Upside 2020: Member Stories

 Hillary Stamm
HMS Interiors
Manhattan Beach, Calif.

“I have always lived my life searching for the silver lining, and 2020 was all about finding the beauty in the unknown. I had started my interior design business, and it was thriving. Blessed with amazing clients and a few projects under my belt, I set out to expand, hiring assistant designers, looking to design my own office, and fulfilling my dream of building a successful female-driven business. Then came COVID-19. With my three young children at home at all times, there was barely time to source a chandelier, let alone grow a business. I was now swimming upstream, just trying to do the work to which I had committed. Growing my business was no longer a realistic goal. I was crestfallen, feeling I had failed. But I remembered my Mom’s sage advice in my ear: “This too shall pass. Be here now.” My children needed me more than I needed a fancy office. Laughs at the dinner table were more important than more projects. I am now grateful for the time I have shared with my amazing kids and husband in 2020. I know them each more deeply, I understand the fleeting beauty that is their childhood.  The designs will be there when the pandemic passes. Their youth, not much longer. Be here now.”

Joan Ravasy
Ravasy Design LLC
Tewksbury, N.J.

“I was raised to always look for the silver lining. That lesson served me well during COVID-19.  Every day, several times a day, I counted my blessings and looked for silver linings. I was able to do that by getting back to the kitchen and preparing beautiful food and having a nice meal at the end of each day. It became my routine and allowed me to rediscover locally sourced produce, flowers, meat and fish, at locally owned markets and outdoor roadside stands, where I could shop all year-round. I adored the experience and it became my silver lining every day —  admittedly, with a glass of great wine while I prepared dinner. The holidays, while curtailed, still allowed me to have my nephew here for dinners, giving me reasons to further rediscover and prepare family recipes. In essence, I found my silver lining in the kitchen. A gift indeed. Enjoying food, shopping and preparation became an important part of my day and a source of tranquility — and it continues to bring me comfort and relaxation that I did not have time for, prior to the pandemic.”

Andrew Forlines
CHEF AF LLC
Denver, Colo.

“When COVID-19 hit Colorado, I lost my job as chef and educator with a local premium appliance retailer. Although it was scary to lose the security of a full-time position, I welcomed the challenge of branching out on my own. Thanks to the NKBA and all the members that I’ve met through the years, I have been able to establish myself as an independent consultant and quickly develop many great opportunities. I now offer my knowledge and experience as a fine-dining chef, appliance technology specialist, and CEU provider through my own consulting agency, Chef AF LLC.  The silver lining in all this is that I’ve gotten to spend more time with my young daughter, who just turned two years old this past December. Have a delicious day!”

 Mark Rosenhaus 
Rosenhaus Design Group
New York, N.Y.

“I redid my website and took stock of my 38-year career. My first 17 years of working at several firms were designing kitchens that re-created standard shelter magazine photos. Fortuitously, an architect friend pointed out distinctive cabinet features that are paramount in creating the most pleasing aesthetics. I had graduated from Pratt Institute, but was never taught the invaluable ‘62% Golden Proportion’ based on the Fibonacci Sequence. This became the Holy Grail in liberating the artist in me. It was so energizing to wake up every morning like a puppy, eager to freehand sketch truly original, never-before-seen ideas. Twenty-one more years. My craft has been enriched by museums, and publications, along with living in, observing and feeling the pulse of the always-wanting-something-new New York City. According to clients, I create sculpture. The new website portfolio is arranged to highlight, side by side, how my forms and arrangements resemble masters of the arts and the influence of Biophilia. Presenting at KBIS, publishing in trade magazines, writing, and responding to blogs and other social media are on the agenda. Inspiring a few participants to apply these tenets will fulfill my dream of furthering kitchen design to the status of sculpture.”

Marta Bistram
Hestan Commercial Corp.
Anaheim, Calif.

“Located in the heart of Southern California, where pandemic case numbers have been among the most serious and lockdown measures were the strictest in the nation, Hestan faced a number of challenges in adapting to ‘the new normal.’ The team at Hestan rose to the challenge. Hestan redoubled its efforts, not only to keep its employees, partners and customers safe, but to keep the heart of the company beating throughout this unprecedented period.    Hestan’s essential operations team adapted quickly to safely support multiple product lines while paying the highest attention to the health of team members. Hestan’s legacy of creating award-winning products continued throughout 2020. Responding to the needs of its commercial and residential customers, the organization launched its Hestan Concierge service, which offers rapid responses to consumer questions, including virtual product experiences and showroom tours. Hestan also launched its Aspire Augmented Reality feature, in which consumers can visualize and place Aspire products in their backyards using their smartphone or tablet, without having to visit a showroom. Although rising to the many obstacles of 2020 presented a significant challenge, Hestan emerged committed to excellence, and looks forward to a better year ahead!”

Charlene Mathew, CMKBD
Charlene Mathew Designs, LLC
Redmond, Washington

“What path was taken in 2020? Gently forced reset button, with feathers. In my opinion, our role as designers is to listen, to ask the right questions that enable people to empty their hearts and minds about what they need and want. Then we facilitate that solution. My universal sign that I am on the right path is feathers. Sometimes, they appear from what would otherwise feel like thin air. I’ve come to realize that sometimes we can take a step on our path and soon realize that path is narrowing. It can feel like tip-toeing on a balance beam, or even hopscotching on dry rocks across a raging river. I believe this is the universe leading us to a jumping-off point, guiding us in a new direction. This section of the trail can have fewer feather sightings  — sometimes none at all. So 2020 was a gently forced reset button. I worked from home and enjoyed the quiet. I could feel the mist of the raging river below me and the desire to step onto the shore of something new. So, right there on that dry rock, I made the decision to complete my CMKBD certification and open my own design studio in the fall. This honors what has meaning in my life, what brings me bliss and what I value. I stepped onto this new feather-filled ground with my authenticity, ethics, character, ideals, integrity and experience as the foundation of my design studio.”

Jessica Karroll
Valley Acrylic
Mission, British Columbia

“The coronavirus has taken over the lives we lead. As our way of fighting back, Valley Acrylic has taken proactive steps to combat this ongoing virus so we can protect ourselves, others, and our loved ones. We have allied with material-focused engineers and nanotechnologists that have researched the COVID-19 virus and have explored ways to conquer and create a solution. Co-founder Ravi Bansal-Beech has partnered with Rishi Gupta, a material-focused civil engineer, to assist in creating and elucidating an antiviral answer. Our goal is to have the most vulnerable high-density areas acquire access to viral-resistant basins. Gupta was awarded a $50,000 grant to help design a coating that will help repel the virus. This acrylic-based, environmentally friendly coating’s bioenzyme formula is modeled after a lotus leaf, which has self-cleaning properties due to its ultra-hydrophobic surface. If water droplets don’t adhere to this coating, we anticipate that nano and microstructures won’t adhere, either. With two prototypes in development, this innovative and creative product could lead to a solution in conquering this pandemic.”

Karmela Dizon
Artistic Kitchen
Mountain View, Calif.

“My heart was so set on becoming a designer, that I left a nursing career in 2010. I accepted a Design-Build Manager position in 2019 and was soaring high. Little did I know, 2020 would be an unforgettable, wild roller coaster ride. When shelter-in-place orders were implemented our showroom had to close. After two weeks, I was laid off. The pandemic became a thick dark cloud that enveloped the world. Then, on the first day of my unemployment, I received my Certificate in Interior Design! It was a reminder of the beautiful life before COVID-19. Soon enough, the virus hit home. My older brother, who is a nurse, contracted COVID-19 in April. We almost lost him as his lungs were ‘collapsing.’ We lost Grandma to COVID-19 in July. My sweet mother-in-law was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer in September. These were spirit-breaking times, and I could barely keep my head above water. In the midst of this, I received my CMKBD. It was very rewarding to receive an acknowledgment of my achievement and dedication to this profession. I was eager to close the year with a big victory. I did so when I sold a $430,000 project working remotely. I personally refuse to receive 2020 as less than a beautiful gift from God, as it purified me like gold and restructured my life.”

Sharon L Flatley
Flatley Design
Dallas, Texas

“In late 2019, a severe tornado destroyed the home of long-standing clients of mine. I was asked to help them rebuild. There was much to be done before we could start. First, the site had to be cleared of any debris, moldy sheetrock, saturated insulation or anything harmful to workers.The area had to be made safe and insurance companies had to sign off on any work to be done. We needed a good, reputable contractor. The work did not officially begin until January 2020. But it was not long before COVID-19 tried to stop us dead in our tracks. No one was shipping anything and construction workers — or any work force for that matter — were in short supply. We felt that we were being derailed at every turn. However, we did not quit. We secured a very reputable contractor, worked in our masks with our loyal suppliers and pushed through every obstacle that was thrown in our path. We placed orders for products and waited and waited and waited. Finally, we began to see some light ahead. We are still in progress on this project, but today I walked the house (no longer just a shell) with the owners. We are maintaining a safe work area by social distancing and wearing masks, but it looks like a house again and it won’t be long now!! We are almost to the finish line — can’t wait to post pictures of the ‘new’ house!”

Annette Reeves
PIRCH & Homeby AR
Costa Mesa, Calif.

“Some would say my 50th birthday celebration shut down the world. As I boarded a plane back from Napa Valley the second week of March, we joked about just missing COVID-19. A week later, we received our stay-at-home order, my kids were sent home from school and life became anything but normal. Shaking off the disbelief of what ‘pandemic’ now meant, I sprung into action. The dining room now became my PIRCH ‘dream room.’ Livingroom = classroom. Kitchen = restaurant and film studio. The entire house became my format for live videos, where I showed clients why I loved my Sub-Zero refrigerators, Water Inc faucet, Electrolux washing machines and Plum Wine Unit. Zoom? What’s ZOOM? Oh, 50 years of wrinkles were very detectable…Alexa, order me a RING light. Collaboration among vendors became crucial. I was fortunate to participate in an NKBA Zoom event with leading experts in plumbing and appliances. My social media presence grew, my relationships with vendors flourished, but most important, my lesson to my children that a shift in your pattern, a change to your vision can and should happen when faced with adversity.”

Donna Marie Mushinskie   
D M Designs
Yucaipa, Calif.

“I look at my life in a positive light and thinking positive manifests positive results! I choose to be happy. I choose to smile instead of frown. Believe me, there are a lot of situations, both personal and professional, where I’d like to scream, but I take a deep breath and consider the response. And nine times out of nine, maybe ten, the results are great! I can thank my mom for that. She always answers the phone with an upbeat tone in her voice and greets me with love. It immediately puts me in a good mood and dictates the rest of our conversation. Throughout the majority of 2020, I’ve chosen to meet the challenges with a ‘glass-half-full’ attitude. It allowed me to pick and choose my clients instead of taking all that came my way. It allowed me to clean my office and streamline my paperwork. I’ve had time to select great vendors. And, take a couple of classes and learn a new computer program. All of this has changed the trajectory of my business. I’ve had time to think, ponder, learn and grow into the interior designer that I envisioned when I finished school (at age 43). I am thankful for my health and the health of my family and friends; I am thankful for my freedom, and I am thankful that I have a job that I love.”

Rachael Codina
NK Woodworking & Design
Seattle, Wash.

“2020 was an inspiring year for NK Woodworking & Design. It challenged us to come up with creative solutions to financial challenges, redesign our workspace, and rethink how we want to move forward in the future. Even before COVID-19, owner Nathie Katzoff realized that running an efficient company depended on keeping his business smaller. This was a key step to maintaining smooth organization of the NK workshop and production systems, and the high level of quality control of his artisan products. Today, it has meant that most of the NK team have been able to remain employed through it all. Despite COVID-19 slowing things down, there has been a buzz in the design world. Since our clients have been more housebound this year, they have had more time to focus on remodeling projects — especially their kitchen and bath spaces. Nathie responded to the increase in bath and kitchen projects by designing a whole new collection of kitchen and dining tables, and expanding his line of luxury wooden baths and sinks. In October, he opened his first Gallery space to showcase his new creations and be a resource for the Seattle-based design community.”

Jim Wavle,  CKBD
Crown Construction Inc
Dryden, N.Y.

“The NKBA offered a limited-time promotion to ‘Level Up’ to the next level of certification. It was a goal I had on my list for a couple of years — and a deadline was a great motivation to get it done. It was great to pass, but I really enjoyed the preparation and working on hitting the NKBA standard. I love remodeling design and being a part of a great team — for 32 years and counting!”

Sophia Carlson
Spaces by Sophia
Minneapolis, Minn.

“Through this pandemic, I have had a lot of extra time on my hands and since my full-time job is not extremely demanding and I was able to find the time to start my own business, Spaces by Sophia. The construction industry is at an all-time high right now, and with a lot of encouragement and support from friends in the industry, I took a huge leap of faith and ventured out on my own. This pandemic has been a real bummer, but has helped me kick start a dream and accomplish a goal that I have wanted to achieve since I was a little girl! This is only the beginning of a dream come true!”

Chelsi Baird
Marzullo Construction, Inc
Lompoc, Calif.

“The last year is one that will never be forgotten. It was a year of many challenges and a year of needing the support of friends and family. As a business owner, we have been able to see the hardship of others, the sacrifices made to keep going, and determination — not only for ourselves but for others alike — to stay afloat. Marzullo Construction Inc. is a general contractor based out of Santa Barbara and a proud family-owned and operated small business that has been serving our community for close to 30 years. In 2013, while pregnant with my first son, I decided to join forces with my dad and together we have worked endlessly to improve and grow our company for not only ourselves, but the future generations. Most importantly, we’re able to continue to provide our community with making their dream project into a reality. I am proud to know that as a woman, working hard in this industry, I am the next in line to lead MCI and continue to grow and flourish in this industry. The challenges that came with 2020 brought us a whole new way of working together and how we run our business – for the better. Our networking on social media grew, and we have made wonderful friends and contacts in the industry as well as clients. 2021 is going to be bigger and brighter! Thank you NKBA for creating a safe environment for us to come together.”

 Chris Kerby
Kerby Custom Renovations
Loxley, Ala.

“We were shut down for the pandemic and then we were blown down during Hurricane Sally. Our town was devastated —heck, even my roof blew off. But in spite of all of the madness, our company was resilient and came to the rescue of family, friends and business partners. We helped navigate tough times. Our community rebounded and has continued to pull together during this time. I added three employees and increased revenues due to our faith, family, and community.”