THE CARTIER KITCHEN by
Kolter Bouchard |
photo
Stephen Plumley
There was a time, not long ago, when a kitchen
changes: a desire for bigger designs, sometimes
was just that—a kitchen. You probably had one:
blurring the lines between the kitchen and
functional but unexciting. Vinyl or laminate
living and dining areas. “A lot of people are
countertops, white appliances. Your neighbour’s
interested in open-concept.” Plus, Doug’s clients
likely looked similar. Most of us were only ever in
are often desiring higher-end finishes, opting
the kitchen to prepare a meal; entertaining was
for countertops made of quartz and granite,
done within the strict confines of the living room
refrigerators hidden behind cabinets, and pullout
or backyard. You may have done everything in
accessories of all sorts, to name a few.
your power to keep people out of your kitchen.
favourite, blends old-world charm with new-
But then a revolution began. With the advent of
Cartier Kitchens’ DaVinci line, Doug’s
consumer-level CAD (computer-assisted drawing),
world technology to give customers an experience
homeowners were able to envision possibilities
of true luxury. “People want soft-close drawers,
beyond the standard builder’s kitchen. Enter
antique finishes, all the bells and whistles. These
Doug Stephens, Sales and Operations Manager
are standard on our premium collections.” When
at Canadian-owned Cartier Kitchens, Inc. Across
asked the greatest kitchen he’s ever installed, Doug
North America, the company produces 80-100
chuckles—“mine!”
kitchens a day. After 30 years in the business,
Doug himself estimates he’s handled about 25,000
Toronto to the North), is a tough marketplace, but
installations. He laughed when we suggested he
it doesn’t faze Doug. “We specialize in logistics
call himself the Kitchen King.
and service. We even provide complimentary
expert design, something that sets us apart.” This
During the past dozen years, the industry has
His territory, (Orangeville to Peterborough,
evolved. “People are entertaining in their kitchens
exemplary attendance is indicative at every stage
more than ever. It’s a gathering space.” Cartier
of the process. He’s practically beaming when he
Kitchens are the epitome of luxury and function
recalls transporting a manufactured kitchen to an
and in the last decade, the team has noticed
island in Muskoka.
