The NKBA Chapter Star Award for Outstanding Volunteer of the Year highlights her journey in the kitchen and bath industry, her passion for mentoring the next generation, and her insights into the evolving design landscape.
By Nicholas Tamarin
Susan Benedict, CKBD, is the owner of Design Alternatives, a Lafayette, Indiana–based firm specializing in unique, custom-tailored kitchen and bath designs. With extensive industry knowledge, Susan creates functional and beautiful spaces, leveraging her certifications as an NKBA Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer and Certified Aging in Place Specialist.
Her commitment to the industry extends to her passion for mentoring the next generation of designers and her significant contributions to the NKBA, including receiving the NKBA Chapter Star Award for Outstanding Volunteer of the Year for her work as President of the NKBA Indiana State Chapter. We spoke with Benedict about her journey in the kitchen and bath industry, her passion for mentoring the next generation, and her insights on the evolving design landscape.
What’s your background like?
Those first few years out of college, I had an insatiable thirst for knowledge in the kitchen & bath field. I just wanted to be a sponge. I wanted to meet everybody in our industry, but I was shy; that was the first hurdle I had to overcome. My first job out of college was working for a custom cabinetry manufacturer. After nine years in the industry, it was time to chart my own destiny, and gaining my CKD certification gave me the courage and confidence to do that. At that time, three of my mentors told me that my business plan would “never fly.” Upon opening a new business account, the bank loan officer believed in me and granted me a home equity line of credit because she had just gone through a horrible kitchen remodel!
Design Alternatives opened its doors in 1994. I was experiencing too many customers gathering multiple “free” kitchen layouts, only to be confused about which was best for them. My new goal became giving them not just the options, but the right design. Spaces that were functional, beautiful, and tailored to their needs, not just the “wish list. When you truly believe in your product and understand what the market is lacking, it becomes easier to attract new clients.
As baby boomers started turning 65, my interest in becoming a CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) piqued. During the 2008 recession, I took on a part-time job providing in-home care once a week, and frankly, that made me a far better designer. It gave me a deeper understanding of how people move or struggle to move through their space. I began looking at every project through the eyes of someone with a disability, a health concern, or a future need to age safely at home. In 2020, I leveled up and completed the bath certification to become a CKBD.
How about educationally?
Educationally, I would have to say I have learned from the school of hard knocks. At the time, no one in our area charged design fees. I had a mortgage to pay, and I knew certification would boost me above the competition.
I was fortunate enough to serve as an interim instructor at my alma mater, Purdue University, for the Interior Design Business Practices course. That’s where I discovered my love for working with students. Even today, I find students still want to soak up every bit of knowledge: they are not worn down by years of industry experience. They can still think “outside the box” or sometimes throw the box away! That’s probably why I am so enthusiastic about writing student design contests for our chapter and our Indiana college students. Nothing drives my passion more than teaching the next generation of designers’ Kitchen & Bath principles to my multiple
How did you get into design? How about K&B specifically?
During high school, I considered a career in interior decorating. I lacked the confidence at the time to get through four years of college. Four interior designers I spoke with advised me that if I were to pursue this, I would need to fully commit and obtain a four-year degree. That is the power of networking with industry professionals to launch your career on a great start! My college kitchen and bath instructor invited the class to attend an NKBA Indiana State Chapter meeting as a first-year student, unaware of the seeds being planted. Three years later, after begging my college professor to put me in the furniture design program, I received a kitchen and bath Internship. I got to go where I wanted: Colorado Springs, and she placed me in a kitchen and bath internship. I was the first student in my design class to secure a job because I knew exactly where I was headed: the kitchen and bath field. Forty-two years later, I still love what I do, and it’s never a chore to go to work in the morning! That’s what I want for the next generation of designers: to find their area of specialty and be enthusiastic about it from their first day as a designer.
One of our members, Sandi Perlman, a local college professor, always brought college students to chapter meetings. That stuck with me. It also fueled my passion for educating students about the kitchen and bath field early in their careers. What better way to do that than with a Student Design Competition? We are fortunate in our state to have five colleges within a two-hour drive of Indianapolis offering design degrees. Our certified designers not only judge the competitions but are also scheduled to instruct a sophomore-level course each semester for those colleges. We also bring design competition sponsors along, giving students the chance to see and interact with their products firsthand, helping them become familiar with the tools and materials they’ll use in this industry. (It’s important to note that early commitment of sponsorship ensures their product category is written in the competition guidelines, and must be specified wherever that product can be used.) Our chapter had a record number of volunteers and attendees at this year’s student design competition. My faith and designing kitchens and baths are the reasons I get out of bed in the morning! It’s the thing I would do even if you didn’t pay me—LOL!
Why did you join the NKBA and get certified? How have both benefited you?
Since I opened my own business after obtaining the CKD certification, I have earned repeated business from contractors who value a set of detailed plans. Time is one of our most valuable commodities. When project plans cater to all trades, it significantly reduces the number of callbacks from the field, a valuable benefit of certification.
Our chapter has a rich history of certified designers. Joining our industry straight out of college, I wanted the joy of being able to stand up and introduce myself by name and certification. This truly inspired me to get that certification, yet I did not have a full understanding at the time of what it would do for my career. Our industry was different back in the ’80s; collaboration and technology were both driving forces for expanding knowledge and awareness.
Watching a project come to fruition is deeply rewarding, but nothing compares to the joy of mentoring and training the next generation of designers. My design assistant and another chapter member were recently awarded one of the 25 Fabuwood Certification Grants: Kudos to Fabuwood!
What’s next for you?
The CMKBD paperwork is nearly complete and ready to be sent to National. I would also love to continue teaching designers to improve the spaces we design from the perspective of someone with a disability, whether through VFTI or additional chapter meeting engagements.
Our chapter is rich in student design competitions. Remember me wanting to learn from our chapter’s best upon graduation? The first design competition I helped with for our chapter was 40 years ago. That inherent drive to make connections is still craved by students today. Moving forward, I would love to see our chapter continue to support design students and provide them with valuable reasons to consider a lasting career in the kitchen and bath field.
Design Alternatives and chapter members wrote a design competition for a donated Habitat for Humanity house. This soon led to a second student competition with another unique purpose: reimagining The Propylaeum’s Carriage House apartment, where students were exposed to the historical restoration process. Maybe there will be more competitions to write/oversee? I know our chapter members are willing to get involved if we tap into their strengths and simply ask for their help and input. Engaging our student community enables us to offer a glimpse into the kitchen and bath industry, and our industry benefits from the creative contributions of interns and designers.
Things have changed significantly since I began my career in the industry 41 years ago. Gary West, a former National NKBA President, reminded me that I was the first “independent designer” he knew. Technology has advanced the way business is done today. As I look to the future, I’ll still be designing kitchens & baths. Three new entrepreneurs have asked me for business advice to set up their new companies. This is how I know our industry is making an impact on how business is done. I also see a shift in the tide that makes it easier for women to navigate the challenges of being their own boss and raising a family. I attended two different women’s conferences this month, both with similar themes, including the NKBA’s W2W Conference. It was refreshing to hear 1.: “The power of telling your own story”, and 2.: “Don’t change your story for anyone!” Success can look different, but it starts with believing in yourself and being
