Resources
Success Starts with the Right Tools
Welcome to the Resources section, a curated list of the tools and websites we strongly recommend for your remodeling needs. We work with and tested every recommendation on this page.
Kitchen Cabinetry Makers and Designers
Snaidero Chicago
Snaidero Chicago has been providing the finest Italian cabinetry with contemporary styling to residents in the Chicago area for over 25 years. Their cabinetry is work of art – designed by some of the world’s best designers.
The company offers luxury cabinetry in both contemporary and traditional styles. You can visit their showrooms in Chicago at two locations:
210 Design House Merchandise Mart Showroom
210 W. Illinois St. 222 Merchandise Mart #140
Chicago, IL 60654 Chicago, IL 60654
312.644.1300 312.644.6662
Plain & Fancy Chicago
Plain & Fancy has been specializing in providing cabinetry and design services to clients in the Midwest for over 40 years.
The company offers beautiful classic traditional and new soft modern styles that are innovative and functional. You can visit their showroom in Chicago at:
210 Design House
210 W. Illinois St.
Chicago, IL 60654
312.644.1300
Poggenpohl Chicago
Poggenpohl Chicago has been providing the luxury German cabinetry in a variety of styles.
The company offers luxury products in classic and contemporary styles. You can visit their showroom in Chicago at:
Merchandise Mart Showroom
222 Merchandise Mart #138
Chicago, IL 60654
312.755.9023
Window Treatments
QMotion
QMotion specializes in designing high-tech home automated shades in a multitude of fashions and contemporary design. The company sells window treatments from battery operated roller shades to application control automated shades.
Automated roller shades offer natural light control with different levels of opacity from 1% to 10% to control how much light gets into the room. UV blockage protection is specified on each shade.
The shades can be programmed to be up or down at different times of the day with a press of a button. They are quiet and have long-lasting D-cell batteries.
We are a certified QMotion Advanced Shading System dealer. If you are interested in receiving fabric samples and finding out about QMotion options, please give us a call at 847.903.6184.
Wolf &Sub-Zero Certified Installer
We are a Factory Certified Installer for Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances. If we install your appliances as part of your kitchen remodeling project, you will receive one year of additional full factory warranty.
Wolf and Sub-Zero fridges can be purchased in stainless steel and panel-ready finishes. Panel-ready finishes allow a seamless and fully-integrated look.
We only provide this service as part of a remodeling project.
Cost vs. Value Report
Cost vs. Value Report For Chicago
This is an incredible resource with in-depth information on the average cost for 22 remodeling projects and what is the value that you are getting when you resell your home. How much, percentage-wise, of the cost do you recoup at resale.
It has information not just in Chicago but on 136 regions around the country. It provides a cost of an average project, resale value and percentage of cost recouped.
For example, for the East North Central region, which includes Chicago:
Bathroom Remodel Cost Range: $21,098-$66,499
Cost Recouped: 57.5%-64.4%
Major Kitchen Remodel Cost Range: $67,614-$133,702
Cost Recouped: 55.8%-58.0%
Source: https://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2019/east-north-central/
Home Improvements that Increase Value
8 Ways to Boost Your Home Value:
1. Updating Kitchen
2. Open Floor Plan
3. High-Efficiency Windows & Lights
4. Mechanical Systems
5. Accessible Homes
6. Repainting
7. Landscape
8. Certain Smart Technology
Source: Consumer Report
7 Home Improvement & Remodeling Ideas that Increase Home Value:
1. Updating Kitchen
2. Bathroom Addition
3. Room Addition
4. High-Efficiency Windows
5. Deck Addition
6. Energy-Efficient Insulation
7. Repainting
Source: Money Crashers
Tools
Festool
Festool is a German manufacturer of power tools that are based on a system approach of having different tools work and interconnect together, with a focus on dust extraction.
The tools are designed to have precise cuts, dust removal, and to be very efficient. The organizational “systainers” of containers makes our workspace organization easier. We can set-up and clean-up faster, which means a more efficient workday.
There are some Festools that we use daily and some that are great for particular jobs. Our tool reviews will tell you what we actually use and recommend, and what you can skip (Coming soon).
If you use Festools, sometimes you just need to order a part, and it can be difficult to figure it out over the phone what you need. From our experience, it is easier to find the missing part via the Festool part catalog.
Website Design
AkaAki Design
My wife, who runs AkaAki Design, created and designed the new New Frontier Living Inc. website.
She had a vision of creating a website that would be beautiful to look at by examining 20 years of NFL Inc. work (what a task!) and presenting it to visitors and clients.
NFL Inc. website is designed using WordPress and Divi Page Builder. If you are interested in her work, visit her www.akaakidesign.com.
Disclosure
We can’t create everything that we use but we can recommend the best tools and resources that we use.
Some of the links to the products above are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, we will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.