Today’s clients don’t want “standard luxury.” They want kitchens that reflect personality, performance, and precision.
This panel combined leading designers, an expert from BlueStar, and a designer representative for Fabuwood to explore how designers can create distinct, highly personal kitchens without sacrificing efficiency or craftsmanship
Panelists: Megan Siason, M Studio Interior Design; Ann Muth, BlueStar; Nikki Levy, Levy Interiors
Moderator: Chandler Pibl, Modern Luxury Interiors
How can designers ensure that they’re creating a kitchen that truly suits a client’s personality and lifestyle?
Opinions spanned the spectrum during the final panel in the terrace at Broad Hall.
Nikki Levy pays close attention to what the client is wearing and relies on a thorough onboarding document, “So we can really craft the kitchen for them without a detail being forgotten.”
For Ann Muth, identifying the household chef’s preferences and routines is of supreme importance. “Do they have a meal-delivery service? Are there kids and teens, or is it just the homeowner? How are they cooking every day?”
Megan Siason vouches for NKBA’s planning guidelines to ask the right questions and lay the foundation. The one question she always asks: “How do you want to feel when the space is complete?”
Handling conversations about trends
With social media, design is everywhere and clients are bombarded with options.
“I deprogram them, said Nikki. “We cannot design something that people want because of exposure. It is our duty to take people’s hard-earned money and invest in what works for them.”
“Kitchens don’t have to be Instagram worthy to deliver what the client wants.,” agreed Ann. “It needs to be beautiful and functional for them.”
For Ann, functionality is critical. “You really need to consider the age of the client,” she said. Perhaps French doors that provide easier access would be a benefit. Ann also stressed the importance of proper ventilation, which is often forgotten in the planning process.
Navigating color choice
We’ve seen a shift in the kitchen from blues into greens, burgundy, brown, and even pinks.
“Thank goodness cabinet manufacturers like Fabuwood are extending what is available to us. It’s phenomenal.”
Nikki encourages clients to play with color, particularly in the kitchen. If they have regrets, they can always repaint.
Bold choices like a purple hood or an orange range often become conversation pieces. Clients are proud they made the bold choice.
If a client is resisting the leap, Nicki suggests bringing in color on a smaller scale, in unexpected places. “You can have fun with customization and color without making it so bold that it feels like a massive commitment, she added.”
Either way, the panelists agreed customization is not a passing trend, and it’s the ultimate goal of designers.
“When we finish a job,” said Megan, “We’re usually done. We don’t typically get to hang out in their kitchens. We’re doing it for them.”
