Isn’t it refreshing to find someone who’s passionate about their work? That’s exactly what you find in the owner of Millbrook Cabinets Kitchen & Bath Showroom, Craig Wilson. And you’d think such excitement would come from a lifetime spent around construction or design. In Craig’s case, his road to business was not a straight line.
“I never had experience in the home industry, and I was never a contractor or builder. I was actually a refugee from the mortgage industry,” Craig explains. After leaving mortgages behind, he started working for a contractor with two cabinet lines.
After two years, the business faced some challenges, and his opportunity began to slip away. “When it was being taken away from me, that’s when I said, ‘No, I really want this.’ He knew he could do more—so he did.
Before fully going out on his own, he polished his skills as a custom kitchen designer at a new showroom in Madison. But as COVID dissipated, he wondered whether the home renovation uptick would last. He took a chance and set up shop in a small basement space in Randolph, right near Millbrook Avenue (hence, his business name).
Then a bit of serendipity showed itself. Two years later, the storefront right across the street from his childhood home in Morris Plains became available. It was his dream location. “It was literally right across the street from my parents’ house. They played a big role in helping me get that part set up.”
Craig is extremely proud of their offerings and works with a wide range of products. They can do anything from completely custom-built to prefab for house flippers. “Our top custom line is StyleCraft out in Lancaster County; our other custom & semi-custom lines are brands like Shiloh, Eclipse, Woodmasters, and Legacy Crafted.” Multiple prefab lines, like Fabuwood, are also available.
“We’re big on matching the product to the customer, and the customer to the product,” Craig explains. And a big part of that is helping clients reimagine their space. “When we reimagine kitchen space, our customers feel like we added square footage. It changes everything.”
And a lot of that comes from effective, creative use of space. There are so many kitchen organization accessories that will completely transform the way your space functions. Craig shared his top five favorites with us.
1. Double trash can: Always a go-to, people want their garbage and recycling out of sight.
2. Blind corners: Instead of a traditional lazy Susan, they install a half-moon swing-out (or other storage options). The single door is much more durable than a piano-hinged lazy Susan door.
3. Adjustable roll-outs: These go in either base cabinets or pantry cabinets. It allows you to set the height on your roll-outs. You just pull them out, and they click back in!
4. Spice rack: Spice racks may be common, but there are also wider ones for either a twelve or fifteen-inch cabinet. Utensil cups and knife blocks are great, too.
5. Tupperware pull-out: Ironically, the people who ask for organization are the ones who are already organized. People who aren’t don’t think they need it. What if you never had to search for a Tupperware lid ever again?
Rethinking spaces and working with clients to transform their homes are what make Craig so grateful to have found his passion. He says, “If you told me twelve years ago I’d be geeking out about a kitchen, I would have never believed you. I love it when our team can make a customer happy with that.