Spotlight on Dovetailed Kitchens

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Jen Ramsey of SOMMA and Scott Purswell of Dovetailed Kitchens have been working together since before Portsmouth, N.H., was a press darling — well before the city was discovered by the NY Times.

“We’ve been working together for 18 years. Since ‘97,” says architectural designer Ramsey. “Our first project was a cape that we added a garage to.”

Dovetailed Kitchens’ President, Scott, brings more than 30 years of kitchen and bath design and construction experience to his team. (He became a Certified Kitchen Designer in 1991.)

To put things in perspective, Jen says, “Scott’s kids are my age.”

But the age difference seems to give the two a good work mix.

When she’s working on a project with Scott, she says, “I might propose something she may not have considered, then we go back and forth, and arrive at something we wouldn’t have thought of to achieve the ultimate design aesthetic. In one instance, Jen wanted bi-fold doors, and I wanted swing doors, and we didn’t think about that until we consulted. Throwing ideas back and forth to achieve the best outcome. That whole cycle makes for the best project.”

“I want to make sure I hear every solution and bring it to the client,” says Jen.

We’ve worked with the same team for several projects. Scott did kitchens, we did the architecture. Part of the success, is Scott knows the players of the team, so it works out well. I think that Scott brings a whole new level of service. He really cares about his clients and recommends other services so they can continue with their home improvement. It’s an experience seeing how a family begins by having slight ideas of what they want and end up with more than what they desired. Scott’s connection with interior designers, Local Winos, landscape businesses, etc.. turn out to be extremely helpful to the client. They’re coming there to have an appointment and have a white glove treatment.

The white glove treatment is definitely something to appreciate about Dovetailed Kitchens.

“People don’t think of their everyday activities, so he makes them think of that,” Jen says. “Scott guides them through their routine and connects it to the design. Other designers make the client show pictures that they like. Scott tries to figure out these things out and make it practical for the client. Follow up through the project, look at the hardware, he’s active through the entire process. It’s a full service. I would never send someone there if I didn’t think they were good. I don’t want to send them off to someone who will make them feel rushed or give bad treatment. Scott sees the project out through completion. I don’t need to ask the client about how he treated them, because they already gush about how great the experience was.”

Scott adds, “It’s more than the money. It’s cliché: This is my life, clients become friends.”

And it sounds like coworkers become friends, too. SOMMAfriends.

One last thing, SOMMA admires about Dovetailed Ktichens: Their Houzz page!

“I was just voted best of 2015 of Houzz,” Scott says. “The search engine is robust, it’s fantastic. People see me on there, they seek out active people. …”