Designer Snapshot: Susan Shulman on Venegas and Company

By Paula M. Bodah

I found myself in a discussion with designer Susan Shulman recently about the importance of a good kitchen designer. Susan, who was featured in our Wish List back in the July/August issue, had lots of good things to say about Venegas and Company, the cabinetry and kitchen design showroom in the Boston Design Center. “When you’re designing a kitchen, it’s so important to be confident that the finished design is going to meet your expectations and your client’s,†Susan says. “I love working with Venegas. They’re totally committed to taking away the guesswork.â€

Susan worked with Venegas designer Barbara Baratz to redesign the kitchen of a house in the Boston suburbs, and she shared the results with me.

“Before” (all photos courtesy of Susan Shulman)

The kitchen needed a fresher look, Susan says. “It was kind of a builder’s special before, and it had never been updated,†she says. “We wanted to give it a more transitional, updated feel.†She swapped out the old white semi-custom cabinets with new ones in shades of off-white and pale gray. For the backsplash, she chose a mini subway tile from Tile Showcase.

 

Shulman and Baratz added a custom-made hutch, using glass shelving and built-in lighting to give it a more modern look. They based the design of the hutch on one she’d seen in the Venegas showroom. “At Venegas, they listen closely to what the designer and client say, and offer good ideas and options,†Susan says.

The old white-painted island was replaced with a new one in gray with a marble top. The marble the clients originally wanted turned out to be unavailable, but they trusted Susan and Barbara enough to have them to choose a substitute while the clients were away.

When you work with a kitchen designer you trust, the results speak for themselves. “I wish I could work with Venegas on every project,” says Susan.