Designer Connection - April 2022
BKBG’s Designer Connection is written exclusively to benefit members of the BKBG Designer Alliance. Each month, Connection will profile a member of the Alliance, offer product and trend updates and share professional development opportunities. Most importantly, Connection is another tool to bring the BKBG design community together, to share best and successful practices and to enable you to build your network of peers who face the same challenges and opportunities that you must address daily. We welcome your comments, input and suggestions for improvement. Post your comments on the Design Alliance TEAMS platform or send them to BKBG Director of Membership and Engagement Jennifer Swenson.
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BKBG-NKBA Badge Program: An Offer You Can't Refuse |
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BKBG has partnered with NKBA to offer Designer Alliance members continuing professional development and skill set enhancement opportunities through the NKBA Specialty Badge Program.
Specialty Badges are the NKBA’s latest concept in professional development. This new micro-credentialing program is a form of personalized learning that recognizes and displays the acquired knowledge of our members across all segments of the kitchen and bath industry. It affords our members the ability to stay current with the latest information in this ever-changing industry.
BKBG is offering 50 badges at a discounted price of $65/badge. Any designer who is a member of both BKBG Designer Alliance and NKBA, can take advantage of this professional development opportunity.
Once registered, you will receive a number of emails from NKBA including the study guide for your course. You will have 90 days to complete the exam and will then be eligible to register for an additional course while supplies last. You will receive a Specialty Badge Certificate upon passing the exam.
The courses will go fast so please register today.
Drive personal and professional success by expanding your knowledge base.Click here to learn more.
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What's Trending in Today's Kitchen Design
The global pandemic redefined how most Americans work, entertain, exercise, relax and live. As a result, home remodeling skyrocketed. Angi’s, The Economy of Everything Home Report, found that Americans spent a record-breaking $379.9 billion in 2021 on home improvements. The spending reflects a paradigm shift in how Americans view their home and invest in it. According to Angi’s chief economist Mischa Fisher, “Pre-pandemic, people were motivated to work on their homes for a return on investment or other financial incentives. Now, they’re prioritizing projects that help their homes better suit their new normal,” which includes a focus on enjoyment, functionality and lifestyle.
Homeowners want their living spaces to reflect their personalities and individual tastes. That’s one of the reasons cited by the Plan Collection that many showroom customers are moving away from the all-white kitchen cabinets and countertops. The Plan Collection’s designers have experienced an uptick in painted or wood cabinets with warm and neutrals hues and countertops that combine materials such as granite with hardwood for a kitchen island. Another trend is moving away from sharp edges to curved surfaces and more arched openings, barrel vault ceilings and curvy furniture. Arches are expected to gain in popularity for outside windows, doors and openings and ceilings for porches or decks and curved walkways leading to and from the home.
Incorporating natural elements indoors will continue to trend upward instead of simply mimicking colors found outside, according to the Plan Collection. “Expect to see a great use of local organic materials while maximizing sunlight, fresh air, plants and other natural materials within the home,” the company said. Their design experts added homeowners will look for more “place-based relationships between homes and the distinctive geographical and ecological features surrounding the home.”
Homeowners will move away from minimalist designs to embrace maximalism exemplified by an ornate English manor or Bohemian cottage as expressions of their personality. Neutral, subtle colors and warm tones will continue to trend in 2022 with the exception of black accents that are expected to be popular on interior and exterior window frames, black lacquered entry doors and either shiny or matte black appliances.”
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Designer Spotlight: Michelle Bortolotto, Cabinet S-Top, Medina, OH
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The Connection Spotlight will provide a profile every month of a BKBG Designer Alliance Member to share their stories, talents and career accomplishments. If you would like to be profiled for an upcoming issue of Connection, contact Jennifer Swenson.
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How does an international banker pivot and become an award-winning kitchen and bath designer? The answer is easy. The passion for design “is inside of you,” relates Michelle Bortolotto of Cabinet S-Top in Medina, OH (outside of Cleveland). From an early age, Michelle was fascinated by design. “I was always rearranging the furniture in my bedroom. I was always interested in drawing and art and was constantly intrigued by nature and natural elements and the effect of color and light,” Michelle related.
It took several years for Michelle to find her true calling. She started her professional career in banking, advancing through the ranks until she was responsible for a group of employees involved in international banking, foreign currency and import and export shipping. In was in the banking world that Michelle met her husband. When they started a family, Michelle decided that she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, a decision that she has never regretted. “I loved that part of my life,” Michelle said. When her children started school, she decided to study design at the same time.
Michelle's second career began with a small interior design firm that was primarily involved with soft goods, furnishings, and accessories. She knew that her passion was to get into kitchen and bath design and that opportunity presented itself because of a freak accident. One day she received a call from one her children who informed her, “Hey mom, it’s raining in the kitchen.” A supply line in the bathroom was the culprit. Michelle called Cabinet S-Top to oversee the repairs and at the same time modify her kitchen. Shortly thereafter, Michelle moved from customer to team member.
Her first project at Cabinet S-Top was a bathroom remodel that she worked on with the company’s general manager Betty Nairn. Since that initial project, Betty has served as a mentor, inspiration and role model. “Betty is always there for us. She is incredibly talented and always willing to be a sounding board for new ideas or approaches.”
Michelle derives a great deal of professional and personal satisfaction from being able to transform an existing space that enables her clients to realize their vision and goals. Cabinet S-Top uses a five-step design process that keeps their customers engaged and excited. Step one is to invite customers to the showroom for a complimentary consultation to better understand design direction, scope of the project and budget, which Michelle acknowledges is always important to set expectations and “determine if we are a good fit.”
The next phases involve measuring, material selection, design review and then contracting for services and obtaining the initial deposit. Once the contract is signed, Cabinet S-Top performs a final measurement before anything is ordered.
Michelle understands that some customers may not know what they want or may not be able to effectively articulate what they want. She views her role as part educator and part curator to help her customers and present design elements, ideas and products that homeowners may not have previously considered. This process transforms Michelle from designer or salesperson to trusted advisor. “Our motto is to simplify remodeling,” she explained.
Michelle’s favorite customers are the ones she is presently working with. “Every customer is different,” she expresses. “We just completed a white shaker kitchen that turned out to be fabulous. We removed soffits to allow for the kitchen to flow into the living area and changed the dining area to provide a more cohesive look. She also saw the need to reconfigure the island in the long and narrow kitchen that made a huge difference.
Michelle believes that technology will continue to transform kitchen design and recognizes that she needs to keep her fingers on the pulse of design trends. “White kitchens will never go out of style,” she says. “However, we are moving away from grays to browns and stained cabinets are making a comeback in our market.” She also noted that the pandemic has changed the nature and functionality of kitchens that have become more than places to prepare family meals.
Michelle noted that Cabinet S-Top have received several NARI Contractor of the Year Awards in different design categories, including multiple first place honors for kitchen and bath designs. “It’s professionally rewarding to be recognized by our industry, but to receive testimonials from customers singing your praises is the ultimate compliment. It makes the statement to a job well done and that you have contributed to your customers’ happiness.”
When Michelle is not designing award-winning kitchens and baths, she likes to travel and spend time outdoors. When not traveling, she is likely to be riding her bike with her husband.
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Successful Practices Shared: Peer-to-Peer Calls |
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A Designer A Designer Alliance Peer Group Call was held on March 16, 2022. The main topics of discussion were:
- How to align what the customer wants with their budget
- Dealing with clients who continually change their minds
- Dealing with client expectations vs. reality
Call highlights:
- Listening is key for the first meeting. Identifying customers’ challenges at the beginning will help you design the right layout for your customers.
- Knowing your product and price points is essential in providing options to fit every budget.
- Determine an average cabinet price to quickly estimate the complete project cost. Some designers start with $1,000/cabinet for stock cabinetry, $2,000 for semi-custom cabinetry, and more for full custom. Keep records of your jobs and how the total project breaks down per cabinet. This will help you guide your customer into the right products for their budgets.
- Offer a “refresh” package to customers whose budgets don’t align with their wants. Replacing hardware, countertops, and backsplashes can change the look and feel of the space at a fraction of a full remodel cost.
- Set timelines for design decisions and product selections. Having appropriate change order forms and sign offs will minimize errors. Having some cushion in the bid to allow for a few minor, low-cost changes to be made as a courtesy.
- Reminding the customer of the goal of each meeting in advance keeps everyone focused. A “give and take” policy works well in moving along the decision-making process. “I am going to provide you with countertop options at our next meeting and you are going to decide the finish you’d prefer on your island.”
- Set the expectation that you will communicate with your customers on the same day of every week regardless of any changes or updates. Letting them know that everything is on order, what happened this week, any changes that need to be made to the schedule, and what is expected next week will reduce the need for your customers to contact you with questions and keep everyone aligned throughout the project. Communicating before the job begins is important to reassure your customers that everything is moving along and that they are in good hands.
- Be clear on your company’s processes at the first meeting and determine what is offered as complimentary prior to signing a contractual agreement.
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Changing Lives for the Better: An Awesome Responsibility |
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"How do you want your new kitchen to feel?" the savvy sales professional asked her prospective client.
Puzzled, the client responded, "What do you mean?"
The designer explained that a new kitchen will change her client's life for the better. It can be a room that emotes family connection, romance, openness, formality or any other feeling that the customer wants.
When a great sales professional sits down to design a new kitchen specify fixtures and components it, she thinks about more than cabinets, countertops, tile and appliances. A truly great sales professional thinks about the way the products she is helping her client select will change the way her clients feel every time they walk into their new kitchen, prepare a meal for their family or have a glass of wine with a good friend.
Designers change lives every day. They make clients' lives easier, richer and better. As Bernadette Jiwy writes in her Story of Telling blog, "Changed moments have a way of tumbling into one another, like dominoes that fall as if by magic in a domino run. If you're changing a moment, you're changing a life."
What you do every day is not something that should be taken for granted or devalued. It's time to stop selling your craft and yourself short both to your customers and yourself. Somehow the great art that you and your team produce has been compromised by definitions and job descriptions. You are more than a designer, sales professional, customer service representative or company president. You are a life changer.
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A unique opportunity to improve your 2020 skills and make your job a lot easier is to join BKBG on the last Wednesday of every month for 2020 training classes. Each class is designed for a specific skill level. One month is for basic training, followed by intermediate and then advanced 2020 classes. Here’s one of the tricks we learned in the last class.
- Choose the ITEMS drop menu, then choose COUNTERTOPS AND TRIMS
- Check that there is only a CHECKMARK for TOE KICKS, verify the OMFRA14 catalog, then choose the FBB8-FURNITURE BASE BEVELED MLDG 8
- Click the ADD button to apply the Furniture Base Beveled Moulding to the front of your cabinets
- Right Click on the FBB8 and choose EDIT SHAPE
- Right Click on the POINT to get a Point Menu, then choose ADD.
- Drag your mouse downward to the back of the island to add the point, then left click to finalize its placement
- Right Click the new POINT to get a Point Menu, then choose ADD.
- Drag your mouse across the back of the island to add the point, then left click to finalize its placement
- Right Click the new POINT to get a Point Menu, then choose ADD
- Drag your mouse upward to the front of the island to add the point, then left click to finalize its placement
- Click on ACCEPT CHANGES to finalize
Register for BKBG’s 2020 classes by clicking on the following links.
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Emser Tile 2022 Design and Color Trends
Emser Tile has produced its 2022 Design and Color Trends identifying the following trends and products that can capitalize on them. These include:
- Connecting with nature and the ability and desire to bring the outdoors inside the home.
- Surface visuals that are textural and mimic the look of wood, stone, and pebbles, play significant importance in this narrative as they bring a natural and nourishing mood to interior spaces.
- Surfaces that depict the tactility and texture of natural handmade materials to add character and dimensions to a space.
- Curved arches and geometric forms that optimize the visual appeal of a space.
- Classic luxe looks offering classic materials, dramatic shades and dazzling finishes.
- Outdoor projects
- Warm neutral palettes that reflect simplicity and emphasize the beauty of raw natural elements.
- Green, blue and black color pallets
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Tresco Partners With Swidget |
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Tresco Lighting partnered with Swidget Corp., a technology company that manufactures modular smart home products. The distribution partnership provides technology-driven innovations in the kitchen/bath/closet dealer and millwork industries, and the first of the Tresco Technology product line, which will focus on “Innovation Beyond Illumination."
Swidgets allow your customers to change switches or outlets with inserts that can control lights, program schedules, set automations or interface with personal assistants Amazon Alexa or Google Home. There are four inserts. The Wi-Fi enables users to use the Swidget app to control any device that is connected to the Swidget outlet or switch remotely. The Wi-Fi Motion Sensor converts a switch or outlet into a motion detector that can notify homeowners of intruders or turn on lights and other connected devices when you enter a room.
The Wi-Fi Guide/Night Light insert provides all the features of a standard night light using high-efficiency LED technology to brighten any dark room or space safely. Warm white high efficiency LED is triggered by an automatic light sensor.
The Wi-Fi USB Charger insert provides a standard Type A USB charger to allow for the fast charging of any device.
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2020 Releases Version 13
2020 Design Live has released version 13 of its software program with new features that include Live Share that allows designers to collaborate with clients in real time. Multipoint 360-degree Panoramas enable designers to produce 3D versions of their designs from multiple viewpoints within a 360-degree panorama. The new Bokeh Effect enables designers to highlight products or elements within the design by putting them in focus while blurring the background.
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Bath & Kitchen Business Group
Tom Cohn
Executive Vice President
301-799-7401
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