Designer expands expertise to move beyond the kitchen and bath
Designer Vasi Ypsilantis opened her kitchen and bath showroom, “the Breakfast Room, Ltd.,” on the prestigious north shore of Long Island in 1999, some 15 years after beginning her career in kitchen and bath design.
“I had a passion for kitchen design early on since it allowed me to develop my talent in two key areas,” says Ypsilantis. “It was important to be able to use my architecture and space-planning skills, since kitchen design is not just about decoration. The kitchen must also incorporate function – ergonomics combined with aesthetics.”
Through the years, her designs have been published in national and international magazines, and her work in show houses and historic homes has garnered attention and earned her two Notable Designer of Distinction awards as well as a first place honor in the Sub-Zero Wolf contest.
But working as a kitchen and bath designer led to some frustration for Ypsilantis. “I learned that, no matter how talented you are, your work will not be represented properly in the hands of an unprofessional or untalented contractor,” she offers. “Since good contractors were hard to come by, I had many bad experiences.” She believed she could do it better, and decided to make the additional leap to licensed contractor in 2004.
Since then, she has added an interior design and build firm. “Now, I’m creating interior styles that flow throughout the entire essence of the home,” she explains.
