“Cabinet Designers aims to serve as the go-to design resource in bringing our clients their dream homes."
New co-owners Jesse Kelly and Mark Durcan plan to continue offering the custom Kitchen & Bath designs the business has come to be known for, while adding new design services and technologies to help the business run more efficiently. The full-service kitchen and bath design firm was built by Mario and Janie Carpanzano from the humble notion of designing and building closets in a garage in Krumville back in 1985. That idea grew over the course of 30 years into the business it is now with a 6,000 square feet of gleaming showroom space, 2,000-square-foot wood shop, and a team of seasoned professionals offering trademark “white-glove” design services.
“Cabinet Designers aims to serve as the go-to design resource in bringing our clients their dream homes. We are working to continue to expand on the success of the business, establish ourselves as a strong resource in the growing Hudson Valley community, and be a good partner to our vendors and a strong manager for our team,” says Jesse, “The mission of our business is to improve our clients’ lives by improving their living spaces. We’re rooted in detailed design philosophy and a high-touch approach. Each of our design professionals is not just an incredible designer, but also a genuine people-person. You’ll always have your own personal design professional to work with you one-on-one and be your ally, through design conception to installation.”
In 2016, the firm won a “Best Of” award in Client Satisfaction from design website Houzz for the second time.
“We want very much to maintain the ethos that the company was founded in, but also put our own stamp on how it is run and how we are growing it,” says Mark. “Fortunately, Jesse and I have a strong team dynamic and complement one another really well. We’re both generally optimistic people with a good sense of humor and a love of beautiful design. I’m laid-back but very focused on getting things done; Jesse is very detail-oriented and always thinking ahead. Our lifestyles mirror the surroundings of the Hudson Valley: spending time outside, enjoying good food and time with friends and family. We both have young families, so we appreciate the importance of work-life balance.
We’re a family-run business through and through and we put that spirit first in the way we work with our customers and run our business at large.”
“Both of us have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, says Mark. Previously as general manager, Jesse worked to scale the business, manage its employees, and solidify its position in the area as the leading design firm. I have always had a knack for start-ups— investing time in small businesses and building them from the ground up. I’ve worked for various technology start-ups, including Yahoo! HotJobs, Gilt Groupe, and most recently with Plated—all of which had under 100 employees when I joined the team.”
“You’ll always have your own personal design professional to work with you one-on-one and be your ally, through design conception to installation.”
To continue to grow the business, the new owners agree, they’ll keep what’s been working so well and continue to innovate. “As a family-run business for over 30 years, we of course have relied on, and value, word of mouth and recommendations highly. We have a social media presence on design sites like Houzz and Pinterest and show our work
off on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. We are invested in building a community around Cabinet Designers and sponsor local sports and philanthropic activities.... We recently completed a rebrand that highlights our white-glove approach and the seasoned and professional eye we bring to every project we touch,” says Jesse.
“Creating the new brand identity was an exciting and challenging opportunity. We worked hard to develop the elements that are part of a full brand identity: the fonts, color palettes, imagery, and even the voice of the content for the website. We’re thrilled with the result and excited to roll it out. We think it embodies the spirit of the business at its heart and showcases where we are headed under our leadership, says Mark.”
As leaders, Jesse and Mark rely on a top-notch team. “We’re all very collaborative and creative. We work together closely every day and rely on one another’s specialties to ensure that every project we tackle is done to the best possible standard. Many of us have worked together for well over a decade and we
value each other’s opinions and sense of design deeply.... In employees, we look for a great design eye, intelligence, a great sense of style all around, a great personality who loves working with people, attention to detail, a creative mind.... We share the excitement of creating living spaces that make people’s lives better, says Mark.”
The forward-looking growth plan, says Jesse, has required flexibility and clear communication. But Cabinet Designers has a strong and long-standing tradition of growth. “Starting out as a business focused mostly on closet and organization systems, the company has expanded into a full-fledged kitchen and bath design firm offering tile, countertops, closets, and there’s more to come. It soon became
clear there was a desire and market for the high-touch approach to home design. The kitchen is the heart of the home and we wanted to be in the center of that heart, putting the team’s skills to work as best we could. We want our clients to be able to achieve everything they want to with us, and if we can’t help them, we will happily refer them to our partners who can. More recently, we’ve expanded our product offerings to adapt to the design trends of the times, such as modern rustic and country contemporary.”
"We share the excitement of creating living spaces that make people’s lives better."
As Cabinet Designers rolls out a new look and celebrates 30 years since Mario and Janie took the leap from garage to incorporation, the new team at the top couldn’t be happier. “The creativity aspect of it has to be the most rewarding,” Jesse says. “Our industry is changing rapidly and we work hard to be on the forefront of those changes. As an independent entrepreneur, it’s up to us to lead our vendors, employees, and clients in the right direction and the constant challenge and opportunity of that is incredibly rewarding and exciting. Most of all, though, we love working one-on-one with our clients to transform a space into one of their dreams, working from scratch to custom-create rooms where memories are had for years to come. We’re so lucky and happy to get to wake up every day and be a part of that.”
You’ll find Cabinet Designers in The Design Towers, at 747 Rt. 28 in Kingston, or online at cabinetdesigners.com. You can also call 845-331-2200 or email info@cabinetdesigners.com
