Hammers pounded, brooms swayed, and feather dusters swished as the people at Ann Arbor Cabinet & Counter put the finishing touches on their new showroom in Lamp Post Plaza in May.
“We moved here from Carpenter Rd., between Michigan Ave. and Ellsworth,” explains Chelsea D’Agostino, a designer who’s been with the company since 2006. “That was a destination location. This is a retail setting, and in the first few weeks here we’re already seeing a lot more walk-ins.” It helps that potential customers are already in the area–DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen is just down the street.
Twelve years ago, Dan Helzerman bought the Chet Jones Company, a respected local cabinetmaker established more than thirty years earlier. Helzerman changed the name but continued Jones’ commitment to upper-end products and fine service, D’Agostino says. “Dan spends much of his time working in our shop in Milan, where he builds many of our cabinets.” They also carry cabinets by Merillat, Quality, Shiloh (a semi-custom manufacturer), and Crystal (a full-custom line). In addition to cabinets, countertops, and built-ins for kitchens, bathrooms, closets, media rooms, and libraries, they do a lot of work for businesses, particularly banks and medical facilities.
The showroom has a lot of darker maples, light cherries, painted woodwork, and wash finishes. “The washes–often in grays, hunter green, and white–offer color but still allow the wood grain to show through the wash,” D’Agostino explains. Though they offer granite, laminate, cultured marble, Corian, and fabricated laminate for countertops, recently many customers are opting for quartz. “It looks like granite, but because it’s not porous, it doesn’t require the same maintenance,” D’Agostino explains.
She also sees a rise in orders for custom closet built-ins and customized cabinet interiors. Instead of roll-out trays, people want full drawers and inserts for trash and recyclables, spices, hampers, shoes, shirts, and slacks.
“We’re known for beautiful cabinets and countertops, but efficient storage is also a priority for customers renovating or building new homes,” D’Agostino says. “That’s what we’re here for.”
Ann Arbor Cabinet & Counter, 2414 E. Stadium Blvd. (Lamp Post Plaza). 572-8828. Mon.-Wed. & Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Thurs. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Closed Sun. annarborcabinets.com
