The kitchen and bath trade loves great design; it’s no secret that great projects are a driving force in this industry. Indeed, creativity and artistry are frequently recognized and rewarded through a plethora of design competitions, with glossy project photos splashed across the pages of magazines, websites, blogs and even on TV. But in the celebration of design, the very professionals who create those projects and elevate the industry are sometimes overlooked. Yet great design doesn’t exist in a vacuum; the kitchen and bath industry continues to prosper largely due to the efforts of innovato ..read more

Prominent designer helps to assure the success of KBIS Alan Zielinski’s ascendency to national office at the National Kitchen & Bath Association coincided with a pivotal time for the NKBA and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), the association-owned trade show. Zielinski, an accomplished designer whose company has served the Chicago market for six-plus decades, was instrumental, as 2012 NKBA president, in helping guide the association through a critical negotiation which allowed it to co-locate the then-foundering KBIS with the similarly recession-challenged National Association o ..read more

Research co-director re-imagines the future for kitchens & baths Joseph Wheeler thinks he’s seen the future, and if reality mirrors his crystal ball, kitchens and baths will assume an exciting new dimension. Co-director of the Virginia Tech Center for Design Research, Wheeler is the driving force behind “FutureHAUS,” a revolutionary prototype that’s providing a preview of how digital technologies, cutting-edge products and smart building design may soon unite to make homes more efficient, sustainable and affordable. Unveiled in four phases, Wheeler’s research project, partnering faculty an ..read more

Designer expands expertise to move beyond the kitchen and bath Designer Vasi Ypsilantis opened her kitchen and bath showroom, “the Breakfast Room, Ltd.,” on the prestigious north shore of Long Island in 1999, some 15 years after beginning her career in kitchen and bath design. “I had a passion for kitchen design early on since it allowed me to develop my talent in two key areas,” says Ypsilantis. “It was important to be able to use my architecture and space-planning skills, since kitchen design is not just about decoration. The kitchen must also incorporate function – ergonomics combined with ..read more

Popularity of kitchen design leads to service that finishes the space The Architects & Designers Building in Manhattan is home to the St. Charles of New York showroom, and it’s where you’ll find Principal Karen Williams creating luxury designs for homes around the world. With St. Charles for 38 years, Williams has witnessed a great deal of change with regard to kitchen design. “When I first started with St. Charles, kitchens were not popular,” she reports. But during her tenure, kitchens have moved from being one of the least significant rooms of the home to one of the major spaces. The gr ..read more

CEO redefines the distributor as a business partner Jim Williams has been a leading light in the Great Lakes Region for nearly 50 years, building the Grand Rapids, MI company he serves as CEO into a distribution powerhouse known for its service to customers in the kitchen and bath, heating and ventilation, plumbing and related markets. As a full-service distributor to dealers, builders, contractors, interior designers and architects, Williams Distributing recognized early on that traditional two-step distribution in an increasingly sophisticated market involved more than simply providing an in ..read more

Houzz co-founders offer conduit of prospects, leads and design ideas Beginning in 2010, the wife and husband duo of Adi Tatarko and Alon Cohen took a side project and turned it into Houzz.com. Today, Houzz has more than 40 million monthly unique users, 90% of whom are homeowners – and more than 1.5 million home professionals use the platform. But the impact of Houzz is perhaps better understood by the volume of project leads driven and the high average spend by consumers who visit the platform. Houzz users spent $60,400 on average on home renovations in 2016, more than three times the national ..read more

Designer serves the industry through association involvement Innovators don’t just create, they also lead. That’s clearly the case for Maria Stapperfenne, a 25-year industry veteran and 2015 NKBA president who continued her commitment to serving the trade as an NKBA Board member and association ambassador. She works on projects ranging from conceiving Voices of the Industry programs to working with her local chapter to raising scholarship money for architecture and design students. The manager of Tewksbury Kitchens & Baths is always on the go, currently doing volunteer work and promotion f ..read more

Designer and technological guru is a voice for the expanding digital age Eric Schimelpfenig is a young man on a mission: to spread the word about how kitchen/bath design professionals can enhance their client-engagement skills in an age when sales presentations are undergoing a revolutionary change with the advent of powerful new digital tools. Schimelpfenig’s expertise – as well as his burgeoning reputation – lies in educating dealers and designers about how to leverage cutting-edge technologies and sales presentation strategies aimed at a new generation of kitchen and bath clients, including ..read more

Renowned artisan redefines the luxury market with limitless vision In the kitchen and bath industry, Peter Salerno’s name is synonymous with luxury. The Wyckoff, NJ designer’s richly appointed creations have redefined the high end of the market with unique applications of upscale products and new ideas that are anything but “safe.” When a client wanted a design with two carved trees wrapped around a refrigerator, Salerno took it in stride. A stainless steel island with legs and drawers riveted together to look like the skin of an airplane? Absolutely! “I get excited when I see a client who tru ..read more