October’s webinars are all about storage solutions. By Dianne M. Pogoda
“Storage” is a magic word for a lot of people, especially homeowners looking to remodel and expand their closet, cabinet and drawer capacity. It can be especially challenging if a home’s footprint can’t increase.
NKBA’s free webinar series in October, generously sponsored by Geberit, will discuss tips, building tricks and clever ways to get more stuff into existing spaces, while keeping rooms looking clean and clutter-free. The series also explores broader issues of renovation, including managing expectations about costs and sales strategies.
Each month, NKBA offers free 60-minute webinars, each of which features a presentation by an expert in the specific subject matter, delivered via a virtual platform. The sessions offer certified participants 0.1 CEU per event — it’s an easy way for designers to collect the CEUs needed to maintain NKBA certification. Participants must engage in 80 percent of the sessions to receive CEU credit; registration closes two hours prior to start times. All times listed are Eastern.
The month’s series starts on Oct. 2 at 3 p.m., as Karen Smith, brand communication coordinator for Blum Inc., discusses the “Importance of Functional Hardware: Designing from the Inside Out.” When most consumers think about cabinet hardware, they focus on the look of knobs or pulls — but designers know the secret to a frustration-free cabinet is on the inside. Hinges and drawer slides can make all the difference in enjoying a great new space. With functional cabinetry and organizational solutions becoming increasingly popular, the webinar will share tips for providing better-equipped kitchens without sacrificing style. Attendees will discover ways to use hardware to add value to projects, select cabinets based on a client’s specific storage needs, and learn where to find storage in unexpected places.
To register for “Importance of Functional Hardware: Designing from the Inside Out,” click here.
On Oct. 7 at 12 noon, Liza Hausman, vice president of industry marketing for Houzz, will host “Reframing Renovation Costs to Manage Homeowner Expectations.” Renovations look so easy, quick and inexpensive on home-improvement TV, but often, when potential clients have limited experience with what remodeling really costs, it’s not uncommon for them to get “sticker shock” upon receiving an estimate or quote. Without context, it can be challenging for people who are new to the process to evaluate whether bids or estimates are accurate or fair. During this session, Hausman will share creative ways to educate homeowners and help them understand why and what they’ll need to spend to complete their dream space and why designers are worth every penny. Attendees will get a look at how homeowners typically plan and budget for projects, learn to develop strategies for difficult conversations with clients about costs, and how to educate clients about the unique value of a design professional on a project.
To register for “Reframing Renovation Costs to Manage Homeowner Expectations,” click here.
The next webinar, on Oct. 17 at 12 noon, takes a detailed look at “Designing a Wardrobe/Laundry Room for Accessible Storage: Lessons from the Universal Design Living Laboratory (UDLL).” Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D., CLIPP, president of Rossetti Enterprises and founder of UDLL — who uses a wheelchair — will show how incorporating these principles in the wardrobe/laundry room results in homes that are more convenient, accessible, functional, and safe for everyone during every stage of life — regardless of age, size, or physical ability. Rossetti will discuss what works, what sells, specific challenges and essential storage components for the wardrobe/laundry room using real working examples. At the end of the session, attendees will identify universal and accessible design features in wardrobe/laundry spaces that provide storage solutions; define these design principles as they apply to products and environments to be usable by all people, and define accessible design as it applies to the needs of people with disabilities.
To register for “Designing a Wardrobe/Laundry Room for Accessible Storage,” click here.
Finally, on Oct. 30 at 12 noon, explore “Winning Cabinetry Storage through Best Practices” with Sarah Reep, director of designer relations & education, and Kristi Hodson, senior manager of design, trends & innovation, from Masco Cabinetry. The team willoffer a well-organized, thoughtful approach to best practices in kitchen storage solutions. Storage is an important aspect of kitchen design that should always be addressed early in the process, to ensure the end result helps a designer stand out from the competition. Attendees will learn how to present storage options by kitchen design zones, create a personalized kitchen that better supports the client, and learn key ways to present storage options so homeowners focus on the designs as intended, instead of focusing only on the lowest price. Reep and Hodson will support the session with research, case studies and selling strategies.
To register for “Winning Cabinetry Storage through Best Practices, click here.
