Q&A: Two Designers Combine Forces to Open White Horse Kitchens

White Horse Kitchens is the newest addition to the business community at the Danvers Village Plaza on High Street. The custom kitchen design firm is a collaboration between two business owners, Debbie Theriault and January. Theriault is the primary owner of White Horse Kitchens, while January, who dropped her last name in the ‘70’s, (“I never thought my whole name fit me,” she said), has owned the successful Kitchen Style, Inc. since 1988.

Although the two women had found great success in their own endeavors, they said they felt they could offer more to their clients by establishing a home base, and began the search for a store-front.  

In August of 2011, the two certified kitchen designers pooled together their talents and resources, as well as their combined sixty-plus years of experience, and opened their showroom at 67 High Street.

Danvers Patch caught up with January to find out more about the business and what they offer their client-base, and about the women behind White Horse Kitchens.

DP: What is White Horse Kitchens?

J: We specialize in contemporary, modern design that creates clean, artful and functional spaces. We have worked all over the country, and the world  to fashion beautiful kitchens and baths for homeowners, builders and architects. We carry quality product to suit all price points, traditional to modern styling. The Danvers showroom isn’t quite finished yet, but we are taking appointments, and are open by appointment only. We moved in last August, but we’ve been going slow, we didn’t want to get in  over our heads.

DP: How did you and Debbie partner up?

J: We’d known each other for about 17-18 years as associates in the (kitchen design) business, when Debbie decided to open a showroom late last year. She was looking for someone to go in on it with, so I decided to join. We are partners in the business, so I am working as an entity under White Horse Kitchens, but my business name is Kitchen Style, Inc.

DP: Why was it important to have a showroom?

J: We have a wide referral business, so we are looking to expand beyond that, and having the showroom will afford our clients a set place where they have the ability to view our work.

DP: What is your specialty?

J: Our focus is design. I specialize in the modern stuff, while Debbie’s client-base has been in the Swampscott/Marblehead area, so she does a lot of traditional. But that’s not to say that I wouldn’t do traditional and she wouldn’t do modern, we design for the client. We’re  looking to help people enjoy everyday what maybe they couldn’t have designed on their own.

DP: How do you help clients determine what they want?

J: I tell them to look through magazines and pick out things that they think they like. Then we sit down and determine together why they chose the pictures, sometimes it’s the color of something, sometimes it’s texture. It’s more difficult when they don’t know their style, or when the husband and wife have different tastes.

DP: What is involved in a typical appointment with a client?

J: We do an extensive design survey to help us understand how you live and what you’re hoping for from the space. We’ll talk to you about budget, as well, before any designing begins. Next we meet to determine if we’re a good match, and then we charge a design fee which is applied towards the purchase of the cabinetry.

DP: How long does a project usually take?

J: The total time depends on the project, but typically the design part of the kitchen takes about a month or so.

DP: Besides the kitchen design, what other services do you offer?

J: I do all my work on a 3D CAD system. It creates 3d views of the complete kitchen before anything is ordered to give people a real visual. I do work all over the country-I was doing a kitchen in the Catskills where the husband wanted wood and the wife wanted white; I was able to show them views from every angle and they chose the white. Not a lot of people do full color like I do, but it helps. I was a fashion illustrator before this. I thought I would miss drawing once the CAD system came along, but I started painting to fill that void.

We have installers that work with us, but our clients don’t have to use them. We don’t make a commission off the install work, but it’s important the installer is qualified because we want to make sure the client is as happy as they can be with the finished product. Typically when people hire installers, they find that’s all they do is install cabinets; We recommend builders to our clients who need additions or major renovations; we have stone resources, lighting, and plumbing; although we don’t sell them, we have suggestions for appliances. We’ve worked with so many people locally over the years, we have connections in every field.

DP: Where did you ladies study, what school?

J: I went to school in the Phillipines School of Interior Design, and New England School of Art and Design in Boston. My husband was over in the Phillipines as a microbiologist opening a new water filtration plant. Debbie went to Chamberlain Art and Design, also in Boston.

DP: What is your business background?

J:  I have an art background, and I did some textile design. I was also an illustrator at Filenes in Boston. Before photography it was all illustration; all the hard line product shoes, handbags, cosmetics- you name it I drew it.

DP: What is the best part of being a kitchen designer?

J: The design work, coming up with creative solutions.
Seeing the finished product is also the best part.

Debbie Theriault/January
Type: Kitchen & Bath Designers
Address: 67 High Street, Danvers
Phone: 978 539-8637
Fax: 888-715-9322