Designer transitions from Wall Street to design
After taking a break from a job on Wall Street to raise her children, Courtney Zanelli decided to pursue a career in design, initially enrolling in continuing education courses at Parsons School for Design, The New School, in New York City. During that time, a love of hand drafting and space planning emerged, and she discovered a passion for kitchen design.
Zanelli set out on her own in 2010 and established Courtney Zanelli, LLC, a kitchen design business serving residential clients in Summit, NJ. A membership to the National Kitchen and Bath Association followed, along with core courses in kitchen and bath planning and design. At the same time, she partnered with a custom cabinet shop where she became a dealer.
As her business began to grow, Zanelli pursued NKBA certification and ultimately became a CMKBD. This certification opened doors that allowed her to grow her business and enhanced her marketing. She was the first-place winner of the 2022 NKBA Design and Industry Awards competition for her entry in the Small Traditional Kitchen category.
Zanelli was selected to serve as a judge in the 2023 NKBA design competition and was recently a participant in the NKBA’s inaugural Women-to-Women Leadership Conference.
