By Andrea Girolamo
May 2007
MANAHAWKIN, NJ— The task of choosing what to include in a showroom remodel can be pretty daunting. But when your clientele runs the gamut from Average Joe to Joe Millionaire, the decision becomes even tougher.
This was the precise challenge facing Dave Taylor, owner of Taylor Made Cabinets, when his firm began work on the redesign of its 6,000-sq.-ft. showroom. Taylor’s solution was to create a space that would be made to order for even the most discriminating tastes.
He explains, “We have a little something for everyone – from very high-end, luxury items to more affordable products for the average remodeler.”
To that end, he adds that the showroom’s location plays a key role in its planning philosophy.
“Our location makes our market unique,” says Taylor, citing the range in home values as $85,000 to $6 million within a mere 20-mile radius of the showroom.
Taylor and his staff hosted two events in celebration of the showroom’s opening. The grand opening took place in February with over 150 contractors, architects and interior designers in attendance, as well as the mayor of Manahawkin. The second event was held in March, when the staff hosted an after-hours cocktail party and networking event for members of the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce.
Something For Everyone
“The whole concept of the showroom came out of the slowing of the building boom,” says Taylor.
To prepare for the growing remodeling trend, Taylor and his staff needed to prepare for what he predicted to be a leveling-off in his builder-to-consumer customer ratio.
The space was designed by a joint effort between Taylor, his staff designers and a local architect. The result is a pastiche of wood species, colors, door styles and countertop surfaces in an effort to offer a range of modern to traditional design themes.
Overall, there are 31 displays featured throughout the showroom, including 16 kitchen vignettes (one with a working microwave drawer), two wet bars, four entertainment units, six bathroom displays with several freestanding vanities, two custom desks, a custom library display and one fireplace/wall unit.
Indeed, continuing the “something for everyone” theme, Taylor Made Cabinets carries cabinetry lines from Starmark, Aristokraft, UltraCraft, Mid Continent, Kahles Custom, Fairmont Designs, Apple Valley and Canyon Creek, as well as its in-house custom line, Taylor Made Cabinets.
The firm also offers plumbing products from American Standard, Kohler, Moen and Grohe, and a bevy of countertop surfaces from Formica, Wilsonart, Nevamar laminates, DuPont Corian and Zodiaq, Meganite, Staron,
LG HI-MACS, Earthstone acrylic, Silestone, CaesarStone and Cambria Quartz surfaces, as well as a wide selection of granite and marble options.
Family First
Taylor describes his operation as “one of the last true family businesses out there.” Opened by Taylor and his brother on New Year’s Day 1985, Taylor Made Cabinets is a family owned, family run business. Over the years, the showroom has grown to employ over 20 people, including four designers, a scheduling manager, a purchaser and a bookkeeper. On the build side, Taylor employs three cabinetmakers, three warehouse delivery men, six full-time installers and a service person.
The staff has also found a niche in small-scale repair work. “We sell tons of hinges,” he says, “and probably fix two to five doors or drawers a week, even if we weren’t the original purchase point of the broken items. With all of the big chain home stores around, customers have nowhere to go for answers to their problems. That’s where we fit in.”
The firm plays to its hometown roots by advertising on television, area billboards and local newspapers, he adds.
The company also maintains a Website, with links to manufacturers and project planning advice for both builders and consumers.
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