The Heart of Your Home

As the beating heart of any family home, the kitchen sets the tone.

It’s not just the utilitarian centerpiece of a structure; it’s also the soul of a house. But when one is designing a dream home, it’s too often neglected.

At Madison’s Dream House, Dream Kitchens, that problem is being addressed one home at a time. For more than three decades, Dream House, Dream Kitchens has been leaving sparkling examples of the company’s namesake throughout the region.

“We’ve had award-winning designers and master craftsmen on our team since the very beginning, and we’re happy to have a full contingent of experts on staff today,” says Jerry Schmidt, the company’s sales director. “We offer exceptional cabinetry and the attention to detail to make sure your home lives up to your dream.”

First, the company’s designers will meet with customers to explore their needs. While kitchens are the firm’s bread and butter, it boasts remodeling, closet and tile teams, making it a one-stop shop for your design needs.

Schmidt says his team has the experience and the eye to add value to any project.

“Great designers have the ability to see things or spot opportunities most of us would miss,” says Schmidt. “They have vast amounts of personal experience to draw from — all of it in service of making your dreams come true.”

Versatility is Dream House, Dream Kitchens’ secret sauce. Team members have the expertise to work on any home — old, new, modern or even an old country farmhouse.

Schmidt says no other company in Dane County pulls more building permits than Dream House, Dream Kitchens. Plus, with tile now made in-house, the business has never had a more comprehensive suite of services to offer.

Schmidt says his customers often say the same thing about the Dream House, Dream Kitchens experience. “We always hear this: ‘I had an idea of what our project could look like, but this surpassed my wildest expectations,’” he says.

Make your Home’s Town Square a Space to Gather

A modern family kitchen is so much more than a place to prepare and consume meals.

It’s a town square, where the news of the day is disseminated throughout the household. It’s your laboratory, where you valiantly attempt to tame recipes far beyond your ability or experience. Or maybe it’s your office, a centrally located vantage point from which you hold court.

Whatever your kitchen is to you, it’s a crucial component of any home. So how can you make sure your kitchen is part of the dream?

Fortunately, experts like Stephanie Piddington, an interior designer at Marling Lumber and HomeWorks, are here to help. The shop, which has locations in Janesville, Madison and Waukesha, has been family-owned and -operated since 1904.

Piddington says the kitchen has become the social centerpiece of many homes.“Having an open concept has been a trend for a long time, and it’s continuing to be a big thing,” she says. “People are opening up walls and making larger areas in the home for people to gather.”

Marling Lumber and HomeWorks specializes in kitchen and bathroom design. Its designers can find cabinetry solutions for just about any space, and they have experience in creating functional, comfortable home office spaces.

Piddington says customers first meet with a designer when they enter a showroom. The designers work with customers to establish their goals for he space so they can start exploring design solutions.

“We will come out to the house and take measurements, and really firmly determine what you would like to do with your space,” says Piddington. From there, a designer will use computer software to generate a floor plan and 3D renderings that allow customers to see what their kitchens will look like before a single hammer is swung.

“That way we can make sure we’re giving you what you’re looking for,” says Piddington.

Designers also work hard to stay on top of current design trends. Whether your tastes are modern or classical, Piddington and her team can work with you.“I think color is coming back in,” she says. “I also think that people are going toward more natural finishes and more wood tone colors. Moody colors, like greens and blacks, are very popular now.”•