Everyone wants a better kitchen. Not everyone gets one. Owners of camps and homes on Lake George, however, have a source typically available only in metropolitan areas: a nationally recognized, award-winning designer of customized kitchens and cabinetry.
“Welcome to Arthur’s Kitchen School,” exclaims the ebullient Arthur Zobel as he greets customers at his company’s showroom, which is housed in a former factory in downtown Glens Falls.
After more than 40 years in the business, working with, among others, his father, who opened a kitchen design studio in Westchester County in the 1950s, Zobel founded Zobel and Company Kitchens in 2016 to serve Lake George and the Adirondacks.
His clients are primarily owners of high end second homes who value the individualized attention of a boutique firm, he says.
“The industry magazines are full of what’s trending now but won’t be in two years; our market is made up of people who are building or rebuilding for the long term,” said Zobel. “We help them navigate the process.”
When meeting with clients, who frequently are referred to him by architects and builders, “We go through Arthur’s Kitchen School,” says Zobel. “The blueprints get us started. If the client is remodeling, I’ll go look at the house. From there, we go to the design phase.”
“Arthur listens. He measures. He sits down with the architect. Walls can come out. It really is an iterative process,” says Ginny Brandreth, his business partner and wife. “He’s not done until the client is truly happy.”
How the client lives may be even more germane to the design process than preferences in cabinetry, lighting fixtures, countertop finishes, hardware and appliances.
“Does the client make reservations more frequently than dinner? How frequently do they entertain? Do they have children? Are the children coming with the grandkids? The client will tell me,” said Zobel.
The pandemic and its aftermath reconfigured how people use their vacation homes, observed Ginny Brandreth.
“People want spend more time at their summer homes,” said Zobel. “As my clientele are well-established, they are free to spend less time in the office and more time at the lake. They can work remotely, if need be.”
The changing dynamic between work and play, primary and second homes, helps explain the rising demand for outdoor kitchens.
“Pre-COVID, people were spending two weeks here. When COVID hit, they stayed from May through October. And the family was spending its time outdoors. That’s when outdoor kitchen business came on strong,” said Zobel.
Over the past five years, “outdoor kitchens have become phenomenally high end. They’re not necessarily for the everyday person. Because everything’s waterproof, they tend to be more expensive than many indoor kitchens,” said Zobel.
If people are thinking about installing an outdoor kitchen, or about remodeling the family kitchen in time for summer, “now is the time to start planning it,” said Ginny Brandreth. “Four to six months is the usual lead time for design and construction.” For more information, visit zobelandco.com or call 518-588-1034.
