From the Tap - A KBB Podcast

Susan and Paul Kadilak, owners of Kadilak Homes in the Boston area and hosts of the TV show, "Renovation Rekindle," recently shared their tips for bridging the communication gap with clients. Susan got her contractor’s license in her early 20s, and Paul – who is also a firefighter – has been in the industry partnering with Susan for 15 years.

On this week’s From the Tap podcast, Deborah DiMare, founder and principal of DiMare Design, discussed a driving force in her practice: vegan design.

Daniella Hoffer of New Jersey-based Daniella Hoffer Interiors talks about how to design a successful kosher kitchen for your clients. She began creating kosher kitchens starting with her own when her home was built about seven years ago.

Brea Elles, founder and director of Atelier Honnete, a design/build firm based in Miami, Fla., fills is in on the differences between residential and commercial kitchen design.

On this week’s From the Tap podcast, I am welcoming Bob Bakes, cofounder and head of design at Bakes & Kropp, a luxury kitchen design and manufacturing company with showrooms in New York City, the Hamptons, Long Island, Michigan and Palm Beach. We discussed participating in design show houses from a designer’s point of view.

 Calvin and Chris LaMont, who are the stars of HGTV’s new show, “Buy It or Build It," chatted about how to create boundaries when working with family members, as these twin brothers have a lot of experience with that.

Designer Malka Heft, founder of Think Chic Interiors, talked about how to design kitchens and bath with children of all ages in mind. She said 90% of her clients have young kids, and she has specific questions she asks to ensure she provides a successful project for everyone involved.

We delved into what it takes to be a brand ambassador in the kitchen and bath industry with seasoned designer Kerrie Kelly of California-based Kerrie Kelly Design Lab. She shared with us how she has gotten involved with various brands throughout the years and which ones she is working with now.

On this week’s From the Tap KBB Podcast, I spoke with Missouri-based designer and winner of HGTV’s “Design Star,” Jennifer Bertrand. We talked about cause marketing, or in other words, how to use your design skills to do good things. 

On this week’s From the Tap podcast, I am welcoming designer Richard Anuszkiewicz – also fondly known in our industry as Richard A to Z. We discussed what it takes to design exhibitor booths for industry events and the difference between that and residential design.

On our new From the Tap podcast, I spoke to CE Pro’s executive editor Arlen Schweiger and editorial director of DesignWell 365, Nicholas Boever, about all things KBIS 2022. Each of us had various perspectives from our industries, and our discussion covered everything from new products, trends, programming and the overall show experience.

Green Forest Cabinetry CEO, John Morgan, and Emily McCullum, the company’s director of market/business development, discussed how to cultivate winning teams for your business. Among many other things, we covered the definition of an exceptional team, how to attract and retain successful talent, necessary skills leaders need to create these teams and innovative ways to work around the labor shortag...

Designer Sarah Robertson of Studio Dearborn in Westchester County, New York has been getting more requests for including spaces for pets in her residential projects. As people are spending more time at home with their pets these last few years – and maybe for the foreseeable future – it makes sense that they want to incorporate their furry best friends into the mix. 

On this week’s From the Tap podcast, we talked with designer Rebecca Robinson of Monarch Lane Interiors about managing client expectations as part of the overall project experience, which can help with client retention and referrals for a successful business.

On this week’s From the Tap podcast, we talked with JT Norman, director of product design and innovation for Kitchen Magic, a kitchen cabinet refacing firm in Nazareth, Pa., about his thoughts on the most relevant kitchen design trends we will see coming down the pike in 2022.

On this week’s From the Tap podcast, we spoke with Liza Hausman, vice president of industry marketing at Houzz, about what homeowners want from the industry professionals they hire. Houzz recently conducted some research on this topic by surveying 900 homeowners who were planning, in the midst of or had completed a renovation within the last two years. 

On this week’s episode of KBB’s From the Tap podcast, designer Meredith Weiss, owner of Commack, N.Y-based Merri Interiors, gave us an exclusive rundown of the innovative design solutions she’s come up with during her career.

On this week’s “From the Tap” KBB podcast, we spoke with Arianne Bellizaire, owner of Baton Rouge-based Arianne Bellizaire Interiors, about all things color with regard to residential projects.

On this week’s “From the Tap” KBB podcast, we spoke to the overall winner, Cheryl Kees Clendenon – along with five of the seven praiseworthy picks – about their accomplishments and how they are helping our industry. 

On this week’s “From the Tap” KBB podcast, we spoke to Sharon Sherman, who founder of Wyckoff, N.J.-based Thyme & Place Design, about the importance of having a good contractor on your team and how to foster that relationship.

On this week’s “From the Tap” KBB podcast, we spoke to Ariana Lovato, owner of California-based Honeycomb Home Design, about what it’s like to be pregnant and run your own business at the same time. This is a topic the designer feels should be shared more in our industry.

This week’s “From the Tap” KBB podcast topic covers the major elephant in the room – the skilled labor shortage. We talk with Bill Feinberg of Allied Kitchen & Bath about how to attract new workers by thinking outside the box, which messages to send to teachers and parents and how you as design professional can help.

This week’s “From the Tap” KBB podcast is all about KBIS 2022! Registration opened on Sept. 1, and the show takes place Feb. 8 to 10 in Orlando. We recently spoke with Jason McGraw, the KBIS show director, and Mike Waterman, chief sales officer of Visit Orlando, about what’s in store for the live event, as well as what’s new in the sunny city of Orlando since we were all there four years ago.

This week’s “From the Tap” KBB podcast talks with designer Morgan Molitor from Construction2Style on how a design pro is able to separate their own style or opinion when it comes time to renovate for a client. We talk about how they deal with letting their clients have a say and not design a space solely for themselves – among lots of other things.

This week’s From the Tap KBB podcast topic is on what’s new and exciting with outdoor living, as we know this concept has become even more popular these days. My guest was John McClain, principal designer at John McClain Design. With locations in Los Angeles and Orlando, he is no stranger to outdoor projects, and although he feels this movement was heavily brought on because of the pandemic, it is...