"Back in the day," as the saying goes, the label of mom-and-pop elicited the image of a 50-something married couple (think Ozzie and Harriet); he donning an apron, she in earrings and pearls, poised to greet customers from behind a counter.

Jeff King can tell you that things have changed since then. And, with 15 years as principal of Kitchen Places in Ventura — the kitchen and bathroom remodeling company he owns with his wife, Donna — he has witnessed many of these changes, firsthand.

"Today, we have witnessed and explosion of new products, materials and concepts," reads a company brochure.

Responding responsibly to the greening trends within the trade is an ideal the Kings are already adopting. It is easy to be impressed when you enter their Market Street showroom. Besides offering Corian and CaesarStone brand countertops — which are made out of 93 percent quartz, "one of the most abundant materials," says Jeff — the company espouses the use of recycled materials of glass, wood from managed forests, and, for use in cabinetry, promotes the use of formaldehyde-free resin "great for people with allergies," said Jeff.

"People think they have to go to L.A. for this kind of stuff," said Jeff. Yet everyone involved with the production of a Kitchen Places remodel pulls their weight to ensure that when a client sees their completed remodel for the first time, the look on their face is a "happy" one, says Kelly Beckton, one of two in-house designers.

The 27-year-old soon-to-be graduate of UCLA Extension's interior design program enjoys the challenges of melding form and function to better offer a client more than just pastiche.

"I like that we didn't try to make it something it's not," said Beckton of a recent mid-century "atomic ranch" style kitchen remodel. "We didn't try to faux it up.' "

The Kitchen Places' staff understands the value of listening to a client's vision to proceed on the right path: "whatever it takes" to get there, says Jeff.

Senior designer Ronni Fryman acknowledges that satisfaction comes from knowing her design is accommodating to a client's lifestyle, which she determines from a sort of interview process to inform of a client's vision. A holistic full-color rendering inclusive of such options as for appliances, paint color and lighting is then submitted back to the client to sign off, and the remodeling process gets underway.

Proper coordination is key. Listening to Jeff explain the remodeling process is similar to listening to a director explain his concept for a theatrical production because Kitchen Places uses an extensive flow chart that details every specification in scheduling for building and installation to the exact types of nails used.

Dictating the innumerable details involved — from ordering to scheduling to installation and everything in between — is a well-balanced act that Jeff and Donna and their staff of designers and tradespeople evidently endeavor and accomplish.

"In almost 20 years, we have never had a claim against us," said Jeff.

Lying on a counter with other trade magazines is a nondescript photo album-sized book within which are laudatory vindications in the form of notes, thank-you cards, letters and e-mails from clients expressing gratitude for "a job well done."

Kitchen Places demonstrates a unique voice in the trade. "Budget, quality and schedule is the triad of kitchen remodeling," asserts Jeff, who holds both a contractor's license as well as a bachelor's degree in environmental science from UCSB.

"He always had the entrepreneurial spirit," Donna said of her husband of 4 years.

At 17, Jeff and his brother started their "King Brothers Patio Covers" business.

As for any plans for incorporating, say, exterior patio kitchens into the mix, and "truly making (the business) come full-circle" Donna said, "We'll just have to wait and see."

Visit Kitchen Places at 4125 Market Street, No. 1, in the Anacapa Business Park in Ventura. It is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Contact them at 658-0440 or via e-mail at jking@KitchenPlacesVentura.com.

EDIT:zAdvertorial:Star Homes:November:1111:VTTheme-Kitchen-a.eps

EDIT:zAdvertorial:Star Homes:November:1111:VTTheme-Kitchen-b.eps

Photos by Marie Zapien / Special to The Star

Kitchen Spaces in Ventura offers Corian and CaesarStone brand countertops in their showroom and will work to design a kitchen using form and function until the client is happy. Jeff and Donna King, below, work closely designers and tradespeople to make sure the remodel process goes smoothly.