Kitchensmith Fine Cabinetry and Design is about you, the customer.
That’s why we’re here.
Chad and Meera Smith founded this company in March of 2012 with the focus and determination to make your project a pleasurable and rewarding experience for you.
Cabinets, countertops, hardware and the many other details in your project are simply components that will come together as we interpret and help you to create your vision. That process is where our relationship begins; from the moment you step into our showroom we will strive to listen, to interpret, and to communicate. It’s that relationship that we value. That relationship will define your experience. That relationship will be rewarding.
Whether you’re a homeowner or a contractor, Kitchensmith Fine Cabinetry and Design has an array of quality products for you at a competitive price. Kitchens, baths, as well as other rooms!
For many people, purchasing a kitchen or bath can be an overwhelming experience. Kitchensmith Fine Cabinetry and Design prides itself on making that experience a pleasure. Overwhelming you is not necessarily a bad thing... if you’re overwhelmed with how EASY this was!
Growing up in Rutland, Vermont, the son of a carpenter, Chad Smith was introduced to building homes at a very early age. "Like most newbies starting in the trades, my first job was a 'gopher'... the kid who 'goes for' what everyone else needs; a tool, a stack of lumber, even coffee."
A terrific way to gain that hands-on experience, he learned his craftsmanship slowly, but steadily. "One of the first things I learned how to do was to listen, really listen; there's nothing more humbling than returning from the lumber yard and presenting the wrong material to the rest of the construction crew."
He also learned that it was better to be honest if he didn’t understand something. "Trying and failing is one thing. Anyone can make a mistake cutting a piece of wood. But if you don’t know the difference between a jack rafter and a common rafter you'd better speak up. If you don't you're in for a long day of ribbing from your co-workers, and possibly a chunk out of your pay check."
In addition to the labor intensive rigors of general construction, Chad also worked in his father's custom cabinet shop, an extension of the family kitchen and bath retail showroom where his mom also worked. "We represented and sold other cabinet manufacturer's products, but we also designed and built our own. Working with such skilled craftsmen and building a kitchen from a stack of raw materials was incredibly rewarding. It gave me an invaluable insight into what makes a good cabinet."
After college, Chad moved to Concord, Massachusetts, and worked as a lead carpenter for a remodeling company. After only two years he bought that company out and his brother moved from Vermont to join him. Together they founded a Concord, MA design/build remodeling firm that became a household name for their growing list of satisfied customers. "I'd grown up building houses, but I was attracted to remodeling. I love improving an existing space; transforming it from something that's functionally faulted or aesthetically outdated into something that I and my customers are proud of."
After twelve years his brother moved back to Vermont to marry his sweetheart and their partnership ended. The old adage that 'things happen for a reason' was bittersweet, but something he embraced realistically. "I was in a transition. I loved remodeling but I was ready for a change. I reevaluated and knew exactly what I wanted to do."
Chad chose kitchen design and sought employment in the kitchen and bath department of a local building materials supplier. With no background in retail sales and computer aided design software, he knew had to sell himself, but was confident. "I asked for an opportunity. I asked for three months. I told the owner that if he wasn’t pleased with my performance after three months all he had to do was nod and I'd pack up my desk. No questions asked." He never got that nod; taking over as manager just six months later and doubling the department's sales in his first full year. He attributes that success to his experience he gained working with his remodeling customers. "Designing kitchens is about building a trusted relationship. Creating and/or stewarding a homeowner's vision from conception to completion is something you can't do without trust."
As that local lumber supplier transitioned for acquisition from a large regional chain, Chad decided to remain in kitchen design but move on. He considered many offers, before deciding where he would remain for the next ten years. "I chose a firm that specialized in designing kitchens and baths without the inter-department conflicts often associated with more general building suppliers. Choose what you do well and do it better. It just makes better sense. I gained a lot of experience in those twelve years."
In 2010, Chad married Meera and in 2011 they purchased and remodeled their Natick home together, a duplex near the center of town. Working side by side through their project that included two kitchens and four bathrooms, they discovered how much they loved working together. "Meera has an amazing knack for detail that compliments her eye for design and style. I love bouncing ideas around with her. Together, we’re quite a team!"
Things happen for a reason? This time Chad wasn't succumbing to a necessary change but initiating it. "Meera and I knew we wanted to work together and we didn’t want to wait." In March of 2012 they founded Kitchensmith, Inc. and the rest is history in the making.
Yin and Yang, shadow and light, moon and sun. Discipline and creativity. Since the early years, Meera has allowed her dual personality to co-exist within. The product of an Indian immigrant dad and a Pennsylvania farm girl mom, she was nurtured to grow in every direction. Dad is a math and engineering savant and mom is an academic who chose the arts and became a music teacher to all generations.
Meera's academic career culminated with her graduating as valedictorian from Bentley College, but was always matched and mirrored by her career in the arts. Meera started her own marketing and distribution business while still in college, living the very business tenets she was learning in the classroom. But dance has always been her love. Teaching since age twelve and still today, along with performing and modeling professionally for 10 years, leave Meera with a passion for nurturing students and entertaining an audience. But the pragmatic, practical side of Meera keeps things in order.
Opportunity arose for Meera to dive into business in 1994 when she was offered the opportunity to manage and develop a small communications technology business in the role of VP of finance and operations. Reporting to the president, managing 35 employees and $8M in annual revenue resulted in tremendous learning experiences and increased profits for the corporation. It was a great run, but Meera was ready for a change. Change came with her enrollment at Cambridge College and a masters degree in psychology, graduating summa cum laude; it also came with the birth of her child in 2001.
Continuing to work, Meera juggled the career/family challenges for a few years. When she was free in 2003 to take a little break to be a stay-at-home mom, it was a welcome nesting opportunity. She babied the baby, picked up a paint brush, got out the cookbooks, took on a remodeling project, landscaped the yard, and generally behaved as though she was producing her own show on HGTV. Many new passions resulted.
In 2006 when Meera's son started school here in Natick, the dual careers called again. Meera resumed teaching dance, and also began working as controller for a real estate development firm. Construction, property management and real estate by day... pirouettes, arabesques, and grand jetes by night. The cooking, gardening and home improvement projects continued as well.
And so it went along this way until Meera met Chad in 2009. Their wedding theme, "Once in A Blue Moon," nods to the good fortune of two people coming together who bring out the best in one another. The yin to one another’s yang, the shadow to one another’s light, the discipline to one another’s creativity, the team was born and the love story continues.