Carrie Renshaw's updated kitchen (Photo by Colton McKee)

By Hayley Ferguson

RENOVATION NIGHTMARE ENDS

Local businesses complete woman’s dream kitchen after renovation goes wrong

Oct 28, 2019 | 4:29 PM

Medicine Hat, AB- After almost six months without a kitchen, Carrie Renshaw has her space back thanks to the help of several local companies.

What was supposed to be a kitchen update last spring turned into a nightmare full of bad plumbing, crooked cabinets, and a terrible counter steam.

That’s why in September she called the owners of Design Kitchens, who cut the counters, to get a second opinion on the installation job.

Owner Jamie Taylor didn’t just take a look at the counters though. Right away he couldn’t help but notice all of the flaws.

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“I just couldn’t live with myself after I had seen it,” he said.

Renshaw’s kitchen before local businesses stepped in

He and his wife Jackie knew they needed to step up and make the kitchen right for Renshaw who was stuck in her torn apart home most of the summer, dealing with osteoarthritis and waiting for a hip replacement.

That’s when they called other trades businesses that they trusted for help to redo Renshaw’s kitchen.

“It’s not a secret that it’s a really hard economy right now and many of us are struggling. And the fact that we still had everybody agree… We literally did not run into any push back at all,” Jackie smiled. “To have this many people come in and say ‘yes, this is what we need to do and this is who we are’ has been overwhelming.”

Design Kitchens, Brost Developments, Concept Plumbing, The Electric Company, Creative Floor Coverings, Ply Gem, and Dulux Paint all stepped up and donated time and resources.

“We’re a small knit community really and they didn’t let us down. Me and Jackie, we had this idea of fixing it, but we’re just cabinet and counter people. We needed the help of everybody to make this happen,” said Jamie.

Now after almost five weeks of those companies working hard, Renshaw doesn’t just have her kitchen back, but what she calls the best kitchen in Medicine Hat.

“I could never have dreamt for a kitchen as nice as this,” she said while looking around the newly completed space.

The companies also stepped in and helped her built a new, safer porch.

Renshaw said everyone involved has done more than just build her the new kitchen and porch.

“They showed me that people really care. People care. I matter. They’ve given me confidence that I didn’t have before. I want to go out now and do things. Anything is possible,” Renshaw teared up. “It’s amazing what they’ve done and I am just so thankful from the bottom of my heart. I will take this with me forever. What do you say? How do you thank people for doing something like this for you.”

To honour the local businesses, Mayor Ted Clugston presented them with certificates of merit in the kitchen on Monday.