Somrak Kitchens

Exquisite craftsmanship, unparalleled design expertise, and a 60-year tradition of service...
by KenMcEntee
Contributing Writer
W
hat do you suppose would happen
if you spilled nail polish remover
on the doors of your beautiful
kitchen cabinets?
If you said it would dissolve the finish,
you’re probably right.
Unless, of course, you have a Somrak
kitchen.
“You can spill nail polish remover all over
our cabinets and it will run off like water off
a duck’s back,” insists Bob Somrak Jr., who,
along with his sister, Linda, owns Somrak
Kitchens.
The finish of the cabinets sold by Somrak
exemplifies the attention to quality and
detail that Bob says sets the family business
apart from any other local cabinet shop in
Northeast Ohio.
Striving for Perfection
“Every cabinet manufacturer we represent
finishes their work in a dust controlled
environment with a catalyzed conversion
finish,” Bob explains. “It is a finish that is
chemically cured in drying ovens so that
it is molecularly bonded to the wood. The
finishes will last a lifetime, and that’s one
reason why many of our cabinets carry a
lifetime warranty and are certified to be
green products.”
“The finishes will last a
lifetime, and that’s one
reason why many of our
cabinets carry a lifetime
warranty.”
It’s not a showroom; it’s a gallery.
If you think keeping the nail polish
remover out of the kitchen will protect your
lower-grade finish, you should know that the
standard varnishes used by most local cabinet
makers are damaged over time by everyday
acids, like ketchup, orange juice, and even
the oils on your skin, Linda explains.
Like the fabulous countertops and superior
appliances that are designed into a Somrak
kitchen, the company only works with
the finest cabinetmakers in the world, like
Alno, Rutt Handcrafted Cabinetry and Plato
Woodwork, to name a few.
That’s not because Somrak sought out the
best.
It’s because the best sought out Somrak.
SOMRAK
Bob and Linda Somrak, the brother and sister duo behind the talented design team at Somrak Kitchens, refuse to sacrifice on
quality. That’s why the country’s finest cabinetmakers sought them out to represent their lines.
...combine to create extraordinary results.
“We’re not a remodeling company that
peddles cabinets,” Bob emphasizes. “We’re
a kitchen design firm that has aligned itself
with furniture grade manufacturers who
wanted a premier company with a tradition
of integrity to represent their products in the
Cleveland market. It’s
a marriage of the best
kitchen designer and
the best products.”
Every cabinet that is
installed in a Somrak
kitchen is custom built
to fit perfectly.
Linda Somrak
Bob Somrak, Jr.
But the products
aren’t the only world
class part of the
Somrak
operation,
Linda notes. Somrak’s
kitchen
designers
all are certified with
degrees in design.
“Collectively
we
have more than 200
years of experience on
our design team,” she
says.
Quality Assurance Systems
Central to the Somrak experience is the
company’s system of quality assurance
checks and balances, which virtually ensures
that nothing can go wrong.
“When you go elsewhere, you work with
one designer,” Bob notes. “When you come
to Somrak you work with a team.”
“We’re a kitchen design
firm that has aligned
itself with furniture grade
manufacturers. It’s a
marriage of the best
kitchen designer and the
best products.”
“We understand that there is so much
in the construction business that can go
wrong,” Linda adds. “With most companies,
you find out that something is wrong after
the kitchen is installed, or after the products
are delivered to your home. We have very
detailed processes in place to minimize the
chance for errors to take place.”
It starts at the design phase.
Before it begins, a Somrak designer will
consult with you to determine your precise
needs and wants—and what will work best
in your home. They will come out to view
and measure in order to make optimum use
of your space.
Central to the Somrak
experience is the
company’s system of
quality assurance checks
and balances...
“What we do differently from most other
companies is, after a plan is completed by
a designer, the rest of the team reviews it.
And before we put our stamp of approval
on it, we make sure that everything works
mathematically as well as geometrically,
and that it’s going to function properly and
meet the 41 rules of good kitchen design as
stated by the Society of Certified Kitchen
Designers,” Bob explains.
“After the plan has been approved we have
a whole department that looks at the order
and compares it against the drawings and
the contract to acknowledge that what the
factory is going to ship is exactly what was
ordered,” he continues. “When it shows up
at our dock, we unwrap everything, inspect
it, and then compare it against the drawings,
against the contract, and against the order
so that before it is shipped to the customer’s
home, everything is the way it is supposed
to be.”
That level of quality assurances, assures
Linda, “Is pretty much unheard of in our
industry.”
An Ongoing Legacy
The attention to quality was imbedded
into the family name from the time Bob
Somrak Sr. started in 1949. He began selling
complete kitchens for apartment buildings
and developments.
“The owners and developers of those
projects noticed the quality of his work and
began to hire him to do their own kitchens,”
Linda relates. “As the word spread that he
was the guy to go to for integrity in design
and customer service, he was sought out by
business and community leaders to provide
extraordinary kitchens in some of the most
elaborate homes in the area.”
After starting with impersonal apartment
kitchen sales, Bob relished the personal
Photos by Benjamin Margalit / Margalit Studio
If you think keeping the nail polish remover out of the kitchen will protect your lowergrade finish, you should know that the standard varnishes used by most cabinet
manufacturers are damaged over time by everyday acids. This won’t happen to your
Somrak kitchen.
relationships of working with homeowners.
“He enjoyed the opportunity to enhance
their lifestyles by providing a wonderful room
that they would use every day,” Linda says.
Somrak today offers turnkey, start-tofinish design and installation, or will partner
with your contractor to create your dream
kitchen.
“Our workmanship and products will add
a tremendous value to your home,” Linda
says. “And I think you will be surprised to
find out just how affordable that value can be
in the long run..”
To see how Somrak Kitchens can enhance
your lifestyle, you can stop by the company’s
gorgeous showroom located at 26201
Richmond Road, in Bedford Heights, or call
216-464-6500. Showroom hours are 8:30
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday,
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, and
evenings by appointment. Linda and Bob
Jr. invite you to stop in and look around
anytime, but suggest making an appointment
if you would like to consult with a kitchen
designer.
KITCHENS
The attention to quality began in 1949—
the year Bob Sr. began in the industry.