When you've been refining something for over 23 years, you become the expert in your field— especially when you've spent that time strengthening a reputation of innovation and dedication to delivering high-quality results.

Ever since contractor Charles Dickey took on his first kitchen job, he's been using his talent, standards and vision to modernize the space for homeowners without draining their bank accounts. It's the transformative powers of an expertly efficient refinishing job and diligently retained timelines that help Dickey and the In Place Cabinetry Finishes team deliver cost-effective, dazzling results time and again, all without driving a family out of their kitchen for a seemingly unending period.

An awful lot of work and drawing from research has gone into perfecting their conversion varnish application method to update and upgrade any kitchen, entertainment center or even bathroom that could benefit from "a splash of change," as described by Charles' wife, Kit.

"We are transforming kitchens at a fraction of the price by refinishing their doors and body with a spray technique," she explains. "My husband was one of the first people we know of to be doing this spraying process, definitely in this region and possibly in the country. He came up with this while working with designers and homeowners."

"Conversion varnish is the highest-quality product you can put on your existing cabinets. That sets us apart from your standard painters in the field," adds sales and design expert Denise Darrell. "High-end painters refer us regularly because of the materials and systems employed. Conversion varnish is a thoroughbred product, so it's the same from the first coat to the last, no priming or clear coat."

That game-changing process—which has become more widespread since Charles started utilizing it two decades ago—yields an array of aesthetic and practical advantages.

"It's sustainable; it's an added value," Kit notes. "We work with our other vendors to pull off an entire kitchen, including countertops, backsplashes, and lighting; cabinet pulls with all the decorative details in a week to two weeks. I think that's key since most people will be out of their kitchen when they get a renovation done for quite a while. And our finishes are brand-new factory finishes—by that, I mean they're incredibly durable."

"It's the hardest finish you can put on your cabinets," Darrell agrees. "It comes with a 15-year warranty; it's guaranteed not to change in color. Colors, in general, change over time from UV lights, whether it's coating on the floors or coatings on cabinets—they can turn yellow or lighten, and this is guaranteed not to do that for 15 years or more. You won't see any degradation in color."

She continues: "With regular wear and tear, we can't make guarantees: If your grandchild runs their scooter into the side of the island, because it's a hard finish, it will chip. But what we're proud of is that we do not look at that as a problem: Any time there's a service that's needed, even though it's not a warrantied item, standing behind everything we do allows us to meet with our clients again."

In Place Cabinetry Finishes does more than upgrade and reinforce tired, dated fixtures, with customization options that include redesigns. Mini makeovers can range from refreshed colors to reclaiming storage space with slow-close cabinets, to transforming something like an unused desk area into a much more modern and valuable beverage nook, to refinishing bathroom cabinets or beautifying laundry rooms. As long as the intended project space can sustain the reality of a dream renovation come to life, the team can work their magic.

Since In Place Cabinetry Finishes offers a suite of custom services, clients come back to them as new interior remodeling projects arise—and are eager to tell others how much they love the finished result and the team who made it happen. And with the company's recent move to its new Dublin location doubling its capacity, they can keep providing returning customers and newly referred clients alike with the long-lasting kitchens and bathrooms they're known for.

"Generally, our largest quantity of leads are coming from previous projects, like people that had us work on a home project before, and now they want us to work on the new house they just bought," Darrell says. "Their word-of-mouth referrals to friends and family are the best compliment we can get."

In Place Cabinetry Finishes
104 Mill Street Dublin, Pennsylvania
(844) 9-INPLACE
InPlaceFinishes.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 23, Issue 9 (July 2023).
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