Industry Insider: Richards Building Supply

Big box stores are not the only option when you want to renovate a kitchen, bath, mudroom, garage, home office or anyplace else where cabinets are important on a tight budget.

For instance, consultations with a design expert are available through Richards Building Supply, which has 20 Chicago area stores. Linette Fleura, cabinet sales and design expert for ten of those stores, is willing to draw up free comprehensive designs that even incorporate items that Richards doesn’t sell — like lighting, paint and tile.

“Richards is primarily a wholesale distributor to builders and contractors, but our professional customers send their clients to us for their design work — and we are also willing to help people who have not yet hired a contractor. We can help them find one,” Fleura said.

“We strongly recommend that people hire professionals to do their installation work in order to avoid the headaches involved with do-it-yourself projects,” she added.

The goal at Richards is to make home-remodeling projects a completely smooth process that do not overwhelm the homeowner. Customers who patronize any of ten different Chicago-area Richards showrooms are sent to the store at 2952 Falling Waters Blvd. in Lindenhurst to consult with Fleura.

“That consultation is kept as conversational and informal as I can make it,” she said. “I tell them about past scenarios and try to get to know them by hearing about their day-to-day life and what they need to do and what their budget is. I draw my inspiration from that client dynamic.”

The old rules no longer apply when it comes to remodeling, Fleura said. People are now on tighter budgets.

“This is key. We never want to lead people out of their targeted budget zone and we never want a kitchen or bath to look cheap. I find that people today are investing in their homes in order to stay in it longer. The days of people investing in order to flip a house for a quick profit are over,” she said.

“Most of my customers can’t afford to do a big remodel. They just need additional seating for their family or they have a bank of drawers where one drawer doesn’t pull out so they want an inexpensive remodel. We do our best to turn that room into a fun, functional area within the homeowner’s budget.”

Any time you are doing something that impacts the interior space of a home and affects a family’s daily life, it becomes a very emotional sale, Fleura said. And because money is tight today, people are making very personal choices and are choosing to make the space their own since they know they won’t be moving anytime soon.

“They are not only looking to add functionality to their kitchen, for instance, through custom cabinets that meet their particular needs, but they are making bolder statements using interesting colors on the walls and countertops that are muted on the perimeter counters and much bolder on the island,” she said.

The increased number of countertop options is also helping homeowners stay within their budgets. Laminate countertops are the least expensive option and manufacturers are coming out with some beautiful choices. Different edges are now available and some of the laminates even simulate granite.

Other materials besides laminates and granite also add to the choices available — concrete, stainless, glass, quartz and even paper. Prices range all over the board so there is literally something for every budget and taste.

“However, since times are hard, when it is time for a homeowner to put money back into their house, their first question is generally ‘what is durable?’ And when they ask that, the answer is still — granite and quartz. They last the longest,” Fleura said.

While kitchens keep Fleura busiest, she is also designing lots of home offices; outdoor living spaces, like screened porches and garages, where people want storage cabinets; mudrooms and finished basements with prep kitchens and bars.

Richards can provide the cabinetry (four different lines), countertops, hardwood flooring, decorative hardware, windows, interior trim, stair parts, plumbing fixtures and even outdoor furniture. Most items come in various grades from value scale to high end. Richards refers customers to other suppliers for lighting, appliances, paint and tile.

“After our consultation, I generate preliminary drawings and email them to the client. After the consultation I have also sent them home with homework in the form of literature about door styles, etc.,” Fleura said. “I then have them come in a second time to confirm their choices and the plan and then I generate a plan for the whole room, including three-dimensional color elevations and renderings and 20/20 pictures. It is usually pretty quick and easy and lets them see exactly how their room will look using their cabinet, countertop, paint, lighting and floor choices.”

Consultations are done by appointment only, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Evening appointments are possible, too.

“If there is no general contractor involved, I will sometimes even do home consultations where I go out and do the measurements so that everything is correct. This is one of the ways we set ourselves apart from the big box stores,” Fleura said.

To find a Richards Building Supply showroom near you, visit www.richardsbuildingsupply.com or call Fleura at (847) 265-5200.