HomeShow Radio Executive Producer Charlie Moger shares his first-hand TriFection remodeling experience.
Like a kid with his nose pressed against a toy store window, witnessing countless TriFection transformations gave me a bad case of kitchen envy. Three years tolerating a tragically ill-equipped kitchen only stoked my desire for the TriFection craftsmanship Tom promotes every weekend on our HomeShow Radio program.
Enter the kitchen remodel wizard
I can’t say what put Sandie and me over the edge – the dishwasher that didn’t wash, or the oven
that couldn’t hold a temperature, the eccentric electric glass cooktop, or the tired-looking cabinets. One thing was certain – time had come to remodel what was, to us, a kitchen in name only.
It’s one thing to have a vision. Having others understand that vision is quite another….unless you’re talking with Jeff Roberts. During his visit, Jeff not only “got it,” but he helped us see further. Getting gas to our island, squeezing in new ovens and helping us understand how refacing would be a better choice were just a few examples of his kitchen remodel wizardry.
Every kitchen remodel starts with appliances
Before our kitchen remodel work could begin, though, Jeff said we first needed to choose appliances. We turned to another HomeShow Radio Trusted Company – Nor-West Appliance. Stephen helped us make great choices – a DCS cooktop with Zephyr pop-up vent, a Dacor double convection oven and microwave, a Fisher and Paykel double-drawer dishwasher, and a U-Line wine fridge for good measure.
It was the ovens that had us worried. Our new 30-inch ovens would somehow have to fit in a space built for a single 27-inch oven. Jeff examined the space, took measurements, made a few calculations before calmly saying, “no problem, our custom cabinet team can make it work.” TriFection also ran new electrical circuits for both ovens and the microwave so those appliances could be used safely and in accordance with electrical code.
Refacing our kitchen remodel
Our cabinet layout met our needs on the inside. The outside, however, was another story; dated would be a nice way of describing them. Jeff pointed out that, since the cabinet boxes themselves were well made, they were good candidates for refacing.
Our old drawer boxes were replaced by new self-closing ones with full extension bottom-mount rails. Pull-outs were added to two cabinets for easier access. We then chose a hand-crafted, multi-layered antique white finish. It not only brightened up the room, but, combined with Sherwin Williams Kilim Beige walls, makes it seem bigger as well.
Welcome to a new fantasy island
Our electric cooktop was marooned atop an island without gas service. Adding gas during original construction would have been easy. Doing so for a kitchen remodel? Not so much. The process meant jackhammering a channel into the floor and running a gas line from the adjacent laundry room. TriFection just made it look easy.
Typically jackhammering would mean a new floor since tiles were torn up. We were blessed, however, to find two boxes of original tiles from the previous owner. TriFection not only installed the tiles, but even managed to match the grout.
Since the island would need to be replaced, we had the new one built with cherry wood, topped with Antique Brown granite from Midwest Tile Marble & Granite. These colors complement the refaced cabinets and existing granite counters, making the island a proper centerpiece to our new kitchen.
Building this new island also allowed us to right a design wrong. One end had evolved into an ad hoc seating area. By extending the granite a little more than a foot, we not only created a home for stools, but my preferred morning coffee spot. What’s truly amazing is how TriFection managed to create this extension without the need for support legs.
Added sparkle for our kitchen remodel
Lighting plays an often overlooked role in design. We turned to Allan at M&M Lighting, another HomeShow Radio Trusted Company, to guide our choices. We selected LED under-cabinet lights, LED recessed cans, and low-voltage pendants to hang above the new cooktop and island; Sandie considers them her kitchen jewelry. Since TriFection equipped every light with dimmers, we’re able to create countless moods for our new kitchen.
For added flair, we visited Settler’s Hardware in search of antique pulls for our refaced cabinets and new island. This juxtaposition of new technology and refaced cabinets with period hardware gives our kitchen a personality all its own.
Everything you’ve heard is true—and then some
Knowledge and experience are not the same thing. I’ve known Jeff Roberts and guided Tom’s endorsements for over 15 years. I’ve directed many videos about TriFection’s work. But, until now, I’ve not personally experienced TriFection’s craftsmanship.
We were as amazed by TriFection’s seamless coordination of the various trades working on our kitchen as we are now delighted by their on-time completion. Our new kitchen is everything we’d envisioned with many added TriFection touches that make it more than we had imagined.
When I told Sandie this kitchen would one day help us sell the house, she said, “perish the thought.” In fact, as I sit writing this at our island’s special coffee spot, I wonder how long it will take before she asks about giving our master bath the TriFection treatment……
