SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

The Kitchen Source guides customers from inspiration to the big reveal

by CHRISTIANA LILLY / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

Once upon a time , hosts were tucked away in the kitchen, preparing food and drink while their guests enjoyed conversation and laughter in the dining room. These days, the design trends have torn down those walls, and the kitchen has become a place for all to congregate.

“It’s almost like blending the kitchen, the living space, the breakfast area, your view of your pool, the entertainment area, your backyard—it is encapsulated all in one area,” says Corinne Danicki, a certifed kitchen designer with The Kitchen Source. “It’s a whole change on how our house structure is being built and how we want to hang out.”

Whether it’s cooking, eating, doing work, enjoying a snack or entertaining, the kitchen has become the heart of the household, and Danicki and the team at The Kitchen Source have been a part of the evolution of style. With three locations in Dallas, Fort Worth and Southlake, the showrooms are a one-stop shop for homeowners to get design inspiration, purchase high-end appliances or order custom-made cabinetry.

And don’t let the name fool you—The Kitchen Source doesn’t just focus on the kitchen but also on bathrooms and wherever else one would need cabinetry. Danicki says, while most people start working with the company to build or remodel their kitchens, after their experience they return to have their bathrooms, mudrooms, laundry room and other parts of the home remodeled.

“We don’t just specialize in kitchens, and we don’t just specialize in bathrooms—it’s the whole home process that we’re very capable of handling,” she says.

While many designers are dealing with a backlog and long wait times for products, this isn’t the case when it comes to cabinetry and countertops at The Kitchen Source. The company works with seven American cabinetmakers—many family-run for nearly a century—that provide the luxury of designing and building custom cabinetry using modern technology with a lifetime warranty. And because the companies ship to all 50 states, The Kitchen Source can coordinate having custom cabinetry sent to customers’ homes outside of Texas, too.

To stay up to date with the most current trends and oferings in the home design world, Danicki and others attend conferences by the American Society of Interior Designers as well as the National Kitchen & Bath Association. In particular, the Kitchen & Bath

Industry Show (KBIS) in Las Vegas gives industry professionals the opportunity to meet trade partners to learn what’s coming to market, see changes in design and walk showrooms to discover the newest innovations.

All of this expertise and attention to quality shines during the six-step process that The Kitchen Source walks a customer through. Each project begins with inviting customers to tour the showroom for ideas. They can look at the latest technology available, browse the quality cabinetry, and narrow down their preferences in design—customers often come with magazine clippings and saved photos on their favorite design apps. Then, the designer will visit their home to discuss more concrete ideas. Seeing the home helps the designer understand how the homeowner uses the space and what is important to them.

“A lot of times the homeowner can recognize that their space doesn’t work well for them, but they don’t know why or how to fx it,” Danicki points out. “Someone like me, who doesn’t live there, can listen to their thoughts and their wish list and ofer suggestions.”

Plus, homeowners discuss their long-term plans to make sure designers set a budget that makes sense, whether they are planning to age in place or move out in fve to 10 years. For designers, this means they need to understand the real estate market and the neighborhoods they are working in. Armed with this information, they will spend three to four weeks creating a custom design plan for the customer’s approval. If approved, a detailed schedule is created for the often monthslong process to complete the project. Because so many unknowns can occur during the construction process, it’s imperative at The Kitchen Source to plan for as much as they can.

“We know our space plan, we know our materials—the fnishes, the countertop material, the sinks, the faucets, the backsplash, the appliances. We create a turnkey picture for them with all the costs upfront,” Danicki explains. “It’s not like design-as-you-go and price-as-you-go.”

Then the fun part begins. Appliances, countertops, cabinets, tiling, lighting and more begin arriving at the home, and contractors are able to start making tangible changes. Disruptions for weeks on end can be stressful, so workers strive to keep customers comfortable in their own home by thoroughly cleaning after each day of work and allowing homeowners to continue using the space as much as possible. And if appliances are on back order, The Kitchen Source will loan products as customers wait for the arrival of their own items.

“We stand side by side with you throughout the entire process,” Danicki says. “[Customers are] going to be disrupted. You really have a support team when you’re out there, not only to design and select the pretty fnishes, but it’s also to help during the installation process, during the ordering process, if there’s an oops or a problem process.”

And the support doesn’t end when the last bit of dust is swept away. The Kitchen Source is always available for homeowners to call should they have a question about their appliances, a drawer guide in their cabinetry or an ice maker in the refrigerator. Even if it’s a manufacturing or service issue unrelated to the team, customers are never left in the dark with a problem.

“I think the important thing to know is that The Kitchen Source is still here,” Danicki says. “You have support.” *

Christiana Lilly is a freelance journalist in Pompano Beach, Florida. See more of her work spanning the arts, community news and social justice at christianalilly.com.

Through His Eyes

F

by DANA W. TODD

Although based in Dallas, where he has focused on nature and wildlife photography for the past decade, Patel spends a lot of time traveling—and much more time patiently waiting for just the right photo opportunity. It’s impossible to rush Mother Nature or her creatures, so Patel must camp, watch and wait until the moment is right to capture a moody landscape or the movement of the wildlife he is tracking.

His most recent collection, Majestic Creatures, catalogues his East African trip last summer across three vast land masses in Kenya known for wildlife sightings: Lumo Community Wildlife Conservancy; Maasai Mara, which is highly ranked for wildlife viewing and where Patel photographed many lions; and Amboseli National Park, famous for its 1,500 freeranging elephants and views of Mount Kilimanjaro across the border in Tanzania. The result is a series of nine limited-edition framed fne art prints of girafes, elephants, lions, cheetahs, wildebeests and zebras in their natural habitats, going about their daily routines. Patel stayed in Kenya for two weeks, with full days that began before sunrise and ended after sunset, bouncing across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem and watching and waiting for the perfect photo opportunity.

“You begin to understand the animals’ daily cycles, such as how the elephants emerge each morning in their large herd of extended family members to search for food and water. The cycles continue day in and day out, and you get a sense of being with them and understanding them,” Patel says. “One of the most satisfying feelings on earth is seeing wildlife in its natural habitat.” The trek of one family of elephants is expressed in the photo Pilgrimage, part of the Majestic Creatures collection.

Although Patel previously traveled to Africa several times, his intention for this latest expedition was to create a new collection of artwork showcasing distinguishing moments of animals in motion that he experienced during his immersion in the wilderness. While especially focused on photographing elephants, he tracked daily migrations of many of the animals in their quest for food, water and social interaction. Many of his photos show the unique patterns and markings on animals, such as cheetahs and girafes. Other photographs capture animals in seemingly peaceful repose, surveying their territories, such as the photo Royal Gaze, of a lion gazing into the morning magic of Maasai Mara. Capturing the shots was anything but restful. “Dust flled every crack and crevice of the open Land Cruiser, including camera equipment and clothing,” Patel says. “The days were long and hot but the mornings and evenings cold. I spent many hours in awe simply watching a herd of hundreds of elephants as they fed and crossed a dry lake bed. Getting that perfect shot often required waiting in the same position for hours, but it was all worth it.”

Patel spends hours researching and scouting potential shoot locations, looking for inspiration and discovering when and where to go to capture photos that are diferent from what’s been photographed by other artists. By the time this article is published, he will have photographed locations on six of the world’s seven continents, with the most recently completed trek having taken place earlier this year to Antarctica, where he photographed penguins, whales and icebergs. Always mixing wildlife and landscape photography, Patel has plans in the near future to travel to Northern Canada and Svalbard to photograph polar bears and to Alaska to digitally capture grizzly bears in action. With only Australia left to conquer, he has established a dream lineup of expeditions for the next couple of years.

“During these trips, I don’t follow any specifc rules during my creative process,” he explains. “I experiment with the technical aspects of the camera and put my own spin on the material in order to help others see nature through my eyes. I’m inspired by the captivating and striking elements of photography, combining techniques from portraits, architecture and even sports to create dynamic and engaging shots. My photography captures earth in its raw form, reminding people of the need to preserve nature in its beauty.”

Traveling is second nature to Patel, who grew up in a family of travelers and adventurers. He has experienced freezing mountain temperatures, active volcanoes and hot desert landscapes. These experiences inform other collections, including his fne art photography captured in the Desert, Mountains, Seascape & Waterfalls, Abstract and Architecture series. Over the years, he has received international attention for his wildlife and nature photography, and it’s his “spin” on the subject matter that makes them truly fne art.

“In my life, I’ve experienced the vastness of nature while taking photos of the freezing temperatures of Banf National Park or volcanic lava fows. Through my photos of these places, I hope to share a bit of the amazing experiences with my viewers. I hope my audience will come away with a slightly diferent view of the world and an appreciation for simple beauty that many overlook,” Patel says. “It’s our duty to maintain Earth so these majestic animals can continue to roam this planet.”

Patel’s newest Majestic Creatures collection is on display at the Christopher Martin Gallery, with locations in Houston and Dallas, and Aspen and Vail, Colorado. *

Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and art.