By Clyde Noel

When people move into a new home everything isn’t always just the way they want it to be. The space may be right, but the materials and finishes may not meet their taste.

When interior designer Gina Viscusi Elson and Christopher Elson purchased the Rutt Collection on First Street in downtown Los Altos, they undertook a four-month renovation of each room before hosting a grand opening last Wednesday evening.

More than 100 visitors attended opening night. Most gravitated to the Country French working kitchen, where food demonstrations were being held. Food was also served in the other three showroom kitchens, with uniformed servers circling discreetly among the guests.

The new operation consists of two businesses under one roof: Viscusi Elson Interior Design, previously based in Napa, and Rutt of Los Altos Custom Handcrafted Cabinetry. Viscusi Elson is the lead designer and consultant for her part of the business. Elson is the project manager for Rutt of Los Altos and follows each project from the ordering phase through completion.

In today’s world, kitchens can be carbon copies of one another and counter tops and cupboards mass-produced. The difference is in the cabinets. “They bring a house to life,” Viscusi Elson said. She explained the unique styling that is available with Rutt custom handcrafted cabinetry.

“Each showroom kitchen displays a different look, ranging from Florentine style to Country French,” Viscusi Elson said. “What makes them different is the cabinetry from Rutt. The handcrafted designs are endless and can reflect your personality.”

Rutt of Los Altos - one of four Rutt business showrooms in California - is an independent operation that offers Rutt cabinetry for all rooms in the house.

Cabinets are custom-made in Goodville, Pa., and shipped to the showrooms on confirmed orders. Phares Rutt, the Amish cabinetmaker who founded the company 50 years ago, is still alive.

“We have a lot to offer, in a friendly way,” Viscusi Elson said. “We can provide custom designs for the discriminating consumer in the South Bay area. We try to focus on meeting the client’s requests.”

The entire staff of Viscusi Elson Interior Design came from Napa to Los Altos before the doors were opened. During their 10 years in Napa they serviced customers from Monterey to Tahoe.

“Quite often we finish a project in a main residence and are then asked to work on a secondary residence in Palm Desert or Pebble Beach or Maui,” Viscusi Elson said. “We are unique because we can specialize in different projects in a house. We have completed many master bedrooms, master baths and guest bathrooms for our clients.”

Viscusi Elson said that today there are different trends in kitchens. Many customers add new space to their homes to build all-new kitchens rather than remodeling existing ones. They can choose among professional cook tops that last and retain their color.

People who are discriminating about their kitchen are usually excellent cooks and like to socialize with friends. They often build additional workstations for friends to help prepare food as part of the evening’s activities.

Rutt of Los Altos does not do kitchen and room installations, but it has different contractors it recommends. And after Elson orders the cabinetry from Rutt, as business manager, he oversees the project until it is complete.