By Donna Heiderstadt
Attendees at KBIS 2025 in Las Vegas had many opportunities to spot Alena Capra, CMKBD. The Founder and Principal of Fort Lauderdale-based Alena Capra Designs was the host of the NKBA Design + Industry Awards that kicked off KBIS on Feb. 24, she served as a judge for Best of KBIS, and on Feb. 27 she sat down for a one-on-one interview on NEXTStage as KBB Person of the Year. Through it all, Capra retained her polished, professional demeanor — and her trademark high heels.
Chelsie Butler, Executive Editor of Kitchen & Bath Business (KBB), had 30 minutes to delve into what motivates and inspires Capra as a designer, TV host, and advocate for local charities. Here’s what they talked about in their session on NEXTStage, sponsored by Ferguson Home.
The importance of certification and supporting the design community
Butler kicked things off by noting that Capra has been involved with the NKBA for 21 years and achieved her Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer (CMKBD) certification. “I love to talk about certification,” said Capra. “I know that there’s so much value in knowing that you are designing a safe space for your client.” She also noted that it gives a designer weight in the industry as an expert. “We do panels and we speak as experts, so it’s important to have that designation after your name,” she said.
When Butler pointed out that Capra is also an advocate of supporting other designers with her “So Flo Home Project,” a series that airs on Sundays at 5:30pm on local ABC affiliate WPLG 10 and takes viewers on home tours with area designers and builders. “I think it’s important for designers to keep communication open,” she explained of the show, which has shot 270 episodes over 5.5 years. “It’s not a competition…we boost each other up.”
A love for charity initiatives and trade shows
Asked about one of her other passions — charitable initiatives — Capra acknowledged that they are a big part of her business. “I have a talent that I can share with others,” she said, noting that she regularly works with the Make a Wish Foundation in South Florida and completed six room makeovers during the pandemic. “I love partnering with brands and getting a big team together,” she added.
She said she was particularly proud of a football-field-themed accessible bathroom she designed as a charitable project in partnership with a mosaic artist to “think outside the box” and “do something cool and fun.”
Another passion is being a design ambassador for more than a decade for Crossings, the largest tile and stone trade show in North America, which she said has “really opened my eyes” to the possibilities of working with tile and stone.
She is also a brand ambassador for Robern and Florida spokesperson for Armina Stone and says she loves partnerships and working with friends.
Capra said she also values attending important tradeshows, such as KBIS, High Point, and Marmomac, a marble show in Italy. “It’s important for me to be able to bring new things to the clients we work with,” she explained.
Achieving work/life balance, enjoying free time, and being inspired by travel
Seemingly always on the go, Capra was asked about how she juggles it all. “Work/life is never at a full equilibrium,” she admitted, “so we need to keep adjusting, but I really love what I do — being able to connect with people — and that makes me happy.”
In her free time, Capra revealed that she’s “a big reader” and loves gifting books to friends and family. She also loves to get outside and walk by the beach in Fort Lauderdale.
Capra also spoke about “always being inspired by travel” and having recently visited two hotels in Mexico to appreciate their use of locally made products and a stone quarry in Italy to see the manufacturing process for the very first time. “Nothing prepares you for the grand scale of the mountain, the rock, and the machinery,” she said.
Writing her “By Design” column and a future in product design
Capra has expanded into connecting directly with consumers via her monthly By Design column in Aventura Magazine. “Writing it puts me into a space where I am asking myself, “How can I share this information about fresh new trends?’” she said. “I enjoy coming up with topics and pulling it all together. It’s just as fun to me as designing.”
Asked if she would consider trying product design, Capra said she’s “open to whatever comes my way” and “it’s something many designers aspire to do at some point.”
Looking ahead to 2025
After having accomplished so much in 2024, Capra was asked by Butler what lies ahead in 2025. “I have a lot of things coming up that I can’t share just yet,” she said, “including projects that we are installing now that I can’t wait to see finished.”
