Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2018 - 12

Product Sourcing

"I've learned through the years, however, that it's
not good to put all your eggs in one basket by only
using one vendor for a product; it's best to have two
main vendors and then one or two secondary vendors as a backup," said Jennifer Gilmer, CKD, of
Chevy Chase,Md.-based Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen
& Bath. "If a vendor goes out of business,we always
have the other vendor to fall back on.
INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS & BUYER'S GUIDES

Search Mission

Industry experts share their methods
for specifying kitchen and bath brands

RADE SHOWS, INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS, SHOWROOM

VISITS, ESTABLISHED VENDOR RELATIONSHIPS. There

are a multitude of ways design professionals source
products for their kitchen and bath projects. Clients can even play a part in the selection from time
to time - especially if they introduce something
new or have a good history with a specific product.
Some experts like to order products online for the
convenience; they may know exactly what they are looking for, have used the
brand/product before and can get a better deal. And still others like the luxury
of being able to see and touch the offerings before they make a final decision,
which can be a fun experience for the client as well.
KBB spoke to several design professionals to discuss all the different ways
they source their products for their successful kitchen and bath projects.

ABOVE Scott Corridan recently

sourced a Miele Knock2Open
Dishwasher for a client's
kitchen. "Who could ever
imagine how fun it is to knock
on the face and have it say
'Hello,'" he added. Photo
courtesy of Miele

BELOW This bathroom by de-

signer Jamie Nicholas features
some of her favorite brands,
including Robern, KOHLER,
Bostik and Porcelanosa.
Photo by Eric Roth

BRAND RELATIONSHIPS

It makes sense that developing good relationships with suppliers helps guide
everyone through the specification process.The design professional relies on
those vendors, and the vendors in turn rely on the designer's business.
"I have brands I continually use because I know their quality and their
work standards, but I also love to learn about new ones," said Katie Kurtz, a
Minneapolis-based realtor and kitchen and bath designer."Its ever-changing."
Our interviewees noted the following as the most important qualities of a
successful brand relationship:

Communication. We appreciate a timely response.

Expertise. We rely on their knowledge for guidance.

Customer Service. They need to be there for us even when things don't go
as planned.

Reliability/Accountability. Resolve issues, and return/exchange products when
necessary.

Good Pricing. Quick replies for quote requests play into this as well.

Quality. The brands with which we work need to be committed to excellence.

BY CHELSIE BUTLER

Design professionals often use publications to
see and read up on the latest trends and products,
and they say the more visuals, the better experience.This method can also be less time consuming
than attending events or visiting showrooms on
a regular basis, as some of the legwork has already
been completed. Designers can also share these
publications with their clients.
"Trade magazines have been a big part of my
library for upcoming trends and inspiration," said
Linc Thelen of Chicago-based Linc Thelen Design. "Being informed of newer products entering the market has helped my projects exceed in
design and functionality for my clients."
When Jamie Nicholas, owner of the Bostonarea firm Jamie Florence Designs, sees interesting
products in a magazine, she does research on those
to learn about pricing and technical aspects.
"I definitely feel it keeps me in the know about
trends in the kitchen and bath industry," she added."For example, I recently read in your magazine
how the white and gray palette in kitchen and bath
design is still a major trend, but bold pops of color
are being added into designs."
Our interviewees also said they enjoy reading
about what other designers have accomplished
in their kitchen and bath projects, as well as what
influencers are saying about key issues and topics
in our fast-paced industry.
"I tend to read the project stories and see what
brands are being specified,"said John Conroy,principal and founder of Lawrenceville, N.J.-based
Princeton Design Collaborative. "And I like the
print version on the magazine; it's a nice relief from
looking at a screen all day."

Kitchen & Bath Business / APRIL 2018 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.KBIS.com

Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2018

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