Happenings of interest to, about and for NKBA members.
BUSINESS NEWS
THERMADOR’S DIVERSITY PLAN: American luxury home appliance brand Thermador has launched the Diversity in Design Pipeline Initiative to empower a new generation of talent from underrepresented communities. The program, in partnership with the Interior Design Society (IDS), will support up to five collegiate students in their senior year at an accredited interior design program. The comprehensive prize package will include a financial scholarship of $10,000 toward tuition, a one-year mentorship program, invitations to key industry events and a one-year student membership to IDS including access to local chapter events and larger professional networking opportunities.
“We feel a great sense of responsibility to ensure we do our part to create a supportive and inclusive environment for diversity, creativity and innovation that allows talent to break into this industry and thrive,” said Beatriz Sandoval, Director of Brand Marketing for Thermador.
ANOTHER CHAPTER LEAVES NARI: The New York chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry has voted to terminate its chapter agreement with NARI National, according to ProRemodeler. New York is the third NARI chapter to separate from the national organization in recent months: Eastern Massachusetts in April, and Metro DC in May. Moving forward, the New York organization intends to continue operations under the name Professional Remodeling Organization of New York — which follows the naming convention adopted by the two former NARI chapters, now called PRO New England and PRO Metro DC.
COVER IT UP: A new study by Formica Corp. found that 93% of interior designers say homeowners confuse key differences in the surfacing materials they commonly request and use in high-traffic areas. The survey aimed to measure consumer knowledge about the differences in laminate, granite, marble, quartz and other surface materials like acrylic solid surfacing. It revealed a significant gap between what homeowners say they want for their kitchen and bath surfaces and their knowledge of the desired material. For instance, when choosing a countertop, 56% of designers said ease of care is an important attribute their clients ask for; 85% of homeowners also said it would be useful to have a nonporous surface, yet granite and marble are top materials homeowners are considering (42% and 27%, respectively).
BSH’s TICKET TO MIAMI: BSH Home Appliances Corp. is bringing its successful Experience & Design Center format to Miami next year. BSH recently secured the top floor of the Design 41 building, a prime setting in Miami’s Design District. At over 8,000 square feet, the BSH Experience & Design Center will feature the latest innovations from home appliance brands Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau. This will be BSH’s sixth center in North America. It currently has Experience & Design Centers in New York, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and Irvine, Calif. Each EDC offers guests opportunities to see, touch and learn more about industry-leading home appliances and see live cooking demos. BSH recently entered a strategic partnership with Plum, a maker of wine preservation systems, to explore developing smart kitchen appliances.
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
LOWRIE MOVES TO VACASA: NKBA Board Member and 2020 chair Allison Lowrie has joined Vacasa, North America’s leading vacation rental management platform, after more than a decade at ANGI Homeservices. Lowrie leads Vacasa’s marketing organization as Chief Marketing Officer.
With deep experience in performance and brand marketing, Lowrie has spent the last 20 years growing household consumer brands like Volkswagen, Celebrity Cruises, Cars.com, and ANGI Homeservices, parent of Angie’s List and Home Advisor, where she was named Chief Marketing Officer in 2017. Lowrie joined HomeAdvisor (U.S.) in 2010, becoming its CMO in 2015, before the merger with Angie’s List, and held various senior marketing positions throughout her tenure. Before joining HomeAdvisor, Lowrie was Director of Advertising Products at Cars.com from 2004 to 2010. She also served on the Home Improvement Research Institute’s (HIRI) Board of Directors.
First elected to the NKBA Board in 2017, Lowrie’s four-year term ends Dec. 31. She served as Secretary/Treasurer in 2019 before becoming chair in 2020.
ASK THE EXPERT: Jessica Romm Perez has left her role as Domino’s editor in chief to be head of partnerships for online design platform The Expert, according to Business of Home. At The Expert, she’ll work with founders Leo Seigal and Jake Arnold to build and launch the brand’s e-commerce strategy. Perez will remain an editor at large for Domino and continue to contribute to the magazine’s podcast, Design Time.
ROCK ON: Coverings, the trade group dedicated to supporting the ceramic tile and natural stone industry, revealed its Rock Stars Class of 2021, recognizing 16 emerging young professionals in this segment. They will be honored July 7 at the opening day of Coverings 2021 showcase in Orlando. The show runs through July 9.
HIGH POINT LEADERS: Business of Home reports that High Point x Design, a group created to reimagine High Point as a year-round center of design and creativity, has announced its executive board and constitution. The new leadership includes five elected officers: Tom Van Dessel of Splashworks as president; Woodbridge Furniture’s Cass Key as vice president; Frank Leyon of Oly as membership director; Stancil Wilson of Stancil Creative Group as secretary; and Hendrix Barney & Co.’s Jack Hendrix as treasurer. The board has seven additional appointed members, and working committees include finance, strategy, events, communications, membership and jurisprudence.
GENERAL INTEREST
KIPS BAY, TEXAS STYLE: The Kips Bay Decorator Show House will open in Dallas, Sept. 24 through Oct. 24, with proceeds from ticket sales benefitting the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. This is the second annual satellite showhouse for the New York-based organization. Tickets for a private opening day preview celebration, including cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on Sept. 23, are $250, and tickets for public viewing days are $40. The home in the exclusive enclave of Old Preston Hollow is a classic six-bedroom Georgian estate with 11,259 square feet of living space on 1.44 acres. Reimagined by architect Cole Smith, FAIA, the home includes two full kitchens, seven full bathroomsand 2 half baths, a breakfast room, sunroom, wine cellar and much more.
