Showroom Connections

Sending (or traveling with) clients all over town to find the right products can be exhausting and a waste of precious time. For some designers, creating a showroom turns out to be the next best step. It just makes sense to bring all of those products together under one roof.

For those designers who already have an established showroom, circumstances might be that traffic is not meeting expectations. The designs, the products and the service are in place, but there aren’t enough people coming through the doors to enjoy the experience.

Is it time to create that one-stop shop? Or perhaps follow the old real estate axiom of location, location, location? Kitchen & Bath Design News recently spoke with some designers who were faced with these decisions. Here’s what they had to say.

Kitchen Design Concepts

Dallas, TX

Founder/CEO Mary Kathryn Reese was faced with a critical decision. The lease on her Kitchen Design Concepts showroom was due for renewal. The original space had become dated, the vignettes needed refreshing and the company had outgrown the original footprint. Reese also wanted a showroom with increased visibility, more client traffic and a stronger connection to the Design District.

Reese found a location in the Dallas Design District and built a new 5,000-sq.-ft. showroom with a spacious warehouse and tall ceilings. Each designer on the team was given their own space to design, making the process engaging and collaborative. 

“The goal throughout was to create a space that not only inspired but reflected real-life applications, showcasing the types of finishes, installations and details that clients would want in their own homes,” Reese says.

Senior Designer Rebecca Sutton says each vignette showcases most, if not all, customized options for each of the different cabinet lines to help tell the story of how many options are available, including drawers, inserts, interior colors, exterior materials, cabinet construction styles and more. 

“The Showcase kitchen mixes both frameless and framed inset cabinets, where we also show three different inset profile options for easy comparison,” Sutton remarks. “Another example is the Red Birch stained door in the live kitchen, next to a painted finish and a high-gloss Lux sheet-good product. Even in the small kitchenette in the back, we compare the same painted door style in maple and MDF so you can both see and feel the nuanced differences.” 

The showroom also features a “Revive” display run by a division of the company that creates a special niche for clients who may want to retain existing cabinetry. 

“This is a small case study vignette where they repurposed previously existing honey oak stained cabinetry, changed some of the doors and painted them a deep green,” Sutton explains. “Adding new counters, plumbing, hardware and backsplash along with the new paint color gives a brand new look to old cabinets.”

The initial focus of the showroom design was on walkability and spatial planning.

“The layout was carefully crafted to accommodate various large kitchen configurations, allowing us to demonstrate different walkway widths and appliance placements,” Sutton adds. 

In addition to showcasing kitchen designs, the space also needed to support functional meeting areas and workspaces. 

“The goal was to ensure a natural flow for clients and event attendees moving between rooms, while still providing enough separation to host multiple meetings simultaneously within the studio,” she reports.

And each vignette has its own ‘wow’ factor.

“The two bathrooms are actually really fun rooms, and probably the most collaborative between all of our designers,” Sutton offers. “They both meet the concept of color saturation and ‘cover all the sheetrock’ in the design. There are lots of fun elements, patterns and bold colors and design choices, even in the working ADA-compliant space. We love our pink grab bars!”

When potential clients initially reach out to Kitchen Design Concepts, the company will often send a link to a virtual twin of the showroom that was created using Matterport technology. 

“This sparks immediate interest, with many wanting to visit in person after exploring the space online,” Reese says. “Our location in the design district has also been a major advantage. It’s significantly increased visibility and strengthened our business-to-business relationships within the design community.”

Finley Design Co.

Basking Ridge, NJ

After years of spending many hours shopping with their clients at other shops and showrooms, Finley Design Company saw an opportunity. The company realized it could become a one-stop shop for not only its clients, but others as well.

“We want to support homeowners, designers, builders and architects with design and selection of materials needed for their projects,” states Ali Altieri, senior interior designer. 

The goal is to help the client select the finishes that fit their design style, as well as their budget. Finley’s showroom is an array of materials, finishes and design styles that he knows work well.

“The cabinets are the ‘wow’ factor,” Altieri says. “As soon as you enter the door, there is a beautiful olive green mudroom bench with white oak top and gold hardware – all made from a stock cabinet line, but with that custom flare. We have a bathroom display with a shower enclosure, showing what the curb and niche will look like in an install. We have a modern ‘wet’ bar with a Silestone quartz countertop and backsplash from Cosentino, constructed from frameless cabinetry in dark charcoal and white oak accents.

“Our most exciting display is our working kitchen, complete with a microwave drawer, induction cooktop and built-in Monogram refrigerator with an ice maker,” he adds.

The kitchen display includes a custom oak island with inset doors and natural Carrara marble top with stacked 3″ edge. 

Finley has a collaborating designer for window treatments, wallpaper, soft goods and custom furniture. Design services include full kitchen and bathroom design and bid package, tile design and specification, space planning and material and finish schedules. 

The company offers installation of their products as well, if necessary. In the future, they will be offering closet and pantry design and supply.

To attract customers into the showroom, Altieri says Finley will hold monthly events, such as an open house for interior designers, and DIY lessons this fall.

Paquin Interiors

Grasonville, MD

According to Eric Paquin, v.p. of sales and marketing at Paquin Design/Build, the decision to open a showroom just made sense.

“As a design-build company, we were constantly sending our interior designers and selection coordinators all over town – to separate places for cabinets, countertops, tile, etc. – which was inefficient and time-consuming,” he explains. “Prices would sometimes change, or materials would become unavailable, forcing us to go back and redo the process. It was a waste of time for both our team and our clients.”

As a result, the company decided to bring everything under one roof so clients can view all materials together, get on-site pricing and make their selections efficiently.

Paquin Design/Build’s relationships with suppliers allows them to keep their displays current with the latest products and design trends, allowing their clients to see, touch and feel the most up-to-date options when making their decisions.

“The working kitchen is definitely the centerpiece of the showroom,” Paquin says. 

The kitchen is right at the entrance and has been used to host events, including those where chefs come in to demonstrate how the space functions.

“We incorporated high-end finishes and made sure the layout feels open and welcoming, without being overcrowded,” Paquin explains. “The design strikes a balance between sophistication and accessibility, reflecting the types of products we typically install for clients.”

Aside from the cooking demonstrations, Paquin Design/Build hosts a variety of events, including Chamber of Commerce gatherings, seasonal events like Santa visits during the holidays, and product giveaways to draw in the community.

“We also have a strong online presence so clients know our hours and can easily schedule appointments. Some potential customers drop in to explore the showroom, while others meet with designers or request in-home consultations,” he comments, adding, “Our location is also a big asset – we’re right off one of the busiest highways in Maryland.”

Kitchens Bath & Beyond

Metuchen, NJ

At the grand opening of Kitchens Bath & Beyond, Founder and Creative Director Janibell Rodriguez remarked, “[This] was more than a ribbon cutting – it was a moment of arrival, purpose and pure gratitude.”

With a degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology, certifications from the NKBA in Cabinetry, Lighting, Color, and Bathroom Design, and years of experience in Manhattan’s prestigious A&D Building, Rodriguez brings a unique blend of expertise in aesthetics, functionality and material selection.

Her vision for Kitchens, Bath & Beyond was to create a convenient one-stop shop for all clientele, featuring a wide variety of products from plumbing and tile to lighting and cabinets. She wants to provide customers the opportunity to learn about the latest kitchen and bath products and technologies firsthand. With the showroom opening several weeks ago, she is realizing that vision.

In the boutique-style showroom, located on the second floor of a building in the heart of a charming town, every product category has its own room. There are also two vignettes – a luxury vignette and an entry level kitchen space.

In the vignettes, she showcases a 36″ panel-ready French door refrigerator with 36″ freezer drawer, as well as a statement 48″ range, a 24″ dishwasher, a 48″ hood and a microwave oven, which can be used as a microwave or as a convection oven. These are all appliances that her clients might not be familiar with, and she is anxious to educate them about how these products can elevate a design and enhance functionality.

In addition to kitchen and bath products and designs, Rodriguez notes that her firm is slowly expanding into outdoor living, a growing segment for designers.

Overall, Rodriguez’s philosophy can be seen in her showroom.

“These areas aren’t just rooms – they shape your daily routine,” she explains. “A well-designed kitchen makes cooking and gathering effortless. A thoughtfully crafted shower feels like a private retreat. Your living spaces and bedrooms should reflect your personality while offering both style and comfort. And your outdoor areas should extend your home’s beauty into nature.”

Rodriguez is proud of her heritage, and has a message for other Latina designers.

“I didn’t just step into this industry – I’ve made it my own,” she remarks. “To every Latina out there breaking barriers: keep pushing. Si, se puede!”