Family influence leads to successful career
Though Jason Vanderhovel graduated from undergraduate school with a degree in business, his exposure to the design industry, particularly kitchen design, started when he was just a child. His mother has been a kitchen designer for decades, and after graduating from college he inevitably found his way back to what he had been exposed to his entire life – design.
Vanderhovel’s mother wanted to start her own design firm, so he decided to give her the help she needed. Vanderhovel started off as an assistant, but after a couple of years began designing spaces himself, continuously evolving and learning, mostly teaching himself new concepts. Starting from the bottom and working his way up gave him a well-rounded and realistic view of the installation process as well as the design process, enabling him to work more harmoniously with installers and other job site professionals. He was followed into the family business a few years later by his brother, Nicholas Vanderhovel (also a KBDN Innovators alum).
Vanderhovel helped his family grow their business into a large showroom. Dream Kitchens in Brighton, MI, where Vanderhovel is vice president and principal designer, employs eight designers. Vanderhovel handles most of the firm’s higher-end business.
