Closet Design

Owner Nate Van Valkenburg also owns two other of the leading national franchise network’s home service brands and plans to continue his success with the kitchen, bath and closet design center

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Designery, an immersive, full-service kitchen, bath and closet design center featuring high-quality cabinets, will celebrate its newest location in Charleston, South Carolina, with a grand opening on April 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the design center’s new location at 1217 Remount Road.

The Designery Charleston is owned by Nate Van Valkenburg, who also owns a Window Hero and Yard Patrol Pros in the area. All three brands are franchised by HomeFront Brands, a family of companies that hold an increasing number of emerging residential and light commercial property service franchised brands. The grand opening will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. with the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, and beer, wine and charcuterie will be available during the event.

“It’s an honor to open my third HomeFront Brands franchise in the Charleston area,” Van Valkenburg said. “The training, support and guidance I’ve received from HomeFront Brands has enabled me to continue providing homeowners with the services they need to improve their property and enjoy their homes and gardens. I consider myself lucky to be a member of the HomeFront Brands family and expect that The Designery will meet with the same success I’ve had with Window Hero and Yard Patrol Pros.”

In November, Van Valkenburg was awarded HomeFront Brands’ Top Producer of the Year at the franchisor’s annual convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. This award is presented to the franchisee who shows unwavering dedication to success and an unmatched ability to drive revenue.

Van Valkenburg attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and worked in the exterior cleaning business for several years before starting his own business. He and his wife, Ali, live in Charleston with their daughter.

The Designery Charleston serves residents in Folly Beach, Goose Creek, Hanahan, Isle of Palms, James Island, Kiawah Island, Ladson, Lincolnville, North Charleston, Sangaree, Seabrook Island, Sullivan’s Island and Summerville, South Carolina.

The Designery’s in-house design expertise and extensive selection of products, including more than 100 cabinet styles, provide advantages to both homeowners and contractors. Its showrooms provide the ideal setting for personal design consultation, material and finish selection, and a virtual reality design view.

For more information about The Designery Charleston please visit https://thedesignery.com/locations/charleston/.

Local owners Dana and Anne-Louise Merrill will kick off their showroom’s grand opening on April 25

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Designery, an immersive, full-service kitchen, bath and closet design center featuring high-quality cabinets, countertops and flooring, will celebrate the grand opening of its newest location in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday, April 25.

The Designery North Raleigh owners Dana and Anne-Louise Merrill say they look forward to providing Raleigh homeowners with the design tools they need to make their homes beautiful, comfortable and useful.

“I always look for a trusted partner when I need service for my home or my car,” Dana Merrill said. “I’ve been going to the same automobile repair shop for 16 years, and I call the same plumber I’ve used for years when I need a plumbing repair. We want to be that trusted partner that people in the Raleigh area use when they want to reimagine their space.”

Anne-Louise Merrill said that building relationships is as important to her as providing reliable service.

“In addition to being the go-to design experts for kitchen, bathroom and closet remodeling, we also want to get to know our clients so we can serve them better,” she said. “We want to build a family business that is trusted and known in our community.”

The Merrills location will truly be a family affair with the addition of their son, True Merrill, as the location’s project manager. The Merrills have been married for 30 years and have eight children and four grandchildren.

The couple is originally from New England but has called Raleigh home for the past 17 years.

Dana Merrill worked as the director of portfolio management, vendor manager and software development director for MetLife for nine years. He also worked as a project manager for Fidelity Investments and Veritude. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music, voice and theater from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, and attended a full-stack web development boot camp at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Anne-Louise Merrill home-schooled the couple’s children and has a degree in piano pedagogy from Plymouth State University.

The Merrills began offering their redesigning services to the Raleigh community late last summer but welcome the opening of their permanent showroom at 3030 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, North Carolina.

The couple were the recipients of the Downtown Raleigh Home Show’s new exhibitor Best in Show award in January, and they won HomeFront Brands’ CARES Award at the company’s franchisee convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, in November.

The Designery North Raleigh serves residents in Cary, Morrisville, New Light, Raleigh, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon. It is the third location in North Carolina, with additional showrooms in South Charlotte, Lake Norman and Concord, North Carolina.

The Designery’s in-house design expertise and extensive selection of products, including more than 100 cabinet styles, provide advantages to both homeowners and contractors. Its showrooms provide the ideal setting for personal design consultation, material and finish selection, and a virtual reality design view.

For more information about The Designery North Raleigh please visit https://thedesignery.com/locations/north-raleigh/.

The owners will be on hand at the Charlotte Home & Remodeling Show Feb. 23-25 to introduce themselves and their new offering to the community

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Designery, an immersive, full-service kitchen, bath and closet design center featuring high-quality cabinets, countertops and flooring, will showcase a new Charlotte, North Carolina location coming soon with an appearance at the Charlotte Home & Remodeling Show at the Park Expo and Conference Center Feb. 23-25.

Owners Tim Gunnels and Craig Ausrud believe Charlotte’s strong home construction and renovation market will be welcoming to the turn-key installation, demolition services and interactive design features The Designery offers. The Designery South Charlotte team will be at Booth 934 at the home show.

“Charlotte has a lot to offer,” Gunnels said. “The city has a healthy lifestyle, it’s a safe city and there are a lot of things to do in the area. That makes it attractive for continued growth, but sometimes people can feel overwhelmed when they start a home remodeling project. We believe The Designery’s use of virtual reality and quality products helps to take some of the mystery and fear out of the design process.”

Ausrud added that The Designery’s consultation model and visualization technology aligns perfectly with his and Gunnels’ professional backgrounds.

“We discovered The Designery while searching for a franchise opportunity and felt the business model suited our backgrounds and entrepreneurial spirit,” Ausrud said. “Once we met the people at the parent company, HomeFront Brands, we knew we had found the right business for us.”

Both Gunnels and Ausrud have experience in design and management. Gunnels has a mechanical engineering degree from Louisiana Tech University and a masters in engineering management from Christian Brothers University in Memphis. Ausrud has a degree in mechanical design from Western Technical College in La Crosse, Wisconsin and has been trained in business management and lean manufacturing.

The Designery’s in-house design expertise and extensive selection of products, including more than 100 cabinet styles, provide advantages to both homeowners and contractors. Its showrooms provide the ideal setting for personal design consultation, material and finish selection, and a virtual reality design view.

For more information about The Designery South Charlotte, please visit https://thedesignery.com/locations/south-charlotte/.

HomeFront Brands presented Dana and Anne-Louise Merrill with the prestigious award for their dedication to the North Carolina communities they serve

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Designery North Raleigh’s owners Dana and Anne-Louise Merrill were presented with the prestigious CARES Award at HomeFront Brands’ inaugural franchisee convention earlier this month for the couple’s commitment to the franchisor’s values.

The CARES Award, named for the company’s core values of community, accountability, respect, excellence and service, is given to a HomeFront Brand’s franchisee that has captured the admiration of the company’s other franchisees. The award winner is determined by a vote of the franchisee community at the company’s Homecoming Convention held at its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Dana and Anne-Louise have not only won the approval of their fellow franchisees, they also personify the very essence of our value system,” said HomeFront Brands Chairman and CEO Jeff Dudan. “Since HomeFront Brands’ inception in 2022, we have seen an explosive expansion, and franchisees like the Merrills have been the driving force behind our remarkable success. They are a shining example of dedication and hard work.”

HomeFront Brands presented a CARES Award to a franchise owner from four of its most prolific brands, including The Designery, Top Rail Fence, Window Hero and Temporary Wall Systems.

“It’s such an honor to be chosen as The Designery’s CARES Award recipient by a vote of our peers,” Dana Merrill said. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to receive this award. Our aim has always been to create  beautiful living spaces that transform houses into homes for North Raleigh residents. The recognition of this achievement by our fellow franchise owners is truly humbling.”

The Merrills have been providing service to the area for several months but will host a grand opening of their new showroom in 2024.

“It’s been a remarkable journey,” Anne-Louise Merrill said. “We’re thrilled to be a member of the HomeFront Brands family and can’t wait to reach more potential clients with the opening of our new Designery showroom in March.”

The Merrills own and operate their Designery location themselves, and the couple’s son, True Merrill, works as the company’s project manager and designer. Dana Merrill spent his professional life as a project and portfolio manager for such Fortune 500 companies as Fidelity Investments and MetLife before investing in his own business.

To learn more about The Designery North Raleigh, please visit https://thedesignery.com/locations/north-raleigh/.