Capitol District Supply at 252 Washington St., the region’s largest family-owned plumbing, heating, kitchen and bath supply business, will celebrate the grand opening of its remodeled New Visions kitchen and bath showroom Thursday, Oct. 10, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

 

Members of the public, contractors and design professionals are invited to preview eight model kitchens in various styles and an expanded display of bath products. As a fun incentive for touring the new facility, one lucky attendee at the opening will win a travel package: either a two-night hotel stay in a choice of 250 locations, or a one-night hotel stay, and tickets to either a professional sporting event or a theme park.

“Our New Visions showroom solves one of the first challenges of working with clients on kitchen and bath design projects, which is getting them to identify what they do and don’t like,” said Hana Zima, marketing director with Capitol District Supply and the granddaughter of company founder, Hy Zima. “We have created model kitchens so clients can react to them, find their favorites, and explore the many options and materials. 

“Our new display of the Kohler Artifact bath faucets lets customers swap out different styles of sink spouts, handles and finishes, mixing and matching until people achieve the look they like,” she said. 

Within the showroom, eight distinct kitchen areas display design options including cabinets, countertops, tile backsplashes, sinks, faucets, lighting, appliances and hardware. Each kitchen has a theme based on the line of cabinetry shown, including Decora, Executive Frameless, Kemper, Sequoia and Shiloh.

Adding to the high-style character of the showroom, Earl B. Feiden, a local appliance dealer, has provided top-of-the-line appliances including a Liebherr stainless steel refrigerator, and a Frigidaire Professional microwave oven, warming drawer and magnetic induction cooktop.

The showroom’s adjacent Selection Center carries all the design element samples, clustered around a work counter in one location, to facilitate collaboration between customers and their design team. Some of the many features possible on new cabinets include Quiet Close hardware to eliminate drawers and doors from slamming shut, under-cabinet lighting, glass panels and doors, cutlery trays, spice racks, tray dividers, rail molding and crown molding.

The certified kitchen designers at the New Visions showroom, with 10 to 30 years of experience, can help customers plan for the many activities that modern kitchens serve up: cooking, dining, home office, entertaining and family gathering space. All kitchens are custom-designed to client specifications.

“Our in-house design service is complimentary—it’s an integral part of the process of helping customers choose what they need,” Zima said. “Using computer design software and some basic specifications the customer provides, we can generate different design options in just a few days. 

“On a remodeling job, our staff will go out to a customer’s home to help determine the best options,” she continued. “We don’t just limit our advice to the products we sell. Two members of our team have interior design backgrounds, so we include ideas on window treatments, tile selection and related amenities that all work together to complete the room.”

The Zimas’ business is successful because they can back up their extensive product line with staff expertise, she said. Here in Saratoga, we have three of our five kitchen design professionals with a total of 90 years of experience, Zima continued. Their professional design and contracting customers, as well as their retail customers, know they can rely on the company for top-notch advice.

Bertch cabinetry, granite and Cambria natural stone countertops, and fixtures from Brizo, Delta, Kohler and Onyx are displayed in the bath side of the renovated showroom, with a range of soothing whirlpools, body spas, elegant sinks, sophisticated faucets and streamlined toilets. Many of the new products offer water-conservation features, including dual-flush toilets and reduced-flow faucets. 

“In the showroom, we have the latest innovations in plumbing, including hands-free kitchen faucets, and Bluetooth-enabled showerheads and baths,” Zima said. 

Kohler’s Moxi showerhead permits the streaming of music wirelessly from any Bluetooth-enabled smart phone or tablet into the shower. Many new options are available.

The Saratoga Springs location is the first of Capitol District Supply’s three locations to be renovated into a New Visions showroom. Work has already begun on the Schenectady location, and in Albany, work will begin in 2014.

“We are well-known to members of the area’s building trades as a supply center with an enormous array of in-stock merchandise,” Zima said. “This expanded showroom helps us show retail customers and homeowners the many creative solutions we have available for their projects.”

Commenting on the rise of big-box store competition in the past few decades, she noted, “We’re a locally owned, family-run operation with prices that consistently rival or beat the national big-box stores. The advantage of working with us, in addition to the high-quality products, is that our staff has years more expertise than your typical home improvement chain employee.” 

Capitol District Supply provides a complete selection of plumbing, heating, kitchen and bath products for builders, contractors and clients. The business has grown since its 1945 founding in Albany to now include 70,000 square feet across the three sites. 

The Saratoga Springs branch opened in 1986. Showroom hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; open Thursdays until 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 12 noon. The supply counter for parts opens one hour earlier on weekdays, at 7 a.m.

The current management team at Capitol District Supply includes many members of the founding family: Terry and Bob Zima, both sons of founder Hy Zima, and their brother-in-law, Ken Shapiro, as well as Hana Zima and her brother, Adam.

See www.capitoldistrictsupply.com.

--Jennie