When I think of woodworking, I imagine a 75-year-old man in his garage. He has decades of experience and is hand-carving walking canes and building custom coat racks for his neighbors as a fun side hobby.
This man, I see, is from the good ol’ days, when everything wasn’t mass produced, and furniture was built of solid oak with custom engravings.
Woodworking is often thought of as an old-school trade. And so, what doesn’t cross my mind are modern, beautiful kitchens, with cabinets designed exactly to my specifications, and distinctly for me and my home.
Perhaps, though, it’s not so hard to find craftsmanship like this in 2018 as I once thought. Maybe, if I look close enough, I’ll even find it in my neighborhood.
At Broad Creek Kitchens, Bath & Home, conveniently located in Mechanicsville off of Route 235, woodworking is at the core of their remodeling business. Owners Jimmy and Michelle Stinson pride themselves on their unique ability to outfit any home with custom designs and builds.
“All of our cabinets are custom,” Jimmy said. “Everything is made-to-order. From built-ins to bathroom vanities, dining room buffets, fireplace mantels, wood beams, barn doors,” he continued. “Any kind of woodwork, essentially, we’ll design it and we’ll build it.”
It all began when Jimmy was a teenager. In the 1980s, Mills Lumber Company was the only place in Fort Washington, Md, that sold hardwood lumber. “I started working for Mills when I was 16 doing mill work, cutting lumber, and making cabinets.”
At 20-years-old, Jimmy left the company to open his own custom cabinet shop with his father in Accokeek, where they lived.
Jimmy’s dad was an iron worker, but as a young man he often helped his father with remodeling jobs. “He would do the metal and I would do the wood.”
Their business, S&S Unlimited (Stinson and Stinson), quickly took off, and some of their artistry can still be found around the Southern Maryland area today. HomeHusband and Wife Duo are Southern Maryland’s go-to for custom remodeling and design.
“We did the original doors and windows on the front of the building in the Leonardtown Square that is now The Rex,” Jimmy said. A café at the time, he mentioned it took the duo an entire month to build all of the doors – each one is hand-made.
Jimmy’s opportunity to branch out occurred in 1999 following the untimely death of former Mills Lumber Company owner Clemmer Mills.
After purchasing the company in addition to his own, Jimmy kept its original name for about five years until his team started to pursue kitchen and bath remodeling on a regular basis, merging the two businesses into one.
The new title, Broad Creek, stemmed from the shop’s location in the Broad Creek Historic District of Fort Washington. In 2011, the business moved down to St. Mary’s County when his customers routinely asked him to do more and more jobs in the Southern Maryland community.
Currently, Jimmy’s team consists of six people, including both him and Michelle. The company tries to focus on only a few jobs at one time as to give each home their utmost attention.
“Broad Creek will not leave your job until you are happy and everything is perfect,” said Michelle. “We’re perfectionists; if it’s not perfect, we’re not happy.”
Perfections aside, when a customer comes to Broad Creek, the first thing they’ll notice is the laid-back family atmosphere. The building, cozy, with light and airy colors, hosts their attractive showroom with beautiful displays and tons of choices for your new remodel.
Michelle and Jimmy recognize how blessed they are to have their wonderful employees.
As soon as you walk through the front doors you will feel comfortable; no overbearing sales pitch or pressure to buy. You are usually greeted by Stephanie, the office administrator. She has excellent customer service skills and is very knowledgeable when it comes to kitchen and bathroom remodels. Stephanie also has a great eye when it comes to colors and materials, and enjoys assisting clients with their selections when Michelle is not in. She is Broad Creek’s go to girl for anything you want to know regarding granite and Stephanie will quickly become someone you enjoy talking to.
Richard is Michelle’s dad who has been in the flooring business for over 50 years. He is very pleasant to talk to and can tell you anything you want to know regarding flooring. “I could not ask for a more amazing dad, he is the most giving person you could ever meet, besides Jimmy. You know what they say, you marry someone just like you dad,” Michelle said.
Stevie is the foreman on the remodels. He is very knowledgeable with all installation projects. He will be there to help answer any question while he is working on a job. Once he comes through your door, you will never see him sit down. He is an extremely hard worker.
Michael and Michelle’s nephew, Seth, are Broad Creek’s helpers. They are very kind and respectful of clients’ homes. They are there helping with installation and keeping the home neat and clean.
Stevie, Michael and Seth are all very pleasant and you will feel comfortable with them working in your home.
Coming from a blended family of eight, the Stinson’s know how to create an organized and comfortable setting without being overbearing. “We are there to give you a beautiful remodel at an affordable price,” Michelle said.
Interested customers can expect to be offered a free, at-home consultation, which Jimmy does first-hand. “I listen to what the customer has to say, take measurements, and then come back to the office and draw up a new design plan.”
His proposal is then conveniently emailed to the buyer for them to discuss and look over at their leisure. “Some of these drawings take me 20 hours,” Jimmy said, though he does this work for free.
The design is also accompanied by his entire blueprint for the project, including estimated prices and a spec sheet with everything that would be completed, from the lighting to painting and electrical.
Once a customer responds and wants to move forward, they return to the store to pick out colors and styles with Michelle.
“That’s the fun part,” she said, noting their home improvement boutique. “We help customers pick out new door styles, stains, paint colors, countertops, flooring, tiles, cabinets, back splashes and faucets. We also have lighting, area rugs, pillows, curtains, furniture, hardware, home and wall décor along with kitchen and bath accessories.”
Having an “eye for decorating,” Jimmy said, Michelle offers home decor suggestions and furniture to go along with their project.“ And, if coming to the showroom is not convenient for you, I will also bring materials to your home to choose from,” added Michelle.
A true full-service remodeling company, Broad Creek Kitchens, Bath & Home handles each and every step that needs to take place when it comes to renovations.“
There are eight cabinet companies within a five-mile radius of here. The thing we have – and they do not – is the fact that we do everything. We take care of the project from start to finish; the design, construction, electric, plumbing, drywall, painting, flooring, installation, turn-key,” Jimmy said. “The customer has nothing to do except say, ‘yes I like that,’ or ‘no, I don’t.’”
Broad Creek genuinely wants to make the process of remodeling as easy as possible and not stressful on the customer. “
The biggest complaint I’ve ever heard about other places is customers having to find their own contractors for plumbing or electric. By providing a complete renovation and remodeling solution we put the mind of our customers at ease. Whether they want a total reworking of the kitchen sink with only the best and highly rated sink faucets or want a brand new chimney installed, I tell people: If there’s a problem, you’ve only got one person to yell at,” he laughs.
When asked about common trends, Jimmy said the fad of mixing the old with the new is a popular request lately, and since they can build what they need, their company is an ideal partner. Other well-liked styles he’s seen recently include white cabinetry, shaker-style doors, cottage-themes, chrome fixtures in bathrooms, and grey granite.
No matter the design, though, Jimmy and Michelle are there to help their customers find whatever it is that makes them happy. “
I would like the company to be known as one with integrity; we do what we say we do. If you think something is wrong in your house after our team worked on it, we will fix it for free,” he stressed. “We already do so many things that are out of the ordinary. We honestly go above and beyond. I promise, our customers are going to be happy when we leave.”
In fact, Jimmy and Michelle often do such a great job, many of their clients become their friends. “We’ve spent time having coffee with them in their home, a few glasses of wine, and a few clients even attended our wedding,” Michelle said.
Jimmy jokes it’s because he, “can’t say no,” to requests – but I doubt that’s the real reason.
I think, it’s because he truly cares, and truly loves what he does. So while woodworking may be a dying trade in some places, here in Southern Maryland, I know we’ll be in good hands.
Visit Broad Creek’s Showroom Today!
Broad Creek Kitchens, Bath & Home
27215 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659
Open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
WEBSITE: www.BroadCreekKitchens.com
PHONE: 301.884.7077Get
