1. THE TRAINING IS INTENSIVE
by Lois Alcosser
What’s the latest in kitchen countertops? Are scullery kitchens
really popular? And what do they mean by “logical chipping”?
Ask Alice Hayes. Alice, a Ridgefield resident who works for
Kitchens by Deane, is now nationally recognized as a CMKBD
(Certified Master Kitchen &
Bath Designer). “It isn’t easy,”
Alice comments, regarding
the rigorous requirements to
achieve such a designation.
To reach the highest level
of achievement offered by
the National Kitchen & Bath
Association, Alice had to have
earned initial certification, fol-
lowed by intensive education,
Susan Morrow Photography
training and examination. She
had to win awards, publish
articles and demonstrate at
Courtesy Kitchens by Deane
least an additional 10 years’
experience beyond the time of
her first certification.
In Alice’s case, there was
also pure serendipity. She Alice Hayes, Certified Master
began with a part-time job at Kitchen & Bath Designer.
Karpy Custom Kitchens in
Yonkers, a high-end operation. She Concealed storage rules in today’s kitchens.
was there five years. Then, while she was having a new house built
in South Salem, the builder asked her to design kitchens for him. An
ad for a kitchen designer in a local paper landed her a job with St.
Charles Kitchens by Girard, where she was trained in sales and intro-
duced to Peter Deane, who was hiring designers for his Stamford
showroom.
Today she is one of the four CMKBDs at Kitchens by Deane
in Stamford and New Canaan, and president of the Southern New
England chapter of NKBA, as well as vice president of professional
development.
Most everyone knows that when selling a house, one of the most
crucial rooms is the kitchen, and often, hopeful sellers are told:
“Spruce it up!” Next to aesthetics and quality of appliances, work
flow and storage are basic factors. “You need to know who’ll be using
the kitchen,” Alice explains. “If it’s a husband and wife, they may
want double sinks. If children are going to help cook, there needs to
be a lower counter level for them. Every client has a personal vision
of a dream kitchen, and you have to work with that, and with the
Courtesy Kitchens by Deane
space, of course. I’m currently working with a client who has five
children and a small kitchen. Fortunately, we’re able to expand into
the porch.”
What’s new in kitchens? Just about everything. According to
Alice, the traditional look of a pristine, white kitchen is currently
very popular. (The look is called “scullery,” but it’s actually quite ele-
gant.) The ingenuity of storage is amazing. Everything is concealed, Popular all white kitchens are known as “sculleries,” but in truth they are quite elegant.
for a feeling of total neatness. Dishwasher, refrigerator, smoothly
invisible. Built-in drawers for dinnerware. Swing-out skateboard
shelves for odd shaped pots and pans. Storage for lids. Built-in recy-
cling containers. A decorative pillar pulls out to reveal rows of spices.
The requisite dining island has become a peninsula, extending out in
an L-shape. “Less is more now,” Alice notes, and some of the most
exciting new kitchens have a sleek, linear look that’s almost like a
V.I.P. office.
Kitchens by Deane has a concept called “the living home.” The
kitchen is described as a “Zen-like refuge from the demands of the
outside world.” True, the serenity of today’s kitchens results from the
innovative built-in design, the durable materials, the sophisticated
colors. “We often get an architect’s drawing. Our job is to make it
work.”
Is it all expensive? A big, gorgeous kitchen is bound to be. But
Kitchens by Deane also does repairs, renovation and has the know-
how for small but effective transformations that do much more than
Courtesy Kitchens by Deane
just “spruce up” a kitchen. Kitchens by Deane also does baths, media
rooms, libraries and closets. By the way, to answer those questions:
a new countertop material is solid bronze. “Logical chipping” is a
technique for a chic distressed look. The chipping is located strategi-
cally where it would naturally occur with use.
To speak to Alice Hayes or one of her master colleagues, call 327-
7008 in Stamford, 1267 East Main Street, or 972-8836 at 89 Elm
Street in New Canaan. ■ Sophisticated colors, durable materials and innovative built-ins make kitchens family havens.
����� ����������� 13th year No.11
© Hersam Acorn Newspapers November, 2009