When Steve Meltzer's kids were younger, they weren't exactly fond of his work phone being on until 11 p.m., but as the owner of Abbey's Kitchens, Bathrooms & Interiors, he saw it as an essential service for his customers. Thirty-plus years later, the policy hasn't changed.

"The way I look at it, I'm in the service industry," Meltzer says. "People work during the day, and they come home to see the progress on their remodel and might have questions. Why should they wait until the next day to ask me? I'm always available until 11."

This kind of attention is hard to find in an industry where homeowners too often hear horror stories about contractors who don't communicate or leave them in the lurch. When homeowners choose Abbey's, they deal with Meltzer only.

He handles all the design himself and is the only contact homeowners need along the way. "When you're dealing with too many people, you run the risk of the project turning into the game Telephone, where the original message is distorted as it goes down the chain," Meltzer says.

Working for his father led Meltzer to this industry. "My father had a home improvement business that did some of everything. After 10 years with him I wanted to branch out into the creative side of remodeling. That's how Abbey's came about in 1986, named after my daughter," he says.

Customer service is unique at Abbey's. Meltzer likes to build a relationship, meeting clients in their homes and sitting together for an hour or two. He brings examples of sinks, faucets, etc., but his approach to customizing cabinets is truly unique. "A door is made up of two parts: the exterior frame with an inside lip and outer edge, and a center panel," says Meltzer. "We pick the edge and lip of the frame, then the center panel, and put them together. Then we choose a color. When we're finished, we create a full-size, custom sample of their door and drawer. These come with us to every vendor, from tile to flooring to countertops."

Designs are drawn up by hand, a fact Meltzer says makes the project look more personal. "I want to make sure the clients are getting what fits their lifestyle. We want to first get a functioning design, and then we make it aesthetically pleasing," he says. "Questions we ask: what are their cooking habits? Are they right or left-handed? How many place settings and glassware do they use? How accessible does their cookware need to be? No two Abbey's kitchens are ever alike."

Once a contract is signed and a client is ready to proceed, Meltzer is there every step of the way. He is honest about timelines, helping to alleviate fears about prolonged projects. He does only one project at a time, meaning the crew will not leave until the job is completed.

"I have assembled a group of the best installers and subcontractors with whom I've worked for 10 to 20 years. But I am responsible for everything, including supplying construction materials and obtaining necessary permits. The homeowner comes to me for everything in the process," he says.

"Unfortunately, mediocrity today has become the accepted high standard, but I won't get involved in something like that. Sometimes clients want to make changes during their project—we always try to accommodate. Sometimes these changes might cost Abbey's a little extra, but we see it as an investment to make the customer happy and hopefully they'll recommend us. That's just how I do business."

Also unique, Abbey's exceeds New Jersey's one-year guarantee requirement, offering a three-year guarantee on both parts and labor.

Meltzer set out to bring a personalized experience to remodeling and has succeeded for over 35 years in this quest. His attention to detail and dedication to each project takes the mental load off the client, a priceless commodity in today's world.

Abbey's Kitchens, Bathrooms & Interiors
Bayonne, N.J.
(201) 823-2223
AbbeysKitchensBathrooms.com

Images courtesy of Steven Paul Whitsitt Photography

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 22, Issue 1 (October 2021). 
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