Cooking up Quality: Susan Rocco

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, and no one understands that sentiment better than Susan Rocco, President of The Kitchenworks. With an eye for exquisite design, Susan and her husband Armand have helped customers design the kitchens of their dreams for the past 25 years.

The company is best known for its namesake, but The Kitchenworks also designs and builds custom bathrooms, bars and entertainment centers. “We love to go shopping with clients,” Rocco says. “When they hire us, we try to steer them on the right path. We love to be creative and we try to throw out good ideas.” Rocco enjoys incorporating trends while keeping an eye on timeless design that “won’t look dated in 15 years.” While The Kitchenworks design team has moved toward the sleek, streamlined look that has become increasingly popular, she works to give it the laid-back South Florida style by implementing cozy touches in what she dubs “classic, warm contemporary.”

To build these dream kitchens, The Kitchenworks calls on Dutch Made, an American custom cabinetry company with Amish heritage, but cutting-edge technology and techniques, for her most high-end jobs. “We have a great relationship,” Rocco says of the 24 years she’s done business with the company. “Because [the work] is done in a big, beautiful factory, you get that perfect finish that’s got a great warranty. They do it to a science; every dot and tittle is perfect.” The Kitchenworks has a unique and extensive showroom, boasting full-scale model kitchens with working top-grade appliances by Miele, Viking, Sub-Zero and Electrolux that customers can try in the showroom before they buy.

There is also a vast array of tile, granite, quartzite and door samples for clients to peruse. If one of those isn’t just right, The Kitchenworks team can create custom colors and finishes to turn the picture in the client’s imagination into reality. The company is well-known for superb customer service; clients receive one-on-one support from staff members, with appointments often lasting up to three hours if they choose. “We want to make it beautiful,” Rocco says of each project. “We want something that shows the personal touches, which is what I think makes a house a home.”