By Adriana Ermter
“Our kitchens aren’t limited to one design or shape. We play with colour, functionality and innovation,” says Kam, the founder of Luxeme Kitchens Inc. “Because we are creating the heart of your home.”
A heart that pulses with style, quality craftsmanship and purpose, not to mention custom cabinetry and woodwork — it’s the modus operandi behind the high-end kitchen and home design company Kam launched in 2011. With a headquarters in Vaughan, Ont., and a showroom inside 7250 Keele Street’s Improve Canada Home Improvement Centre, there is no stopping this thriving company from continuing to grow, while creating masterpieces and pushing boundaries.
“OUR KITCHENS AREN’T LIMITED TO ONE DESIGN OR SHAPE. WE PLAY WITH COLOUR, FUNCTIONALITY AND INNOVATION, BECAUSE WE ARE CREATING THE HEART OF YOUR HOME.”
“I always wanted to be in the design field and create real pieces for the home,” says Kam. “I had the education, I’m an engineer and a designer, and then I got the experience doing what I love back home before everything came full circle in Canada.”
Back home is Iran, where Kam was born and raised and honed his skills by learning the artistry of European design. His move to Toronto 20 years ago landed him right where he belonged — inside the North American interior design industry working for a major kitchen supplier. As equally intrigued with Canada’s use of the imperial system with its inches, feet and pounds as he was with Canadians’ penchant for traditional style homes with their corbels, dark woods and appliques, Kam watched, learned and adapted. Applying his personal mantra that everything is an opportunity for growth, he fuelled himself with design ideas and techniques, exceptional standards and a vision for his future by following the rules created by the topnotch manufacturers he did business with. “I knew I could be more than who I was and that I could be more creative than what I was seeing,” Kam explains. “But I wanted to learn the rules first, because then I could break them. I don’t want to duplicate someone else’s style and I never want to repeat my own.”
So, he doesn’t, and he hasn’t. This refusal of conformity is evident in everything he and his team create. From sleek fluted and trend-worthy reeded cabinetry in bathrooms to exquisite millwork throughout entire homes and multi-tiered built-in wine cellars in basements, Luxeme’s capabilities extend far beyond kitchens. As they should, the company’s 32 staff — four in-house kitchen designers and a plethora of the best carpenters, CNC operators, painters and more — embrace Kam’s corporate culture where quality of work, respect for customers and a bold approach to design reign.
“No challenge is too big for us,” Kam affirms. “You can find 10,000 cabinet makers in town who can do the job, but we listen and we collaborate with our clients. We bring what they expect to the table: harmony and balance in our relationships and in our beautiful designs.”