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Designs of Distinction® was created in 1998 as a response to the growing kitchen and bath OUR STORY
market. Until the mid-70’s, kitchens were simply utilitarian. They were often tucked in the
back of the home, often smaller than any other room in the house and built using the least
expensive materials available.

As open concept living began to appear in the 70’s (remember the Mad Men homes?),
fixtures, finishes and appliances had to become as fashionable as the furnishings. Dramatic
colors and patterns were all the rage, but the cabinets were still considered utilitarian in
nature.

In the 80’s, the Mega Mansion came into play and people realized the kitchen was an
untapped area for creative design. No longer did the home owner simply want oak cabinets
hanging in a row on their kitchen wall. They wanted accents like crown moulding, corbels,
and large kitchen islands. Cabinet manufacturers realized they needed to start offering more
than just a box, but they were not equipped to turn posts, carve corbels or produce crown
moulding.

As a supplier of components to the furniture manufacturing industry, we were in a unique
position to take an existing product line and re-invent it for the times. We started with 18
simple furniture leg styles and adapted them to the needs of the cabinet manufacturing
industry by making them wider, taller, and in higher grade materials.

Over the last 30 years, we’ve continued to develop products to meet the trends of
kitchen design. We introduced carvings in the mid-90’s to meet the demand for ornately
embellished kitchens, patented our Light Ready Light Rail® undercabinet moulding when
LED lighting became a “must have”, and recently introduced metal accents and hand
scraped shelving for industrial kitchen designs.

We continue to work on product development and hope you remain our partners as
we move through the ever-changing world of kitchen and bath design.

Kathryn Constantine

Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Designs of Distinction® by Brown Wood, Inc.

Made in America INTRO
www.brownwoodinc.com | info@brownwoodinc.com 1