a kitchen is

often said to be the heart of the home and for good reason. People spend a large part of their days in this space — cooking, eating, talking and creating memories. But the heart of the home arguably extends beyond the islands, refrigerators and backsplashes.

At JW Kitchens, one of Fargo’s newest design centers, the clients are the heart of every home, whether they’re watching the big game in their media room, cooking a meal in their outdoor kitchen, or pampering themselves in their master bath. It’s about giving clients a place where functionality meets beauty.

“Our approach to design focuses on the experience and that means allowing our clients to interact with our showrooms, truly understanding how they use their homes, and giving them attentive ongoing service,” says Audrey Newman, owner of JW Kitchens.

The company serves nearly all price points and works with homeowners, builders and remodelers in the region to create beautiful, functional spaces, including bathrooms, closets, indoor and outdoor kitchens and media rooms. The company offers the full spectrum of materials, from cabinets and flooring to lighting and tile.

In the JW Kitchens showroom clients can get a firsthand look at how some of the spaces function, including full-size kitchens, pantries and closets. They also can use some of the latest appliances on the market, including steam ovens,

“It’s hard to envision how these spaces come together until you can experience them for yourself, and it all starts with appliances,” says Newman. She adds that appliance selection is a critical part of the design process that can have a huge impact on the design of the rest of the space. In fact, it’s so important, it’s what drove her to incorporate a wide range of working appliances into the JW Kitchen showroom. It’s also where the company’s roots started.

Newman’s parents, Jim and Cathy, started JW Kitchens as an appliance service business out of their Iowa garage more than 40 years ago. Since then, it has evolved into a full-service design company helping homeowners in our region and northeast Iowa create spaces that match their lifestyle for a lifetime.

“Our goal is to design the ideal space that works for everyone in their home, whether they are six or 60,” Newman says. For instance, dishwashers can be raised for easier access and dishes can be placed in pullout drawers, allowing little ones to help out; automatic cabinet lighting gives homeowners greater visibility in closets, drawers and pantries; and French oven doors allow for easy access from a wheelchair.

“Every client is different, and how they use their spaces are just as unique as them, which is why our showroom gives homeowners a full picture of what’s possible,” Newman says.

JW Kitchens strives to offer a wide variety of some of the newest and highest quality options in appliances, cabinets and design layouts you can’t find anywhere else, including more modern materials. The center also is Fargo’s exclusive dealer for Wood-Mode cabinetry, one of the country’s largest, most reputable custom high-quality cabinetmakers.

While finishes are one aspect of design, Newman says a lot of it also relies on the person taking you through that process. “It’s more than just throwing some cabinets and appliances together so they look pretty,” Newman says.

She adds that a certified designer, such as herself and her team, can address the complexities of spaces and work through potential issues or concerns before they turn into big headaches. “Foreseeing that a stove is going to slightly protrude from the cabinets is far easier and less costly to fix during the design phase rather than installation,” Newman says. “We not only ensure it meets our clients’ needs, but also that it all seamlessly fits together.”

While the heart of the home may change from day to day, what really matters stays the same — spaces homeowners can enjoy today, tomorrow and beyond.

If you’d like to see the JW Kitchens experience firsthand, check out one of its upcoming food and wine tours, appliance training sessions, or kids in the kitchen cooking classes.