Kitchens can be like puzzles with too many pieces.
Eric Kalainoff puts them all together, finding places for appliances, dishware, pots, pans, pantries, and everything his clients envision for the room that is usually the center of a household.
He does the same thing for the No. 2 busiest room in the house, too.
In fact, Kalainoff can do it all. The North Scott High School graduate followed his dad, Paul, into carpentry and construction. He did plenty of roofing in his younger years, then home remodeling with his dad.
“It’s pretty neat to drive around the Quad Cities and point out some of the work,” he said.
That includes full additions, windows, doors, decks and countless other projects.
Now he’s added a remodeling niche he loves, with a product that’s earned his respect.
He created ETK Woodworks to blend his personal touch and experience along with Bridgewood Cabinets. He encountered the line as a contractor, and became a dealer when he saw the beauty, durability and value of the product.
Bridgewood, based in Chanute, Kan., offers an adaptable array of styles, finishes and furnishings that Kalainoff can demonstrate in his Davenport showroom, or a home visit. Simple Shaker styles are the rage now, especially in white and slate. But Bridgewood has white and red oak, hickory, knotty alder, cherry and walnut for a different look or to match existing furnishings.
Each can come in any of 16 stains and glazes; some familiar and others with names you might find in a pantry: caramel, cashew, brown olive, ginger, bourbon, java, and black tea.
Kalainoff brings 20 years of home remodeling experience along with Bridgewood’s array of cabinet styles, colors and storage options to find solutions to remodeling puzzles throughout Scott County.
“A lot of people come with ideas, but they’re not sure how to make it work. That’s the puzzle,” he said. “It really depends on what people see in their head.”
Customers often share photos or clippings that show their vision. DIY shows inspire creative requests, and Kalainoff says it’s his job to make them real.
That means breaking down the process, costs and options in ways that hour-long shows sometimes gloss over.
“Eric completed a custom walk-in shower for my husband and I. He created a pony/knee wall and tiled the entire thing in a beautiful herringbone pattern,” customer Chrystal Nevenhoven said. “He was super easy to work with and very knowledgeable. He walked me through the entire process and wasn’t hesitant to answer any questions.”
For a customer wanting functional coat hooks, a bench and lockers in a formal entryway, Kalainoff can match maple Bridgewood cabinets with a rich brown safari finish highlighted with a black glaze. The functional entryway blends seamlessly into the kitchen, and moves coat and boot clutter behind cabinet doors.
Puzzle solved.
For families who value togetherness at mealtime, one Bridgewood option adds a phone and laptop charging station behind a cabinet door at the end of a kitchen island. Phones can be powered up and put away, at least during mealtime.
Customers often arrive with color or style choices in mind. When Kalainoff starts talking about how the room is used, vague ideas are shaped into plans.
His showroom is rife with ideas.
Space below the sink becomes accessible with Bridgewood’s slide-out racks that fit around plumbing. Pull-out bins make deep corner cabinets easily accessible. Trash and recycle bins are paired behind a tidy Bridgewood cabinet door.
The remodeling puzzle requires dozens of decisions, and ETK guides customers through all of them: countertops, hardware and finishes.
“We get talking about what they want, and what they don’t want,” Kalainoff said.
He’s been around long enough to see styles change. Simple Shaker style is a current trend.
“Golden oak? I tear that stuff down all the time now,” he said.
But earlier this month, it was a perfect solution for a customer seeking matching trim around new windows. “It blended beautifully with the rest of the house,” he said.
ETK also works directly with builders to supply cabinetry for new homes.
Kalainoff’s remodeling work follows the same guidelines: Listen to customers’ ideas and preferences, review options, and chart a remodeling course that fits dreams and budgets.
Prices and product delivery are challenging for all projects. That’s among the reasons Kalainoff values his relationship with Bridgewood, which has met project deadlines.
Remodeling interest sparked during the pandemic still continues, and Kalainoff is seeing more ambitious plans by homeowners looking for big changes.
“Maybe that time at home seems more valuable now. It’s cool when people can make big changes without going anywhere.”