Home show offering a designer look for less

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Curtis Allison, of Health Craft Cookware, explains the benefits of his product to Juanita Beck, (left) of Aurora, and Ray Bachmen, (right) of Aurora, at The Old House New House Home Show on Saturday, February 11, 2012 in St. Charles. | Michele du Vair~For Sun-Times Media

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Updated: March 13, 2012 10:28AM

ST. CHARLES — Interior Designer Laura Gleamza says working effectively with homeowners is like peeling an onion. Layer after layer, clients share their likes and dislikes, and she directs them through redesigns and remodels. Gleamza presented “Inspired Design Before & After,” at this weekend’s Old House, New House home show at Pheasant Run Resort.

The event features more than 300 displays by home improvement companies and continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.

“Five hundred dollars worth of trim can look like $2,000 in upgrades,” said Gleamza, owner of Laura Gwyn Interiors, Inc., in Geneva. “These are the kinds of things that set your house apart when people are debating which house to buy in your neighborhood.”

Other budget-minded choices can also make a big impact, she noted.

Decorative vent covers, ceiling medallions, and updated light fixtures are among those good investments, according to Gleamza, who also discussed cabinet refacing as an alternative to complete cabinet replacement.

“Replacing the doors and replacing the wood can give you kitchen a fresh look,” she said. “What you want to consider is, ‘Are the guts quality?’”

If the frame and shelving of the cabinets are still in good shape, refacing might be worth considering she said.

“There are a lot of great cabinets in your homes right now, and you can get a great look, without adding more to our landfills, with re-facing,” Gleamza said.

Ken Hochstetler of Yoders Amish Furniture in Sullivan exhibited at the show and said cabinet refacing was not a part of his business, until the economy sank.

“I would say about three years ago, we started doing it because that’s what people need to do with these economic times,” he said. While most of their customers choose them for their custom building, his show booth highlights how the refacing process is done.

“It saves about 25 percent of the cost (of complete replacement),” said Hochstetler, who has completed kitchen remodels in Elgin, Elburn and Aurora. “It can really add to a home’s appeal when you’re selling it.”

Cabinet refacing also saves time, since it doesn’t require removal of existing cabinets.

Gleamza said a typical kitchen remodel takes up to six weeks. During that time, it’s wise to create a makeshift kitchen, with a microwave, hot plate, and mini refrigerator, elsewhere in the home, she said.

Her recommendations for planning a home improvement project include:

Decide which room needs work

Determine strong likes and dislikes of the room

Look at pictures and find appealing details.

Work with existing materials, by rearranging and reupholstering.

Create an overall plan and proceed room by room according to budget.

Also important is product and contractor selection, Gleamza said. While online purchases can seem more affordable initially, unexpected long term costs can add up.

“Avoid getting a ‘plumbing bargain,’ because some things that are made in other countries are not going to fit the same way here in the United States,” she said. Installers’ skills are critical to the final outcome of every remodeling project, she added.

“Do they have a can-do attitude? I find personality is huge with projects,” she said. “A person with patience will have the integrity to make sure it gets done properly.”

Gleamza will share more design and planning tips at 1 p.m. today at the show.

Other presentations at the event include “Do It Yourself Tile Style,” by Pete Lettecci and Linda Distefano of Century Tile at noon today; and “Design Your Dream Kitchen & Bath,” by Normandy Builders at 2 p.m. today.

More information about Old House, New House is available at www.kennedyproductions.com.