Kitchen Distributors - Elisabeth Aiello

CH&L: Clients come to you for…
Elisabeth Aiello: My clients come to me when they are looking for a Certified Kitchen Designer who has a passion for finding design solutions that are inspiring and unique. I provide expert advice and design consultation for homeowners that are planning a kitchen or bath remodel, or if they are building a new home. I offer a wide variety of products and services that I tailor based on the scope of each project. I help each client understand step by step the processes we have developed that makes creating their dream kitchen or bathroom fun and exciting. This process is different for each project based on their lifestyle, physical limitations, the scope of work, and design requests. I like to provide a full-service approach to the design, and turnkey service whenever possible to maximize the very best experience.  

CH&L: Your design philosophy is…
EA: My design philosophy is simple: to make you happy, and make you proud of the space we have created.  My commitment to every kitchen, for every client, every single day is to make your fantasy kitchen a breathtaking reality. I am determined to exceed your expectations at every phase of the design. I promise each client my enthusiasm coupled with my experience and devotion to create a unique space that will delight you every day and enhance the value of your home.  It is my passion to deliver exceptional service for an elegantly planned, beautifully appointed room with the finest products available. 

CH&L: Your style is influenced by… 
EA: I have found that for every project I must find a pivotal inspiration point in order for the style to begin to unfold and ultimately influence the design.  Be it a color, a view from the home, or an architectural detail, there is always a trigger point that inspires a design direction. Whenever possible, I look for key architectural elements that the home may already possess and incorporate them into the design details of the cabinetry trim and molding details.  Architectural elements can be found inside the home in trim details, or on the exterior of the home as door and window details or structural columns. Incorporating these details in the kitchen will make it feel like it belongs to the house, and ties the inside of the home with the exterior—making for a cohesive design that flows well from the inside, out.

CH&L: The most inspiring thing you’ve seen lately is… 
EA: The most inspiring thing I have seen lately is a decorative cabinetry hardware line that resembles my favorite jewelry artists, David Yurman and Lagos.  Each piece is handmade and highly intricate in detail.  Every style comes in multiple finishes and can also be embellished with semi-precious stones.  Now your cabinetry can be as elegantly appointed as you are when you wear your favorite piece of jewelry! 

CH&L: Every home must have… 
EA: Every home must have an amazing kitchen that not only looks good, but also allows its users to multitask for a variety of activities.  We spend more time in the kitchen than any other room in the house, and it is also the only room that is permanently furnished. For this reason, the kitchen should be planned for the activities of every member of the household, including children and pets.  As the heart of the home, the kitchen is the nesting spot for families and friends to cook, eat, gather and entertain.  It is important to dig beyond the kitchen basics, and find out how the kitchen will be used outside the normal kitchen functions. For instance, if the kitchen is to be used by a family with small children, often times they will do homework and craft projects near the cook; so designing an area for craft and homework supplies should be considered near the point of use.  Some other activities to plan for might be gardening, canning, a planning/computer station, or a beverage center.  These are just a few of the other activities that should be considered when planning of the kitchen to make the most out of your favorite room. 

CH&L: Share with us one of your go-to design resources…
EA: My favorite design resource is the new Materials Marketing showroom at the Denver Design Center, which opens this May 2011.  The new showroom displays the latest in stone tile installations and the hottest specialty tile manufacturers in one of the nicest tile showrooms I have seen.  You can custom-order through your designer any of their signature stones as architectural details, such as carved kitchen hoods, stone fireplace mantles, specialty columns, moldings and trim pieces to elegantly appoint any room. All of the stones can be custom blended, ordered in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, with any of their finishes, and all of the edge treatments available to make each project unique. You can create your own mosaic with a stone combination or pattern.  Their stones can be paired with glass, metal, and other materials to create a one-of-a-kind mosaic design.  All of these inspiring tile vignettes are installed in an open-plan layout that intrigues and surprises at every turn and inspires tile design to come from an architectural approach.

CH&L: Tell us about one of the latest trends you’re seeing… 
EA: One of the latest trends we are seeing in kitchen design is to incorporate a separate “Make a Drink” center.  This added convenience station can be planned in the kitchen if it is removed from the primary work stations, or they are often incorporated in an eating area, breakfast nook or family room.  Planning this space away from the main work area in the kitchen allows family members and guests to help themselves to a drink without disturbing the cook.  The addition of a beverage sink, refrigerator drawers, clear ice machines, wine storage units, coffee systems, and even secondary dishwashers are some of the appliances to consider.   Built in cabinetry with specialty accessories that efficiently store glassware, make a drink tools, kids drinks, liquor bottles & mixers make it a point of use area to make your drink, clean it up, and store the necessary tools all in one neat area.  It will become your favorite place to make a drink.

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