Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 17

For designers in the luxury space, clients typically find them through good referrals but decide
to use them because of their like-minded style and
agreeable process. It is up to the designer then to
not only deliver on their reputation but to uphold
their good standing in this circle of clientele with
excellent customer service.
"We strive to provide [our clients] with a level
of service that adds value to their project above
and beyond the design and construction work itself,"said Greg Roth of Los Angeles-based Home
Front Build. "This means wearing a number of
hats and always being available as needed to help
create the home of their dreams."
THE CHALLENGE OF CUSTOM DESIGN

Sometimes too much of a good thing can lead
to more issues than not. One of these is both the
opportunity and challenge a generous budget
gives designers.
"The ability to think outside of the box really
comes into play when you can create any custom design and take it from merely conceptual
to reality," said Joe Berkowitz of Penn Valley,
Pa.-based JAB Design Group. "This speaks not
only to furniture and cabinetry but to wallpaper,
fabric, flooring, art and all construction materials
from stone to glass to metals, as well as technology and electronics."
All of that creative freedom - and the client's
desire for customization - usually leads to a lot
of customized elements. For San José del Cabo,

RIGHT VIKING RANGE intro-

duces the Cast Black and
Rose Gold Limited Edition 7
Range. The range is the first
in a series of limited-edition
releases from Viking; only
110 will be made. Features
include black chrome knobs
with LED backlighting to
highlight the rose gold, as
well as the SureSpark Ignition
System that ensures automatic ignition and reignition.

BELOW Gladstone from

CAMBRIA features a soft,
misty gray background underneath slender, prominent
veins that cross over fine gray
webs and lacy lattices. For
added dimension, gray shadows and dimples flow beneath the surface. Gladstone
is available in Cambria matte
and high-gloss finishes, along
with 19 different edge profile
treatments.
BOTTOM Kaldera bathtubs
from VICTORIA + ALBERT
are ergonomically designed
for maximum comfort and
suitable for drop-in and
undermount installations. The
Kaldera suite of bathtubs and
sinks is available in whitegloss Englishcast and is
authentically crafted in South
Africa of volcanic limestone.

Mexico, and Los Angeles-based designer Sandra
Espinet, the biggest challenge she typically faces
is the time frame required to fill the custom orders
she places. Detailed CAD drawings, back-andforth conversations and workshop visits are all
part of the long process to create a custom piece.
"Custom items cannot be returned like normal
retail items," she added. "They need to be perfect,
or you risk the client not paying for them.You must
'know your stuff 'to play ball in the luxury market."
There is also the issue of what to do when things
go wrong. Having a limitless budget does not prevent unforeseen problems with a remodel or a
delay in a product shipment.
"Clients who are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on their kitchens expect that because they have purchased higher-priced items,
there will be no delays or problems," said Karen
Williams,kitchen designer and owner of St Charles
New York in New York City."In fact,when creating
custom cabinetry and ordering high-priced appliances, the lead times are often longer than if you
were purchasing ready-made components."

The Heritage Series Décor
sets from BERTAZZONI
allow homeowners to tailor
their kitchen aesthetic
using jewelry-inspired accessories. Available in real
gold, copper (shown here)
and black-nickel plating
to outfit the series' ivoryenamel, matte-black and
stainless-steel finishes, the
sets also tap into the growing trend of mixed metals.

WHEN BUDGET & STYLE CLASH

Sometimes when a homeowner has more than
enough money to spend, they want to splurge
on anything and everything - even if that means
sacrificing the overall design. It is up to the designer to help them see the bigger picture and
point them toward a more tasteful look but with
their personality in mind.
"Having the wherewithal to pimp out your
home with the best and finest does not great taste
make," said Roth, explaining that he sometimes
has to reiterate that he was hired by a client, and
that means they want and need help to create a
beautiful home."If that leopard-print shower curtain is going to make your houseguests whisper
behind your back, then we have no qualms about
steering you in another direction."
How Roth does that depends on the client's
personality, their ability to take criticism and their

JENNAIR has introduced

48-in. Dual-Fuel
Professional-Style ranges
to its two main design
expressions: RISE and
NOIR. Sculpted in stainless steel, the NOIR design
expression, shown here,
features structured grates,
expansive black glass,
a screened badge and
hidden lace textures. This
modern range offers five
dual-flame brass burners
and a chrome-infused
griddle, as well as dual
oven cavities with remote
control via a smart device.

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5/5/20 12:47 PM

Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020

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