Countertops have never been more affordable

The notion that only wealthy homeowners and business leaders have stylish stone countertops and engraved wooden cabinets is a thing of the past.

AllCountertops of Louisiana offers chic home and business décor to fit any budget, says owners Sandra Hebert and Dean Dupre.

The business sells and installs stone cabinets, wooden countertops and amenities in a variety of products that include: MURO backsplashes, SenSa granite, ECO, Silestone, Cambria, Corian, Soap Stone, Vetrazo, high-definition laminate and other specialty granites.

Hebert said the appearance of the stone and laminate countertops and shower stalls and the wooden cabinets enhance the look of any business or home setting.

“You can get as extravagant as you want,” she said. “Our cabinet line starts with a very modern one and go from basic to elegant. The old wood cabinet line is moderately priced because it has a limited selection. But you can select one with the different amenities. You can do all kinds of things with it.”

The renovation process, Hebert said, begins with pictures and measurements of the area to be renovated. Then, the style and color that would best suit the home or business is discussed.

“A lot of business are renovating to be more appealing to customers, and many homeowners are opting to modernize their current homes instead of buying new ones,” Hebert said.

Dupre said 80 percent of their work is countertop-related, with cabinetwork a close second.

With that, there is no competitive turmoil for AllCountertops of Louisiana. He said the business has a working relationship with other renovation businesses in the area to offer its residents the best projects available.

“We don’t do a lot of fixture replacing,” he said. “But we have a good relationship with other companies that do. We all work together. The market is big enough for us all to survive.”

AllCountertops of Louisiana’s concept of servicing the area’s residential and commercial countertop and cabinet renovation needs has existed for some time.

The couple spent 18 months as part of a larger company in New Orleans, and another 18 months as sole business owners in a small building on Lafayette Street in Houma. It was not until 2008 that they decided to open their own showroom.

When asked about their sudden interest in the home and business renovation industry, Hebert said Dupre has been a trade carpenter and electrician for more than 25 years. He also dabbled in building cabinets.

“It was a perfect fit,” she said.

Dupre, on the other hand, gives another explanation – wanting to leave the oilfield industry for the second time.

“I was spending more time in a helicopter heading to the offshore sites and platforms to repair or install generators than I was at home,” he said. “So, I decided to take my hobby of performing electrical work for residential and commercial needs, along with building cabinets, and make a living out of it.

“Ultimately, it keeps me home,” Dupre added. “We are invested in this business so much so that this is the first time that we have gone this far into building a place where we have a showroom and can deal with the public on a daily basis.”

Sandra Hebert, co-owner of All Countertops of Louisiana on Enterprise Drive in Houma, offers stylish stone and laminate countertops and wooden cabinet designs to renovate the home or business that will match any budget. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN