Designer Profile: Donna Jones

Creating a modern look with Medallion

What got you started on this project?

My customer had just moved into the house and wanted to update it. The house was mostly golden oak and they wanted painted cabinets and a more modern look in the kitchen with new stained cabinets for their living room. I helped them pick Chai Latte Classic paint and the Apollo door style. Then, when she saw the cover of the Medallion Showroom Guide, she said that that was the look she wanted. So we added Dockside to the finish palette and went from there!

What did you like best about this design?

I love that new Apollo door style, since it’s a unique take on a shaker door. I also loved the color combination of Dockside and Chai Latte.

Get the look

How did you blend style and function in this kitchen?

I made use of extended stiles to avoid seams caused by fillers. I also used the factory width modification for the floating shelves (there were 9 total in this kitchen!) Visual add-ons include the aluminum frame glass doors, the wood hood, floating shelves, island legs.

Of course, the design wouldn’t be complete without in-cabinet accessories. I added drawer dividers, cutlery dividers, knife insert, tray dividers, a lift-and-tuck appliance garage, and a double wastebasket pull-out.

Why did you and your client choose Medallion Cabinetry?

Medallion had the door style and color selection this customer was looking for. The customer wanted neutral cabinetry, but not white. I immediately thought of the Chai Latte, and she agreed it was perfect. My client also loved Cherry Dockside as an accent finish.

What do you think “sealed the deal” for your client on this project?

I believe we were able to close the sale by being able to offer all the features this customer wanted in a kitchen. There were very few revisions and she trusted us to take our suggestions. The good rapport we built and also our confidence in the cabinetry we were suggesting helped close the sale.

Living room built-ins extend the style of the kitchen into the rest of the home.

What’s most helpful for you as a designer about Medallion?

Medallion’s offerings—there is a great array of color choices and an easy-to-work-with variety of SKUs. Modifications built in at the factory also help make the install easier.

Any advice for kitchen designers who are just getting started?

Build a rapport and a relationship with your customer right away. You are a designer, but mostly you are a salesperson, and people buy from you because they like and trust you. Get to know your products so when you qualify your customer, you can confidently give suggestions. Keep your spec book open when designing, too!