Meredith Fuller

Getting to Know Meredith

Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from, family, hobbies, anything you’d like to share?

I am originally from rural Southern Illinois, attended Union University in Jackson, TN and stayed in Jackson after graduation. My husband Jeff and I will celebrate our 20th anniversary this year and have a 2 1/2 year old son. We enjoy lake life, boating, the beach, Memphis Grizzlies games and are actively involved at our church – Englewood.

How long have you been a designer? How long have you been designing with Mantra?

We started building houses in 2008. I started drawing cabinet designs on graph paper for local custom shops to build. My designs got better as we went, and the local shops started up charging on the back end – we were young and couldn’t stomach surprises like that. Especially when it was past the point we could communicate with the customer. This eventually pushed me into becoming a dealer/designer with StarMark Cabinetry in 2013 – purely out of necessity for our business. It has just been in recent years, I started designing with Mantra.

What are some of your favorite features of Mantra?

My favorite feature of Mantra is the lead time! It was why I initially picked up the line post-Covid. I have been pleased with the quality for the price point and I love that soft close and dove-tailed drawer boxes are standard.

Signature Design Style

Tell me about this design. What was the customer looking for? Were there any obstacles you had to overcome?

This design was for a high-end spec home. Typically, we sell our homes before completion. This time we completed it prior to allowing customers to look. We stuck a flimsy sign in the yard ahead of listing it and the first customer that looked bought it. The design challenge with this kitchen was achieving a high-end look befitting a nearly seven-figure home while working within a streamlined selection of SKUs and no modifications. Another challenge came when we went to install the fridge – the manufacturer changed the refrigerator’s overall height that year. I had spec’d it out with the previous year’s model that was 3 inches shorter and no longer available when it came time to order appliances. Thankfully we have an amazing installer that was able to work a miracle and the fridge fit perfectly.

We love your attention to detail! Can you tell us how you created the trim accent between the wall cabinets?

We took 3” x 96” filler and cut down to use as the trim between cabinets. The finished end of the filler is what shows. This allowed us to come out flush with cabinet doors.

Would you mind sharing which inserts you used in the wall cabinets in the serving area?

Those cabinets were cut-for-glass cabinets. I had my installer cut skins to the size of a glass insert. Then, I had them wallpapered with Seabrook Designs NA205 Java Grass Metallic Silver Wallpaper.

We noticed your desire to add floating shelves. You beat us to the punch as Mantra just introduced Floating Shelves in all finishes!

Yes, floating shelves add contrast and give easy access to items. In this case, the shelves were stained to match the trim I used to edge the hood, which was framed by my installer and then Venetian plastered. If I completed this design now, I would have used Mantra’s new Beachwood Floating Shelves and mitered a 6” filler to achieve a similar look!

Tips, Tricks, and Challenges

What are some of the biggest design challenges you have faced?

Without a doubt, budget! When I started as a dealer, we had no margin for error. We had no budget for mistakes, but also couldn’t afford to skimp on style. It’s always a balancing act to accomplish the design that the customer can’t live without, while keeping the budget in check. Most buyers don’t have unlimited budgets and even when they do, I try to get creative to manage the design vs. cost responsibly.

 Do you have any final design tips or tricks that you’d like to share?

• Get a really good installer! It took me 8-9 years before I found a keeper.
• Always, always include a pull-out trash can.
• Try to give 3’ on each side of the range and plenty of counter space by the sink.
• Consider adding storage to the back of islands as often times you can do this for close to the price of a paneled back.
• On a two tone kitchen, I like to go darker on bottom. It ages better. Kids kick their feet at the bar, food will drip, etc. While white cabinets can be cleaned, they tend to get dingy looking much quicker.
• Get creative! Even though Mantra has limited SKUs, you can design any project in this line.

Find the look you want and make it happen – especially when you don’t see it in the spec book. Because I was able to design this kitchen with Mantra, we were able to use the extra budget on nicer appliances, countertops, backsplash and additional cabinets in other areas of the home!

Congratulations, Meredith! We appreciate your creativity when designing with Mantra and are thankful you took the time to submit your design to us! We loved hearing your story and hope it inspires our readers as well!