Guided by chef Curtis Stone, you’ll be asked a series of questions that will help you determine your specialized needs and preferences, covering everything from kitchen layout to paint palettes. Once you’ve completed the customized planning process, you’ll be able to review your kitchen choices in a virtual rendering and a mood board that can be printed at home and shared with your local Merillat dealer.

The process is laid out in six easy-to-follow steps:

1. Getting Started. In this first section, you will be prompted to create or log in to your IdeaFolio™ account so your project can be saved, changed and shared. In this step, the planner also gathers information about you that could affect your kitchen design. For example, it asks if you are remodeling or building a new kitchen.
2. Inspiration. Here you will explore and choose the design style that fits you best. Once you have chosen a style, you will then be presented with a series of kitchen photos from which you can choose and “save” favorites, and learn about the features that make those kitchens special.
3. Door Style. In this step you will be guided through the process of choosing your favorite door style, wood species, finish and hardware for a finished look you will love.
4. Organization and Accessories. Based on answers provided about how you plan to live in your kitchen, the tool will then present a series of features designed to make life in the kitchen easier. From pull-out wastebaskets to wine racks, you can browse additional photos and videos about the features to learn more, saving your favorites to your project.
5. Planning Your Space. Next you will review major considerations you may want to discuss with your designer once you get to a Merillat showroom, such as sink and faucet types, counter top materials and appliance options, all of which can affect the kitchen layout.
6. Finishing Touches. This is where it all comes together with cabinetry accents like corbels and crown molding, paint color, flooring and counter tops.

Upon completion of the final step, you will be presented with “My Design,” a collection of your favorite products organized for easy sharing with your designer. Swatches and images are provided; including door styles, hardware, paint color, flooring and countertops.

The Kitchen Planner is designed to engage and inspire you, and make the planning, selection and purchasing process more efficient and streamlined so your dream kitchen can become a reality.

Want to learn more? Check out this video and then give the Kitchen Planner a try yourself and let us know what you think!

Merillat's New Television Commercial with Curtis Stone

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our new national marketing campaign: The Dream Kitchen for the Real World. Why are we so excited?  Because, we’re determined to let homeowners know, “Merillat has the tools to help make prepping, cooking, entertaining and living in your kitchen easier!”

Through a variety of advertising and public relations efforts, this campaign shows homeowners firsthand how Merillat kitchens are highly functional, and jam-packed with a variety of smart storage solutions. Overall, Merillat can help turn your kitchen dream into a reality.

Tune in!

The campaign kicked-off July 1 with a national TV commercial that puts the “fun” in function and highlights what Merillat is all about — meaningful innovation and functional storage.  To illustrate this message, we’re partnering with renowned chef Curtis Stone. Who better to illustrate the importance of a well-designed kitchen than a professional chef!

The commercial will air for six months on select cable stations such as HGTV, Food Network, DIY and the Cooking Channel and during some of the networks’ most popular shows including House Hunters, Giada at Home, and Kitchen Impossible.

In addition to the TV commercial, you may be able to see Curtis Stone put a Merillat kitchen to the test LIVE on July 6. Curtis’ interviews will focus on tips to entertain and cook with ease, while pointing out Merillat’s great organizational features. Check out the air dates below to see if your favorite morning news show made the list:

• 6:10 CST KIMT-CBS – Mason City, IA
• 7:15 EST WMYA-MY NETWORK – Greenville, SC
• 7:20 EST WPMT-FOX – York, PA
• 7:40 EST WHAM-CW – Rochester, NY
• 6:15 MST KWGN-CW – Denver, CO
• 9:15 EST WTOL-CBS – Toledo, OH
• 8:20 CST WCIA-NBC – Springfield, IL
• 8:40 CST KABB-FOX – San Antonio, TX
• 7:45 PST KCRA-NBC – Sacramento, CA

Listen In!

In addition to TV, Curtis will be doing a number of radio interviews:

• 7:35 EST   WOBM-FM – OCEAN CITY, NJ
• 8:23 EST   USA RADIO NATIONAL
• 8:00 CST   KKVI-FM – DALLAS, TX
• 9:35 EST   WMZQ-AM BALTIMORE, MD

Stay tuned for more information on how Merillat can help make your kitchen dreams come true!

Watch our new TV commercial with Curtis Stone.

On a recent episode, sweepstakes winners Kim and Josh Osburn of West Bloomfield, Michigan saw their crowded galley kitchen transformed in both style and function.

Of course, we can’t give everyone a kitchen makeover. But we do hope that seeing the Osburns’ kitchen transformation will help inspire some ideas about the hidden potential in your own!

As you watch, here are a few key features to look for:

A clear sense of style. Merillat Classic® Fusion maple cabinets with a deep Kona finish and sleek nickel hardware are the perfect complement to the contemporary style throughout their home. Whatever your style, consider how the kitchen will affect adjoining rooms.

Accessorize appropriately. Storage solutions make it easy to customize cabinets by lifestyle. Rollout shelves and garbage/recycling bins are a plus in any home. SoftAction™ drawers and doors mean a quieter kitchen and protection against pinches. For an avid baker like Kim, a specialty item like Merillat’s base mixer shelf is a dream come true—keeping her heavy stand mixer off the counter, and yet still within easy reach.

Cabinets outside the kitchen. The Osburns replaced their dining room table with a granite-topped island for additional storage as well as seating. A home office area in the dining room is made of matching cabinets and a granite work surface—keeping the couple connected during daily tasks, while  still looking elegant enough for company.

Beauty+Duty. The old bar area had style, but no storage. Adding wall cabinets and replacing the bar’s glass block base with cabinets and a wine cooler created a fun, functional hub for entertaining.

Twice can be nice. At first, the Osburns worried that a bar/prep sink just around the corner from their kitchen sink might be overkill. Now they’re wondering how they ever got along without it.

Keep it the same, but different. Encompassing both the kitchen and dining rooms, the Osburns’ design needed both consistency and variety. The glass tile backsplash in the kitchen gives way to stainless tile in the bar, and the wall cabinet doors in that area are replaced with frosted glass inserts. The dining room bar, island, and desk area feature the same granite surface, but at different heights (36”, 42” and 30” respectively) for both functional and aesthetic reasons.

To see the Osburns’ complete kitchen makeover, watch the full episode here.

Then, watch our video below to learn more about how this kitchen, and this episode, came to life.

Now comes the hardest part of all. Waiting while it happens!

Tearing out the old kitchen and installing a new one can disrupt your home for weeks or even months, depending on the extent of the work, and the people and products involved.

Kimberly and Josh Osburn had a slight advantage in their project. As the winners of Today’s Dream Kitchen Sweepstakes, their kitchen remodel would be featured on Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford.  Suffice it to say, knowing lots of cameras and producers would be around has a way of helping to keep everyone on schedule!

But even the smoothest projects can be seem frustratingly slow when it feels like your home has been turned inside out. So it’s important to work with strong partners (like KSI, the Merillat dealer overseeing the Osburn kitchen project) and to go into the process with realistic expectations. Here are some tips to help make the waiting game smoother and more enjoyable.

Ask about lead times upfront.
A new kitchen isn’t a single purchase. It’s an entire process, involving numerous manufacturers, retailers, inspectors and tradespeople. Some products have longer lead times than others—like cabinets. Ask about lead times when you order. Some cabinet manufacturers may require 4-6 weeks for delivery. However, Merillat’s Kitchen-At-A-Time process allows each kitchen featuring Merillat Classic or Essentials cabinetry to be built to order in just 5-6 days.

Be prepared to be flexible.
Plan ahead for how you’ll handle daily kitchen activities from your morning coffee to making meals. Decide which daily essentials you’ll want close at hand, and pack the rest away. (But label the boxes clearly, just in case!) Since eating out can really eat into your budget, find a temporary location for your refrigerator and microwave that lets you manage some meals at home. Stock up on paper goods if you won’t have easy access to a sink.

Expect the unexpected.
Especially in older homes, the tear out process can reveal unanticipated issues that result in delays or other adjustments. If challenges arise, take comfort in the fact that your crew is making sure the job is done right.

Pay it forward.
Before your old cabinets or appliances are destroyed or discarded, ask around. Many charities are able to put them to good use! Other components and materials may be able to be reused or recycled. The Osburns donated their old cabinets to a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity and recycled the glass block removed from the bar. You could make a difference that goes well beyond your own four walls!

Enjoy the ride!
Remember, construction is temporary. So approach it with a sense of adventure. Take pictures. Start a journal or a blog. Documenting the process can help you appreciate progress along the way, and provide a keepsake to look back on—as you enjoy your fabulous new kitchen!

Merillat offers online tools that can help make it fun and easy to define your style, find inspirational design ideas, and experiment with a variety of door styles and finishes, counter tops, flooring, and other features. Doing your homework here saves you time in the showroom and gives your designer the information he or she needs to take your kitchen to the next level.

Today’s Dream Kitchen Sweepstakes winner Kimberly Osburn envisioned a dramatic color change for her new kitchen: going from bright white cabinets in her existing kitchen to Merillat’s new Kona finish—a bold, espresso-colored brown.

The Osburns’ vision also included making better use of the space available in her narrow galley kitchen. An avid baker and host, Kimberly craved an efficient work triangle and improved traffic flow for entertaining. Her husband Joshua needed a generous workspace with ample storage to contain plenty of paperwork.

With a clear vision of what they hoped to achieve, Sandra set to work.  Since cabinet space and storage features are a top priority among today’s homeowners, she developed an innovative floor plan to maximize every available inch. Base and wall cabinets extend the functional space of the kitchen into the adjoining dining room, creating a stylish bar and perfect gathering place—outside the kitchen—as well adding valuable counter and storage space.  A multi-purpose island and generous desk area provide extra space to work, eat, prep, or entertain, as the occasion demands.

By combining the couple’s tastes and lifestyle with a designer’s understanding of flow and function, the Osburns’ new kitchen is a makeover that’s much more than skin deep.

Today’s Dream Kitchen Sweepstakes winner Kimberly Osburn poses with husband Joshua in front of their pre-renovation kitchen.

From Mark Ayers, Vice President of Marketing

We recently partnered with Today’s Homeowner and Danny Lipford for a 24 week period and concluded the first-ever Today’s Dream Kitchen Sweepstakes which ran from August 9 – September 20, 2009.

With nearly 10,000 entrants from all over the U.S., Kimberly Osburn of West Bloomfield, Mich. was the sweepstakes winner. As a result, her kitchen was transformed by our design partners at KSI (Kitchen & Bath showroom in Birmingham, MI).

The remodeling is complete and the unveiling took place on the Today’s Homeowner show during February sweeps.  For a behind the scenes look at this kitchen makeover, we’ve documented the entire renovation process and will be bringing you a photo and video blog update in the days ahead.

It’s such a fantastic feeling to be able to give the Osburns their dream kitchen! And it’s an even better feeling to know we’ve transformed a space in their home that will be enjoyed and appreciated to the fullest.

Stay tuned!  We’d love to hear your thoughts on the project.