Kitchen Confidential

De Giulio employs over 40 professionals in the kitchen design field, including architects, interior designers, artisans and craftsmen specializing exclusively in kitchen design. In 2005 Mr. De Giulio was honored by Kitchen and Bath Business as one of the 50 most influential people in the kitchen and bath industry.

What led you into the kitchen design field?
I did my first kitchen design when I was 19 years old. I worked in my father's woodshop in Michigan, and I progressed from there. In fact, on my marriage certificate it says "cabinetmaker." I didn't do fancy things or fine things, but I knew a lot about the basics of how things go together. And the most important thing I learned was about proportion.

I started my own company in 1984. And, really, always, since the time I was 19 until now it's been a passion. One of my big influences has been traveling to Europe and working with great people like architects. I have a lot of people I look up to, in architecture especially.

Any favorite architects that come to mind?
One of the best and greatest influences on me was coming to Chicago at a young age and just being knocked out by David Adler homes. Since then, I have always loved his style of the eclectic. I remember going to this fantastic house, and every room had a different molding. People don't do that, that often. Every room changed based on the molding style used. I love how serious Adler's designs were, but simultaneously, how whimsical they were. I think he just did a remarkable job of joining opposites and disparate ideas, dissonant ideas.

Do you feel the influence of Adler helped you in creating your own design philosophy?
Oh, no doubt about it. But I was always into the idea of mixing vocabularies, as it were, mixing design ideas. There is a great deal to be said for purism and the puristic approach to design, be it contemporary, traditional or classical design. I have always been interested in a combination—that is our world, it is a fusion of styles. If you go to Italy and see things that are Italian, there is French influence, Moorish influence, depending on the region you are in.

What do you tell people about the correct usages of certain products or unique materials, differing metals, woods and so on, as they impact kitchen design?
I think of that whole process as very intuitive and not formulated—and I think that's the magic of it. Once something can be "formulated" per se, it's just not as interesting. The idea of intuitive, creative mixes, doing things that are not the obvious. I think about music in relation to kitchen design. The word "dissonant," as I mentioned. The concept of a dissonant chord.

How would you relate dissonance to kitchen design?
It could be using a material like soapstone along with a granite. It's different in texture, it is unexpected. But, then, it's neutralized too. Things such as a particular detail, an awkwardness of detail, maybe, a twist. Sometimes doing that with materials, many times it is much more subtle than people think.

What I think, having done this so many, many times, I don't have the fear that holds people back. It's also the ability to envision it, to be involved in "risk taking" to a certain degree in design.