Also interested in refresh experiences. The one quote we got elsewhere for a full remodel of our little kitchen in our little house was way too high to justify, so we put it off in favor of other projects.

New countertop, paint your cabinets, get new appliances.

I just saved you a >$20k remodel.

I’m sure they’d do well, but there’s cheaper options

My parents just had this done. Went fine but not flawless

Yeah. We’ve considered this route but our goal isn’t just a cosmetic upgrade. The layout of our kitchen is not very functional. Our cabinets are fine structurally but the layout is not great. We’re trying to workout a way we can rearrange cabinets to make it more functional. If that can workout then paint, countertops, and appliances would go a long way

Would love to hear about cheaper options if you have any recommendations. I’m new(ish) to Pittsburgh so unfortunately don’t have a lot of people I can ask for recommendations

Thanks for the info. Do you know what they had done? Was it just replacing doors & painting cabinets?

I’m not sure exactly but I’m pretty sure that was it

Then go Ikea.

If, you like and are ok with 100% IKEA. their stuff doesn’t mix and match without heavy customization. Make sure you like the IKEA sink etc.

They seem snobby in their commercials.

Molyneaux does not gut or rearrange the current layout - can paint or replace current doors/drawers, get new countertops, backsplash, etc. I used to work there and still have friends there, feel free to DM if you have more questions / want to get hooked up with one of the consultants

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Call a private contractor molenoux will bang you over the head on money

If cabinets are in good shape you can do a little refresh yourself to get a little more time out of it. Just clean them. I'm honestly not joking. They get a film of grease and funk that doesn't really come off. You can use floor wax stripper. They aren't all equal so you need to test a spot that isn't in a spot you can see. Give it a couple days to make sure it doesn't hurt the finish. It kind of depends on the quality of cabinets to how well it works. Cheaper cabinets aren't as smooth of a finish so harder to get fully clean. Sometimes it makes them look like just installed. It could buy your kitchen a few more years to save up more money to change it how you like.

I've used. Trewax heavy duty floor stripper. It says it's step 1 -strip

Make sure you test like I said.

Molenoux refresh service isn’t your best choice for kitchen cabinets - your cabinets should be refinished with a high build lacquer not house/trim paint that molenoux uses. You will need frequent touchups and repairs with their service. Hire a carpentry company or painter for your cabinets.

I’ve only dealt with Molyneaux for flooring, but they were always so much more expensive than other places for the same flooring. Like more than double.

Yeah. I’ve heard they’re pricy. I’m not sure how to find a private contractor that I know will do a good job though. Particularly for building new doors

That's easier than it sounds, though. A lot of private contractors are booked solid, they don't return calls, and they don't want to do a smaller job. At least with a company like Molyneaux, there's more accountability than with the guy that your neighbor's cousin recommended.

I see those commercials for the West Shore bathtub replacement in a day, and am tempted, because even if it's more expensive, it just seems easier. I'm not handy, and I don't want my only bathroom torn up for a week.

Thanks for the advice. Do you know a good carpenter in the Pittsburgh area I could call?

Desirable Kitchens & Refacing

You won’t regret it. We love our (cheap) kitchen redo.

Clay building solutions

Essig renovations

Humble hands woodworking

I'm not sure what you mean by "heavy customization." Countertops all attach the same way. Sinks are just sinks. Either drop-in or undermount.

https://www.semihandmade.com/

IKEA sink cabinets are built for IKEA sink widths which are annoyingly not any of the standard widths used elsewhere. The particularly limiting one is if you want a front apron “farmhouse” style.

Ah I see. I actually got a farmhouse drop-in from Ikea, but it was wider than my sink base so I had to trim some material out of the neighboring base for the strainer. Then I used wall cabinets to make a coffee bar base with a bar sink, which also required some trimming. To me that seems like a reasonable amount of tweaking. So if you want everything to just fit by default that could be a problem. I still think they are very easy to work with and "customize" with relative ease.