“Be patient; it’s probably not as difficult a decision as you think it is.”

Jeremy McBee is the owner of Wood Stone Floor to Ceiling, the premier source for interior home needs in Columbia, Mo. Since 2008, Wood Stone has specialized in granite and quartz countertops, as well as carpet, tile, hardwood, cabinetry, sinks, and faucets. With a Creative Granite facility, Wood Stone fabricates all of their countertops in-house so customers never have to worry about a middleman.

MO: How did you get into the interior home construction business?

Jeremy: In 2004, I helped run a business that manufactured granite countertops, and we did that for 4 ½ years. Then, I started our showroom; we needed a place to sell our countertops from. We then added all of the other flooring, cabinets, tile, backsplashes, and whatnot. At the same time, I started my own granite business, so we now manufacture countertops, and we sell everything out of the showroom. It’s an all-in-one business.

MO: Wood Stone fabricates countertops and sells them directly to the customer. Why should people look into buying directly from the source with any project they are working on?

Jeremy: Well, with what we do, you have a greater amount of control when it comes to picking out the materials you want to use for your countertops. Throughout the whole process, you have oversight of how the slabs are laid out, which pieces you want to use, and the design. You have more control than you would if you were going through somebody who was buying it from a manufacturer, who then also had that person in the middle trying to express your ideas to a third party. It’s just easier and you’re more involved in the process — and, honestly, you’re probably able to get a better price.

MO: What is the most creative thing you have ever done?

Jeremy: We did a building in Kansas City that contained the first-ever indoor auto showroom. It’s called the Greenlease Cadillac Building, located in downtown Kansas City. There was a bunch of marble that the walls were originally clad with, and they turned this building into Abram condos; then, they installed a huge workout facility. In the bottom part, which was the main level where the old Cadillac dealership was, we took all of this 100-year-old marble and turned it into countertops and some different surfaces in the gym and the bathroom, so that was pretty awesome.

MO: Do you like being creative on a project or do you prefer when the client tells you exactly what he wants done?

Jeremy: We do a lot of the same stuff every day, working on somebody’s kitchen or someone’s bathroom, using the same colors. We’re happy to do that, but it’s always fun when we get to step outside the box and do something a little different.

MO: What inspires you when you are helping someone pick out countertops, carpet, tile, etc., for his home?

Jeremy: We’ve had a couple of situations in which people have found pieces of granite that we had laying around that were pretty unique, and we’ve found ways to mount them on the walls as pieces of art. I see color well, and I’m pretty in tune with what people want, whether it’s something abstract and crazy or just a normal look. We are there to meet whatever need, whether it’s a high-end upgrade or a mere replacement.

MO: What is some advice you can offer people who are looking into remodeling the insides of their homes?

Jeremy: Be patient; it’s probably not as difficult a decision as you think it is. You simply need to gather some ideas and come in, and we can design around whatever you want to change or update. We will try to make it easy. I would say that’s the main thing: Don’t make it harder than it is. A good designer or firm will listen to exactly what it is that you need, and then go from there.