The Man Behind Ithaca Custom Kitchens

Jon Humphrey

I began designing kitchens and baths in 1983, and I’ve doing it ever since. It’s both a passion and a source of inspiration. I worked for Cayuga Lumber in a beautiful showroom for 33 years and also worked at Lowes for 6 years.

In 1993 I became a Certified Kitchen Designer(CKD) after successfully passing a rigorous exam and then creating a design that  met a criteria of design elements and specifications. Every 2 years since then I’ve had to earn continuing education credits to maintain my certification.

My original background was earning a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University in business and economics. It has served me well in the kitchen business. Understanding the business cycles of the residential building industries and the different markets of customers based on income has been helpful in giving me insight into the vagaries of this business segment. Every customer comes to the table with their own perspective on the value of a kitchen. Listening is extremely important in serving the client well.

In over 40 years that I’ve designed kitchens and baths the technology and trends in the kitchen business have changed dramatically. The building of kitchen and bath cabinets has become extremely precise with the use of computer controlled technologies such as the use of CNC equipment. Finishing cabinets has progressed to the point of using paint booths utilizing robotic sprayers and flat line finishing for superior coverage without blemishes. However staining of cabinets and doors often still involves hand staining to create more depth for a beautiful depth of finish on cherry, quartersawn oak, maple, hickory, rustic alder and walnut.

The constant learning of the business has been exciting and fulfilling. The use of Cad software has dramatically improved the precision of kitchen designing while utilizing 3 dimensional color drawings. The many years of training on how to use color, lighting, and shapes has helped me understand the design techniques more fully.

In a recent design I utilized the use of diagonal lines to create a point of interest and movement. The customer remarked how wonderful that element was in the feel of the kitchen. In the same design I moved the refrigerator to create more counter space by the sink while at the same time letting in more natural light from the adjoining sun room which was being blocked by the refrigerator. It’s fun to see a client become really excited about a reimagined design.

Working with clients to find a creative new kitchen is rewarding.  That’s what keeps me in the kitchen design field.

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