I love to cook – really and truly – which actually makes me a discerning kitchen designer. I know how much time you can spend in the kitchen on an entertaining weekend so believe it should be every bit as beautiful and appointed and complete as other rooms in the house. Perhaps more so. And the ‘who will build it’ is as important as the ‘what will it look like’.
Most of the kitchens I have contributed to have been manufactured by small shops – mom and pops, sophisticated mind you in their abilities, but mom and pops nonetheless with a few staff, only taking on what they can produce really well and sometimes, forgetting to answer the phone. I never minded a crumb because the end result was always what I could see in my minds eye – not an easy feat without a flashy showroom, samples to choose from and slick sales people to remind you of what you need.
But now that I am back in the city, I have spent a lot of time reacquainting myself with the fruits of Toronto. Logistically, working with my mom and pops in cottage country doesn’t make sense anymore so I have visited most kitchen showrooms in Toronto trying to get the 411 on who does what and how well.
Sigh. I have a huge crush on the Bulthaup Kitchen. The German manufacturer has been around since the 50s, leading the charge and building furniture-like kitchens all wrapped in the most glorious finishes and materials. Insane, really.
I am most delighted by the guts of these kitchens – they all feature that European efficiency North Americans are still trying to balance with our need for the super sized home. Everything has its place and is so beautifully tucked and packed into their appliance and kitchen tool cabinets. Lovely.
Yup. IKEA. Although not of the same quality as Baulhaup – actually, strange to have them in the same paragraph as they are so entirely different – but IKEA offers affordable, super cute cabinetry options and are worth a look for the budget conscious consumer. Beyond finish and building quality, another shortcoming for the IKEA kitchen is that it isn’t custom. Components are of set dimension – like building blocks – each snapping together to complete a kitchen. What this means is that your space has to fit their kitchen, not the other way around. You will need to be flexible and open-minded. But I have only ever been completely delighted with an IKEA project. Honestly.
Although this name bubbles up often in the design world, I only recently worked with them for the first time on a custom sub division home project. They were the supplier of choice for all cabinetry so all bathrooms, kitchen, pantry were theirs to complete. I was impressed with the style options, finish flexibility and responsive service. Now to ensure they deliver on time. I will have to get back to you on that at time of install.
Going Rogue
The custom kitchen is boundless. This makes some clients’ eyes water with glee and others, choke over the choices. An excellent custom shop can build anything. Literally. I would ask for at least three references and to see images of their work.
I recently started working with Falcon Kitchens in Toronto on a couple of bathrooms I have on my plate and I have definitely shortlisted them for my kitchen. A slick showroom this is not but leave the pretense at the door as behind the maze of unfinished work is its charming owner, Michael, who packs experience, passion and thoughtful listening into every meeting he has. The breadth of work he will show you is staggering and diverse very little of which is on their website. Completely worth setting up an appointment and making time for a visit. And this can be said for any small shop. They just don’t invest in the marketing – it is all word of mouth. Worth its weight in gold.