Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2023 - 14

L UXUR Y
DE SIGN
Living Lavishly
How brands are responding to this ever-changing movement
DESPITE WHAT WE MAY think, luxury is relative
to the end consumer - even more so now than
in decades past. Is it a product? A service? An
experience? What one person sees as average
may be another's version of affl uence. So how
do kitchen and bath brands compete in a vast
landscape? Information.
In this digital age, businesses can capture immense
amounts of data and quickly make informed
decisions on what kind of products to
bring to the marketplace. Consumer buying habits
are all being tracked, and that information is for
purchase online. Products your competitor spent
years researching and developing can easily be
searched in a couple clicks. Online reviews can
be as enlightening as focus groups. Just a few keywords
applied to some well-positioned marketing,
and you just branded your product as " aff ordable
luxury " to the exact targeted demographic based
on age, geography and annual income.
As I mentioned, relativity plays an extensive
role in defi ning what luxury means to us. To a
client in the middle of the pandemic, it may have
meant purchasing a touchless faucet and quartz
countertops for their antibacterial properties. To
one visiting a luxury showroom, it may have been
how their favorite radio station was playing when they walked in. Knowing
what your customer expects and exceeding it is luxury at any price point.
KEEPING IT CUSTOM
Th e most prevalent version of luxury is personalization. Options available
30 years ago when my mother started in this industry are a fraction of what
is available now. Customers want something that is uniquely their own.
We're not just " keeping up with the Joneses " anymore. And now these
abilities are available at every price point.
BELOW An ethereal refuge
designed for the homeowner,
as seen in " Quintessential
Kitchens and Spaces by
Matthew Quinn: Volume
Two. " Quinn is the principal of
Design Galleria Kitchen and
Bath Studio.
Photo: Emily Followill
OFFERING EFFORTLESSNESS
With the pace our days move, squeezing out an extra fi ve minutes will add
up to 30 hours a year. Now if a product or a service can do that, what is that
worth to you? Time is our most valuable asset, as it is the one thing we will
never get back. Imagine waking up and walking into your bathroom and
the fl oor is warmed to your ideal temperature by your preset heated fl oor
thermostat. Your in-line water heater has already prepared for your shower
based on your daily habits, and the profi le you created through your shower's
app automatically sets the temperature to your preferred 102.6 degrees.
You get out and turn on the defog mechanism in the mirror along with the
in-mirror TV so you can watch your favorite news channel while you get
ready. Th ese are all options readily available in just about every price point.
ALL IN THE EXPERIENCE
As someone who works in this tier of the industry, there is something to be
said about what separates luxury brands from their more mass-produced
counterparts, and that is the experience. Luxury clients expect you to have
extensive knowledge of the newest materials and products, have relationships
with all the major and even the obscure luxury brands and be not
just on the forefront of style but pushing the envelope of what is possible.
Th at experience is what makes the diff erence between a fi ve-fi gure and a
seven-fi gure kitchen. And you can't do it alone - you need partnerships
and experienced representation from your suppliers. Ever had an appliance
brand send someone out to teach your client how to use their appliances and
cook with their products? Sub-Zero/Wolf does. Th at is a luxury experience.
Whether it's a focus on product off erings, available services or an unparalleled
experience, luxury is in the eye of the beholder. Anticipating their
target audience's needs with amenities they don't even know they need
will be necessary to stay relevant and maintain market share. Utilizing the
sheer amount of information available at their fi ngertips through following
consumer trends, buying habits, demographics and the competition will
be how kitchen and bath brands keep bringing new defi nitions of luxury
to the marketplace.

By Nicholas Vanderhovel, CMKBD,
Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio, designgalleria.net
14
/ MAY-JUNE 2023
http://www.designgalleria.net
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2023

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