Tyler Swartzmiller of Columbus, Ohio, is one of this year’s honorees. By Loren Kessell
The right blend of confidence and passion is Tyler Swartzmiller’s recipe for success. The 28-year-old, who works for Kitchen Kraft, a home design and remodeling firm in Columbus, Ohio, is one of NKBA’s Thirty Under 30 Class of 2018 honorees and an active member of the Association’s Central Ohio chapter as Programs Chair. He’s working to earn his AKBD certification this summer.
He was exposed to the building trades at an early age, accompanying his father on jobs in the HVAC sphere. It taught him about what’s behind the walls, giving him a solid grasp of architecture and construction.
“This is where I fell in love with building and learned a foundation on how houses are built,” he recalled. “Because of this, I have an ability to see spaces in ways others can’t. I also have the understanding on how a design can be executed.”
He officially entered the design world after working at a company selling furniture, and a customer asked him for his opinion on what to do with her kitchen. From that point, Tyler was hooked on interior design.
He chatted with NKBA about his career thus far and goals.
Q: What has this award meant to you?
A: Being Thirty Under 30 has been one of the greatest achievements of my career to date. As a young designer, we are often overlooked because we don’t have the years of experience that more mature designers have. It’s a sign of validation that I’m on the right path.
Q: What are you most proud of so far in your career?
A: I was recently sought out and recruited for a senior design position at a high-end kitchen and bathroom firm. It was proof that people were watching my career and knew my name in the design community.
Q: Do you have a favorite story from a job?
A: After 10 years of working in the design field, I have a lot of stories, but my favorite by far is a simple one. An elderly lady wanted to remodel her bathroom because her husband had a stroke and couldn’t come home until he had access to a bathroom on the first floor. I knew from the way she talked that she had very limited budget, but I was determined to make sure she could get her husband home. So, after a few phone calls to local vendors and number-crunching, we were able to complete the whole bathroom under her budget and, eventually, bring her husband home.
Q: What do you think are the latest key trends?
A: One of the trends I see coming back is natural wood. For years, we have been doing so much paint, but I think the beauty of wood is back to stay. Next would be mixing and layering of metals — everything doesn’t have to match anymore. Finally, one of my favorites is floating or legged pieces, from islands that sit on metal legs to whole kitchens that hang on the wall. The use of negative or empty space is also interesting to me.
Q: Is there a must-have amenity for kitchens now? How about a “love to have” perk?
A: My must-have in every kitchen right now is a “messy kitchen” or wall in the pantry… A small room where you can house all the small kitchen appliances, microwave, a beverage fridge and even a prep sink. I love the look of a clean, well-organized, kitchen.
Q: What do you do when you’re not at the design table?
A: In my free time, I love being outdoors. My husband and I have two cocker spaniels and enjoy taking them camping with us. I also recently started a new HITT cardio class that I attended every morning before work to get my mind in the right space.
Q: What are some of your short-term and long-term goals?
A: When it comes to short-term goals, being at a new company, I want to learn as much as I can in the next year about how to grow as a designer and gain new skills. As for long-term, my focus is on building a brand. I hope one day to have brand recognition in the design world, whether my own design magazine, furniture line or even branching out to television.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring kitchen and bath designers?
A: I would say to question your passion. It sounds odd, but I eat and breathe kitchen and bathroom design — from going in a restaurant and trying to break down the cabinets they used to build a display to checking the workmanship in a bathroom at a friend’s house. You have to make sure this is something you truly care about. Most people will never understand how much we affect clients in their day-to-day lives, but we change the way they interact and communicate with friends and family.
