Manhattan Chapter

Elle takes a break in one of her lovely kitchen installations. She has won design awards from NKBA NY Metro, NARI, and PRO NY and has recently moved up to round 2 in the 2026 NKBA Design Competition.

By Maureen Klein

Was it her Dad’s inventive genius rubbing off on her? 

On the forefront of developing a solar energy system and then cogeneration energy systems, Ellen said, even experts from NASA and MIT were contacting him. “People drove by and thought our roof looked like a movie theater. Come inside and they’d find 8 tons of rocks in our basement.” A lot of “energy” going on in that house! Or, perhaps, it was her Aunt, a self-described "housewife decorator" who took her to the D&D building for her 12th birthday. Was that it? Read on, and follow her journey.

Read the full story here. 

Rex Aguirre

By Maureen Klein -- Rex Aguirre was always passionate about technology and computers. It was hard to pull him away from his first PC, a Texas Instruments TI 99, but riding dirt bikes got him outside. At 14, he landed his first part-time job at McDonald’s, making $3.35 an hour. He spent those earnings figuring out how to add and remove parts to build a lighter and better BMX (Bicycle Moto Cross). Today, he runs Premiere Systems Design, a home automation company that provides high-end technology services for residential, commercial, and retail space from Montauk to Manhattan and beyond.  READ MORE HERE 

Danielle Chery

By Maureen Klein -- Perhaps you spotted her colorful tiles at the Brooklyn Makers Fair while touring AJ Madison’s showroom during our last NYCxDesign tour. That’s where Charle-John Chifero met the talented Danielle M Chery and introduced her to NKBA. Several celebrities have discovered her work too, including R&B singer Brandy, Kandi Burruss and actress Tabitha Brown, all who have her art gracing their homes. So how did this college journalism major change course and find a whole new world of opportunities? READ MORE HERE

Sharon L. Sherman

Diana Mosher

By Jamie Keel — Diana Mosher, principal of Diana Mosher Associates LLC, joined the NKBA Manhattan Chapter for its many networking and education opportunities. “I wanted to spend time around experienced kitchen and bath designers to learn more about how it’s all done, see new products, and build relationships with manufacturers so I can up-level the services I offer my clients.”  READ MORE HERE

Julie Schuster

June’s member spotlight: our very own Chapter President, Julie Schuster. Julie has had her own company for about 12 years, and also worked for a boutique design firm for a couple years before taking the leap to start her own company. She is a self-proclaimed career changer, and actually started off as a retail store fashion buyer, and then a fashion designer.  READ MORE HERE.