And now...Guhde Flooring America does kitchens and baths
By Patricia Nugent
On one of the walls in the Guhde Flooring America showroom are seven unassuming words painted high above eye level:
“With you every step of the way.”
As the family unveils its new kitchen and bath department this month, that sentiment has never been more appropriate.
“Over the years our customers have put their trust in us for flooring,” says Office Manager Monica Guhde Rosa.
“Then five years ago we began offering Cambria countertops and they loved that. So we wanted to take the next step and offer people the whole package in terms of home renovation—from kitchen and bath cabinetry and countertops to lighting, faucets, sinks, backsplashes, mirrors and hardware.”
Though it was years in the making, creating the new department only took a few months of construction. The family repurposed just under 1,000 square feet of storage space in the rear of their showroom into the stunning new department featuring three kitchens and two vanities.
Heading up the department is Cait Rudolph, who relies on her degree in interior architecture to help clients bring their dream spaces to life.
“We selected products to appeal to every different taste, from traditional to transitional, craftsman to contemporary, or an eclectic mix of styles,” she says.
For Every Budget
Cait loves explaining the differences between granite, quartz and the high definition laminate countertops in the showroom, with price points to fit every budget.
“We feature a traditional polished finish granite as well as the trending matte finish,” she says. “We also have a granite countertop with a highly textured leather finish that looks amazing.”
When it comes to lighting, Cait says they like twists on classics.
“For instance, Edison lights have been popular for the past several years, so we selected whimsically oversized ones hung at different lengths for visual interest,” she reports.
“In addition to overhead lighting, such as chandeliers and pendants that pop, we offer a variety of under-cabinetry or interior cabinetry lights that create stunning multi-layered effects.”
Sight Unseen
Sometimes with fine cabinetry, the most impressive innovation goes sight unseen until it’s revealed—and then it blows your hair back.
For anyone who wishes they had more storage space (and that’s everyone), Monica loves to open the base pantry cabinet on the bottom of an island. Like a Russian nesting doll that keeps opening to reveal more, she pulls out one set of storage walls, and then another.
Another chic touch is the different insets now offered for open cabinet doors, from copper wire for a rustic look, to bamboo to lend an organic feeling, or shattered glass for an ultra edgy design.
With the Guhde’s 2020 software, Cait and her crew can show customers how the finished selections will look with a three-dimensional rendering.
For cabinetry color trends, she reports white or cream-colored kitchens and baths are still the most popular, along with grays.
“But another trend we’ve been seeing is treating the island with its own color, and blues are hot right now, whether it’s sky blue, as we feature in the showroom, or shades of blueberry or indigo.”
And to add a decorator touch, the family hired local artist Kate Weaver to paint dreamy murals on the 12-foot walls, as well as design funky vanity mirrors.
Sales Manager Shawn Rosa says that although there is so much to appreciate when shopping the rooms, they have literally thousands of samples from which people can orchestrate a space that truly has their own stamp on it, no matter the size or the budget.
Guhde Flooring America is located at 1880 Mentor Avenue in Painesville Township. Hours are Monday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Friday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Call 440-639-1990, or visit GuhdeFlooringAmerica.com or the Facebook page to see the announcement regarding the Grand Opening Party in December.