I know y’all know what I am talking about. You are out looking at homes, searching for the one that you want to call your own. And then right there in front of you, it appears…but wait! Everything is great…all redone, high quality craftsmanship that shows in the remodel but the kitchen is just not your taste. Who rips out a 40, 50, 75, or 100 thousand plus dollar kitchen? Well some people do and I have had many clients who do and have but I am not one of them. This is a story of my, Not My Taste Kitchen, and how I remedied the design problem with solutions that really work.

Five years ago I walked into what is now our home on Phinney Ridge. I fell in love with the bones and saw the possibility in all the historic character that was still in tact. Coved ceilings, leaded windows, original doors with their glass knobs and the beautiful Batchelder fireplace (more on that in a future article) but then I walked into the kitchen and my heart just sunk. I was met with Shaker Style cherry cabinets in a darkish red stain, black granite countertops and a pedestrian tile floor. I knew that my husband would not agree to ripping it out and adding the cost of that to all the work we planned on doing anyway and truthfully he would have been right but I am the cook and I am the one who spends hours in the kitchen and so I needed and deserved a kitchen that felt good to me. I am also a designer and my aesthetic self was not feeling this kitchen in any way.

So what did I do? Well first I went to a high-end kitchen and bathroom showroom and chose beautiful handles, knobs and pulls for all the drawers and cabinets, replacing the ones of questionable taste that the previous owner had chosen. I cannot tell you what a huge difference it made. Then I changed the awful sink faucet to a beautiful nickel one imported from England and finally, I got rid of the plain old stove and talked my husband into getting a Wolf Gas Range (Yes I love it) and stainless hood over it. I put down a lovely and rustic rug over the tile and warmed the black countertops up by putting beautiful large cutting boards that are made in Vermont by J K Adams on top of the cold black granite. I cannot tell you what a huge difference it made. I enjoy my kitchen very much but am now ready,  after 4 years for phase two; getting rid of those dark cabinets that do nothing to brighten up the kitchen on a cold and gray winters day!

An exciting new option for kitchen cabinet rejuvenation literally fell in my lap a couple of months ago. I was reading a local design and living magazine and came across an article that intrigued me. I always though my options for my cabinets were limited by my insistence on a non toxic low VOC finish and traditional cabinet refinishing was anything but. Literally you needed to clear out of your house for days because the fumes were so noxious and still then the smell would linger for months which was just not an option for this Green Mama!

We have come a long way and today restoring the beauty of your old wood cabinets has never been easier or more cost effective! It begins with hiring technicians experienced with the new water based products and methods which can produce a like new luster to your wood cabinets. All of this can be achieved without the waste, mess or harsh odors from chemicals and it can be done in days not weeks! These new methods promise to be non toxic and odorless which is so important to me and my family!

The finish possibilities are virtually endless which for me is another crucial component. As soon as I finish writing this I’m calling N Hance Wood Renewal (877) 868-WOOD for more information and to set up an appointment for them to come out and see my kitchen!

Stay tuned!!