Fifteen years ago I was working for a kitchen cabinet showroom in the area when the owners of custom home building firm M.W. Carlson, Ltd. challenged me to open up my own business – and so I did! Over 250 clients later, we are happy to be celebrating our 15 year anniversary!
In the early years, I worked with my dear sister-in-law, Chris. We developed relationships with builders and remodelers who needed design and cabinetry for their clients. They would bring their clients to us and we would design custom kitchens, baths, libraries, home offices, laundry and mudrooms for them. Then the market started changing and we added a semi-custom cabinet line to our product offering. We were rockin’ and rollin’ until 2008. The recession hit and much of our business dried up. Those were challenging times for all of us. Chris left to pursue other career opportunities. I scraped by and was thankful for the work that I had.
So much has changed since then. I joined the SEN Design Group, a consulting organization and buying group for kitchen and bath dealers. I met wonderful people from all over the country and learned a great deal. I was exposed to experts in the various fields of the design/build industry and started working with a Business Coach, John Lang. With John’s guidance and support I transformed Kitchen Design Partners into the business we are today.
Our business model relies on me working personally and in detail with every client on all aspects of their project, coordinating with the other professionals with whom we are collaborating, and running the marketing activities of KDP. So I rely on my special Design Assistant, Cecilia Basa, for her extensive support and devoted client service. We are both people-pleasers, so we have the same goals in mind. We have expanded our product and service offerings to include countertops, tile, wood countertops, custom metal hoods, and luxury wine cellars. We still believe in representing only American-made cabinetry, as we have since 2005. We developed standardized processes. We upgraded our design software and other technology. We value networking organizations that have helped us develop meaningful relationships with top-notch builders, designers, architects and marketers that we enjoy collaborating with. We are constantly working on our marketing and are so thankful for Barb Tedder to execute the marketing plans we develop. My husband David (our part-time CFO), our accountant, Mary Lynch and bookkeeper Judy Burnell keep our finances in good shape.
I can’t begin to express my gratitude to each and every homeowner, partner, supplier, and contractor for working with me and Kitchen Design Partners. To me, a kitchen is the central gathering place in our homes. It is where everyday routines take place, meals are prepared, homework is done, families gather for celebrations and to support each other during life’s challenges. Friends deepen their friendships. Toddlers grow to teenagers and beyond. This is where life happens. I am so thankful to have contributed to families living comfortably in their kitchens and baths. To the professionals I’ve collaborated with, thank you for your contributions and for your faith in partnering with me. Every kitchen holds special memories. Scroll down for just a few of our kitchen designs through the years:
Thank you for your support! Here’s to the next 15…
Nancy
Inviting in Northbrook, 2014
Dazzling Transitional Design, 2015
Sleek and Modern in Chicago, 2016
Modern Evanston Farmhouse, 2019
