Classic Cabinets & Interiors:

Not Your Average Design Firm!

by Melissa McCance

Planning a kitchen or bath remodel can be both exciting and paralyzing. It’s wonderful to think about having a fresh, new space, but what’s involved in a project like that can be overwhelming. Utilizing a skilled interior designer may seem like a luxury, but the fact is it can save you time, money, and frustration, not to mention preventing costly mistakes. Amie Pelham and Brian Renald, co-owners of Classic Cabinets & Interiors, head a team of experienced designers and expert installers who can guide customers through the planning and remodel to a beautiful finish.

Twenty years ago, Amie started by working out of a small home studio doing interior design and custom window treatments. She quickly discovered that people in the area wanted help with the whole process. She partnered with Brian as her sole installer and loved working with him because he never said no—he always found a way to do what the customer wanted. Amie says the critical factor in a successful project and a happy customer is simply listening.

You need to listen to what people need, and everybody’s needs are different. Everyone uses their space differently, and what I have talked about to my other designers is that a home consultation is required for kitchen or bath remodels. We want to come into your home, meet with you, listen to you, see what your needs are, and truly help you take an existing space and create a new space but have them be cohesive. It needs to flow, to make sense, and to be beautiful. For example, I might be working on a big kitchen remodel, but there’s a piece that belonged to a great-grandmother and the homeowner wants that incorporated. That’s our job—listen and figure it out.

Taking that time to listen, ask questions, and visit the home to see the space helps the designers to establish trust with the customer. Once that’s in place, the customer is more willing to listen to suggestions and consider “thinking outside the box.” Kitchen and bath design encompasses a staggering number of options and new products come on the market all the time. Homeowners might think they know what they want but the designer knows there’s a new product or feature that fits their vision far better than what they have in mind. Or, the designer may know a way to do things that the customer didn’t realize was possible.

“We’re doing a lot of bath remodels to update bathrooms but there are also many people choosing to ‘age in place.’ So, they’re having tubs removed and changing to a walk-in shower with no threshold and a bench. They know they’ll eventually need grab bars, but they don’t want them right now. I explain that we can plan for where those will go, do the additional blocking that’s necessary, and then the grab bars can go in when they’re ready for them. They didn’t realize that was possible.”

Classic Cabinets & Interiors utilizes advanced technology that helps customers feel more confident about the remodeling plan before the actual work begins. The software lets the designers do 3-D renderings of the space including the styles, colors, and textures that are selected. When it’s time for the presentation, it’s run on gaming computers that give a sharp, clear presentation of the design.

Amie understands that people want to see the parts that will become the whole rather than just looking at pictures in a catalog. To that end, she has created wonderful showrooms that allow people to touch and examine the products. The business sells cabinets, countertops, hardware, plumbing fixtures, window blinds, flooring, lighting, tile, and wallpaper as well as windows, siding, decking, and exterior doors.

Her goal is to offer beautiful items at a wonderful price point that have great warranties. Even if someone is just thinking about doing a kitchen or bath remodel, anyone is welcome to stop in and browse. There’s always someone knowledgeable available to help and offer suggestions with no commitment necessary. They also offer builder sales, and builders can send customers in for assistance. The designers will do drawings and help with the selection process.

“When I decided I wanted to open a storefront, I wanted to offer everything in one spot,” Amie explains.

Amie is absolutely committed to the team concept and believes that team building is essential for a successful business. The designers create the vision by working with the customers, but they need craftsman to make that vision a reality. There are seven full-time installers on the crew and they are as committed to quality work as the designers are to making sure the customers are happy and satisfied with the design.

If you’re considering remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, contact Classic Cabinets & Interiors and discover the truth of their slogan— “Experience the difference.” The corporate headquarters are located at 7688 N. Adrian Highway, Tecumseh, and the phone number is 517-423-2600. The Jackson showroom is at 807 S. Brown St., and that phone number is 517-817-5650. You can also visit their website (classiccabinetsandinteriors.com) for more information.