Category: Kitchen Services

NEWPORT NEWS, VA —As the nation approaches the year-and-a-half mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, homeowners continue to reevaluate their living spaces, “with many looking for ways to put the ‘home’ back in a more functional house.”

That’s the key conclusion of a major new consumer survey conducted by Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery in an effort to better understand how the global public-health crisis impacted trends in home renovation and updates. The survey, fielded this spring on behalf of Ferguson by G&S Business Communications, involved some 1,100 U.S. adults aged 18+, according to the Newport News, VA-based distributor of plumbing, lighting and related products.

The Ferguson survey, whose results were released in July, found that 64% of Americans made an update of some kind to their home, or to a room in their home, during the pandemic. The most popular reasons for the update included being tired of the home’s current style (34%) and needing to make changes for better functionality (32%), Ferguson reported.

The kitchen (47%) and the bathroom (44%) were the top choices when it comes to specific areas of the home people would want to redesign or upgrade based on spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. A growing number of Americans say they would want to redesign or upgrade their outdoor space (30% in 2021 compared to 23% in 2020), Ferguson reported.

Interestingly, the room people spent the most amount of time in last year compared to previous years was the living room (50%), with 33% of Americans working from home in their living rooms during the pandemic. A third (33%) spent more time in their bedrooms and nearly a third (32%) spent more time in the kitchen. Younger generations were more likely than older generations to say they spent more time in the bedroom and bathroom, but just as likely to say they spend more time in the living room.

“There are likely a number of reasons why the living room grew in importance over the past year, since it was used as a gathering place during quarantine, for home schooling and other activities,” Ferguson reported. “We may also see this trend, in part, because people who work from home often set up their workstation in their living rooms.”

Just over a third of respondents (34%) said they started working from home during the pandemic, Ferguson said. Within this group, a third said they have been working in the living room and a third have been working from an existing office, the company added.

Among other survey findings:

Among those who started working from home during the pandemic, 62% made changes to their lighting in their home office space. Americans prioritized functionality over aesthetics when changing lighting in these spaces. Twenty-eight percent changed their lighting to see their work/computer better, and 22% changed their lighting to look better on video.Americans also spruced up their office space in general during the pandemic, creating a more multifunctional space. Eleven percent put a coffee maker in their office and 10% installed a refrigerator to hold coffee creamer, water and other beverages for easy access.Nearly half of Americans say they would buy smart home products to make their lives easier (49%), while others say they would buy them to save time (32%) or to improve the energy efficiency of their home (31%).As an example of the desire for convenience and hygiene, 41% of surveyed Americans say they would like touchless faucets in their home. Almost a third (32%) would like a refrigerator that notifies them when the door has been left open. And although bidets haven’t traditionally been standard in America, 17% of Americans say they would like a bidet in their bathroom and 26% would like a bidet seat. A quarter (25%) said they want a smart toilet. Younger generations, not surprisingly, are likely to want these products and features (see graph above).

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AUSTIN, TX — Cabinets Plus USA, the kitchen-related franchising operation headquartered in Austin, TX, has changed its corporate name to Cabinet Q as part of a nationwide expansion effort.

The expansion initiative, which launched last month, will enable the newly named Cabinet IQ to rolling out its franchise program, replicating its business model nationwide, the company said.

“The Cabinets Plus USA brand has been a robust and fast-growing fixture in the Austin, TX area (and) has become well known for its step-by-step system to provide quality, service and design in kitchen and bath remodeling,” said company owner Michael Hartel. “Strong demand for services has spurred our growth, and this name change better reflects our position as the most innovative cabinet and kitchen remodeling company, and now franchise opportunity.”

The rebranding does not affect any existing orders or projects, the company said, adding that corporate ownership, billing address, shipping addresses and invoicing information remain the same.

 

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PHOENIX — Home Brands Group Holdings Inc., the parent holding company of Re-Bath, the nation’s largest bathroom remodeling franchise, has been acquired by TZP Group LLC, a New York-based private equity firm, and a group of co-investors, the company announced. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

“We are thrilled to partner with Re-Bath and its terrific management team, serving a group of committed franchisees across the U.S.,” said Vlad Gutin, a partner at TZP.

“Re-Bath complements our growing portfolio of leading consumer brands (and) we believe that Re-Bath’s unique, high-quality service offering, loyal customers, best-in-class products of leading brands and partnerships with premier, national retailers, coupled with TZP’s relationships and resources, can accelerate Re-Bath’s growth,” Gutin added.

Re-Bath, headquartered in Phoenix, operates more than 100 locations across North America, according to the company, which offers complete bathroom remodels, tub and shower updates, plus aging and accessibility solutions.

“We are excited to embark on our next chapter of growth with TZP’s investment representing a strong validation of the growth and success we’ve achieved and where we are headed,” said Re-Bath CEO, Brad Hillier. “Through this investment, we will be able to leverage TZP’s expertise and resources to further expand our brand to a wider audience and better serve our customers, franchisees, partners and employees.”

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RESTON, VA — Major domestic kitchen cabinet/vanity manufacturers continued to report significant sales gains through the first nine months of 2021, according to the latest in a series of monthly surveys conducted by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association.

The KCMA’s latest “Trend of Business Survey” reflected a year-to-date sales increase of 15.8% through September, compared to the same nine-month period in 2020. Custom cabinet sales through the first nine months were reported up 21.3% over the same period last year, while semi-custom sales rose 13.1% and sales of stock cabinets gained 16.6%, the Reston, VA-based KCMA said.

September sales, led by custom cabinet gains of 27.2%, were up 7.9% compared to the same month the prior year, the trade association added.

“Year-to-date sales remain strong across the board, said the KCMA, whose members’ combined sales represent approximately 75% of the U.S. kitchen cabinet and bath vanity market, according to the association.

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ATLANTA — MoistureShield, the Oldcastle APG-owned manufacturer of composite deck boards and related products, has expanded its distribution throughout the northeastern U.S. with the addition of several BlueLinx branch locations, the company announced.

BlueLinx locations in Charlotte and Raleigh, NC, Denville, NJ, Yaphank, NY, Burlington, VT, Bellingham, MA and Portland ME will each offer the full line of MoistureShield composite decking products to its dealers, corporate officials said.

“We are excited to continue to grow our national footprint with BlueLinx with this significant expansion from North Carolina to the Northeast,” said Matthew Bruce, v.p./sales for MoistureShield. “As our portfolio and brand awareness continue to increase, we believe that the partnership with BlueLinx provides an amazing platform to support growth and share gain in the composite decking category.”

Oldcastle APG, North America’s largest manufacturer of Outdoor Living Products, is part the Building Products division of CRH, a leading global diversified building materials. MoistureShield serves a range of retail and distribution customers across North America and several international markets. BlueLinx is a leading U.S. distributor of residential and commercial building products, including lumber, panels, engineered wood, siding, millwork, metal building products, and other construction materials.

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WASHINGTON, DC — Demand for remodeling remains strong, and remodelers “are doing quite well as long as they can adequately deal with material and labor shortages,” according to the latest Remodeling Market Index (RMI) compiled by the National Association of Home Builders.

The Washington, DC-based NAHB this week released its NAHB/Royal Building Products Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the third quarter of 2020, posting a reading of 87, up five points from the third quarter of 2020. The finding “is a signal of residential remodelers’ confidence in their markets, for projects of all sizes,” the NAHB said.

“We are seeing strong demand and continued optimism in the residential remodeling market, despite the fact that supply constraints are severe and widespread,” observed NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz, who noted that well over 90% of remodelers in the third-quarter RMI survey reported a shortage of carpenters and 57% reported having slightly raised prices for projects over the last six months, with another 28% indicating a significant increase in price, due in part to higher material costs and ongoing strong demand.

Half of the surveyed remodelers reported “some pricing out of demand” due to higher prices for remodeling projects,” Dietz added.

 

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Bathroom renovation contractors.

 

Having a poorly functioning kitchen can ruin the fun joy of cooking in no time, even if you are a dedicated cook. Your kitchen should be a place that makes your cooking tasks easier and encourages you in preparing great meals, not a sad scullery where creativity dies.

If your kitchen does more hindrance than support, it’s probably time to think about a kitchen remodeling. But going into a major kitchen renovation without a solid action plan can be a perfect recipe for disaster.

Before calling a contractor or even clicking on those beautiful photos on Pinterest (yes, we understand they are tempting but try to repel), it’s essential to determine precisely what you need and what you want to accomplish by remodeling your bath or kitchen. And to do that, you should ask yourself some critical questions.

Below we will share some less known secrets about the process. Are you ready?

The Approach

In reality, think about the process as you starting a small business, and whether you like it or not, you are the CEO of this remodeling business. Yes, we are serious. You will be engaged in a partnership with your contractor, and the primary goal will be to increase the value of your place and make your kitchen or bath better than ever before. To make your partnership and project a success, you need to be hands-on in the process.

This is the reason we request users to do some homework and research before calling any contractor.

Having said, before you start your small business, AKA, remodeling your kitchen or bath, here are a few things you must decide before calling or hiring a contractor.

 

Best of Houzz contractors 2021

Do the research and determine your budget.

We at Explore Kitchens try to offer higher returns for your bucks. We thrive our best to deliver the desired results within your budget. We request all of our clients to calculate what they can afford to spend realistically.

When you decide on your budget beforehand, your contractor can recommend or suggest the best products and designs without breaking your bank.

Once clients share their overall budget, many are pleasantly surprised at the options they can afford. Here are some vital things in this regard:

Secure financing or keeps funds available before hiring a contractor. It allows us to lock in the best deals, as prices and supply can change overnight.Ensure that you have set a realistic budget and you are comfortable with it. Don’t forget to keep some funds aside for any change in the order and the add-ons you decide on in the process.Get up-front pricing for as many items as possible to get a clear picture of the cost of your bath or kitchen renovation.

Establish a schedule.

No one likes the presence of contractors and teams in their homes for long. Hence, before you engage a crew of home improvement experts to rebuild your kitchen or bath, establish a schedule and try it as per your preferences.

Construction timelines can be tricky, and our primary goal is to finish the project on time. Unnecessary delays and changes to the schedule can be expensive.

Every project is our top priority, but please remember that you are not the only one to whom we are answerable; many others are on our calendar for your project.

Some other important things that you must think about are:

Consider your family calendar. Do you need your newly designed kitchen for a birthday, anniversary, or other family celebration?Are you expecting any guests that need the spare bath, which is under remodeling? That’s important to know.How soon will you be starting your project? Contractors need lead time to order material and products. Please try to reach out as early as possible for bath or kitchen remodeling projects.

Furthermore, discuss the schedule in detail with your contractor. It would be best if you had a clear picture of when they will start the work and when it will be completed and understand every milestone along the way.

Even if the contractor promises to finish the renovation in three months, you should ask them follow-up questions to ensure that they are well-prepared for potential setbacks and considered every contingency.

Some common but important question that you must ask your contractor are:

Are they working on any other project that might affect the timeline? How will they manage any delays in the schedule?Will they inspect any structural issues that can affect the renovation?Can I use my Kitchen during the renovation?

Not all owners can go on vacation or rent another place for the duration of the renovation. So, ensurethat your contractor has a practical plan to make a living as pleasant as possible during the process.

Note your existing space.

Have a cup of coffee and take your time to look over your existing kitchen and bath before opting for any significant change or before making important decisions about the renovation.

You may find there is a lot to love in your present kitchen or bath. While the renovation is tempting, it can be an expensive core, so as the CEO of this business, think wisely and make the right decision.

 

Mid-luxury Arley wholesale bathroom tile

Here are some handy tips for you:

You can keep things that are in working order. If they require any change or design upgrades, your contractor can suggest a replacement that provides you the same feeling.Insist on replacing the things or accessories that you don’t use or like. You will have to live with them. Renovation is not the task that you frequently perform.Take some clear smartphone pictures to show your contractor. This is invaluable when it comes time to plan the job.

Spending some time planning the project on your own will give you a better idea about your space and what you exactly want. Thinking about colors, styles, and materials in advance will put you and the whole project on the right path.

How do you use the space?

Everyone is not a gourmet chef. Seriously, if you don’t need a massive granite island countertop to bake for an army, we don’t want to sell it to you. On the other hand, you want to include as many of the features you’ll use as possible. We want you to be deliriously happy with the kitchen or bath we install for you.

Need a large double vanity in your bathroom? Great! But deciding this halfway through the process will cost you time and money.

Start with the workspace; how much and what kind do you need?If it’s a bath remodel, go over your daily routine. Are there definite changes you want to make or features you want to upgrade?Consider tool and linen storage, appliance layout, and traffic patterns. Does your family eat in the kitchen? Do you need extra seating?

It’s all about your preferences and style

Don’t hesitate to share images of your dream kitchens with your kitchen designer and your contractor. Please make an idea file with pictures, notes, and links to all the sources.

However, if you’re not sure what your flair is, give our style a try. Whether you are looking for new and creative ideas or know exactly what changes you need in your kitchen or bath, consult with our professional designers early in the renovation process.

Designers at Kitchen Kitchens can provide you suggestions that will be money-saving, increase your storage option, add a unique touch, and you can get the maximum advantage of your space.

Some other vital considerations beforeCalling a Kitchen and Bath Contractor: 

With a positive mindset and approach, you can get your ideal kitchen or bath. In our opinion, it would be better to follow these simple things:

You should know the exact place to start working on your design palette.Provide your contractor with options instead of any specific demand in each category as it will give you the best chance to get your dream place.Be sure you incorporate the rest of your existing decor in your design decisions, especially areas that can be seen from your kitchen or bath.Select a color palette and some images of designs you can draw inspiration from. The more you bring us to work with, the easier our partnership will be.

Lastly, our experts are always willing to do the best for you. We’ve set up our site expressly to help you envision your ideal kitchen or bath. Feel free to consult the project with us anytime!

 

Read More:

Cabinetry 101: Everything You Need To Know About Transforming Your Kitchen or Bathroom

How Thick Should Your Granite Countertops be?

Explore Kitchens Now Offering Kitchen Cabinet Repainting

 

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Explore Kitchens Offering Virtual Site Visits: We aren’t letting 2020 Slow Your Project Down

McLean kitchen remodel after photos January 2021

We aren’t letting 2020 Slow Your Project Down

You may have been wondering how you can continue your kitchen remodel amidst the pandemic. Good news! Explore Kitchens is now offering Virtual Site Visits.

We believe that home improvement projects shouldn’t be affected by pandemics. That is why our experts now will meet you–virtual face to virtual face. You will guide us through your home as we look at cabinets, countertops, tile, flooring, appliances, and lighting.

What in the world is a virtual site visit?

We want to keep everyone safe; that’s why we post signage for our team to wear masks, shoe booties, and gloves in all of our project sites. We even provide masks for our clients if we need to meet onsite. But when meeting onsite is not ideal, we offer a virtual site visit alternative!

A virtual site visit is a video-based call between you and Explore Kitchens. It is a way for us to meet you face to face and see your home to make your dream come true.

There are some things you need to know before we begin your virtual site visit.

How to make your virtual site visit a success

We will now take you through the pre-flight checklist on the things you need to make your call successful. Though they are nothing like the flight attendant safety demonstrations, your project is about to take off!

Technology you need

You will need a smartphone with a working camera. Please make sure you know the app store password and install the Zoom app before the virtual site visit. Links for the app are available here: Android / Apple

Suppose you would prefer to use a laptop with a built-in webcam, that works as well. Please make sure you have your laptop battery fully charged before the call, as we will be moving throughout the house to get a closer look at your project needs.

The final piece of technology that you need for our virtual site visit is a pad of paper and a pencil to take notes. This is my favorite piece of technology!

Make sure both you and your spouse are present on the call

We will be covering important project information and kitchen remodel design decisions over our virtual site visit. Husbands, that means if you don’t want to have that floral print wallpaper, you better be on the call. And wives, if you don’t want the full cedar paneling style, you best be there to help make the decisions.

Explore Kitchens is not endorsing any particular design, nor do we want to get into a debate on a virtual site visit call. We know that you share your home with others, and we want to make everyone’s dream kitchen come true.

rrive 5 minutes early to test your audio settings

We encourage all of our clients to connect to the Zoom call 5 minutes before the meeting. We hope you could use this time to test your audio settings with Zoom and make sure your camera, microphone, and speakers work correctly. It allows us more time to discuss your project needs during the call.

What to expect with your virtual site visit?

You may be nervous about your first virtual site visit, but there is nothing to be worried about with our team! We make sure all of our clients are taken care of and have the perfect questions to ask you to tease out the information we need to make your project successful.

Be prepared to answer important questions

Every project consists of six main elements: cabinets, tile, countertops, flooring, lighting, and appliances. We will ask critical questions surrounding each of these for your kitchen remodel virtual site visit.

Cabinets

Please be prepared to discuss the current feel of your kitchen cabinetry. How can it improve? What would make it speak more to your style?

Explore Kitchens will ask you about the style, wood type, and finish. We offer traditional, contemporary, modern, transitional, or french country styles, cherry, maple, oak, or laminate wood types, light, medium, dark, or white finishes.

Tile

Think about where you would like to see the tile; we will ask you to show us during your virtual site visit. Think about what color, pattern, size of tile that you would like installed.

Countertops

One of the biggest questions for countertops is: are you looking for the marble alternative in quartz? We recommend this choice as it offers a stunning look without all of the maintenance upkeep of marble.

Be prepared to talk countertop edging. Be aware that Explore Kitchens recommends the eased edge or standard edge. The ogee edges tend to make kitchens look dated. We encourage you to go out to our supplier for countertops and use their Countertop Edge Visualizer Tool to get a feel for what you would like.

Finally, we will ask you if you want heavy veining, a subtle vein, or a feathered look with countertops. The two most popular colors that we sold last year were MSI Calacatta Vincenza and MSA Calacatta Miraggio.

Flooring

Do some research into what kind of flooring you would like to have in your kitchen. The ones we recommend are:

LVPPorcelainReal marble

No matter what material you pick above, your flooring will look great!

Lighting and Appliances

This category is pretty simple. We need to know if you have pre-existing electrical in place; that way, we know if we need to bring our electrician in on the project.

 

Read More:

How to choose your kitchen cabinets with 3 easy decisions

How to Measure Your Bathroom Tiles

Blum cabinet door hinges

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WASHINGTON, DC The National Association of Home Builders has renewed its calls on Congress and the Biden administration to help ease building material supply chain bottlenecks that are stunting housing affordability by eliminating trade barriers and seeking solutions to port congestion and major delays in truck and rail transportation.

Testifying before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations, NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke this week told government lawmakers that disruptions in the building materials supply chain that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic are having “a disproportionate” impact on smaller homebuilding firms.

“Without large economies of scale, small businesses generally cannot negotiate bulk discounts on lumber and other key building materials,” said Fowke. “The effects of this uncertainty trickle all the way to the (prospective) homebuyer, many of whom have balked at projects due to unexpected price increases.”

According to the Washington, DC-based NAHB, historically high lumber and building materials prices continue to serve as “headwinds” for the U.S. housing sector, significantly impeding housing affordability.

“From steel mill products and plastic piping to cooper pipe and wood windows and doors, prices are up dramatically year-to-date and are exacerbating the growing housing affordability crisis,” Fowke said, suggesting that the Biden administration address two fundamental problems.

“On the trade front, until a long-term solution can be reached, Congress and the administration should temporarily suspend duties on a wide array of imported building materials and goods, from Canadian softwood lumber to Chinese steel and aluminum,” said Fowke. “In addition, policymakers must continue to aggressively explore solutions to ease building material supply chain disruptions that are causing project delays and putting upward pressure on home prices.”

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