White Kitchens & Wide Aisles; Trend or Tendency?

Overview of Presentation:
Lifestyle trends have both defined and changed the spaces we live in. Those trends are what
got us here, but will those trends define the spaces we occupy now and in the future? In this
reference a trend is a current style or preference, and tendency is an established pattern of
behavior. This presentation covers a bit of historical trends, the NKBAs Kitchen & Bath
Planning Guidelines and our tendency to choose “White Kitchens and Wide Aisles”.

Presentation Objectives/What will participants achieve an understanding of:
1. Key historical elements that have defined residential spaces.
2. How the planning guidelines developed based on human ergonomics.

Judith A. Neary, CMKBD
Judith’s design career began at the age of four, designing block furniture and clothing for her troll dolls. After completing her design degree, she worked in medical, commercial, and hospitality design. She switched to the manufacturing segment of the industry after working with a national retailer in showroom merchandising design and training, which included development and implementation of business processes and installation programs. As one of the professional instructors for the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), she offered a comprehensive learning experience to designers in North America. As an honorary founding member of the Jenn-Air Design Advisory Council, she provided perspective on Jenn-Air and other Whirlpool Corporation brands. Judith is a frequent contributor to the industry by speaking on a variety of topics of interest for both the design professional and homeowner. She has lectured frequently at KBIS and other trade events about the business side of interior design. Judith has also been a featured guest for “A Well-Designed Business” with LuAnn Nigara at her trade event and on her podcasts. In 2021, she was recognized by Kitchen & Bath Design News as a Leading
Innovator. She was a lead content coordinator and subject matter expert for the recently released forth edition of the NKBA Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines. She continues to support the NKBA as a contributor for various projects promoting professionalism within the industry and is currently working
on the Certification Re-Imagined project. Her design practice serves a single zip code (Vashon Island, WA) where she is known for doing “weird” really well. In 2014 she and her husband established a
non-profit to honor the life of their son, Rj Ontiveros. As director for the non-profit, Rjs Kids, her current project is the construction of an epic multi-use outdoor recreation park that includes skate boarding, a pumptrack, and public art features. In support of under-served community members, the project includes apprentice training programs partnered with skilled craftsman and artists to create art features in the park.

Roadside Attraction Design Studio, LLC
Rjs Kids
206-661-5902
judith.neary@gmail.com www.roadsideattractionstudio.com https://rjs-kids.org/