Locally-made Cabinets to Shine on HGTV’s ‘Property Brothers’
By LaKeshia Knarr
MILL HALL – One local business is gearing up for Wednesday – when their custom products will be featured on a national TV show.
Cabinets constructed by employees Architects Millshop, known by locals as Renninger’s Cabinetree, near Mill Hall will be a focal point during HGTV’s hit show “Property Brothers” this Wednesday evening.
Airing at 9 p.m., the series follows twins Jonathan and Drew Scott as they help couples turn fixer-uppers into dream homes. The show is about risk and reward, as the siblings attempt to prove to buyers that older homes in need of a little TLC are great buys.
On Wednesday, the second episode of the tenth season, “Searching for Glitz and Glam,” will highlight the experience of parents Dorothy and John in Scarsdale, N.Y. The couple, about to have their second child, is hoping to break free of John’s parents’ basement with their new home.
“This all started around February,” explained Lisa Wech, kitchen designer and project manager at Architects Millshop.
The company, which has dealers throughout New England, was contacted by Zachos Design Group of Rye, N.Y. – and that’s how it all began.
Zachos had been contacted by representatives for “Property Brothers,” and a designer with Zachos created the plan for the show’s project, Wech said.
Then it was a matter of finding the perfect cabinetry to get the job done – and Zachos chose Architects Millshop.
“It was nice that they came by word of mouth,” said Chris Stoner, who owns Architects Millshop along with his wife, Angela. “The designer used to work for a different designer we worked with. She just started and when this came along she reached out to us.”
“Everything is completely built and ready for installation when they get it,” Wech said, noting the dealer’s design and budget determine the type of cabinetry selected for the project.
This week’s show will feature the Craftsman series, which is a newer line for the local company.
“We designed that line to compete with the local market,” Wech said. “It’s cool for local people to see that on TV and know it’s something they can afford – and it is here, too!”
Craftsman features ¾-inch plywood, a standard soft close, full overlay (where the cabinet doors are flush with the frame of the cabinets), and a lifetime limited warranty.
The cabinets were hand-built in the workshop in Mill Hall – and it won’t be the last time the locally crafted woodwork will be featured on national TV.
The handiwork of Architects Millshop employees will again be on display for the third episode of the season, “Game-time Decision,” on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 9 p.m. In this episode, couple Monique and Carl are hoping to find their perfect home after five years of searching – and it’s up to the Scott brothers to make their wish list fit the budget.
The high stakes didn’t change the protocol at Architects, however.
“We treated these projects the same way we do all our cabinets; each got the same amount of attention to detail,” Wech said. “There was definitely some chatter by everyone about them being on TV, but we put that aside for production.”
After the cabinets are finished, the foreman inspects the finished products for imperfections – regardless of whether or not they end up on TV, she explained.
The company employs roughly 20 people – and they’ll all be anxiously awaiting the airing of the episodes. In fact, the company changed is holiday party date to Wednesday, so all the employees will be meeting in the backroom at Haywood’s on the Green to watch “Property Brothers” together.
“They guys in the shop don’t really get to see the finished products … so this will be neat for them to see how it all turned out,” Wech said.
“And it also give their kids and families a chance to see what they do,” Stoner added.
Learn more about Architects Millshop by calling 570-726-6494, stopping off at 255 Long Run Road, Mill Hall, or visiting www.architectsmillshop.com.
