Category: Cabinets

5 Reasons You Should Hire a Professional to Remodel Your Kitchen

When the time to remodel your kitchen comes, you may find yourself pondering the idea of remodeling it yourself. A kitchen renovation is one the biggest and most overwhelming of DIY undertakings. Even when a team of professionals is remodeling your kitchen, it’s a huge undertaking (countertops installation, lighting, flooring, structural modifications) which is why we’ve made a list of reasons why you might want to rethink any DIY musings and instead leave the kitchen renovation to the pros.
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1. Save your relationship! Yes, #1 on our list is that DIY projects can often lead to arguments between spouses/homeowners—even when professional teams remodel, couples often aren’t in agreement over details or issues that may arise. The difference with professionals, though, is experience. Not only can we help with decisions, we can help smooth ruffled feathers too. We often take on the role of mediator for couples and we can assure you, we won’t take sides—rather, we’ll make sure you and your partner remain on the same team from start to finish of the project.

2. Quality—what you buy, stain, or paint yourself isn’t going to hold up to the quality of brands like Legacy Crafted Cabinets or Showplace Cabinetry. Cabinets you can buy from chain stores or websites are often the cheapest material and with little craftsmanship, nearly a guarantee for problems or replacements sooner rather than later. There’s also the issue of installing the cabinets and countertops, which require more than one set of hands and lots of attention to detail (a crooked cabinet will drive you crazy). Or, if you don’t have experience painting cabinets, you may be in for a surprise when the end-product doesn’t look like your pinned kitchens on Pinterest. There’s a good saying for this scenario: “if you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur…”

3. Time—kitchen do-it-yourselfers will undoubtedly take longer than professionals for a number of reasons, like needing other people to help and whether you’re working full time during the renovation. Issues will almost always arise, like a modification to a wall might be necessary in order to support a new appliance or cabinetry, which could add days or even weeks to your timeline.  Pros are adept at handling any unexpected issues because we have a network of professionals who we know can do the job expertly.

4. Save money! You think you’re going to save money if you DIY like those crafty people on their lovely blogs, but the truth is you’re still going to spend a lot, just on different things—like tools and equipment–that pros will already have.

5. Education. We’re NBKA certified and regularly attending our vendors’ continuing education workshops so that we always know about the latest and greatest kitchen and bath trends and products. When one client wanted butcherblock countertops, we presented her with our new Caribou samples, which has a patented water protectant sealant on it, making it a much more low maintenance than butcherblock of yore.
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Kitchen remodels are often cited as one of the biggest stressors of home ownership and with good reason. Kitchens are an integral part of our daily lives and where many of us naturally gravitate when inside our homes, so when it’s suddenly off-limits for renovation, it is a huge disruption. Minimize the interruption with a professional to save yourself additional stress. Visit our showroom for samples and expert opinions—we’ll keep it as stress-free as possible.

Painted Cabinets or Stained Cabinets? Which is Better?

Customers ask us all the time which they should choose for their kitchen, stained or painted cabinets?

Most homeowners have to make the choice at least once: stained cabinets or painted? Both are beautiful options and it really does boil down to the homeowner’s preference for the appearance. If he or she knows for certain they want navy blue cabinets, then it’s most certainly a painted finish on the cabinets. If the homeowner loves cherry and wants the natural look of knots and the grain of the wood, then it’s hands-down a stain that wins.

But if you love both and can’t decide, it’s time to bring in the other factors and let those shape your final decision.

Let’s start with material. If you’re leaning toward stain, your cabinets must be real wood. You won’t get the natural or authentic appearance of wood from anything else and the stain won’t sink into any material the way it does with wood. While wood cabinets may be more expensive than something like MDF, the stain itself is less expensive than a painted finish (usually between 10 to 15 percent less expensive).

MDF is totally acceptable for a painted finish on your cabinets, though, and it’s much less expensive than wood cabinets. If you love the thought of a flawless, smooth finish, you’re going to be happier with paint. Paint coats the material rather than sinking into it, like stain. If your cabinets are wood, then the paint will coat and cover over any knots or variations in the wood, leaving behind a polished façade.

When it comes to maintenance, stain is the easier choice. Paint is often sprayed on—that’s what gives it that perfect finish—which isn’t a quick task to replicate, especially if one doesn’t know the exact brand and color of the paint. Families with young children who are more active might find stain easier to maintain in a busy environment. Touch-ups can usually be handled with a touch-up marker from the hardware store.

As mentioned earlier, painting cabinets is a more expensive choice than staining. Opting for paint can cost hundreds to thousands more depending on the size and layout of your kitchen.

Consider your family’s lifestyle, especially with the upkeep differences between the two finishes. If you’re near our showroom in downtown South Lyon, make an appointment with us to see the options for yourself in person.