Kenneth Lewis Blog

Spring is the time that many homeowners start to consider kitchen and bathroom renovations, but right now is the perfect time to consider these renovations.  Plumbers have better availability after the winter heating season and skilled workers are still available before the busy summer season. So when spring cleaning reveals older and worn cabinetry and vanities, call Cabinetry by Kenneth C. Lewis.

A full kitchen renovation can cost quite a bit of money based on a variety of details along with the condition of the existing plumbing and electric.  Kitchen upgrades and smaller renovations with a big effect can be done for much less.  Great ways to change the look of your kitchen on a tight budget could include replacing cabinet doors, counter-tops, hardware, flooring and painting to name a few.

Likewise, partial bathroom projects or smaller bathroom renovations with a "WOW" factor can be completed for much less than a full make-over.  Vanity refacing or refinishing, a new toilet and sink, or just a new faucet, and painting are a few suggestions.

For more cost effective kitchen and bath renovations, contact Cabinetry by Kenneth C. Lewis.

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.

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Well months or years later, you are still in that outdated kitchen, and the economy has slipped, and you are not sure if you want to use your “rainy day money” on a whole kitchen upgrade.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

Summer is the busiest time for home improvement projects and, after a few years of a down economy, it looks like more people will take the plunge in the summer of 2011.

Kitchen remodeling is the number one project that people take on.

It is also the best return for your investment.

You can get as much as an 85% return on your money and it can cost as little as a few thousand dollars for things like re-facing cabinets and a fresh coat of paint.

A good rule of thumb is never spend more than 20 percent of your home's value on any re-modeling job, especially if you are thinking about selling in the next few years.

"Understand exactly what the market is, do they have granite countertops, do they have stainless steel appliances, because the last thing you want to do is price yourself out of the market because that is going to cut into your return," Hicks, from Angies List, said.

In general, you can expect an 85% return on your kitchen re-model when you sell your home.

In the meantime, you get the benefits of a better kitchen, which for most families is the "heart of the home."

Kitchen remodeling on a budget
Just about everybody can make their kitchen their own dream kitchen space without breaking the bank or causing a divorce. Here are some suggestions to do kitchen remodeling on a budget.

1.   Add a fresh coat of paint  
2.   Order new doors or fronts for your appliances  
3.   Refacing your cabinets or replacing the doors  
4.   Replace the cabinet hardware with high end hardware  
5.   Replace your sink or just the faucet

Original article on 9news.com Written by Jack Maher

Need to remodel your kitchen but think it will be too high priced? Then think about kitchen cabinet refacing. The cost of kitchen cabinet refacing is considerably less than the price of gutting your kitchen and the job is done in a much shorter amount of time.

If you want a whole new kitchen without breaking the budget, contemplate cabinet refacing. Kitchen cabinet refacing usually involves the replacement of the door and drawer fronts (with new) plus installing a veneer of new wood over the existing cabinets. But refacing could also mean anything from repainting the current cabinets and drawer fronts and updating the hardware to stripping cabinet doorways and applying veneer or other decorative elements. Refacing could also include completely changing cabinet doors.

Most home owners intend to keep the layout of their kitchen area the same especially when it is functional and designed well. In these cases, there really is no reason to tear out the cabinets.

By having kitchen cabinets refaced rather than replaced you will be getting the benefits of a major custom kitchen remodel at a more cost-effective value.

Kitchen renovations are among the most expensive home-improvement projects. However, it's possible to refresh a tired kitchen without feeling financial pain. For the most inexpensive yet still dramatic make over, walls can be painted, cabinets can be refinished and the cabinet hardware can be changed to freshen the look. An entirely new kitchen is possible with Cabinet Refinishing by Kenneth C Lewis. Kitchen cabinets can be dressed up, revitalizing an older kitchen, or giving a newer kitchen the look and feel you dreamed of.

The next level, still less expensive than a total remodel, but effective and dramatic, you can upgrade your appliances within the same footprint, which saves the expense and hassle of moving plumbing and electrical lines. Even investing in one great feature such as a granite countertop, a deep freeze refrigerator, or a pro grade range can have a big impact. A nice and well done cosmetic upgrade will more than pay for itself at resale time. So if changing styles or wear and tear has you in need of a kitchen face lift, consider a less expensive kitchen makeover through cabinet refinishing.

It is important to prepare a budget for your kitchen remodeling plan before you start implementing it. Without a complete and detailed budget prepared before the kitchen renovation begins, you may get swept into a spending spiral of un-budgeted extras.

Limit spending on the kitchen remodeling to about 15-percent of your home's value.

The cost of appliances, countertops, cabinets, flooring, and so on, will add up to one-half to two-thirds of the total cost of remodeling. Find out the prices for these items and plug those figures into the budget. Similarly, make provisions for the cost of labor, design, contracting services, and permit fees.

Consider cabinet refinishing or refacing rather than purchasing brand new cabinets. This will dramatically cut down on the expense, but even better, it will dramatically cut down on the mess, stress, and length of time of the project. Cabinet refinishing is perfect if your cabinets are in good shape but they have an out of date look. Cabinet refacing is a great option when you have custom built cabinets that were well made, but perhaps have damaged or out of date fronts. The door and drawer fronts will be remade and replaced, entirely changing the look of your kitchen in much less time, for much less money and much less stress.

Refinishing kitchen cabinets or refacing them, instead of cabinet replacement, lets you upgrade your kitchen at a price you can afford and allows for the new custom look you desire. If you are planning to remodel your kitchen you have found out that it is not cheap and that a significant portion of the cost is for cabinetry. Also, new kitchen cabinets can be costly and time consuming to install. All is not lost though. As long as your cabinets are in decent shape, with these alternatives you can give your kitchen a fabulous new look quickly, without busting your budget.

The most visible and used elements of your kitchen are also the most abused, the kitchen cabinets. So it makes sense that after a while cabinets start to look tired and worn and so does your kitchen. The fact is that most kitchen cabinets are in good shape structurally and only in need of a new look. Kenneth C. Lewis offers many colors, stains and wood veneers to refinish and reface your kitchen cabinets.

If the kitchen cabinet hardware is not damaged it can be cleaned and re-installed. But, this is a great time to choose new cabinet hardware, doing so will let you really add your personality to the kitchen and complete the stunning transformation of your new look. The time required for refacing or refinishing kitchen cabinets depends on the size of the kitchen but usually can be completed within 3-5 days. This means that your kitchen will not be a unusable total wreck for weeks or even months that cabinet replacement requires. Be sure to contact us today should you want to add some elegance to your kitchen with your professional refacing and refinishing solutions.

Our furniture repair and restoration services have established a reputation amongst our customers for excellence that is unmatched. Our success starts with our dedication to providing our customers with unparalleled craftsmanship and quality service. We provide home owners and businesses an affordable alternative for their wood furnishings and fixtures. We specialize in furniture repair for antiques, specialty items, offices, libraries and entertainment centers. Other services include furniture structural repair and stabilization, precision repair of wood and laminate surfaces, refinishing and polishing, and color matching. We focus on every detail and no detail is too small.  Our cabinet refinishing has been described by many as the best they have ever seen.  Our two part lacquer is the best commercial grade lacquer on the market.  Every step of our entire process is driven to perfection

Whether it is enhancement, refinishing or restoration, Kenneth C Lewis offers dramatic results on your cabinets, furniture, and counter-tops. Our skilled craftsmen can restore and enhance your wood’s natural beauty and strength virtually erasing scuffs, gouges, water rings, and dents. With more than 25 years experience we can significantly increase the value of your home if you are looking to put it on the market. Or even if you are just looking for a touch up, our crew can make your dream a reality. Contact us today should you have any questions regarding furniture restoration and repair. And be sure to check out our new video below to show just how dedicated and professional our services are!

Adding or replacing decorative cabinet hardware is one of the easiest facelifts you could possibly do for your cabinets. If your cabinets are in pretty good shape, and not too dated, changing pulls or knobs is an easy thing to do. The investment is cheap to do and will be a big return as well.

If your cabinets look really old, brand new decorative cabinet hardware might stand out like a sore thumb. Depending on the situation, though, you could add rustic pulls or knobs to your cabinets, and they'd still look good. Your cabinets might also just need a good cleaning to get them sparkling again.

If you are starting fresh, and don't already have pull or knob holes in your doors or drawer fronts the choices are almost endless. You can get 3" center pulls, or knobs, or 96mm, or 128mm, or just about anything you want.

Keep in mind though, that handles with 3" centers are the most common decorative cabinet hardware that there is. If you ever want to change handles in the future, there will certainly be tons of choices. If you go with, say 128mm handles, your future choices for handles will be limited, because you'll have to get 128mm handles again. Also, these handles are larger than normal, so cost more. Finish is also a factor in your cost. Stainless steel will cost much more than a nickel finish, but will look almost identical. Contact us today if you want to add some cabinet hardware to your cabinets or if you need to have them refinished!