Designers and marketing consultants shared a bounty of advice and strategic thinking on the luxury market at NKBA’s virtual conference.

By Dianne M. Pogoda

The NKBA Summit: Luxury Defined, sponsored by Cambria, concluded with thoughtful insights from luxury market experts about the and valuable tips from luxury designers on the front lines of this critical market.

NKBA EVP and CSO Suzie Williford, who hosted the event, welcomed Arik Tendler, Chief Sales Officer for Cambria, and Summer Kath, EVP of Design for the quartz giant, who discussed some of the company’s evolution and its latest products and innovations. Attendees had the opportunity to win prizes including stunning quartz serving boards from Cambria and the NKBA’s new coffee table book, The Luxury Kitchen.

“Create a look that’s your own, with your own stamp. What is it that’s uniquely yours, that you bring to every project – for me it’s warmth and a unique artistry. It should appear effortless.” – Brendan Flanigan

Here are some highlights from Day 2:

The Luxury Kitchen Deconstructed

Sarah Roberston, AKBD, of Studio Dearborn in Mamaroneck, N.Y., and her client, Carla Zinman, an interior designer herself and founder of Round Hill Design in Westchester, N.Y., spoke with luxury market expert Susan Brinson of House of Brinson, and dug deep into the design elements that propel a kitchen into the realm of the ultra-high end.

  • “The most important part of the process is to invest the time to get to know the client, get to know the space and how the client lives,” said Robertson. “Start slowly, and as you get to know one another, you can learn what it all means in terms of what you can do for them in their kitchen.”
  • Tailoring storage to specific needs keeps everything neat and easy to maintain, it streamlines preparation and cleanup, and contributes to the overall luxuries of time and serenity. “When it’s all tucked away,” said Robertson, “it feels like luxury”
  • “Sarah really pushed the envelope on storage, and all the details of the space,” said Zinman. “Every detail was thought-out, planned and executed to perfection.”

“Luxury Clients: How Do They Think?”

Karen Brandon, Senior Marketing Manager of Luxury Appliances at Nationwide Marketing Group, delved into the mindset of the luxury client, their habits, attitudes and aspirations, and how to appeal to the top 1% of consumers. She Broke it down by the acronym VALUES:

  • Versatility: To cater to both the clients’ function and lifestyle needs
  • Availability: Be available to your clients at all times.
  • Lasting Guarantee: It’s a big investment — it had better last!
  • Uniqueness: The luxury customer responds to design personalization and things that are exclusive, limited and rare.
  • Evolving: New audiences are coming into this market all the time. The HENRYs, High Earners Not Rich Yet, will be your target audience in no time. Get to know them, their values and priorities, and where they shop and research: online and in social media.
  • Sustainable and Smart: This audience highly values green product that doesn’t leave a big carbon footprint, and smart appliances and other systems that can be app-controlled from a mobile device.

“The Role of Marketing/PR in Developing Your Niche”

Erik Perez, founder and principal of Hello PR in Los Angeles, discussed best practices and strategies for building a marketing plan that will make a business stand out and attract the high-end consumer. He was joined by Brendan Flanigan, designer and owner of Brendan Flanigan Interiors in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Manhattan.

  • Marketing starts with listening to the client to create an authentic experience, and use original design and materials.
  • Create a look that’s your own, Flanigan said, with your own stamp. What is it that’s uniquely yours, that you bring to every project – for me it’s warmth and a unique artistry. It should appear effortless.
  • In this digitally based world, Instagram is a really important platform for designers to showcase their work, Flanigan noted. Your website presence is really important, and for this this customer, discretion is really important, so they might not be into social media, so this is where print comes in as well.
  • Tic-Toc, Perez said, is also coming on strong and is now where Instagram was about 10 years ago, and is making an impact. So is Clubhouse, where you can listen and not participate.

“Luxury: What It Is… and What it Isn’t”

It’s not just about the money. Danielle Garofalo of REALM Global moderated a panel discussion on what luxury really means, what should be included and what should be avoided, with Alyson O’Hanlon, CKD, Owner, Clive Christian Kitchens NJ, and Nar Bustamante, president of Nar Design Group in Sacramento, Calif.

  • O’Hanlon said years ago, luxury was basically about cars and hotels, and the kitchen was relegated to the back of the house. Now, it has become the gathering place, the hub and the showpiece of the house — often even more than the living room — which has elevated it to luxury status.
  • Most people think luxury is unattainable, said Bustamante. While it is about the highest quality products, it’s also about spaces that are intentionally created for that particular client. That’s what makes a space truly luxurious.
  • To create the luxury experience, both designers concurred, listen to the client. If the design isn’t customized for how they live, cook, entertain, clean — it’s for naught. How the designer makes the client feel is really what luxury is all about.
  • Name brands, for instance in appliances, are incredibly important — in most cases, Bustamante said. But he also works with local artisans to create unique pieces that he conceives to go with the particular design. “But the most important brand is the Nar Design Group – that’s what my clients are buying, then have to believe in me, and know that I stand behind my work.”

Winners of Summit prizes, including NKBA’s Luxury Kitchen book and/or gifts from Cambria, include: Payton Selby, Lance Condray, Davis Leichsenring, Naila Bulhoes, Jennifer Kading, Patty Whitman, AKBD, Ellen Myli, Jeffrey Sandifer, Eva Anderson, Nancy Young, CKBD, Breck Dangler, CMKBD, Lisa Spriggs, Greg Delmoico, Ted McIntyre, Linda Hamilton, Scott Wise, John O’Halloran, Nena Triplett, Gina Williams, Lorrie Hochuli, Catherine Weiland, Tori Mills, Jason Lockhart, Bev Lewyn, Ronni Fryman, Heidi Huddleston, Peggy Triggs, Tim Blair, Patrice Aumann, Bryan Marquardt, Mark Grewe, Beth Kemmer and Max Isley.

All the sessions from the NKBA Summit: Luxury Defined will be available on-demand for NKBA members at no additional charge, while non-members may still access them for $99.

Click to read highlights from Day 1.