Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 38

SPECIAL SECTION

Right on
the Money

Innovative ideas for creating
new revenue streams and
maximizing your sales

FEW COULD ARGUE that never has there been
a more optimum time to stretch your flexibility boundaries and engage in innovative ways in
which to stay afloat.The pandemic had our industry in an uproar at its onset, and we had to change
the way we were doing certain things overnight.
Now that some of the dust has settled, we are
getting back to business - kitchen and bath remodeling has some really robust figures at the moment.
But don't get too overconfident about our current
state of affairs - things can and will always change.
It literally pays to consider the ways in which you
can create new revenue streams in the form of new
services you offer, as well as maximize the original
scope of a project where it makes sense to do so.

INTRODUCING PROJECT
ENHANCEMENTS TO YOUR CLIENTS

Plenty of homeowners not only want to transform
their kitchens and baths into areas that really function for everyone living in the home, they also
want to consider spaces that are collecting dust
- like the formal dining room - and make them
usable. Spending considerable amounts of time at
home has given us all the chance to really evaluate
the changes that need to be made, and it is more
important than ever to assess your clients' needs.
Although things are going back to a new normal, will they still benefit from a home office and/
or a study space for the kids? Do they see themselves transforming that unused storage space into
something more functional? Do they want to be
able to spend more time in their outdoor spaces
all-year round?
According to designer Patricia Davis Brown,
CMKBD, owner of Vero Beach, Fla.-based Patricia Davis Brown Designs LLC, a lot of her projects have included great rooms, where some of the
enhancements have included TV walls, bars for
entertaining and outdoor kitchens.
" A positive part of the pandemic has been that
clients are thinking outside the box to create new
opportunities in their homes, " said the designer.
Designers Joann Kandrac and Kelly Kole of
Atlanta-based Kandrac and Kole Interior Design

38
38-39_KBB_0521_SpecialSection.indd 38

ABOVE This outdoor mecca

designed by S&W Kitchens
has a 15-ft. waterfall, curvy
water slide, grotto, seethrough linear ﬁreplace, huge
tiki hut with a bar and seating/
tv area, an outdoor grill area, a
15-person inﬁnity hot tub and
18-ft. sliding pocket doors.

have found it a no-brainer to include a steam shower and a washlet in the
master bathroom project scope in light of the recent surge in the desire for
wellness products.
Julie Schuster of New York-based Julie Schuster Design Studio, says some
good advice she's learned is that if you show clients products that are outside of
their budget, they will not be satisfied with the choices they do have the ability
to purchase. She suggests starting the process by showing them what they
can accomplish to improve their comfort level about spending more money.
INVESTING IN PRODUCT SPECIALIZATION AND PROJECT RANGE

By CHELSIE BUTLER

Design professionals are superb at creating the concept, rendering and
finished project, but there is room for additional revenue if you also have
knowledge of certain products and can add that as a service. Brown has
added lighting design to her expertise, which she says has huge profit margins. When she realized not a lot of designers were looking into lighting, she
started studying it, and this has sold more contracts for her than anything else.
Kandrac and Kole also specify high-end lighting for their clients that they
would not get from a contractor, which is another project upsell. They also
specify window treatments, which is another revenue stream for the design
duo, who say they offer better resources than the local builder design center.
Brown has opened up her project expertise to include more than just kitchens and baths, which is important especially now when clients are asking for so
much more. She prides herself on always being open to learning new things,
like designing with more detail via ceilings and moldings.
" Having someone on your staff who has an interior design-specific background is a potential upsell and value add to a project that expands beyond
four walls, " said designer Christopher Grubb of Beverly Hills, Calif.-based
Arch-Interiors Design Group.
Brandon Bryant, president and owner of Asheville, N.C.-based Red Tree
Builders, said his firm recently brought a full-time designer in house instead
of using a third party, which helps answer client requests much sooner and
allows them to charge a design fee.

/ MAY-JUNE 2021 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

5/12/21 12:04 AM

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Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021