by RONA MANN

Ask anyone. Whether their home is a modest one, or a mansion boasting endless square footage, when people come to visit, they always wind up in the kitchen. It’s no fluke; for the kitchen is, and always has been, a place of congregation. It’s a place of warmth and activity. It’s both familial and familiar…and safe.

When you first come through the door of Kitchen Living at that wonderful complex of unique and eclectic establishments that comprise The Shops at Marlborough Barn, you’ll see a sign hanging prominently on the wall:

“Home is where the heart is. Love the heart of your home”

Matt and Casandra Modglin

That’s not just a nice quotation Matt and Casandra Modglin hung on the wall of their business five years ago, it is their business. It’s more than a well lit space showing countertop and cabinet choices; it’s a testament to a life dedicated to the careful design and remodel of kitchens, all the while respecting the heart of customer’s homes.

Matt Modglin is the extraordinary talent behind Kitchen Living. Having spent 12 years designing kitchens, after much time invested doing millwork, designing and making cabinetry, he decided to open his own business solely dedicated to the highest quality standards to which he had always ascribed. Matt was joined in the venture by his wife, Casandra, who had no experience in millwork, but fully completed their package. “I’ve been in accounting forever,” Casandra laughed. She therefore provides a sound business footing, a perfect complement to Matt’s exacting artistic skills.

The partnership works and works well. It’s a good fit this marriage of design and good solid business sense. It enables potential clients to establish a realistic budget and have Kitchen Living work within it. “But we don’t cut corners,” Casandra quickly reminds.

“If they’re looking for big box store prices, we’d just as soon have them go there. We don’t deal in particle board. We deal strictly in wood, and we don’t cut corners,” Matt adds.

Remodeling your kitchen with Kitchen Living is most definitely a process. You just don’t pick out your choice of cabinet and countertop and order. That’s the big box way; it’s not the Modglins way. Because they want your kitchen to withstand the test of time and last way more than ten years, Kitchen Living follows a careful painstaking process to give you the result you want without breaking the bank.

First and foremost comes the consult with Matt. He’ll come to either home or office to meet with you, for which there’s never a charge. Spending upwards of two hours,  Modglin listens more than he speaks. He wants to know your ideas and goals for your new kitchen; he’s not going to give you what HE wants, but what YOU want.

After a week or so, Matt returns with a whole host of new ideas and a detail laden proposal, right down to pricing, options, and design. At this point he also discusses any finishing touches you may wish, from doors to hardware and everything in between. Modglin doesn’t rush your meetings, his design, or the remodeling process itself.

Once everything has been thoroughly explained and agreed upon, an installation schedule is established so you know in advance what to expect and how long it will take to begin enjoying your new kitchen. All design work is done with 20/20 Software, a computer aided design (CAD) program that affords Matt maximum accuracy and efficiency. Casandra adds,“People know exactly what they’re getting before anything is ordered or installed.”

Matt puts a minimum of 10-15 hours into every design; and according to Casandra, “is very big on functionality. If the design isn’t right, he won’t do it. He doesn’t care what colors you pick, he knows where things should go, and that’s most important to him.”

She continues, “Matt devised a kitchen for a professional chef and knew exactly where his utensils would go, so he designed the space for easy access to them.”

Although Kitchen Living deals strictly in cabinetry, countertops, and installation, the Modglins have expert, dependable service contractors to which they can refer clients for plumbing or electrical needs.

A visit to Kitchen Living’s showroom in Marlborough provides you with a vast array of cabinets from which to choose.  Again Casandra repeats, “We only sell all wood products; absolutely no particle board is used because it falls apart, and we like to stay green as much as possible.” Chief among cabinet choices is Candlelight Cabinets, all-American made and very popular with the Modglins not only for its look, but its durability.

Countertops come in granite, wood, quartz, and concrete, all carefully chosen to complement the cabinetry and total design.

Above all Matt says, “Education is a big part of the process,” from first consultation, to proposal, design, installation, and ultimately to the final walk-through, making sure the homeowners are well informed, satisfied, and happy with their new kitchen.

The Modglins believe people should see what they’re getting, so they urge potential customers to spend some time with their website: www.kitchenlivingdesign.com

Here you can watch videos before and after and see the magic Matt creates because millwork and design have always been his life and his work, not merely an add-on to other home services.

The popular home remodeling site, www.houzz.com boasts 28 five star reviews for Kitchen Living, so the Modglins have no need to blow their own horn..their customers continue to do it for them.

Your kitchen is the heartbeat of your home. It’s where you cook and where you share meals with your family. It’s where the kids throw down their backpacks when they rush through the door, and it’s the place where you open your mail and curse the bills. No matter how spacious your other rooms may be, when you entertain, doesn’t everyone always wind up in your kitchen? It’s where you share a cup of coffee with the neighbors or a good cry with an old friend…a place of joys, sorrows, tantalizing aromas, and everlasting memories. Perhaps now it’s time to make it even more special with a quality remodel.

Perhaps it’s time to call Kitchen Living…they know the heart of the home, and they’re such a darn good fit.

Kitchen Living is located in The Shops at Marlborough Barn, 45 North Main Street in Marlborough

www.kitchenlivingdesign.com  (860) 819-5847