May 8, 2008 - Beautiful Green Gifts from Unusable Wood Doors

Roy Bertolet, Kitchen Tune-Up owner in Ormand Beach, FL, had a dilemna; he had left-over wooden doors, display items that were no longer usable but seemed like they should be good for something.  He didn't want to waste them by throwing them away.  So, what should he do? 

Roy loves making other people happy, especially if he can make them something himself.  So, he thought about how he could deconstruct these doors and make something truly beautiful and special for those special people in his life, his friends and family.  He looked and he looked and eventually he saw those doors turn into boxes, handmade personal jewelry boxes, that is.

Here are the instructions shared by Roy for making your own green gifts if you're handy.  Roy uses a drawer front, door, panel and flat leaf hinges to create his artwork.  He cuts the corners out of the frame, disassembles the door pieces and then by making various specialized cuts and trims he creates the base then glues and nails the the frame pieces together.  A few more nails, hinges for the lid and some bumpers are all that's needed to finish these custom boxes that will now last a lifetime.  What a great use of leftover items that would otherwise have been discarded.  Roy also creates treasure boxes for each of his clients with a full refacing or custom cabinetry service. 

March 24, 2008 - Latest Industry Training

We're always working to keep on top of the hottest trends, balanced with classic styles and materials that will stand the test of time.  Ongoing industry training keeps our designers on top of it all and while so much can be learned online or in magazines and text books, sometimes you just have to be there to soak up everything.  Our lead in-house designer, Tammy Doerr, traveled to St. Paul this month for testing in the National Kitchen & Bath Association's Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer program.  She will also be attending the upcoming KBIS show in Chicago in early April, participating in further industry training and getting out on the floor for a hands-on look at items like the developing green trends and new style options, among others.  Have a great time, Tammy! 

February 20, 2008 - New Franchise School

We have a new franchise training school that started this week with eleven "students".  When we work with an inspired class like this, it's easy to see why KTU owners love what they do.  All owners go through an intensive two week KTUniversity program at our corporate location before they start their businesses.  On top of that, they receive additional in-the-field training from experienced KTU owners in real customer's homes.  There's just no substitute for real-world experience and it shows when we receive the personal notes from our customers.  Congratulations to our February school attendees!

February 11, 2008 - Nikki and Joe's Homes

Work has started on both Nikki's and Joe's kitchens!  Nikki's cabinets have arrived and are being put in this week and Joe's new island is underway.  Joe has plans to add an adjoining bathroom off his kitchen area and reface the remainder of the kitchen to match his new work island.  Check back soon for photos of the works in progress! 

January 3, 2008 - Nikki's Kitchen

Nikki and her husband have put a lot of effort into upgrading their manufactured home.  They're not afraid of sweat equity, but welcomed the opportunity for someone else to do part of the work for a change!  The kitchen gave Tom some challenges with irregular measurements, mismatched cabinets in the laundry area and a slanted ceiling, but our designer came up with a cohesive cabinetry, countertop and layout combination that fits the bill!  Now the kitchen and laundry space will flow together and be functional.  Check out the photo and design rendering below. 

December 28, 2007 - More on Joe's Story

The home is unique. It is an Herb Fritz designed home. Herb Fritz was a very successful student of Frank Lloyd Wright and has designed a number of unique homes around the Madison Area as well as many important buildings all over the country. Within a stone's throw from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin fellowship site, this home sits on the top of a hill on 15 wooded acres. Like most other Wright influenced architecture, the home is unique. The entire main level is open to the outside with floor to ceiling windows that make up the exterior walls.

In need of lots of repairs, Joe had been working hard to do most of the work himself when he fell from the roof and broke many bones including his pelvis.  Lew and Vicki are proud to be assisting Joe in this important restoration project.

December 27, 2007 - Small Changes, Big Difference Winners Announced

Four deserving winners were chosen out of hundreds of entries into Kitchen Tune-Up's "Small Changes, Big Difference" essay contest.  The grand prize winner is receiving an entire kitchen remodel worth over $10,000!  The three runner-ups are receiving our signature Tune-Up service and amenities worth $1,000.  We'll be following their stories and watching what they go through as their kitchens are transformed.

Nikki Hall has been awarded the grand prize of a kitchen remodel worth $10,000.00.  She is extremely excited about the prize, having been nominated by one of her hair salon clients.  She was suggested for the prize for helping foster children in her home town.  She owns her own hair salon and organized an effort to provide hundreds of new school supplies for these foster children and then provided them all with new haircuts, including their families!  This was hundreds of haircuts with no compensation and no local publicity, since the identities of these children must be kept private.  She is truly deserving of a special gift and our own Tom Taube will do his best to make sure she knows we appreciate her efforts to help children in her area!

Donna-Marie Ryan was so happy when Family Circle contacted her to offer the runner-up prize; she said that a remodel was on her “Honey-do” list for her husband and now they can enjoy the kitchen without having to do the work.  She helped to organize a project, with her daughter, where each month her classroom of seventh graders creates a variety of gifts, using floral design, for 125 elderly at their local nursing home.  This has now gone on for several years and has helped those kids learn about service learning, helping their community and giving back.  Paul Demerjian will be helping this couple realize their wish.

Joe Wirebaugh has a knack for helping families in his community.  He began buying and fixing up local houses, making them into homes for needy families in his town.  He made sure they were safe, inviting and affordable, also working with each family to understand and repair their financial standing, eventually owning these homes themselves.  To date, Joe has helped six families own their own dream homes.  Joe had to quit his job as a firefighter two years ago, due to heart surgery and had fallen from a ladder this fall working on his wife’s “dream home”, breaking several bones, including collar, shoulder and pelvis.  He’s been on the mend and they’ve now moved into this home of their dreams, and are looking forward to a Tune-Up for their historic new kitchen, one less project for Joe to do himself.  Lew and Vicki Snyder will step in line to take this project on for him.

Susan Mayer stumbled upon an organization in her community called Freecycle while trying to help a friend obtain extra formula for her baby.  She discovered that the local chapter was made up of a set of local community groups, where members offer items they can no longer use to others who can make use of them.  This keeps these items out of landfills and helps out local families.  This has prompted Susan to stop and ask herself “Can someone use this?” before throwing out many items like furniture or clothing. She’s also now active in the group, helping moderate and  she  actively promotes the concept to all she meets.  She’s helped organize relief efforts through a sister organization, coordinating help for local flood victims and fostering this belief system in her young son.  Susan will be assisted by Craig Watson to add new hardware and convenience items, like roll-out trays, to her painted cabinet kitchen.