N-Hance Wood Renewal!!

N-Hance is a revolutionary wood renewall product that is relatively new to the industry. What is it exactly? Well according to their advertising "it renews your wood cabinets and floor without dust, inconvenience and noxious fumes associated with traditional refinishing methods. In many cases, the process can be completed in just one day!" 

As a home stager and redesigner, I am always looking for options to pass along to my clients that are cost effective and not time consuming. This could very well be it. One of my clients recently had it done. The reason they chose it, is the very reason that was stated in the advertising, no mess and can be done in one day. I have  a strong feeling this will appeal to many people!!

OK, so what is it exactly? According to their advertising "Removes the dirt and grime build-up that can make wood look flat and lifeless over time. The renewal process thoroughly cleans the surface, removes old coatings, repairs damaged areas with less mess and applies an elegant finish"

It also gives you the options of three solution:

1. Basis renewal. No change of color. Has minimal wear on the wood surface. Basically your old cabinets will look new again.

   2.  Color shift. It will slightly warm the tone of the wood, leaving the beauty for the wood grain 

       in-tack.  Great for sun-faded areas. This will take 2-3 days to complete.

Before

After

 

   3. Color change. This is a more dramatic effect. Usually the cabinets will go from light to dark, such 

      as oak to cherry. You can shop at Home Depot Design Center  and simply select any sample 

      cabinet color and they will match it. This will totally change the look of your kitchen and will typically 

      take 3-5 days to complete.

Before

After

 

As you can see from these photos, very impressive. My client's kitchen is roughly 12x12 kitchen with no Island or Peninsula. I believe he is being charged around $3,000. Which in my opinion, is not bad. Cheaper then professional painting, which they were quoted a price of $4,000 and they would have to live through the smells. Refacing is probably 3x that amount!! This is a great option to offer your clients!! What do you think?

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At Abella Home Staging & Redesign, we believe any home can be beautifully transformed. We believe in delivering a custom-made look, but without the custom-made price tag!! Call us and let's get started today!!

 

Welcome to my Kitchen!

Welcome to my kitchen! In the past 22 years since I've own my home, it has gone through some major transformations. It took 2 years and 4 different phases to complete the look. I though I would share some photos with you to show you my journey, and perhaps to inspire you, on yours!

1992 - The original kitchen!! Ugh! But I saw beyond this disaster.  Mixed-matched cabinets. The boiler was actually in the kitchen (behind the door on the left). As well as the washer!! Don't you just love that light fixture?

Moved in and had to live with what I had for now, but I changed the light fixture and moved the washer  and boiler out of the kitchen.

1998 - Remodeled the kitchen. I had to live with the previous kitchen for 6 years!! But I finally got a new kitchen, with new cabinets, new countertops, and new appliances. Couldn't afford granite countertops or stainless steel appliance, but I was happy with this version of my kitchen.

2011 Time to remodel again!! After living with this kitchen for 13 years, it was time to remodel once again (Phase 1). This time I wanted an "open concept" floor plan. We had to a eliminated a bearing wall. I was adding an Island, but wasn't sure about the size I needed. So I took my blue tape and "drew" an outline of the cabinets on the floor to give me an idea. Looked good!!

What a mess removing the backsplash!

Had to replace the sheetrock when we removed the tiles.

Removed old molding  and replaced it with dentil molding instead. Much better.

Getting new cabinets was too expensive, and refacing was not an options, since I didn't like the materials being used. So I decided to paint my cabinets instead. I hired a company called Stone services. 

Before the painting company came in to paint my cabinets, I wanted to add wainscoting to my peninsula. (Phase 2)

This way when they came to paint, everything would get the same paint treatment.  As you can see from the picture, I did this before I removed the backsplash.

Everything had to be removed  inside my cabinets for the painting. What a pain that was!! Now you're probably wondering why there is painted sheetrock on my walls. This was Phase 3, so I had to live with the painted backsplash for a year!! 

Ok, almost done. The painting was done on the cabinets and the backsplash was added. I even did a feature accent above where the stove will be installed.

New granite countertop (added before the backsplash)

New stainless steel sink. 

As you can see, the dishwasher is black. And since it still worked well, I didn't want to replace it just yet. The refrigerator and stove were replaced, and that was expensive enough!! 

So I used a product called Soft Metal Film. It's adhesive product and looks just like stainless steel. I paid $28 for this project. Not bad!!

Friends and family didn't even notice it wasn't stainless steel!!

Last project (Phase 4). I wanted to continue the wainscoting on the wall.

Almost there. Last project, choosing the color and painting!

2013- Viola!! All done. I love they way it turned out. It took about 2 years,  and 4 Phases, but it was worth the wait. I also love the fact that it didn't cost me a fortune. When it was all said and done, I figured it cost around $20,000, including some labour cost. Much better then $50,000 plus, it would have cost me if I had gutted it all out!!

If you need help selecting colors, redesigning your home, or staging your property, Abella Home Staging & Redesign can assist you! Contact us and lets get started today! 

Painting Kitchen Cabinet. Is That Taboo?

When I recommend painting kitchen cabinets to my clients, I often hear a grasp, followed by, " Oh no I would never paint wood." I then ask, "Why not?" Their answer most of the time is, "I just don't think you should." But when I show them pictures of "before and after" of painted kitchens, their resolves  starts to dwindle. Pictures "paint" a thousands words. So here are some "before and after" pictures to show you what a difference painting your cabinet can do to your kitchen.

Centsational Girl

Haco.com

Home Animation Degree

Abella Home Staging & Redesign

Abella Home Staging & Redesign

As you can see by these pictures, painting your cabinets can have a dramatic effect!! It can instantly update your kitchen. It is the least expensive way to achieve an updated look. Image how much it cost to remodel a kitchen? Painting is probably a quarter of that expense. When I painted my kitchen cabinets (pictured above) it costed me $4,000. I had gotten quotes on refacing and they wanted $12,000!! And I didn't like the material they were going to use. Since I save around $8,000, that allowed me to add an Island and eventually I added new appliances Think of the money you can save by painting your cabinets! It is a great alternative to remodeling. What do you think?