Renovation Angel’s complementary white glove removal

One of the most gratifying and satisfying parts of a kitchen and/or bathroom remodel is Demo Day! Homeowners fill with glee as the first hammer swing splinters old cabinets and dents drywall. Sometimes they opt to do the demolition themselves as a means of fun stress relief. Usually though, as we’ve all seen on HGTV, a big crew comes in to rip everything out, leaving nothing but a few hanging wires and studs. I can hear banging, clanging, and chainsawing now. Victory!

But…have you ever stopped to think about where your demolished cabinets are going? My guess is no, and that’s ok. Most cabinets, countertops, tile, flooring, etc. end up in a landfill. Ew.

Not every kitchen needs to be torn to shreds. In fact, a lot of the kitchens I’m called to replace are actually in fairly good condition. Out of style, perhaps, but worthy of dumping in a landfill? I think not. The removal of the existing kitchen is a part of the renovation process that most people skip over, a detail handled by the contractor. Recently though, we had a customer ask if there was any way to recycle their existing kitchen, to which I said, “I don’t know, but I will find out!”

Did you ever notice how sometimes the universe is listening? Like when a friend you haven’t spoken with in a long time pops to mind and soon after, you receive a call from her? Well, that’s exactly what happened. The day after the request I was leafing through the latest issue of KBB (The Official Magazine of the Kitchen and Bath Industry), and I came across an article featuring a company whose sole business was the repurposing and recycling of kitchen and bathroom cabinets, Renovation Angel. Eureka! The universe was listening.

Founded over 13 years ago by Steve Feldman, Renovation Angel’s mission is to save kitchens and “contribute to the circular economy.” After the Wall Street crash in 2001, Feldman noticed that a Rockefeller mansion was being demolished. Inspired, he thought, “why not start a demolition donation program and earn the money rather than ask for it?” Just like that Renovation Angel was born.

Cabinets carefully wrapped and packed before going in the truck

The process is simple. After a quick evaluation and inspection, Renovation Angel sends a team of white-glove removal experts to carefully and safely uninstall, wrap, pack, and transport the cabinetry, counter tops, appliances, sinks, faucets, lighting, etc. from the home to their 43,000 square foot showroom in Fairfield, NJ. Here the items are displayed for resale at a deep discount. The proceeds earned from these resold luxury products go toward “innovative and life-changing outreach programs in the areas of: youth-at-risk, addiction recovery, job creation, and social entrepreneurship.” Over the past 13 years, 17.7 million construction, logistics, and retail jobs have been created to support these efforts and over 5,000 kitchens have been recycled. It gets better; donating homeowners receive a full tax deduction too!

We were so impressed with their business that now Liz Walton Home is a proud Renovation Angel Ambassador. We mentioned our affiliation in our last blog post Dormer Delight, and as of 2 weeks ago, Renovation Angel has removed its kitchen, countertops, appliances, lighting – the works. The team was easy to work with; they showed up on time, were friendly and professional. A few days prior to the removal, I received a call from an out-of-state number, and to my surprise, it was Steve Feldman! He called to thank us for our support and spent about 15 minutes on the phone talking shop with me. I couldn’t believe that the CEO of this nationally recognized and publicized (think Architectural Digest, The New York Times, Forbes) company called me! A testament to their customer service.

If you or someone you know is thinking about doing a kitchen or bathroom renovation, please consider how their donation program may be of service to you. Conversely, their showroom has products of all sorts: appliances, tile, furniture, etc. So if you’re in the market for a renovation on a budget, or if you’re simply looking to score a great deal, I encourage you to take a trip to visit them. Either way you won’t be disappointed.

I leave you with this:

 “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
― Maya Angelou