03/12/2026
This Melville Kitchen Redo comes with an interesting backstory.
Our Complete Services Team at GrimeBustersNY.com were loading their truck after a successful Melville Bathroom upgrade when a close friend of the homeowner from across the street became curious as to why our truck had spent the entire last week at this house. So before our truck could pull away, the neighbor was at the front door to investigate. What he discovered wasn’t just his friend’s bathroom renovation, It was like stepping into a different home.
Reading the five-star Angi review his friend had written only confirmed what his eyes already knew. And at that moment, the story shifted. One look at that finished bathroom and the neighbor didn’t need a sales pitch from us. He just said, “My kitchen is next”.
Seems the neighbor had been originally quoted $50,000 to rip out every cabinet and start from scratch. That’s the kind of number that gives a homeowner a shock. But this wasn’t our first time doing something like this. We took a walk to his house and closer inspection showed that those cabinets weren’t gone altogether, they were just tired. And tired wood can be brought back to vibrancy if you know what you’re doing. With a quote from
us and a big money-saving smile on his face, our idling truck didn’t leave the neighborhood as planned, the neighbor gave us directions to simply move it 40 feet to a new parking spot in his driveway on the other side of the street.
How the Work Actually Went Down
Day 1: The Assessment and Tear-Down
Forty doors came off the hinges and handles were removed. Slow and steady, no shortcuts. floors, walls, ceilings, and every inch of everything stationary got meticulously masked, protecting the surrounding area and all appliances in preparation for what comes next.
Day 2: Degreasing and Hand Sanding Begins
Years of cooking residue? Gone. Slow, degreasing by hand gets underway. Every nook and cranny. Then the sanding begins, alternating a variety of grits, no machines chewing up edges, just controlled, even work until the wood feels clean again.
Day 3: Stain, Sand, Stain Continues
Matching the original color isn’t guesswork. It’s patience. Stain on, sand back, stain again until the tone hits that “factory-new” look. No blotches, no shortcuts. Every bit of separation and physical blemish corrected.
Day 4: Clear Coat, High End Furniture Grade
Several thin spray coats. The kind of finish you’d expect on a high-end dining table. Smooth, durable, and built to last. And carefully applied.
Day 5: Hardware, Paint, and Polish, Cleanup
New hinges on all 40 doors. Homeowner-chosen handles installed. Countertops polished. Appliances cleaned. Lighting updated. Walls and ceilings painted. Removal of all masking material. Eliminate traces of us being there.
The Real Story Behind the Story : This was a “rescue”. A full cabinet
replacement would’ve cost the homeowner $50,000+ and taken weeks. Instead, the existing wood got a second life in 5 days, and looks like it rolled out of a showroom. And the best part? This whole thing began because a homeowner got curious about a truck that didn’t move at a neighbor’s house.
