Kidd's Home Hardware opened at its current Sundridge location on December 6, 1990, as a 2,400-square-foot hardware store. A lot has changed since then. Today, it has 19,000 square feet of retail space, plus eight acres of lumber yards outside. The village is on the north shore of Lake Bernard, close to Highway 11, and homeowners and contractors from around the Almaguin Highlands shop there. The owners are fairly new, though many of the staff have worked at the store for years.The store also handles kitchen and bath planning. Through its Northern Ontario kitchen and bath design service, customers get help with a full remodel or a smaller update to a cottage kitchen. Cabinets can be custom or ready-to-assemble, and countertops come in stone or laminate. Floor tile, faucets, and cabinet hardware are also available. One cabinet supplier the store works with makes everything in Barrie, Ontario, from Canadian-sourced materials. If a layout gets drawn before anyone checks appliance sizes, the cabinets may need trimming later, or the new fridge may not fit the space left for it. Staff plans the two side-by-side to avoid that problem.
"Most people walk in knowing what kind of kitchen they want," said a spokesperson for Kidd's Home Hardware. "Our part is turning that into a plan that works for their house and fits what they want to spend. We look at the cabinets and the appliances together from the first visit, because it saves people time and a few extra trips. What I enjoy most is when a family comes back to tell us how much they like cooking in their new kitchen."
The appliance department stocks washers, refrigerators, freezers, and cooking appliances. Brands include Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire and LG. Staff goes through how models differ in energy use and capacity before a customer decides. A household watching its hydro bill might lean toward an ENERGY STAR qualified model. A family of six might care more about a washer that handles several loads a day. Freezers are among the items in the store's sale events.
About Kidd's Home Hardware
Kidd's Home Hardware is a home hardware dealer supplying houses and cottages with home improvement products and services. It stocks lumber, roofing, siding, windows and doors, and plumbing and electrical supplies, along with power tools and Beautitone paints. Wood stoves and chimneys have their own department. So do Northern Ontario large appliances and kitchen and bath design, along with home décor, barbecues and backyard project materials. The store also has a garden centre, plus toys, camping equipment, fishing and hunting gear, and maple syrup production supplies. Anyone planning a new home or cottage can order Beaver Homes and Cottages material packages, and Home Installs covers installation work. For more information, visit kiddshomehardware.ca.