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Ask an interior designer how she started her career and you'll probably learn that the first hint of her future profession was that she used to drive her mother nuts rearranging the furniture all over the house! Ask Terry Scarborough, ASID, CMKBD, the Showroom Manager of Kitchens by Deane in New Canaan, and she'll tell you a rather different story.
Terry's first career was as a middle school teacher, followed by several years in the admissions department at a private school, and later at Sweetbriar College in Virginia. One year, the college received a grant to use the Johnson O'Connor Aptitude Test to help students identify their majors and subsequent careers, and Terry decided to take the test.
The results were quite a shock! Despite her years in education, the aptitude test told her that her real potential was in the field of architecture, interior design or landscape design. Being a goal-oriented individual, Terry promptly took her Masters in Interior Design, joined the American Society of Interior Designers and started her new career as a designer, initially with an architectural firm and later with a company specializing in kitchens. Today, Terry is also a Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer.
When I met Terry at Kitchens by Deane's showroom on Elm Street in New Canaan, across the road from the train station, the first thing I asked her was how the downturn in the economy had affected the kitchen design business.
"Between the economy and people's busy lives," Terry told me, "we're finding that people want to build a practical kitchen, one in which families can cook together. Clients are picking cabinets with clean lines, with a more contemporary look than in the past few years. We're not doing many kitchens with heavy moldings or applied architectural details. No one wants a 'trendy' kitchen our clients want their kitchens to be beautiful, practical and long-lasting."
Kitchens by Deane represents seven custom cabinet manufacturers, so the designers have great flexibility to mix and match features from the various companies in order to create a truly personal kitchen. The end result is that no two kitchens ever look the same.
"White and off-white kitchen cabinets are popular at the moment, with light marbles, like Carrara, or granites for the countertops," Terry continued. "We're seeing a lot of stone and glass tile combinations for backsplashes. People are looking for easy maintenance."
If you have your sights on a new kitchen, working with a kitchen designer or a certified interior designer is usually the best way to start. These professionals have the experience to guide you through the process from initial concept to final design and execution -- and will help steer you clear of costly mistakes! And this is a good time to buy a kitchen, as there are still some great deals to be had from the cabinet manufacturers.
Kitchens by Deane has two locations:
1267 East Main Street in Stamford. Telephone: (203) 327-7008
189 Elm Street in New Canaan. Telephone: (203) 972-8836.
http://www.kitchensbydeane.com
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