes it is challenging to envision your home or a potential new home beyond what is in front of your eyes. You may walk into your kitchen, or the kitchen of a home you are thinking of buying and see old cabinets and Formica counters and think, “the kitchen needs to be remodeled, this will cost tens of thousands”.

This is not necessarily so. There are realistic examples of beautiful kitchens that homeowners can emulate. Walk around the kitchen, does it have a good flow? Is the work triangle right? Are the cabinets sturdy, and in good shape other than the color and the pulls? Kitchen cabinet refacing and refinishing is a faster and less expensive option. Add granite countertops and you have a new kitchen.

Homeowners are investing in their homes, but sometimes you can do that with a much smaller budget. Cabinetry by Kenneth C. Lewis encourages home buyers to consider options that you otherwise would have overlooked. We want to help you to envision possible kitchen remodels for less; less money, less time, less stress. Contact us for more information on kitchen cabinet refinishing and refacing.

Instead of selling homes today more homeowners are upgrading and updating their homes instead. There are several home improvement jobs with a high return on investment. If your goal is to improve your home’s value, here are the remodeling projects that will give you the most return for your money:

• Kitchens and baths
• Decks
• Siding
• Windows

You have several choices for bathroom and kitchen remodels. You can spend a lot of money on a complete gut and remodel. Or, you can do it for less, by refacing or refinishing kitchen cabinets and countertops, and maybe a new floor. This will still give you the effect you are looking for, and still have a great return.

Not all kitchen remodeling projects need to be invasive and massive. Sometimes it is just a face lift that you need. Where you live, the materials you choose, and the scope of the work are all factors that determine costs and can make a difference in your budget.

For a kitchen facelift, contact Kenneth C. Lewis Cabinetry today.

Many homeowners, thinking they need a kitchen remodel, only need a kitchen facelift. The kitchen is the heart of the house, for that, it needs soul.

But sometimes, a remodel is just too expensive. A kitchen facelift can be done, a minor kitchen remodeling project, which injects the kitchen with life and soul.

A kitchen face-lift typically involves refreshing a lot of the old and injecting some of the new.

Kitchen face-lifts are all about making the most of what you have, maybe keep the flooring and the cabinetry. Add new backsplash, as well as countertops.

When you have kitchen cabinets that are sturdy and in good shape, cabinet refacing or cabinet refinishing, or a combination of both, is a great, inexpensive option.

Add new appliances if necessary, maybe an island if you have space and Viola! A new kitchen. Contact Kitchen Cabinetry.

There are quite a few homes on the market. You need to be sure your home stands out in the crowd. You can do this with a kitchen remodel. There are few home renovations that are worth it when I comes to making your money back, and remodeling the kitchen is one of them.

Kitchen renovations will get you 75-80% return on your investment. But you don’t have to spend a lot to remodel your kitchen. If your kitchen cabinets are in good shape, don’t replace them; reface them.

An alternative to replacing them is refacing them. Cabinet refacing is less expensive than buying all new cabinets. Cabinet refacing involves the replacement of the door and drawer fronts and installing a veneer of new wood over the existing cabinets.
 
If your kitchen is just dated, and not in need of a new floor plan, refinishing or resurfacing the cabinets will update the look and save you money to spend on replacing the appliances.
 
Contact Kenneth C Lewis Cabinetry if you want a less expensive option to a kitchen remodel.

As you know, when contemplating a kitchen remodel, new cabinets are the majority of the cost, and the stress. Why don’t you think about cabinet refinishing?

Newly refinished cabinets give you the feel of a brand new kitchen. Best of all, you can much better manage the cost of your kitchen makeover.  Spend the money or something else, or put it in the bank! No matter your décor, refinish your cabinets with a contemporary finish or old world charm.

If your original cabinets are in good shape other than being a bit dated or worn, refinishing your cabinets are a great solution to getting you a new kitchen with half the cost and in far less time.

It is possible that remodeling your kitchen has been cost prohibitive. Not with cabinet refinishing. Cabinet Refinishing is a great way to save money and achieve the look you are after.  

Contact Cabinet Refinishing by Kenneth Lewis for an appointment.

For some, the idea of remodeling the kitchen is overshadowed by thoughts of cost overruns, delays, and decisions. Certainly the process seems daunting, but in the end it is very rewarding. A nice and easy kitchen makes life…nice and easy.

1: How will you use your kitchen

To have a successful kitchen remodel, it is important to think about how you’ll actually be using your kitchen. A kitchen island will often help make kitchen living easier. A kitchen island provides extra seating and serving space for a family and can include great storage options to help keep the kitchen organized.

2: Storage

A kitchen can never have enough storage. Existing cabinets can be refinished rather than replaced to save money while updating the look of the kitchen. Additional cabinet options can be added to existing cabinets such as roll out shelving, peg boards, and cup hangers. Near the garage, as you enter the kitchen, consider a utility cabinet with roll-out trays and cubbies to minimize clutter from purses, hats, and  keys.

3: Make the kitchen functional for all

Understand who is using the kitchen and for what. Do you like entertaining in your kitchen; reface some of the cabinet doors with glass fronted doors. Perhaps you are at home chefs, have all your cooking supplies organized. Is it a homework spot for kids? Have a drawer designated for school supplies.

Today, antique furniture makes for beautiful art. But antiques are also beautiful and very popular as home furnishings and décor. Many families have antique pieces that have been passed down as heirlooms. If you have a piece of genuine antique furniture or a family heirloom in your home, here are some interesting and successful ways to clean, care for, and preserve your prized possessions.

Dust your antique furniture along the wood grain with a very soft cloth. If the furniture surface is dirty, a mild soap and water solution is perfect for cleaning. After the furniture has dried, dab some solvent-based cleaning wax in a cloth and clean your antique furniture with it. Follow this step by wiping it with a dry cloth later.

Have you wondered what you can do with spoiled milk? Milk, even if it is spoiled, can be used to remove dirt from wooden furniture. Just dip a cloth in the milk, and then wipe the surface of furniture. Finally, clean again with water.

Wrap a bundle of moist tea leaves in a soft cloth to wipe down the furniture, or you can use plain, cooled tea. This makes furniture more smooth and bright.

If you have an old wood desk or table that has ink stains, you can clean it off with white vinegar. Use a soft cloth with a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar and rub it on the furniture surface. This is particularly good on mahogany and solid wood furniture.

Clean rough and uneven surfaces or carvings with a brush or a vacuum.  Lemon oil helps to preserve antique pieces, but it is not suitable to clean furniture, as it will dry and darken the wood.

Kenneth C Lewis specializes in furniture and wood repair for antiques. Whether it is enhancement, refinishing or restoration,  we offer dramatic results, performing most repairs utilizing advanced products and processes.

Countertop replacement is usually the best option when totally changing or remodeling your kitchen.

A beautiful countertop can really stand out in a kitchen. Consumer Reports tested 14 different countertop materials like granite and quartz, recycled glass, bamboo and soapstone. They applied things like tomato sauce and grape juice and let them sit overnight.

The bamboo surfaces stained badly.

They also tested the counters for heat, by placing a 400 degree pot on them: the bamboo counters scorched, and 2 recycled glass countertops cracked within 12 minutes.

When all the tests were done, quartz and granite countertops came out on top!

Kenneth C Lewis uses granite, corian, cambria quartz and other quality materials for replacing existing countertops.

At the time you bought the house, you thought it was a great idea. “The kitchen needs remodeling, but we can do that after we move in”.

Well months or years later, you are still in that outdated kitchen, and the economy has slipped, and you are not sure if you want to use your “rainy day money” on a whole kitchen upgrade. Well, you don’t need to.

Kitchen cabinets can be the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel. Don’t waste your money or your time on cabinets. With Cabinet Refacing and Cabinet Refinishing you can have brand new “looking” cabinets at a fraction of the cost. For the most part, cabinets are structurally fine, it is the color, or the hardware, or they are scratched and worn out, that has them looking so dated.

Cabinet refinishing - this is a great way to save some money and still have a beautiful or elite looking kitchen. The cost can be lower if your cabinets and doors are in good shape.  Decorative possibilities for your cabinets are almost endless.

New Cabinet Doors and Drawer Fronts - It is very possible to combine new doors and drawer fronts with refinishing cabinets for a truly new design. This will bridge the gap between a full refinish and refacing, saving you money and still giving you a new look.

Refacing Cabinets - An alternative to refinishing is refacing. Although cabinet refacing is cheaper than all new cabinets, it is still considerably more expensive than cabinet refinishing. Cabinet refacing involves the replacement of the door and drawer fronts plus installing a veneer of new wood over the existing cabinets.