Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2019 - 40

Better Business

Shake Your Money Maker
How to navigate profit-raising add-ons
and garner repeat customers

FOR MANY YEARS, KITCHENS AND BATHS have been the most popular
spaces to remodel in a house. A kitchen is the gathering space for friends
and family, and homeowners want to show off their personality and style in
a functional layout. The bathroom is a more private space, but it fulfills the
huge role of acting as the respite where a homeowner starts and ends the day.
In addition to these more substantial renovation projects, clients often tack
on what we call "sister spaces"like laundry rooms, mudrooms, outdoor living
areas, dining room additions, closets - the list goes on. In this article, we will
discuss how often design professionals are asked to add those to the project
list and how they go about suggesting those additions if and when it makes
sense. We will also touch on how to ensure repeat business when a client has
another project need down the line.
PROPOSING PROJECT ADDITIONS

Most of the design professionals we spoke to said it is quite common for a
client to move beyond their original project scope once the design process
gets started.This can include extra spaces like those we mentioned above, but
they can also encompass appliance improvements, wiring for smart homes
or installing a coffee bar next to the vanity.
"Almost 80 percent of the time, our clients ask us to do something in
addition to their kitchen once we discuss their options and let them know
what is available to them,"said Aparna Vijayan, a designer with Ridgewood,
N.J.-based Ulrich Inc.
She starts by creating a drawing of what her clients ask for, and she also
creates one with additional elements she thinks would be beneficial to them.
This second drawing will be more about what the space is capable of and less
about the overall budget.
"We decide what we can do first and then marry the design to the budget
later," explained Vijayan, who said she has been asked to create a separate
homework room for clients with kids, as well as include stackable laundry
units next to the kitchen with a more dedicated space on a different floor.

40

Meghan Browne of Chevy Chase, Md.-based
Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath says she recommends upgrades if those will elevate the overall
project. She uses 3D drawings to illustrate this
to her clients.
"Through our renderings, we can show them
this better use of their space," said the designer,
who explained that she looks at projects holistically to see how they will function for her clients
over time."Most of the time, taking down walls or
revisions of the footprint are not a major expense
but can make a major difference."
According to Richard Sherer, founder and
CEO of Milwaukee-based Deep River Partners,
his firm looks at how the room being renovated
interacts with the other spaces around it - both
indoor and outdoor - which often uncovers issues
to be resolved outside of the main project scope.
"Facilitating a discussion around lifestyle routines reveals other areas in need of an improved
design solution," he said. "We just completed a
whole-house renovation that began with a need
for redoing the kid's bath.Through further review,
we discovered the master bath and closets were
also not working for these clients."
BALANCING THE BUDGET

ABOVE The mudroom at the

back of the kitchen was an
add-on Vijayan suggested at
the project outset. Photo by
Dove Photography

BELOW Browne suggested a

material upgrade in this kitchen, which can also expand
the project scope. The client
agreed to the wood tabletop
and wrapping the support post
in wood after seeing the designer's sketches. Photograph
by Bob Narod

By CHELSIE BUTLER

Designer Kathleen Beall, NCIDQ, of Redlands,
Calif.-based Beall Design Group suggests getting
excited about the idea of a value add-on so you can
explain to your clients how it will enhance their
lives and how it might not cost as much now as it
will if they decide to add it down the road. After
all, the team is already on site.
"I think clients feel [add-ons are] for other
people and are perhaps not possible for themselves, but the power of suggestion and creativity
is needed to get that added work," explained
Beall, who said she has recommended a jetted
sink, upgraded sprayer, gooseneck faucet and
cabinet-ready ironing boards for the laundry

/ MAY-JUNE 2019 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)
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Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2019

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