At KBIS 2024, General Electric’s former National Showroom & Design Director broke down her unique path to certification and more.
By Nicholas Tamarin
Based out of Roswell, Georgia, Sherri Proffitt Gold has extensive experience in in the industry: the licensed interior designer and CKD has spent her entire career in the kitchen and bath and home products fields. Currently the Sales & Design Executive at the Almo Corporation, Proffitt Gold previously served as BKBG’s Executive Director and General Electric’s National Showroom & Design Director and Senior Sales Manager for Monogram in the Southeast, where she was the
nation’s top producer in both sales and budget performance during her tenure. During her time in K&B, she has leddifferent cabinet manufacturers, worked with showrooms, multifamily developers, and homebuilders and managed national accounts. Proffitt Gold has also run showrooms, and takes great pride that she has helped train and energize hundreds of industry members to advance both professionally and personally.
The designer has developed multiple sales and management training programs and teaches for NKBA | KBIS at KBIS almost every year. At this year’s show, she sat down with the association to talk about her success in the industry.
NKBA | KBIS: Why did you become a designer?
Sheri Proffitt Gold: I’ve always been an equal balance of creative and analytics. When I was at the University of Tennessee, I majored in business and minored in interior design. At the time, folks thought it was an odd combination. But I knew I loved both areas and could figure out a way to combine them, which I’ve always done. My entire 40-year career has been a blend of the two areas, and always in the K&B world.
NKBA | KBIS: What was your certification path, and how does your certification set you apart from the competition?
Sheri Proffitt Gold: My certification path was a bit unique. Back in the late ’80s and early ‘90s, I worked for American Woodmark cabinet company, and was their Home Depot national account manager. That was when Home Depot’s 20/20 Kitchen Design Certification was born, and they offered a classroom training and testing track to their designers in Atlanta, at their corporate office. Home Depot only had eight total stores in the nation at the time. I was able to piggyback onto that as their manufacturer partner, and I went through the training and testing and became a CKD in 1994 because they were an NKBA | KBIS member. I had already redesigned their store cabinet showrooms, so this was a career expansion.
I am also a CLIPP, or Certified Living In Place Professional, and combining that with my NKBA | KBIS certification is great for a living-in-place focus.
NKBA | KBIS: What did you learnat KBIS 2024?
Sheri Proffitt Gold: For me, product and learning interests at KBIS this year have widened to include outdoor, sustainable and wellness living – especially where appliances are concerned. Ventilation and refrigeration can make a huge impact in the health area, so there’s a lot to learn and share with clients.
NKBA: What products/brands are the most exciting at KBIS 2024?
Sheri Proffitt Gold: Wellness and accessibility products are a continued focus, as well as expansion in the smart tech arena where it’s easy to use and incorporate into daily lives. I see so many booths are bath and shower related, so that growth continues as a concentration area as well.
NKBA | KBIS: What trends do you expect to see in 2024?
Sheri Proffitt Gold: Home based experiences, especially in luxury, are such a goal for most. It’s not just preparing a meal, it’s cooking together and creating a warm and welcoming event – whether it’s just for your own family or an expanded group. Sometimes, it’s selecting a culinary topic and that becomes the experience agenda, almost like a culinary book club. So many folks who are back to traveling again are bringing back ideas and recipes they’ve found on their trips to create family and friend group sharing experiences in the kitchen. All of that greatly impacts kitchen and space design that accommodates this increasing engagement.
