The most important thing Jamie Banfield builds is relationships.
Banfield won the Thirty Under 30 accolade in 2015 at age 29, but his interest in interiors and design was rooted in childhood. As a young teen, he’d often move furniture around, at his own house or at the homes of friends, and he loved to paint. He embarked on his professional path at Home Depot, where he started in flooring “to pay the bills.” He moved on to the kitchen department, and became a designer in that arena. Home Depot proved to be an invaluable factor in his budding career: the home-center giant helped him pay for school at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and perhaps more importantly, taught him how to work with the public.
“At Home Depot, I learned how to deal with clientele,” Banfield says. “We had a big range of customers, from someone wanting to replace a toilet seat to a family installing a $200,000 kitchen. I learned how to work with all of them.”
He also learned practical application from the ground up, training with HD suppliers in the finer points of installation and product use — from putting in countertops and different types of bathtubs, to installing tile and working with grout.
After his stint at Home Depot, Banfield worked for several related local businesses. When he joined NKBA’s British Columbia chapter, one of his employers told him he was too young and inexperienced to participate, but that didn’t deter the emerging designer.
“I felt like it was a privilege to go to chapter meetings,” he recalls, “but I jumped right in and got involved. It helped me build relationships in the business.”
Building relationships has been the foundation of his own design firm, which he founded in 2010.
“We approach every new client with a session we call ‘meet and inspire’ — we meet them, we inspire them, they inspire us, and we determine if we can work together,” he explains. “It’s all about how we treat each other.
“We can go high or low, big budget or tighter budget,” he continues, “Design should be tangible for everyone, regardless of budget.”
He characterizes his aesthetic as West Coast style, which is a mix of contrasts and “brings the outside in. We are sophisticated, yet relaxed and organic.” Based in Vancouver, water is a strong inspiration in his designs. “We play with texture and scale, pulling in a lot of natural elements. For instance, we did one bath with a wood countertop that extended into the shower.”
One of the biggest benefits of the Thirty Under 30 honor, he says, has been the confidence boost it afforded. “I always felt I had to prove myself to clients,” he reflects. “This award gave me credibility, and shows I am committed to this business.
“Also, it’s been great to get to know the other winners,” he adds. “There are about 150 of us now, and I speak to winners from New York to Miami to Ottawa, and share ideas with accomplished young professionals. We draw on each other’s experiences.”
NKBA’s Thirty Under 30 program spotlights rising stars in the kitchen and bath industries. The deadline is fast approaching: nominations for the class of 2018 will be accepted through July 28. For details on how to nominate an outstanding young professional, visit www.NKBA.org and click on “Thirty Under 30” under Industry Opportunities. Honorees will win a free trip to KBIS in Orlando, Jan. 9 to 11, and get the chance to network with leading industry executives and take advantage of many show amenities.
