By Donna Heiderstadt
As part of the JENNAIR-sponsored technology track at KBIS 2025’s NEXTStage, the chief executives of two key organizations in the kitchen-and-bath and home building and renovation space sat down for a chat called CEO Perspectives—Designing New Synergies in Smart Home Design. The goal was to take a look at ongoing and proposed initiatives to connect designers and integrators in the process of choosing and installing smart home technology.
Following an introduction by Anthony Pastrick, Senior Brand Manager for JENNAIR, Bill Darcy, Global President & CEO of NKBA | KBIS, was joined by Daryl Friedman, Global President & CEO of CEDIA, the Association for Smart Home Professionals, to delve into the synergy between residential design and smart home technology. The goal: Offering actionable insights for those in attendance and sparking further ideas for collaboration between the two organizations. The session was moderated by Crystal Watts, Director of Marketing at NKBA | KBIS, who has previously held positions in the smart-technology industry.
A smart-technology convergence
Watts kicked off the session by asking Darcy and Friedman to discuss how kitchen-and-bath design and smart home technology are converging. “There’s a lot of technology around this show,” Darcy observed, noting that when the NKBA talks to consumers about what they want in their home they’re really excited about the future of smart technology.
Friedman noted that “smart home installers and designers are figuring out the best ways to integrate technology into the home.” Darcy then added that homeowners want the technology to be invisible—to not interrupt the look and design of their home—so it’s important for tech brands to demonstrate how these products have evolved.
Darcy also acknowledged that NKBA is looking to acquire knowledge it can impart to its members, noting that millennial homebuyers know about smart technology and “our collaboration with CEDIA is vital to that learning process.”
Friedman asserted that the opportunity for designers “is a happier client…because when consumers find out about technology, they want it.” At the same time, countered Darcy, because things in the smart-home realm are advancing so quickly, consumers are also questioning whether they should invest in what is currently available and take a risk that it won’t change. “The key for consumers,” he said, “is to be informed about what is about to be revolutionized.”
The need to develop a trust level between integrators and designers
That’s where trust comes in—with integrators and manufacturers’ expertise shared with designers who can pass that along to their clients. “Designers and integrators need to have a trust level,” Friedman explained. “Often the two sides don’t know each other and we need to get these two to talk to each other.”
Darcy also noted that it’s also vital to balance what is most important to the consumer with information about the costs of various smart technologies and what is available.
This is where certification can come into play. Friedman noted that CEDIA offers various certification programs in integrating smart technology, leading Darcy to acknowledge that NKBA “needs to find a better way to use CEDIA’s resources — maybe a badge, a curriculum for learning.” He asked, “How can NKBA and CEDIA members collaborate more closely?”
He then suggested that NKBA members find a local smart-technology mentor and build a relationship. “Bring a CEDIA member to an NKBA chapter meeting,” he said.
Friedman added that the idea of having a badge or credential that can be earned would definitely “build synergy” between the two organizations’ members.
What does the future hold?
Looking to the future, Friedman said that there are so many technologies for the home that go beyond the kitchen and bath, especially when it comes to lighting.
Darcy added that two major trends—sustainability and wellness—factor into the smart home equation as well. He used shade control for keeping homes cool and saving energy as “helping to solve the problem of how to establish a healthy space.”
When it was the audience’s turn to ask a question, the first one was about how designers can learn more about smart home technology. Friedman replied that there are several ways: Attending CEDIA Expo in Denver in September and going to CEDIA.org to check out new content and continuing education opportunities for designers. The website also has a list of integrators that is searchable by zip code.
Concluded Darcy, “Designers need to go into this thinking ‘I need to know about this’.”
Friedman’s parting words were: “My advice is to bring an integrator in early in the project.”
Other suggestions from both the panel and audience:
• Visit CEDIA.org to “learn what can be.”
• “Date your integrator,” meaning treat them as a potential partner for life since they need to be someone you can work with and trust.
• The integrator’s job is to “know the tech,” so both integrators and designers should respect their areas of expertise.
• “Finding the right integrator will make your clients extremely happy—an integrator should be an important part of your team.”
