The Hill Rag- March 2007
December 17 2008
Turn the Ordinary into Extraordinary ARTICLE BY MONICA CAVANAUGH
Once upon a time,a couple bought a house.That ordinary purchase resulted in a surprising business venture that has grown into something quite extraordinary indeed.
The plan was to buy, remodel, sell. Byron Buck and Vicki Glass, now proprietors of National Capital Kitchens (formerly know as BV Builders), went house by house, redesigning, knocking things down, staining wood, painting, painting and painting.
Buck admits that this was a foray into the unknown. “My wife said ‘You’ve never remodeled anything in your life!’” says Buck. “And I said ‘Well, that’s true.’” They got good, and they got attention, but for years they continually turned down pleas to remodel other people’s homes. It wasn’t until two years ago when fans’ objects of desire became BV-built kitchens that the duo decided to take on clients, effectively rendering Buck’s retirement null and void.
After a trip last year to a major kitchen and bath show, Buck found that he had unwittingly cornered a major market in DC. “Most home renovations in DC are done by companies outside of the city,” says Buck. By being one of the only companies based in the city that does this sort of work, BV Builders became a hot commodity among cabinetmakers, tiling companies and countertop dealers. “Every cabinet manufacturer wanted us,” he recalls. With his pick of the litter, Buck walked away carrying contracts with Wellborn and Omega cabinet companies, a pairing he says is about as good as it gets.
The shift from whole houses to kitchens called for a few changes to the business, primarily the name itself. Now known as National Capital Kitchens, the company has a more specific focus for their creative endeavors. “There’s nothing you can encounter in a kitchen that we can’t deal with,” says Buck, walking through the kitchen doorway in their latest renovation.
That project, a lovely corner deal at 11th and E streets, NE, plays a number of roles. Part personal home, part office, all showroom, the house has been completely remodeled and fitted with all of the products that NCK offers to clients. Even the bedroom closet features a Wellborn closet system, nicely accessorized with all of the owners’ clothing. The house, built in the early 20th century, came with its share of quirks and difficulties when renovations began.
If nothing else, those roadblocks only made the house a better example of how Buck and Glass are able to deal with unique situations. “We turn problems into opportunities,” says Buck, noting that creative solutions are what set his business apart from the rest. Attention to detail rounds out what NCK has to offer.
“The devil is in the details,” says Buck. “But the quality is in the details as well.” With a support team made up of dedicated designers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and even a specialist for choosing paint colors, the company has a solid backbone built on long-standing relationships with its workers.
Buck recognizes that a lot of renovators aren’t flexible enough with time, expense or design. He maintains that NCK can handle any space at virtually any budget. “We’re not trying to be all things to all people,” he says. “We’re just trying to be the best.” When asked what it is that keeps him going, Buck responds with a pleasant, calm enthusiasm. “At the end of the day, it’s about being proud and happy with what you’re doing,” he says. “We just want to give our customers something they’ll be excited about for a long time.”