Element Sessions

On this episode of Element Sessions, Voice of B2B Daniel Litwin was joined by cabinet industry veteran Stacy Garcia, the owner of Garcia Cabinetmakers and founder of KBtribechat™️, which facilitates weekly social media discussions on Twitter for thought-leaders in the kitchen and bath industry. Litwin and Garcia, who brings four decades of experience in the industry to the table, dove into how social media has not only provided inspiration through sites like Instagram and Pinterest, but has completely reshaped the way professionals in the kitchen and bath industry network, build relationships and share ideas. “We were early adapters of computers – we’ve done shop drawings since the early days of them being available on the computer,” Garcia said. “But that has evolved way beyond what it was in the early days. … I see everything online now. Things stay the same, but (there are) different platforms, and you really need to be represented online.” Garcia said she’s noticed a shift in networking away from phone and in-person avenues and another in data collection, which has moved online and away from slogs down to City Hall for records, etc. KBtribechat™️, designed to make Twitter more effective for members of the kitchen and bath industry, has allowed Garcia to craft a critical space for achieving the industry’s modern goals and expanding the boundaries to unexplored, fascinating topics. “The main thing is that I don’t consider it mine. It’s a community,” she said. “I’m overseeing it, but if I see that somebody has a special area of expertise that I find fascinating, I will ask them to host. … It’s a whole community thing. “It’s our industry’s platform. It’s not about me, it’s about the industry.”

Nelson Wills, Partner & Vice President of Business Development at Element Designs in Charlotte, North Carolina, spoke with host James Kent on what it means to be a manufacturer based in the United States. “We are the No. 1 economy in the world, and we’ve done that with a lot of hard work. There’s a lot of pride that goes into the term, ‘made in the USA,’" Wills said. Wills pointed out the significant number of goods Americans rely on are manufactured in America, from food to construction. “The supply chain is the driver of the quality equation,” Wills said, and that is why Element Designs works hard to source their materials in the U.S., as well. With worldwide disruptions occurring due to the coronavirus outbreak, Wills said his company is well-prepared to handle the crisis. Customers have reached out to Element Designs to help them with products they can no longer get on time from overseas. To stay a leader in manufacturing, Wills said Americans have to stay focused on production and innovation. “We have the resources, and we are the innovator. We have a good thing going," he said. "Let’s stay productive and use the resources we have right here at home.” For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the AEC Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

The cleanliness and crispness of white cabinetry may never go out of style, but Pierce assures that white is evolving. Warmer whites, pops of color and metal accents are all changing the look of white cabinetry. The blank canvas that is white cabinetry is getting a reset from designers with the use of metals like steel or brass. The mainstream is latching onto the trend because of its easy mass application as a tasteful but subtle accent. Though the U.S. is typically a few years behind European trends, Pierce says influences from across the pond are popping up in designs thanks to a more globalized design world. Carefully curated color palettes are revolutionizing meaningful design with color choices that reflect the state of society, economy or personal mood. With customer personalization, environmental impact, and cost-friendly kitchens at the forefront of consumer concerns, designer creations reflect creativity in fresh but classic textures, design and mixed materials.

A new decade ushers in new interior design trends, and, for cabinetry, this means fresh takes on color, textures, materials and fixtures. Element Designs explores how cabinetry is evolving, changing and pushing the design envelope on this episode of “Element Sessions.” Joined by Stephanie Pierce, Director of Design and Trends at MasterBrand Cabinets, Element Sessions uncovers what is on the horizon for in-home cabinetry, who is influencing trends and what design features are on the rise.

How does an independent retail store survive in the time of Amazon.com? "Be true to your roots and know your strengths," said Andrew Northrop [contributor page], President of Spokane Hardware Supply. Host Scott Sidway sat down with the Washington-based hardware supply retailer, who has ventured into housing their own retail e-commerce as a way to serve their customers better in this episode of Element Sessions, an Element Designs podcast. "We realize an online presence can help drive local traffic in the area and bring people into the store," Northrop said. "People still want to touch and feel hardware." Spokane Hardware considered putting their products on Amazon so that customers could take advantage of the behemoth's reach and shipping speed capabilities. "But I see Amazon Basics products being launched every day. Cabinet hardware and functional door locks for insanely low price points," Northrop said. "At the end of the day, that doesn't do anybody in the distribution channel any good. There's still room to invest in quality products." Northrop admits it's difficult to represent a product well online. "We do everything we can to properly represent the products and our vendors' visions, but it's a tough deal," he said. "So we shoot video, have content, and product descriptions. And it's not just putting a picture on our website and expecting people to buy it. It's trying to give them more content, more understanding of the product before they're ready to make a purchase."

We've come a long way from pencil and paper when it comes to design mockups and the virtual representation of the design process. Design software like 2020 Design has revolutionized the architecture and design industry, making what once was a picture in someone's mind into a fully-fleshed out concept and rendering. Today on Element Sessions, the Element Designs podcast, host Shelby Skrhak sat down with Vanessa DeKoekkoek, Global Training Manager at 2020, to discuss how DesignTech is accessible for everyone. When DeKoekkoek first got into the design industry, it was at an unlikely place: the kitchen design center for a big-box retailer. That was her first experience using an early incarnation of 2020 Design software 20 years ago. "The very first kitchen space I designed and sold, I didn't really even know how to use the software to its fullest, so I was looking at everything in a plan view," DeKoekkoek said. "Any designer that's listening will appreciate this, I didn't know how to pull up an elevation so I wasn't able to see it in a front view. Luckily the next week I had a designer check my work and she told me I had two different heights of cabinets in the space." A mistake like that would have cost thousands, but today's software "checks your work" so to speak, so you can't select incompatible components. "Back then we really had to leverage plan views and that sketch if you will, where today it's literally a click of a button and you can see the entire space in 3D."

On this episode of Element Sessions, an Element Designs podcast, Nelson Wills, vice president of business development, and Sahaj Patel, president of Triton Glass, LLC, joined host Geoffrey Short to discuss the rising popularity of glass use in building projects. Wills noted office spaces are becoming more open with less emphasis on private offices. Glass provides the structure of walls, but the openness of space. Wills and Patel elaborated on the differences between tempered and laminated glass, and which building applications typically use each type and why. Patel also mentioned insulated glass, a product used for exteriors. To talk about glass’ present, Wills started with glass’ past to demonstrate its long history in the building process. “We see glass across industries. We see it in appliances, we see it in solar panels, we see it in exteriors; there’s a strong trend towards using glass in electronics," Patel said. Wills talked about the fast-moving technology around glass and he mentioned several examples of new innovations. Patel walked Short through the process his company goes through when working with clients on their glass projects. His goal is to educate the client on the types of products available to them so they can make the right decision based on their needs. Wills and Patel wrapped up the conversation by reminding listeners of the improvements and technology advances happening with glass products, from increased energy efficiency to the flexibility in use.

Sight, scent, sound, taste, and touch: Of the five senses, we often overlook the powerful effects of touch. But at California Closets, the design team is putting texture at the forefront of their creations, using it to alter a space’s look, feel, and mood. By attending European design shows, experimenting with new materials, and designing with the homeowner in mind, California Closets crafts unique, customized spaces. On this podcast we are joined by Erin Hardy, National Manager of Design at California Closets. Hardy discussed the different ways California Closets uses texture in their designs to great effect. “Texture really creates a lot of visual interest in design," Hardy said. By mixing and matching textures, like matte and gloss or fabric and wood, a design can take on a whole new look and feel. At California Closets, “we create places where people start and end their day," Hardy said. With that in mind, the design team crafts closets that reflect the life, habits, and comforts of the homeowner by asking: “How do you want to feel when you walk into your space?” With designs in homes all over the world, California Closets aims to ensure a quality product every time. The key to consistency is in a good quality materials and a reliable set of textures that work well together. Hardy explains how artificial wood grain gives designs that consistency. “At the end of the day we get a beautiful palette of materials that works well together every time,” she said.

There is always a new interior design trend around the corner. Some designs last through the ages, while others fade away as fads; today we explore the ones that we think are going to have a lasting impact on the industry. On this episode of Element Sessions, we welcomed Chris Dwyer, western regional sales manager at Element Designs, to break down the latest trends in kitchen and bath design. Coming off a whirlwind trip to Cologne, Germany having attended the leading international trade show for furniture design, interzum, Dwyer dished on what he saw there. Bright pops of color, etched patterns in glass, and gold and brass embellishments on aluminum fixtures were just a few standout design trends that could be here to stay. Interzum, a sprawling trade show taking up eleven different convention halls, was a “buffet of design trends,” as host Sean Heath put it. So what design elements stood out among the throng of booths? “It’s definitely about space...how to get more out of the space," Dwyer said. Design elements that open up spaces without the clutter of extra fixtures are top performers. Open shelving stood out among the crowd, as well as clean cabinetry. “How to conceal everything was a big point at the show," Dwyer said, referencing how hardware, like hinges, are becoming less visible to the user’s eye. In short, “clean, contemporary, straight modern lines” are in. Consumers are seeking minimalism as their living spaces shrink, and the design world is reflecting this global shift. Dwyer's take on European furniture and design gave us a glimpse into what will take footing in the US next year when trends make their way across the pond.

How do you nail down the definition of contemporary? Ask an expert like Suzanne DeRusha, president of Suzanne Kimberly Design. In this episode of Element Sessions, an Element Designs podcast, host Sean Heath explored the fundamental principles of creating successful contemporary designs with the noted designer. So, does contemporary design have a firm or fixed definition? Yes and no. “Modern and contemporary are often transposed or used together, and that’s because typically consumers don’t know the differences,” DeRusha said. “But the style itself is always changing. Trying to keep your finger on that pulse is like knowing what each manufacturer is thinking and who their innovative brains are.” That’s because ever-changing technology and functional engineering constitute a big part of contemporary style and design, DeRusha explained. Cabinet hardware function has come a long way with soft-close hinges and lift-up doors, for example. These are functional upgrades but represent a new sleek aesthetic that is prominent in contemporary design. In this episode, DeRusha and Heath discussed the old debate of form versus function in design and the newer question of whether advances in materials drive design, or do design requirements cause material evolutions. “We are living and designing in a time that all the elements are merging in perfect harmony,” DeRusha said.

Technology has changed the way products work and look, but what is often overlooked is the technology that puts these products in front of a buying audience. For the woodworking, cabinet, furniture, and store fixture industries, the most powerful technologies have been the ones making each aspect of the design process more efficient, straight-forward, and comprehensive. From CAD software to social media, to virtual reality, technology has simplified the communication process between designer and customer. What sort of impact does this have at each stage of a project? Beata Klecha, founding partner and vice president of marketing for Element Designs, and Colin Reyenga, owner of Alma Sales, Inc., join us on this episode of the Element Sessions podcast to break down the technology powering every niche and process in AEC, and how specialization has created software for specific markets in construction and design. Customers and designers go through several stages from beginning to end to deliver a final product. Technology has impacted every single one, including the... -Inspiration stage: Social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram are making it so much easier for clients to not only flex their creative muscles but follow influencers and leading companies to see how the greats do it and draw from that to really personalize their ideas. -Product research stage: Professionals and customers alike have a plethora of comprehensive online catalogs to help filter, specify, and eventually choose the materials and products that will make their design a reality. -Design stage: CAD software is a no-brainer, but the recent specializations of CAD software, creating design platforms for very specific end-products, has made the design stage less cumbersome. Add virtual and augmented reality to that, and you have customers and designers visualizing their designs clearly before ever touching a real piece of hardware. -Purchasing stage: Companies like Element Designs have created online accounts so customers can receive quotes 24/7. Online ordering tools also allow buyers to specify customizations as well. The digital landscape has changed the way people shop, and this does not stop once the purchase has been made. Automated shipping updates in people’s email inboxes keep customers informed and engaged with the brand, making the buying experience a better and more personalized one. Once the delivery is completed, oftentimes happy buyers will share their new product on social media, adding to the wealth of organic awareness about the brand for new prospective customers and beginning the cycle anew.

Office spaces have long been attached to the stigma of being cold, grey rooms filled with an endless sea of cubicles. The design of office spaces today, though, is turning the idea that workspaces must be bland and sterile on its head. On this first episode of Element Sessions, we were joined by Element Designs guests Beata Klecha, vice president of marketing, and Nelson Wills, partner for sales & operations design, two professionals freshly off attending NeoCon 2019, a conference that serves as the launchpad for commercial design and innovation. We dove into how commercial design trends and changes are being implemented in real time, and what ideas we can anticipate upsetting the industry in big ways. The prevalent movement in commercial design today can be boiled down into one hybrid word: ”resimmercial.” The warmth and comfort of residential design merged with the open concept, collaborative nature of commercial design–resimmercial. Klecha noted the warm colors and cozy fabrics found in homes inching their way into workspaces. Wills, a NeoCon veteran, gave his insider advice on which trends are here to stay and which are passing fads. We noted how modern tech is weaving its way into furniture that includes charging docs or storage areas for devices, and how the commercial design industry is pushing open-concept, collaborative workspaces while nurturing the notion of privacy by cultivating cozy nooks for employees to find solace during a buzzing workday. The overarching sentiment pushing commercial design, however, is a need to make employees happy. After all, a happy employee is a productive employee. We unpack the question “What makes employees happy in their workspace?” today on this Element Sessions podcast.