My Lifetime of Redefining Kitchen Experiences

My first "real career" was born in 1976, when I was hired by Modern Kitchens of Syracuse, NY, to become a professional kitchen designer. I was extremely fortunate to be hired by one of the finest kitchen companies in the U.S. I was quickly sent to a week-long kitchen design school hosted by Wood Mode Cabinetry in Pennsylvania. The classes were at least 8 hours long every day. I was amazed at the amount of knowledge I gained in that relatively short time period. Fortunately, I was tutored by some of the finest kitchen designers during my 4 years at Modern Kitchens. Nearing the end of my four years, I became more and more disturbed by the horrible weather that Syracuse had to offer. Most days were overcast; we rarely had cloudless days. The winters were, at least for me, unbearable. I decided to head south! 

I did a great deal of research about where the luxury markets were, as that market allowed me to be free to customize kitchens to their fullest. Winter Park, Florida, is what popped up as a great location. There happened to be a Wood Mode dealer in Winter Park. I submitted my resume, and the owners actually flew me down, picked me up at the airport, and put me up in a swanky hotel in downtown Winter Park. I was treated like royalty. I must admit, I was still a bit green, as four years in the trade certainly does not bode well as being an expert. That said, they hired me on the spot to manage their Winter Park showroom, as they had another showroom in Vero Beach, where they lived. The pay they offered me was far more than I had anticipated. I was thrilled, to say the least. I moved my family and quickly found property to build a home and started that process. A year later, my world was shaken to its core. The Winter Park sinkhole opened up across the street from our showroom. The road was closed, and there was no access to our shop unless one was aware of an obscure back entrance road that was rarely used in the past. After much deliberation, the owners came to see me and, with great regret, had to let me go as they were going to close the Winter Park showroom. 

Wow, unemployed and living in a rental while our home was being built! I recall the almost paralyzing fear. I had to do something, and quickly! There was a competitor of ours about 2 miles away. The company was called Kurtis Kitchen and Bath. I set an appointment to meet with the owner, and thankfully, I was hired. I stayed with them for years, and they treated me incredibly well. They bought me a station wagon to use, as at that time I was a single dad with three young children and my current vehicle was quite small. My parents were always invited to stay at their home when they came down to visit. It was a wonderful time in my life. Again, I was in the presence of a great mentor, and I soaked up as much information as I could. I read as much about ergonomics as it related to kitchen design as I could. Focusing on designing for function and ergonomics led me to spend countless hours contemplating problems that seemed to have been overlooked or never truly addressed. I’ve always had a natural inclination to spot issues others might ignore—whether because they’ve grown accustomed to them or simply become numb to their impact. As it turned out, there was a great deal of self-education that transpired. 

Fast forward a decade or so, and I decided it was time to spread my wings and open my own showroom. By then, I had been traveling across the country, sharing my insights on kitchen design and sales through lectures to professional kitchen designers. It was an exciting step forward, fueled by my passion for innovation and my desire to create spaces that truly catered to function and form. I recall the very first lecture. It was in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, to be in front of well over 100 kitchen designers. I was a nervous wreck leading up to my trip and eventual lecture. I tried to think of a way to calm down my nerves and decided I would tell a short joke. During the anticipated laughter, I would have a moment to relax my nerves. I decided to mention my plan to my three young children. My youngest daughter immediately quipped, "Dad, don't do it. You are not as funny as you think you are!" As it turned out, I opened my first lecture by telling that short story and got quite a laugh, and it truly did calm my nerves. Now back to my own business... I focused on kitchen remodeling, and I had a very unique approach. I would visit the family in their home and get to know them and how they used their current kitchen. In my mind, I imagined myself as part of each family I worked with, immersing myself in their daily routines to understand the challenges they faced. This perspective allowed me to offer tailored solutions rather than just products. With this approach, I connected with nearly every customer I met, and the results spoke for themselves. I never felt the need to be "salesy"—in fact, I was never comfortable with traditional selling. To me, it wasn’t about selling at all; it was about helping. The day that my team was going to remove the existing kitchen, I would spend the entire afternoon at home cooking a gourmet meal for the family. I would arrive at their home late in the afternoon with a complete meal, wine, and dessert and would drop it off. I was always invited to stay, but my answer would be, "How about I come and cook a gourmet meal with you when your kitchen is complete? I will bring all of the food, and we can all enjoy your new kitchen together." I was invited to every single home, and I would receive calls from prospects asking, "Will you come and cook for us if we order a kitchen through you?" I had so much fun! That being said, the kitchen sink was always a pain in the ass. Sorry for the strong language, but it really upset me that there was no sink on the market that made any sense to me! 

I started thinking about solutions but placed my thoughts on hold for a while because I discovered the Internet! I made a horribly designed web page, using Microsoft Word, and put it online and offered to sell Diamond Cabinets online with the caveat that I would not design the kitchen. I would simply order whatever cabinets, parts, and moldings are required and have the kitchen shipped to the home—anywhere in the U.S. To my surprise, I sold a kitchen to someone in Maine, then another in Alaska. With only two sales online, I decided to gradually (over a period of only three months) close my brick-and-mortar store while paying all of my bills on time and focus on a new online business. I quickly became the largest Diamond Cabinetry dealer in the Southeastern U.S. Then I had another heartbreaking scare. The folks at Diamond called and told me they no longer were going to support online companies. I asked them why! They said there was another online company, not associated with Diamond Cabinetry, that was "selling" Diamond Cabinetry online, basically using my format. They took payments and never ordered cabinetry. They did not have an account with Diamond Cabinetry at all. They were thieves! I was cut off on a Friday afternoon, and I felt that same paralyzing fear that I had endured years ago. I spent the weekend thinking of a solution, and one came to me. My friend was a Franke sink factory representative. I called him and asked if I could represent Franke Sinks on my website. He was delighted, as when I was working for Kurtis Kitchens, my sales of Franke Sinks eclipsed all other dealers in Florida. So, I quickly set up Franke on my horrible website, and sales soared. I then began calling other sink companies, ceiling fan companies, flooring companies, lighting companies, and many more. I was able to convince some of the best luxury companies to allow me to sell their products online. I adopted the name "Luxuryhomeproducts.com," and off I went! The business grew like a weed. I quickly hired nearly a dozen employees to handle customer inquiries and provide support. I even found a company that sold copper sinks and started to sell several copper sinks a week. Mind you, I never saw these products in person. I would take the order, place the order, and have the merchandise shipped directly to the customer. All was well until a customer asked if they could return a copper sink due to an issue unrelated to the sink’s quality. I explained that the manufacturer charged a 30% restocking fee, but I offered to take it back and resell it with only a 10% restocking fee. When the sink arrived and I opened the box, I was appalled—the quality was atrocious. I couldn’t help but think, How on earth have I not received complaints about this before? I immediately took the sinks off my website. That was a tough call because the revenue from these sinks was very significant. 

Remember when I earlier said that I had started to think of solutions for poorly designed sinks? Well, this was my opportunity. I searched all across the country for a metal shop that would make copper and stainless sinks for me, using my designs. At that time, all I wanted was a single bowl sink with an offset rear corner drain. There were none on the market at that time. Long story short, a local company, Vickers Metal Works, impressed me with their quality enough to have them build sinks for me. This happened less than a year after I started Luxury Home Products. I now had two significant businesses. I was selling my Rachiele sinks through Luxury Home Products. I quickly received calls from dealers all over the country and even Canada, wanting to represent my sinks in their showrooms. I began visiting these dealers and setting them up with displays. I also began designing sinks that had never been thought of. I applied for and received several patents, but I had even more designs in mind. When I approached my patent attorney with a request to waive the patent search before filing, he strongly advised against it. He warned that skipping the search could lead to an expensive mistake if the applications were rejected. Despite his caution, I was confident that my industry was so "asleep at the wheel" that no one would have thought of my ideas. I told him to proceed. And, as it turns out, I was right—every single patent was granted!  Fast forward a few years, and I realized that simply selling sinks wasn’t fulfilling. I missed the personal connection and problem-solving I enjoyed while working directly with end users in my kitchen design business. So, I parted ways with the dealers and transformed my business into what you see today. Around that time, the owner of Vickers Metal Works decided to retire, giving me the perfect opportunity to start my own manufacturing business. This was a game-changer for me, as it gave me complete control over both design and quality—something that thrilled me to no end. 

The video below are some of my current thoughts.