Up Close and Personal

Gorgeous cabinetry, appliances and surfaces will make any kitchen look great, but top designers say that you have to go a lot further than that – at least if you want to attract the high-end market. You must personalize the space to the umpteenth degree, they say, to really set it apart and make it truly spectacular.

“Highly personal kitchens are what my very upscale, sophisticated clientele wants,” says Jere Bowden, CKD, of the Saint Simons Island, GA-based Bowden Design Group, LLC. “We give them that by creating twists on the looks they like, using and mixing different species of wood, colors and glazes, crackling, distressing and so forth. Additionally, we often do unusual ceilings, creating patterns with beams, or we may panel walls to create texture. And, of course, we make sure their special interests are reflected.

“By the way, I measure everybody in the family to make sure counters and islands are the right height,” she continues. “I even measure the pets, so their beds and food bowls fit into the plan, and I’ve been known to find a place for the cat’s litter box, which, of course, is vented to the outside.”

Personalization Debate

Barton Lidsky of The Hammer & Nail in Ridgewood, NJ is another designer who attracts a well-heeled, sophisticated clientele. He tells of a recent project for homeowners who admired colonial Spanish styles. He designed cabinetry with old-looking, distressed nail heads and hardware for them, following up the look with a refrigerator door created to look like a venerable hacienda gate.

“Just finding the sources for the iron work was extremely time-consuming,” he notes. “I put in this kind of effort all the time because I enjoy designing unique projects and because it brings me the kind of clients who can afford the ultimate kitchen.

“But many designers wouldn’t do all that work,” he continues. “That’s the trouble with personalization. Designers’ perception of it is all over the lot. Unfortunately, going with a floor tile the client likes or including a drawer for spice is many designers’ idea of personalization.”

However, Lidsky admits that there are factors that work against personal design. “Some clients may say they want a unique kitchen,” he says, “but in reality, they want just what their neighbors have. And then there’s the question of resale. Some homeowners feel that it isn’t smart to take chances with the most important room in the house.”

Barbara Jacobs, a San Jose, CA-based, interior designer, is another proponent of the highly personalized kitchen.

“Practically speaking, such a kitchen is for the high-end market,” she notes. “Let’s face it, going with a one-of-a-kind cabinet door rather than a ready-made one and having it crafted by a master cabinetmaker will add at least 20% to the cost.

“I happen to like to design the cabinet door myself and often design tile, too. One client of mine had a beautiful collection of Majolica dishes, so I designed a tile that incorporated a flower from the earthenware. The tile is used on the wall behind the range. This is the kind of personalization that a well-traveled, sophisticated clientele expects.”

However, Phil Guarino, owner of Arclinea, in Boston, MA, admits that even sophisticated, upscale clients can get nervous contemplating a unique design concept. “We’ve actually been asked if we thought the neighbors would approve,” he laughs.

Color It Personal

It’s hard to think of anything that adds more personality than color, but in the kitchen business, it turns out to be a controversial topic.

For example, Fort Lee, NJ interior designer Rona Spiegel, ASID, admits that she recommends that her clients stick with neutrals in the kitchen, while Arclinea often paints a prominent wall a bright color.

“I remind my clients that if they plan to eventually sell their house, they should choose colors that a majority of people would like,” explains Spiegel. “Recently, I worked with clients who wanted a kelly green kitchen. They were never going to sell their home, they said. This was it, their ultimate house. They were doing this for themselves.