Capitol District Supply, the region’s largest family-owned plumbing, heating, kitchen and bath supply business will celebrate the grand opening of its remodeled “New Visions” kitchen and bath showroom at 252 Washington Street on Thursday, October 10 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Members of the public, contractors and design professionals are invited to preview eight model kitchens in various styles and an expanded display of bath products. As a fun incentive for touring the new facility, one lucky attendee at the opening will win a travel package: either a two-night hotel stay in a choice of 250 locations or a one-night hotel stay and tickets to either a professional sporting event or a theme park.
“Our New Visions showroom solves one of the first challenges of working with clients on kitchen and bath design projects, which is getting them to identify what they do and don’t like,” said Hana Zima, marketing director with Capitol District Supply and the granddaughter of company founder Hy Zima. “We have created model kitchens so they can react to them, find their favorites and explore the many options and materials.”
For example, Zima continued, the new display of the Artifact bath faucets from Kohler allows customers to be creative in their kitchen and bath designing.
“The customers are able to swap out different styles of sink spouts, handles and finishes, mixing and matching until they achieve the look they like,” said Zima.
Within the showroom, eight distinct kitchen areas display design options including cabinets, countertops, tile backsplash, sinks, faucets, lighting, appliances and hardware. Each kitchen has a theme based on the line of cabinetry shown, including Decora, Executive Frameless, Kemper, Sequoia and Shiloh.
Adding to the high-style character of the showroom, Earl B. Feiden, a local appliance dealer, has provided top-of-the-line appliances including a Liebherr stainless steel refrigerator and a Frigidaire Professional microwave oven, warming drawer and magnetic induction cooktop.
An adjacent Selection Center in the showroom carries all the samples of the design elements, clustered around a work counter in one location, to facilitate collaboration between customers and their design team. Some of the many features possible on new cabinets include Quiet Close hardware to eliminate drawers and doors from slamming shut, under-cabinet lighting, glass panels and doors, cutlery trays, spice racks, tray dividers, rail molding and crown molding.
The certified kitchen designers at the New Visions showroom, with 10 to 30 years of experience, can help customers plan for the many activities that modern kitchens serve up: cooking, dining, home office, entertaining and family gathering space. Zima noted that all the kitchens are custom-designed to client specifications.
“Our in-house design service is complimentary it’s an integral part of the process of helping customers choose what they need.,” explained Zima. “Using computer design software and some basic specifications the customer provides, we can generate different design options in just a few days. On a remodeling job, our staff will go out to a customer’s home to help determine the best options. We don’t just limit our advice to the products we sell; two members of our team have interior design backgrounds, so we include ideas on window treatments, tile selection and related amenities that all work together to complete the room.”
Zima said one of the reasons Capitol Supply has been so successful is both the products they offer and the staff.
“Our business is successful because we can back up our extensive product line with staff expertise. Here in Saratoga, we have three of our five kitchen design professionals with a total of 90 years of experience. Our professional design and contracting customers, as well as our retail customers, know they can rely on us for top-notch advice,” she continued.
Bertch cabinetry, granite and Cambria natural stone countertops and fixtures from Delta, Brizo and Onyx are displayed in the bath side of the renovated showroom, with a range of soothing whirlpools, body spas, elegant sinks, sophisticated faucets and streamlined toilets. Many of the new products offer water conservation features, including dual-flush toilets and reduced-flow faucets.
“We have the latest innovations in plumbing working in the showroom including hands-free kitchen faucets and Bluetooth-enabled shower heads and baths. Kohler’s Moxi showerhead allows you to stream music wirelessly from any Bluetooth enabled smartphone or tablet into your shower. It’s just amazing how many new options are available,” noted Zima.
The Saratoga Springs location is the first of Capitol’s three locations to be renovated into a New Visions showroom. Work has already begun on the Schenectady location and in Albany work will begin in 2014.
“We are well-known to members of the area’s building trades as a supply center with an enormous array of in-stock merchandise. This expanded showroom helps us show retail customers and homeowners the many creative solutions we have available for their projects.”
Commenting on the rise of big-box store competition in the past few decades, Zima noted, “We’re a locally owned, family-run operation with prices that consistently rival or beat the national big-box stores. The advantage of working with us, in addition to the high quality products, is that our staff has years more expertise than your typical home improvement chain employee.”
The Saratoga Springs branch at 252 Washington Street opened in 1986. Showroom hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; open Thursdays until 8 p.m.; Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon. For more information call (518) 465-3421.
