Sources

This week I thought I would post our “sources” sheet:

Welcome to Tay River Homesmiths, Inc. The purpose of this pamphlet is to introduce our customers to some of the suppliers and retailers we use. We have received very positive feedback on the companies below. Feel free to use other suppliers if you like. Also, please tell us about your experiences with any of the companies below, or a company that you feel deserves mentioning and is not listed.

Tile

We use Daltile for much of our tile and stone. Their website is:
http://daltile.com/
Click on any of the available links. We can get Ahnzu and Daltile products through our Daltile distributor, and American Olean products through an American Olean distributor. All three of these companies are owned by Mohawk Industries, which supplies a significant portion of the US market for tile.

Daltile’s local warehouse/showroom is located at:

5 Corporate Dr,
Cranbury, NJ
08512
Ph: 609-655-0333.

American Olean’s local warehouse showroom is located at:

181 Herrod Blvd,
Dayton, NJ
08810
Ph: 609 409-7687

Google maps provides accurate directions to both of these locations.

A final note, neither of these distributors make retail sales. This means that the showroom will not discuss pricing with homeowners. They release prices to us, and we then quote this price, exactly as it is provided to us, in the information we provide to you. Tile along with other material is subject to our standard markup, which is clearly indicated in any contract that we sign with you.

Countertops

We use Stone Surfaces of NJ for most of our stone countertops for kitchens and bathrooms. Their website is:

http://www.stonesurfacescj.com/index.asp

Getting to Stone Surfaces is difficult, and made worse by their website, which shows an incorrect address. The real address is:

625 Jersey Avenue, Unit 13New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Ph: 732-745-1727

They are located behind a warehouse. Their sign is posted in front of this warehouse. Pull in to the driveway keeping the warehouse on your right. Turn right at the end of the warehouse.
Call their showroom in advance to set up a meeting. Talk to Mark, their #1 showroom guy. Use google maps for general directions to this location.

If you’re coming from afar, consider having lunch at Makeda’s restaurant:

http://www.makedas.com/

This is my (Jesse’s) wife’s absolute favorite place to eat. Initially I was skeptical about Ethiopian food, but it is really very good.
Stone Surfaces’ New Brunswick office has plenty of samples of countertops for vanities. However, if you’re looking to select a slab for kitchens you’ll want to skip the New Brunswick trip and head straight to their fabricator:

European Granite and Marble

24 Forge StJamesburg, NJ 08831
(732) 605-7800

Again, I would suggest calling Mark (at Stone Surfaces) in advance to set up an appointment with the countertop fabricator.

Plumbing Fixtures

We use two plumbing showrooms. Our man Rick works the Grove Supply showroom floor in Hightstown. No need to set up an appointment, but do call in advance to confirm that he’s working:

http://www.grovesupplyinc.com/
Grove Supply
135 W. Ward Street,
Hightstown, NJ
08520
609-448-0507

* A note on the operation of plumbing supply stores. While you will generally be able to purchase a variety of brands from a given showroom, they might only display one brand on the showroom floor. Save yourself some time. If you’re just browsing, pick showrooms that display different brands.
Grove Supply principally displays Toto fixtures. If you’re looking for American Standard fixtures, consider Baths Etc in Princeton Junction. Baths Etc recommends setting up an appointment in advance of visiting their showroom. Their website and address is:

http://www.bathsetc.com/bathshome.htm
33 Princeton Hightstown RdPrinceton Jct, NJ 08550(609) 799-5777
Almost all of the major plumbing suppliers have their own websites. Some of these sites also contain list pricing on their fixtures:
American Standard’s website is: http://www.americanstandard-us.com/
Kohler’s kitchen and bath site is: http://www.us.kohler.com/index.jsp
Toto’s website is: http://www.totousa.com/consumer_landing.asp

Shower Glass

For glass doors, or any other glass requirements, check out Glass Castle in Lawrenceville. Their website is: http://www.glasscastleinc.com/
Call Stuart in advance of visiting their show room: 609-530-1115. Keep in mind that Glass Castle repairs broken windows.

Electrical Fixtures

We generally use Panasonic ceiling fans. Examples are on Panasonic’s website:
http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vOverview?storeId=15001&catalogId=13401&catGroupId=25050&cacheProgram=11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702

For local electrical showrooms, consider using the Light Gallery in Princeton:

http://www.lightgalleryprinceton.com/

301 N Harrison St # 50Princeton, NJ 08540(609) 924-6878
Make an appointment with either Gloria or TJ in advance of visiting their showroom.

Cabinetry and Doors

Cabinetry tends to be expensive. Most plumbing supply stores offer their own line of vanities for bathrooms. Some other possibilities:
With a list of reservations that would take up this handout and then some, you might try one of the fearsome triad of Ikea, Lowes, or Home Depot cabinetry. The most expensive cabinets from these places will still be much less expensive then virtually anything else on the market. Ikea even has a design program for laying out cabinetry.

We wholeheartedly recommend our custom cabinetmaker, Don Marshall. You will not find Don on a website but we can tell you that his cabinets are exceptionally well made and that his prices are low. “Low” comes with the proviso that custom cabinetry is always towards the high end of the price range …. but the tradeoff is worthwhile. For a look at door and panel options visit:

http://caronindustries.com/

Caron is the chief supplier of doors and drawer fronts for Don. Tay River carries a wide range of door and panel samples in a variety of species from Caron. Ask one of our salespeople about these.
[Incidentally, if you are looking for unique features such as a custom
entryway, or a built-in breakfast nook, Don is the source and for custom
work his prices are a bargain. We can design these things for you and
draft the plans from which Don builds.]

Custom Windows

If you’re considering buying custom windows we strongly recommend another fantastic craftsman, John Inglis of Lothlorien Woodworking. His website is:

http://www.lwl.ca/

* A tip for ordering custom windows. Have John apply the paint on the inside and outside of the doors and windows. This is less expensive than finishing them in place, and is better quality than most applied-in-place paint jobs.
_______________________________________________________________
While the internet can be a useful tool, we encourage you to view all of your selections in person. There’s no substitute for seeing and touching the things you’ll be living with for years to come. Finally, while you’re shopping, don’t forget to take your “selection sheet” and record your fixture and finish decisions as you make them.
We look forward to working with you.

Thanks for reading