Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 3, 2010

16

Homes & Property

 MountainViews-News Saturday, July 3, 2010 

One Of A Kind: Featuring unique homes & gardens and the people who create them Story and Photos By Chris Bertrand


Hip Kitchens You Won’t See At Grandma’s House: ALNO & More - Pasadena European Kitchens


Sierra Madre, CA Fred Crockett 
of ALNO Pasadena European Kitchens 
is delighted American kitchen designers 
and consumers have so heartily 
embraced his fresh, high style kitchens, 
imported directly from European 
manufacturers.

Instead of replicating the corbels, 
curlicues and poor drawer glides of 
Grandma’s twenty to fifty year old 
kitchen, “Germany and Italy are 
producing extremely energy efficient appliances and green-
processed, highly durable cabinetry in sleek, elegant and very cost 
effective packages,” comments Crockett.

He just returned from Milan’s Eurocucina, worldwide kitchen 
furniture show, where Crockett carefully evaluated the 145 
participating manufacturers for their applicability to the American 
market. After reviewing his research, Crockett expanded his lineup 
of high quality German and Italian cabinetry and appliance makers 
like ALNO and Liebherr with Italian Lineaquattro and Germany’s 
Leicht, with more to come.

Crockett reflects, “After talking with European manufacturers, 
I found that most companies use distribution groups to sell their 
kitchens in the USA, traditionally incorporating a three to four layer 
markup system. By the time the consumer writes a check buying a 
cabinet, that $500 product was marked up 
first by the importer to $1000, then again by 
the distributor and maybe a dealer, too, to an 
unaffordable $1500-$2000.”

Crockett decided to do something about it 
and now deals “factory direct” eliminating 
the middle men and multiple markups, 
delivering premium European kitchens, 
custom entry and interior doors and more at 
near home center prices. 

European manufacturers that Crockett’s 
carefully chosen for his lineup are fully 
templated to American appliance sizing, 
so dropping in a Thermador or Wolf stove 
or other American sized appliance is no 
problem.

Many of the European appliances have 
developed very different energy efficiency 
and high quality technologies, shooting them 
ahead of the traditional US appliance choices 
over the last couple of decades. Concepts 
like “water wall” humidity maintenance 
to preserve freshness, continuous running 
compressor fans that don’t attract pet hair and 
dust for greater efficiency over cycling compressors, stainless steel 
drawers like Leicht’s, unbelievably sleek and innovative cooktops, 
stylish architectural venting, amazing lighting and more.

Every order is a custom order at these companies, so precise 
measurement maximizes storage space, eliminates cabinet 
spacers and bulky side mechanisms for drawers, both big space 
wasters in a kitchen.

Our builders and developers with projects like Astani’s 
sold-out, 77 unit Concerto high-rise near LA Live, love our 
products. They can deliver sleek green kitchens without that 
cookie cutter look at an aggressive price point and efficient 
delivery turnaround. Astani was so pleased, they asked us to 
work with them again, this time for the 241 unit tower and 
thirty penthouses in the landmark downtown project at 9th and 
Figueroa.

Part of the cost savings come from what’s already included 
in the price of our kitchen cabinets versus a home center or a 
custom cabinetmaker’s product. First, handles and Blum self 
closing drawer and cabinet mechanisms are all included; big 
dollars in pricing a kitchen order. Next, they’re factory finished 
in any of 10,000 color choices on many different woods. Order 
custom cabinets from your local carpenter and you’ll receive 
unfinished cabinets that require lacquering in your home, 
releasing all those worrisome chemicals into your air, with off 
gassing later. 

Europe’s tough lacquer and sealer specifications require 
near zero formaldehyde emissions. Their penetrating cold 
processing methods, which dry at room temperatures instead 
of in heated booths, apply finishes with much lower chemical 
off gassing AND higher durability and water resistance. 

California’s low-VOC wood finishes and paints have really 
reduced the water-resistance of kitchen and bath cabinetry, 
often requiring refinishing after just a year or two adjacent 
to a kitchen sink or dishwasher “We left a wet glass on one of our 
European finished cabinets for hours, with no impact on the finish 
at all,” Crockett proudly stated. 

“I feel I’ve really hit on something. I was actually startled to find that 
my blog at Kitchen Hip has thousands of followers, as Americans 
are searching for a new kitchen profile to call their own. I have 
consumers, builders and developers regularly showing up from 40-
50 miles away in the Palisades or Newport Beach for our cabinets, 
appliances and design/oversight services.”

“Since our services can extend from initial consultation to final 
installation,” comments Crockett, “our builders, developers and 
individual homeowners are able to focus and concentrate their 
efforts on other aspects of construction knowing that their kitchens, 
appliances, counter tops and counter lighting are in good hands, a 
win-win.”

ALNO Pasadena is located in Sierra Madre at 70 E Montecito Ave. 
For more information, visit their website at www.ALNOpasadena.
com or call 626-355-7500. 

Chris Bertrand


Fred Crockett and a Liebherr Refrigerator

Cutting edge and highly efficient cook tops


SIERRA MADRE’S FARMERS MARKET

Wednesdays - 4-7pm

Fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits from California family farms. 

Specialty foods, vegetarian and vegan dishes, ethnic foods and hot food - Everything you’ll find at the 
farmers market has been made or picked fresh, is pesticide-free and preservative-free. 

Free public parking on Mariposa.