Kitchens, Baths a Specialty at Cranbury Design Center

In these challenging economic times, Charlie Rini and business partner Frank O’Leary have made their business thrive by paying attention to every little detail homeowners want when designing kitchens and baths.

A bread and butter business in these areas of the house, 's clients can get a jump-start on their own ideas with a visit to their headquarters, a charming building they say they brought back to life.

"The building is 230 years old," Rini said. “In 2000, instead of taking it down stick-by-stick and throwing it in the landfill, we reconstructed it, resupported it and then replenished it. That started a fervor in the town with the people in the building next door picking up on that and then going down the block, we did renovation for the plumbing supply business and then for Perennial Home. We infused our sprit of beauty and eye for design into the township and built pride around the cultural history that’s been around for a long time."

Rini said they initially incorporated their business in Cranbury and kept the corporation name, but they are all about supporting Hightstown and building their business around the small town feel.

"It was the allure and the feel of small town that we wanted, not the big box look, the huge industrial complex," he said. "And our clients understand that immediately when they walk through our doors. You are coming into our home, not into a mass-produced center. We want you to come in, sit down, have a cup of coffee, talk to us, see our designs, discuss ideas and have your thoughts come to fruition."

Rini said he considers Hightstown the geographical pearl of New Jersey, and part of their business comes from people coming through from all points of the compass and sometimes simply peering in through their well-lit and welcoming windows. He is going into 47 years building and design experience, partly because building and design are built into his genes.

"I had no options as a child, since I had an immigrant family that came over from Sicily," he said. "My grandfather and all of my uncles and aunts were artisans. They did masonry, electrical work, cabinetry and built furniture, and as a young kid I would get waylaid into having to work with them. So my work ethic developed at 10 years old when I was exposed to old world craftsmanship. It’s in the blood."

Meeting up with his business partner to form Cranbury Design, he said, was pure kismet. "Frank is a general contractor. We saw what the other did and we appreciated each other’s knowledge, creativity and expertise."

For years, they discussed the idea of working together and then, finally, thanks to original founding business partner Kim Evans from Cranbury, who has since retired from the business, they did.

Over the past 12 years, Rini and O’Leary have literally built themselves into the fabric of the community, even hosting school fundraisers at their West Ward building.

"We both have children ourselves and so we are very tied into family and the schools, and the community,” Rini said. “We like to open our doors and play host."

Cranbury Design’s work has been recognized by the industry, and has been featured in such magazines as in House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens and Home Remodeling.

Two years ago, their work was featured on HGTV on a show by the name of Dear Genevieve.

"We did a kitchen in Glen Ridge for the show and it came out beautifully," said Rini. "You can still see the shows today and we are very proud of that."

But more than that, Rini says he is proud of the work he does in helping people with home improvements that help increase their enjoyment of their most important investment.

"If your house is devalued, you have to ask yourself how do you maintain your value or keep it," he said. "You might look at a house that’s 20 years old that’s got another 10 to 15 years that you want to live in it and so you have to say, am I going to live with dark cabinets or am I going to change that. We always concentrate on what the client wants and then show them the value of what they are doing. We want people to be happy and comfortable and you can’t put a price tag on happiness."