Steve Matteo fondly remembers back in 1995 when he, along with his brother Tom and their mother and father Everett and Elaine joined in in an effort to determine the name for their new kitchen remodeling business. Trying to find something clever or unique that would grab the attention of potential clients eventually led them to a more simplistic, yet effective, solution. And from there, Matteo Family Kitchens was born.

Matteo credits his father with having both the vision and foresight to attach the family name to their business, especially since it immediately instilled a sense of pride in and ownership of their work.

"We were looking at names, trying to come up with something cool, and my father said it should be Matteo Family Kitchens. After all, we are a family, and if someone says something negative about the Matteos, you're going to take it personally," Matteo recalls.

Now, nearly three decades since getting their start, the Matteo name has become synonymous with quality craftsmanship and the highest level of customer service, helping countless homeowners across the region turn their dreams into reality.

And the company has adapted and evolved along the way in an effort to continuallyexceed client expectations. Never was that more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when interest in home remodeling projects spiked tremendously. Trying to keep up with the high demand while juggling supply chain issues, rising material costs and an unstable workforce was certainly no easy task, but Matteo says things have normalized quite a bit of late.

"[In the early days of the pandemic,] people were working from home, there were limited vacations and travel bans, so folks were staring at the same four walls 24 hours a day and said, 'Let's get some things done [around the house].' It was really fast and furious," he says. "We were so geared up to be juggling a lot of projects at once, and now we are back to reality and where things used to be."

With COVID's lockdown firmly in the rearview mirror, Matteo Family Kitchens has been able to sidestep the issues that were so daunting during the pandemic and gotten back to focusing solely on creating one-of-a-kind kitchens that families will enjoy for years to come.

But, while the excitement of a remodeled kitchen can be thrilling, Matteo stresses things have changed quite a bit since the company first entered into the industry.

"Back in the day, when we opened up our doors, we'd have people come in with a drawing on a napkin, and in 20 minutes we had a kitchen design. White kitchens with oak or cherry cabinets and Formica countertops is what you got. We kept it simple, it didn't have all the bells and whistles that you have today," says Matteo.

"Today it's a process, and we tell people don't rush the process," adds Matteo. "Other than purchasing a home, it's one of the most expensive purchases that you'll ever make. And it's a very important purchase because it increases the value of your home, so you want to make sure you do it right."

But homeowners shouldn't stress either, because the Matteo Family Kitchens team is well-equipped to guide you through the process. The company will visit you at your home to discuss a project and continues to measure, offer consultation and design work for free. This helps homeowners narrow down the seemingly endless options to transform their kitchen.

It all starts with choosing an overall design, then moving on to picking out cabinet and countertop styles, before selecting flooring and then finally handling finishing touches like the hardware for cabinets, etc.

"There's just a lot more attention to detail today. And we like our client base to work with us and take it step by step. There's so many things [to consider], we always tell people take your time – I can't say that loud enough – and let's walk through all the bullet points to make sure everyone understands what's going on," says Matteo.

Once the project is ready to get started, clients can trust that Matteo Family Kitchens uses only the finest materials and products from leading manufacturers. Aside from the name recognition, Matteo says these larger companies offer top-of-the-line products that also are backed by a warranty, assuring the customer will be taken care of should they not perform as designed.

"If our name is on it, we want to make sure the products we are selling come from companies who are going to stand behind it as well," Matteo affirms.

It's all further evidence of Matteo Family Kitchens' commitment to its clients. The company treats every job – no matter how big or small – with the same care and dedication to produce a final result they can be proud of and that homeowners will cherish.

"If you come out of your way to walk into our front door, we are super happy," says Matteo. "We understand you committed to us and we want to prove our commitment to you and your project. We appreciate the opportunity to show what we can do for you."

Matteo Family Kitchens
Woodstown, N.J.
(856) 769-2490
MatteoKitchens.com

Published (and copyrighted) in Philly Home Show Guide 2024
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