Customer Satisfaction

Check out this video where I share my views on customer satisfaction:

Thanks for stopping by!

-Tom

Fruitwood Hickory Shaker

Connie and Margaret wanted to change their kitchen layout and warm it up with updated, wood cabinets.

First we sealed off the outside door and created a new door with access to her screened in porch. This gave us more wall room to increase their cabinet runs.  We then worked with the client the design a new kitchen space.  After a few revisions, we were good to go.  We installed hickory cabinets with all new appliances and solid surface countertops.  The customers pitched in and did some drywall sanding and such to save themselves some money.  We switched the peninsula to the opposite side of the kitchen, gave access to the dead corner and boxed in the fridge.  In the book shelve area, we installed tall pantry cabinets so there is no mess showing but plenty of storage space.  Connie and Margaret were great customers and it was fun to see them participate with us in the project.

Here are the before and after shots (click image to enlarge):

Thanks for stopping by!

-Tom

European Kitchen Transformation

The client had painted black cabinet in a traditional raised panel design.  She had always dreamed about having a contemporary, clean, European style kitchen…it was time to make her dream come true.

This kitchen is one of the most dramatic transformations we have done.  The client originally contacted us to reface her existing cabinets.  But after listening to her and finding out the look she wanted to achieve, we explained that new cabinets would be more appropriate to achieve her look….and boy what a look.  The cabinets are quartersawn oak with the grain oriented horizontally.  The modern sleek design is very European and all the base cabinets are either all drawers or made to look like drawers, even if they are doors. Note the aluminum tambored appliance garage in the corner.  A built in fridge was installed along with all new granite tops, tile backsplash and tile floor.  The granite was done in a U shape to enclose the seating area at the back of the island.

Here are the before and after pictures (click to enlarge):

Thanks for stopping by.

-Tom

Reconditioning Plus

Mr. & Mrs. T’s kitchen had some problems.  They had a new kitchen installed a few years ago.  The company that installed the cabinets is out of business.  The cabinets were cheap Chinese cabinets and the finish was beginning to fail is spots and the cabinets suffered from poor installation.  To make matters worse, the client’s floor had settled and they had to have it jacked up with piers.  During that process the floor was raised enough to cause their granite to break…they need some specialized help, which we could provide.

We developed a game plan that would serve the client long term. We removed all the base cabinets and reset them properly once they had their new hardwood floors installed.  During the reinstallation, we recommend that we move the fridge section around a bit to make it more attractive and functional.  We encapsulated the fridge between the 2 pantry cabinets and replaced the cabinet over the fridge with a 24” deep cabinet that would provide them useful storage.  After reinstalling the cabinets, we used our proprietary reconditioning process to fix the finish problems and make the cabinet color more consistent.  We also custom stained some crown and installed it to give the upper cabinets a finished look.  We readjusted the doors and installed raised panels that the original installer couldn’t get to fit properly.  After the cabinet work was done, we installed new granite countertops, new range and microwave and a tile backsplash.  LED undercabinet lighting was added and the project was completed.

Here are the before and after pictures (click photo to enlarge):

Thanks for stopping by!

-Tom

Natural Cherry Shaker

Mr. and Mrs. S wanted to make some style and layout changes to their kitchen.  No major changes, just some alterations to make it more function and bring it into this decade.  We began by making some minor changes to the layout.  We added lazy susan to the corner for better access and boxed in the fridge so the cabinet over the fridge provided much needed bulk storage.  The cabinets were refaced in a natural maple and an updated shaker door called Cimarron.  We put in new granite countertops and a tile backplash along with some new appliances.  We also tiled the floor to make the kitchen a completely new living space.  Thanks Mr. & Mrs. S for being such fine customers!

Here are the before and after shots (Click photo to enlarge):

Thanks for stopping by!

-Tom

Knotty Alder Kitchen Transformation

Mr. & Mrs. S were tired of the light oak cabinets and want a simple, rustic look.  This was a straight forward project but with dramatic results.  We refaced all the cabinets and replaced a few which makes this a reface plus job.  Note the corner cabinet and cabinet over the microwave.  We replaced these cabinets in order to create a staggered look. The cabinet right of the microwave was also replaced so glass doors could be used and the cabinet interior would match the exterior.  A new tall cabinet was installed so the client could replace their 27” oven with a larger, 30” oven and the base wine rack cabinet was also replaced as a piece like that can’t be refaced.  During the project we noticed the butler pantry wall cabinet was coming apart so we replaced that one also.  The customer was able to keep their granite tops and we were in and out of their house in less than a week.

Here’s the before and after picture (Click picture to enlarge)

And be sure to check out the video walk-through I shot below.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Tom

White to Cherry Reface Plus

The customer wanted to update her kitchen. She was tired of the white and wanted a more elegant look.  She also had some problems accessing the blind corner cabinet next to her range.  The countertops were outdated and it was time for a change.  Her father was using us for a bathroom remodel and he recommend she talk with us about her kitchen.

We refaced the cabinets in a dark cherry shaker door.  To cure some layout problems, we replaced a few cabinets also.  We installed a lazy susan cabinet in the blind corner and boxed in the fridge with tall panels and a 24” deep cabinet over the fridge, giving her much more storage space.  Roll out trays were added in every lower cabinet, giving her added storage and ease of access.  New granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and a tile backsplash finished the job.

Here’s the before and after picture (Click to enlarge)

also check out the video blog for this project:

Thanks for stopping by!

-Tom

Waxhaw Cherry Kitchen

The customer was moving into this house and wanted to change the kitchen before they moved. They didn’t like the dark maple color and wanted to lighten it up a bit.  Most people don’t think about using cherry to lighten a kitchen, but that’s exactly what we did.

We refaced the kitchen in a cherry door in pecan stain. We replaced a few cabinets to give the kitchen more interest. The cabinet over the microwave was deepened and staggered and the wall oven run was changed to standard cabinets adding more countertop space. The cabinet right of the sink was replaced to make it bigger and also to add glass doors for interest.  The client had us replace all the drawers in the existing cabinets.  All the appliances were replaced and the client was thrilled to get our contractor prices on them. New granite countertops and tile backsplash finished the project off.

Here is the before and after picture (Click to enlarge):

Also check out the video walk-through below.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Tom

Waxhaw Travertine Bathroom

The customer had an outdated bathroom with cheap ceramic tile and plain white cabinets. The brass frames on the shower glass really stuck out…it was time for a change.  We removed everything and started from scratch.  Stained wood cabinets added warmth and the tall linen cabinet added some badly needed storage.  We tiled the bathroom in Travertine with some nice accents in the shower. Frameless glass added that much needed updated look. All faucets were also replaced.  In the end, this is a very typical bathroom remodel…no change in the footprint, just reskinning what’s there in an updated look.

Here are the before and after photos (Click to enlarge):

Be sure to check out the walk-through video below as well.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Tom

TUNE-UP TIP: Increase your drawer space!

TUNE-UP TIP: Increase your drawer space!

Many kitchens suffer from limited drawer space.  One way you may be able to increase your drawer space and make it more accessible is to replace your drawer boxes.

How will that help?

Well, many builder grade cabinets come with “short” drawer boxes.  Even though your base cabinets are 24” deep, many cabinets come with drawers that are only 18” deep.  That’s a lot of wasted space…see the picture.

Also, standard drawer glides often keep a portion of the drawer box inside the cabinet even when pulled out fully. Not in the picture, the amount of the drawer that is still in the cabinet.  This severely limits the accessible drawer space you have available.  When we replace drawer boxes, we always use 21” deep drawers giving you an extra 3”.  We also always use full extension drawer glides.  Full extension glides allow the drawer to come completely out of the cabinet, allowing better access the entire drawer.

So, next time you are struggling with drawer space, remember, you may not need to replace the entire cabinet, just to fix the drawers!

(Click picture to enlarge)

Hope this was helpful!

-Tom