Kenneth Lewis Blog

The kitchen is no longer just where you eat and store food. The kitchen is mom’s command center, the kitchen is where you gather with family and friends.

If you kitchen is feeling a little dated, but a total remodel is out of the budget, try a cabinet upgrade by refinishing, refacing, painting, or installing a kitchen island.

Cabinet refinishing 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 due to the fact that Kenneth C Lewis we use the most durable commercial grade lacquer on the market.  Many decorative effects can be achieved during any cabinet refinishing project with paint or stain.

You could also add lazy susan or pull-out shelves to your existing kitchen cabinets. Replace a door or two with a glass front or some other more modern style and change the entire look of your cabinets. New hardware is also changes the look of your cabinets and drawers.

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 (with new) plus installing a veneer of new wood over the existing cabinets. This is usually done with your existing countertops in place if they are in good shape.

Refinishing or refacing kitchen cabinets, instead of cabinet replacement, lets you upgrade your kitchen at a price you can afford while getting the new custom look you want. If you looked into remodeling your kitchen you have found that it is not cheap and a significant portion of that cost is for cabinets. They are also costly and time consuming to install. However, if your cabinets are in decent shape, the alternatives of refacing or refinishing your cabinets can give your kitchen a fresh new look quickly, without busting your budget.

The kitchen cabinets are the most visible and abused parts of your kitchen. So when they look tired and worn, so does your kitchen. But, most kitchen cabinets are in good shape structurally and only need a facelift. With many colors, stains and wood veneers, refinishing or refacing kitchen cabinets is the perfect way to transform your kitchen from old and worn to fresh and new.

The least expensive solution between refinishing and refacing your cabinets is refinishing. Kitchen cabinet refinishing is done by painting or staining the cabinets and cabinet doors.

Refacing kitchen cabinets is more expensive than refinishing but still a fraction of the cost to replace them. The old cabinet doors and drawers are removed, stripped, and the door and drawer fronts are replaced with new surfaces, either new wood veneer or laminate. The cabinet frames and exterior surfaces are covered or refaced to match and the inside is cleaned and painted.

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 unusable for weeks or months as with cabinet replacement.

If you are thinking of redoing your kitchen, you know you can spend thousands on new countertops. Kitchens are one of the biggest remodeling expenses, so how can you be sure that your counters will hold up over time?

You can double the price of a kitchen makeover by throwing in new countertops. So with that kind of money on the line it's important to get the right ones for your lifestyle.

A beautiful new kitchen countertop can really stand out. However, with so many different types to choose from, how do you know which is best? Consumer Reports tested 14 different countertop materials to find out.

"We checked out popular surfaces like granite and quartz. New to our tests we have recycled glass, bamboo, and soapstone," said Consumer Reports tester Chris Regan.

To see how well a countertop resists stains, Regan applied 20 common substances, like tomato sauce and grape juice, then let them sit overnight.

"We tested bamboo countertops with a mixture of a beeswax and mineral-oil finish. Both countertops looked great out of the box, but not so much after our tests," said Regan.

Both stained badly, even coffee and tea, which most other surfaces could handle - stained the bamboo.

Consumer Reports also tests to see if counters can take the heat - literally. Testers set a pot of 400-degree oil on the countertop for an hour. There were scorch marks left behind on each of these bamboo counters.

"We also found a problem with some of the recycled-glass countertops," said Regan.

One of the recycled glass countertops cracked within 12 minutes. But recycled-glass countertops from two other manufacturers did not crack. When all the tests were done, quartz countertops and as well as granite came out on top. And while either surface can chip, getting a rounded edge helps minimize this.

If you decide to go with natural stone, like granite or quartz, be aware their look can vary widely, even within the same slab. So pick out the sample you want and reserve it.

Original article on ABC local – Michael Finney

The kitchen is the heart of the home, and it's also the most popular room to renovate. The average kitchen redo costs about $15,000.

When it comes to remodeling a kitchen almost everyone has something they might have done differently.

When you're cooking up a kitchen renovation there are so many places where it's easy to goof. Storage space is one of them. Consumer reports says, don't skimp!

"Carefully plan how much storage you'll need and where to put it," said Bob Markovich with Consumer Reports.

For instance, dishes and glasses need four to six linear feet of cabinet space above or near the sink and dishwasher. Pots and pans need the same, and store them close to your cooktop. If you have kitchen cabinets that already provide enough storage space, consider refinishing them instead of replacing them.

Center islands can be tricky too. Make sure they are the right size, too big is a common mistake.

The countertop should be three feet wide to no more than ten feet. As for depth, you want one that measures at least 26 inches, and up to 48 inches.

As for countertops, choosing one that stains easily is another mistake people make. Skip oil-rubbed butcher block for kitchen counters - it's one of the surfaces that stains easily. Corian and Granite work nicely.

With careful planning and attention to detail you can sidestep these mistakes and get the kitchen you've always wanted.

Original article on ABC local

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

A recession-wrought change in consumer spending is having a dramatic impact on kitchen and bath remodeling, according to a major new study conducted by sink, faucet and shower products supplier Moen.

“Given the current recession, it’s no surprise that consumers are saving rather than spending – and when they do spend, they’re doing so from cash on hand, rather than credit,” says Jack Suvak, senior director of OH-based Moen. “This change in spending behavior has had a dramatic impact on remodeling projects.”

According to Suvak, most homeowners are choosing to perform “room lifts” – small upgrades to personalize a room – rather than undertake the kind of major remodels that were commonplace prior to the recession. An example is choosing to refinish or reface existing cabinets to update a kitchen rather than remodel an entire kitchen. In addition, Suvak said, homeowners “are choosing to personalize renovations to fit their needs, rather than update a room for the next family that will be living in the house.

“For years, we’ve heard that if you want to sell your home, start by remodeling your kitchen because it has the highest return on investment,” he said.

Moen’s research found that families with children living in the home are more engaged in their kitchens than their counterparts without children – and are more likely to view the kitchen as a place where activities or conversations happen. With regard specifically to kitchen remodeling, respondents with children are significantly more likely than those without children to remodel or make improvements to their kitchen or spent more on kitchen improvements, Moen said.

Original article on Kitchen and Bath Design News

There is nothing stating that a kitchen remodeling project needs to be more than you can afford and let's face it; remodeling a kitchen can be an expensive endeavor. Appliances and paint to floors, cabinets and countertops, completely transforming a kitchen requires quite a bit of money and time. Often, doing the entire project at once is cost-prohibitive. But there are ways to transform your kitchen without spenging too much. How? Creative solutions to kitchen renovation, like countertop resurfacing. You can save a lot of money and hassle with countertop resurfacing as opposed to replacing them. Countertops are heavy and cling to everything, including the kitchen sink. By just resurfacing, you can avoid the labor and cost of completely removing them, let alone replacing them.

In resurfacing your countertop, one option is to remove the old laminate and replace it with new laminate. But, there are other options for countertop resurfacing as well. You can install ceramic tiles over the old countertops. You can also polish existing old stone or other solid material countertops to give them a brighter and fresher look. The countertops are a focal point for the eye when you enter a kitchen and they dramatically change the style of an area. Changing the countertop will allow you to carry through with the design you want while visually impacting the space with just one renovation. Countertop resurfacing can transform your kitchen into something cozier and more stylish without killing your home remodeling budget.

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.

You may have solidly constructed kitchen cabinets that just need a face lift. If you feel like your existing kitchen cabinets are "worn out" or have an "outdated" appearance, REFACING them may be the perfect choice. For a fresh, new look in your kitchen you may not need to buy new cabinets. Having your kitchen cabinets torn out and replaced with new kitchen cabinets can cost you a fortune and take a lot of time. Even if you have never done a large home remodeling project, you know that losing the right to your kitchen is stressful and certainly inconvenient. And you might not get the same quality cabinets as the ones that you have right now.  At Kenneth C. Lewis Cabinets, we regularly save our customers over half the cost of new replacement cabinetry, and we are only in your kitchen for 3-4 days!  Our approach and process allows for the least disruption possible when it comes to using your kitchen.

More importantly, the quality of our work always ends up surpassing the highest of expectations from our customers. With cabinet refacing by Kenneth C Lewis your satisfaction is more important than anything else.  

When it comes to renovating your home for re-sale there are a few major renovations that top the list but Kitchen remodels top them all. For the largest return on your investment when reselling your home, consider a kitchen remodel.

Buyers want to envision themselves in a gorgeous newly renovated kitchen where they can see themselves entertaining friends and family, where the kids do their homework, and guests can gather around a gorgeous kitchen island. This is what buyers look for.

Kitchen Remodels give you a ROI of 75-85%. The function of the kitchen has evolved over the years, and now more than ever the kitchen must meet those needs.

• A major kitchen remodel may need to include a new floor plan to improve on a poorly designed work triangle.
• If the kitchen is completely dated, refinishing or resurfacing the cabinets will update the look and save you money to spend on replacing the appliances and countertops.
• If at all possible add a kitchen island into the plans. Everyone loves them!
• Replacing appliances, lighting, flooring, finishes and fixtures and adding new doors and windows will grab the buyers' attention. Refinishing or resurfacing the cabinetry is easier and more efficient than replacing it. 

Since kitchens and baths are the costliest rooms to renovate, the buyer will be thrilled that the work is already done for them.