Warming the Heart of The Home

 Published in Naples News
By: Sam Moser
When Sally and Joel
Germond bought in the
Vineyards seven years
ago, they were faced with the same
issues that everyone deals with when
buying a residence that’s had previous
owners. The 1996 coach home
needed attention. Wall-to-wall blue
was cold and overbearing, and the
entire interior was, well, dated. Sally,
an interior designer and Realtor of
high-end property in Wisconsin,
went to work. To instill character,
she used warm tones and antiques
from her northern home.
An avid cook, she wanted her
kitchen to be as attractive as the
rest of the home. She was almost
sure that she wanted her cabinets
refaced, similar to what she had done
in Wisconsin.
“I’m sure that more people
would look into refacing if they
understood it,” she says. “I’d tried
it 10 years ago and my kitchen was
just gorgeous.”
She did look into the cost of
new cabinets, but found that getting
an entirely new kitchen would be
prohibitively expensive and take
much longer. She also discovered
that, despite advertisements to the
contrary, not many kitchen companies
are in the refacing business.
Most have relationships with cabinet
manufacturers and make money on
cabinets.
After considering all of the variables,
the Germonds selected Robert
Weeks, owner of Custom Cabinet
Refacing of Naples and master wood
craftsman.
“For me, it wasn’t the price as
much as that I felt comfortable with
him,” she explains.
The Germonds visited the showroom
of Custom Cabinet Refacing
of Naples and selected maple doors
with a rich pecan finish.
Refacing is not for everyone.
When the kitchen or bathroom layout
will benefit from modification,
or when the cabinet boxes are made
of inferior product and warping or
falling apart, the cabinets need to
come out. If the cabinets are small
and space for expansion exists, new
cabinets might be in order. Refacing
will not increase storage space when
completed by most cabinet companies,
but when you’re working with
a master craftsman, modifications
go hand-in-hand with the project.
Improvement of cabinet and kitchen
functionality is a major component
of the service provided by Custom
Cabinet Refacing of Naples.
In addition to adding new solid
wood doors and drawer fronts,
Weeks refaced around the existing
cabinetry using wood veneer backed
by strong 3M adhesive. Weeks suggested
and the Germonds agreed
that cabinetry modifications would
eliminate the cookie-cutter, straightrun
look of the original cabinetry.
By bumping up two smaller upper
cabinets to give the room’s cabinetry
a handcrafted look, he was able to
increase cabinet space. He found
room to add a cabinet. Traditional
style came in the form of molding
throughout. Roll-out drawers for
pots and pans were added to lower
cabinets to improve the functionality
of the space. In four days, the project
was complete.
Refacing is a smart solution
when the layout does not need to be
changed. Many estate homes built by
reputable builders feature kitchens
designed with sensible layouts that
simply become dated over time.
Custom Cabinet Refacing of Naples
works in single-family homes in the
area’s finest communities.
Weeks, a third-generation carpenter,
learned the trade from his
grandfather, who opened Weeks
Cabinets & Millwork in St. George,
South Carolina in 1934. His storefront
— the largest custom cabinet
refacing showroom in Southwest
Florida — displays doors finished
with custom detail such as inlay,
exotic woods, hand-rubbed finishes
and a wide variety of hardware and
glass for cabinet doors, tile for backsplashes
and gorgeous granite. In
addition to remodeling and custom
carpentry, the company offers turnkey
service with appliances.
The Germonds are pleased with
their kitchen. “I praise his work all of
the time,” Sally says. “Robert does
a fabulous job.”