The emotional impact of our surroundings, the challenges of a multi-year global project, and why the perfect kitchen starts with the “mother archetype.”
Elana Tenenbaum Cline, architecturally trained-interior designer with a fascinating background rooted in both structured discipline and creative layering came into the virtual studio to share her journey from attending Syracuse University’s intensive architecture program to working on massive global projects like the Abu Dhabi Airport.
The conversation explores the “practical creative” mindset, the importance of constraints in design, and the profound shift from large-scale architecture to the intimate human scale of interior design. Elana explains her philosophy that our surroundings completely impact how we perform and think, detailing how she uses personal narratives to craft spaces that truly resonate with her clients.
The Architectural Foundation: Elana discusses growing up with a structured father and a creative mother, and how her five-year architecture degree informs her complex interior renovations today.
The Emotional Connection: Why Elana pivoted to interior design to achieve a more intimate understanding of how people actually live—from how they serve coffee to their favorite childhood colors.
We talk about running and The “Suck” of the Marathon: A unique analogy comparing the phases of a design project to running a marathon, specifically the “mile 20” moment where clients might lose the vision just before the finish line.
Redefining Luxury: Why “luxury” in interior design might be as simple as a perfectly organized silverware drawer rather than just expensive materials.
The Performance of Space: Insights into commercial projects like the West River Surgery Center, where the design’s primary goal is to evoke a sense of ease and calm for patients.
Elements & Links
E: Explore Elana’s portfolio and the “all senses” approach to residential and commercial design.
Syracuse Architecture: Information on the intensive five-year program that shaped Elana’s professional background.
The Soul of a House: A recommended read on the emotional impact of interior spaces.
“I call myself a practical creative. I love being creative, but I love having constraints.”
“What is so beautiful about architecture and interior design is… how do you actually live in the space? How do you think?”
“I believe that our surroundings completely impact how we feel, how we perform, and how we think.”
“Architecture, depending on the scale… can go on for a long time. There is a pace with interiors that keeps me going.”
“Luxury in architecture is a material choice… luxury in interior design might be a silverware organizer in a drawer.”
“In an interior project, mile 20 is when you’ve done all the work… you’re almost there, and the client doesn’t see the vision yet because they can’t sit on it or touch it.”
“I try to use plain speak with clients… even the wealthiest clients all have budgets and want to manage them extremely carefully.”
“You finish a renovation… and they put a pink Dove soap pump from Walgreens on the counter. It’s like a knife to the heart.”
“People want to be outside as much as possible; they want to connect to nature as much as possible while still having access to power and shade.”
In a category often defined by tradition, Green Forest Cabinetry is applying data science, manufacturing discipline, and cross-industry thinking to challenge long-held assumptions about cabinetry. Their approach reveals how operational precision—not marketing—creates real value for designers, builders, and homeowners.
Green Forest Cabinetry’s leadership team including, CEO, John Morgan, COO, Nathan Boone and CIO, Michael Boone share how treating cabinetry as an information-driven business, not just a manufacturing process, has enabled dramatic gains in quality, efficiency, and affordability. From machine learning and performance-based compensation to packaging innovation and cultural transformation, their story illustrates how operational clarity creates competitive advantage.
Cabinetry has long been viewed as a static category—functional, necessary, but rarely innovative. Yet beneath the surface, a new generation of manufacturers is redefining what cabinetry can be by focusing not on materials alone, but on systems, data, and human performance.
In this conversation, Green Forest Cabinetry’s leadership explains how they built a manufacturing culture centered on measurable output, accountability, and continuous improvement. Their approach borrows heavily from industries like automotive manufacturing, Formula One racing, and technology, where precision, repeatability, and efficiency are essential.
By applying machine learning to packaging optimization, implementing transparent performance metrics across their workforce, and prioritizing supply chain flexibility, the company has achieved a damage and defect rate of just 0.69%—far below the industry average of 2.5–3.5%. These gains not only reduce operational costs but dramatically improve reliability for designers, builders, and homeowners.
Ultimately, this conversation reveals a powerful truth: cabinetry is no longer just a product. It is a system. And the manufacturers who treat it as such are redefining the future of the industry.
Cabinetry as an Information Business, Not Just a Manufacturing Business
Green Forest views cabinetry as a data and logistics challenge as much as a fabrication process.
Accurate information flow is more valuable than machinery alone.
Data governs production timing, quality control, fulfillment, and service.
Reliability—not just product quality—defines customer satisfaction.
Why It Matters:
Designers and builders don’t just need beautiful cabinetry—they need dependable delivery and complete orders.
Luxury appliances are no longer defined by visibility—they’re defined by intentional invisibility, precision performance, and seamless integration. At KBIS 2026, SKS reveals how thoughtful innovation, AI integration, and designer collaboration are reshaping the kitchen into a quieter, smarter, more intuitive environment. This is the emergence of a new user: the Technicurean.
John Russo explains how Signature Kitchen Suite is redefining luxury through purposeful technology, invisible induction, behavioral AI, and collaborative product development. The future kitchen doesn’t demand attention—it anticipates needs, enhances experiences, and disappears into the architecture.
At the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, innovation isn’t simply introduced—it’s tested, challenged, and refined in real time. For Signature Kitchen Suite, KBIS functions as a live laboratory where designers, builders, and specifiers provide critical feedback that directly shapes future product development.
John Russo shares how SKS approaches innovation deliberately, prioritizing purposeful performance over novelty. From invisible induction cooktops integrated beneath countertops to AI-powered refrigeration that anticipates user behavior, the goal is not to showcase technology—but to integrate it so seamlessly that it enhances daily life without disrupting it.
This conversation explores the rise of the Technicurean—a new luxury consumer who values precision, connectivity, and design harmony equally. Through quiet luxury, behavioral intelligence, and deep collaboration with the design community, SKS is building an ecosystem where appliances become architectural infrastructure rather than standalone objects.
KBIS as a Live Product Development Environment
KBIS functions as a real-world testing ground for future innovation.
Designers provide immediate feedback that shapes product refinement.
Concept products are introduced early to validate design direction.
Direct interaction between engineers and specifiers accelerates innovation.
Quiet Luxury: The New Definition of Premium
Quiet luxury shifts focus from visual dominance to experiential excellence.
Core principles:
Appliances integrate seamlessly into architecture.
Performance becomes more important than appearance.
Acoustic comfort is essential—refrigeration operating around 38–39 dB.
Luxury is defined by how appliances make life easier, not how they look.
Invisible Induction and Architectural Integration
SKS is exploring cooktop technology that disappears completely into the countertop.
Implications:
Cooking surfaces no longer interrupt architectural surfaces.
Light-guided induction zones provide precision without visual clutter.
Appliances transition from objects into embedded infrastructure.
Product development includes multi-year concept validation cycles.
The Rise of the “Technicurean” Consumer
The Technicurean represents a growing demographic combining technological fluency with culinary passion.
Characteristics:
Values precision cooking and performance.
Expects seamless integration with digital ecosystems.
Prioritizes experiential quality over feature quantity.
Younger luxury consumers are accelerating this shift.
Purposeful AI: Technology That Anticipates Behavior
AI is being applied to solve practical problems rather than simply introduce novelty.
Examples:
AI-powered refrigeration anticipates usage patterns and adjusts cooling.
Oven cameras identify food and automatically adjust cooking parameters.
Remote monitoring allows users to supervise cooking from anywhere.
Automation reduces cognitive load and improves consistency.
Applicable Link:
LG ThinQ
Precision and Performance as the Foundation of Luxury
SKS emphasizes engineering performance alongside design integration.
Examples:
Induction ranges with 7,000-watt burners capable of boiling water in under a minute.
Column refrigeration producing clear craft ice.
Precision temperature management improves food preservation.
Technology enhances outcomes, not just convenience.
Collaborative Design as a Product Development Strategy
Designers directly influence final product form and function.
Process includes:
Design collective consultations.
Specifier surveys and feedback loops.
Prototype testing and iteration cycles.
Cabinet alignment, integration, and architectural consistency driven by designer input.
Full Home Automation and the Appliance Ecosystem
Appliances are becoming integrated nodes within larger home ecosystems.
Capabilities include:
Voice-controlled appliances.
Integrated lighting, HVAC, and appliance automation.
Recipe-driven automated cooking processes.
Unified control across multiple home systems.
The Invisible Kitchen: How Quiet Luxury and Behavioral Technology Are Redefining Appliance Design
For decades, luxury appliances were designed to be seen. Professional-grade stainless steel, oversized handles, and bold visual presence signaled performance and status. But today, the most important innovation in the luxury kitchen may be its disappearance.
Signature Kitchen Suite is helping lead a shift toward what it calls quiet luxury—a design philosophy where performance is paramount, but visibility is optional. The goal is no longer to showcase the appliance itself, but to integrate it so seamlessly into the architectural environment that it becomes invisible.
This shift reflects a deeper evolution in how luxury is defined. True luxury is no longer about visual dominance. It’s about effortlessness.
Concepts like invisible induction cooktops illustrate this transformation. By placing induction elements beneath the countertop surface, cooking becomes fully integrated into the architecture. When inactive, the kitchen appears uninterrupted. When active, subtle lighting indicates where heat is applied. The appliance becomes infrastructure.
This philosophy extends beyond aesthetics into performance and intelligence.
Artificial intelligence is now being used to anticipate user behavior and improve outcomes. Refrigeration systems can monitor usage patterns and adjust cooling cycles to maintain temperature stability. Oven cameras can identify food and automatically adjust cooking settings. These technologies operate quietly, improving consistency without requiring intervention.
Importantly, this innovation is not happening in isolation.
Events like KBIS provide critical real-world validation. Designers, builders, and specifiers offer immediate feedback, allowing manufacturers to refine products before full release. This collaborative approach ensures that innovation aligns with how kitchens are actually designed and used.
It also reflects the emergence of a new consumer profile: the Technicurean.
This user values precision, connectivity, and design equally. They are comfortable with technology but expect it to serve a clear purpose. They prioritize performance and integration over novelty. For them, the kitchen is not simply a functional workspace—it is part of a larger lifestyle ecosystem.
This shift is also generational. Younger homeowners have grown up with connected technology and expect seamless integration across devices. Appliances must function as part of a unified system rather than standalone tools.
The ultimate goal is not to add complexity, but to remove friction.
Automation, behavioral learning, and architectural integration all contribute to this objective. Appliances anticipate needs, simplify processes, and reduce cognitive load. They enhance experience without demanding attention.
In this future, the most advanced appliances will not announce themselves.
They will disappear.
And in doing so, they will redefine luxury—not as something you see, but as something you feel.
Innovation Under Pressure: Prefab, Modular, and the Future of Resilient Design Under Pressure. Architecture is evolving faster than ever, driven by natural disasters, technology, and client expectations—but how do designers balance innovation with risk, regulation, and lifestyle priorities? Josh Cooperman hosts an unfiltered conversation with Drew Davis, Brian Pinkett, Aaron Neubert, and Joseph Dangaran about prefabrication, modular construction, client programming, and the challenges of rebuilding communities in fire- and flood-prone regions. From the Palisades to Paris, they explore how architecture must adapt—or risk falling behind.
1. Introduction and Context
Host introduction: Josh Cooperman, Convo By Design.
Acknowledgements: Kim Gordon Designs (venue), Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home (sponsor and industry supporter).
Why the discussion matters: natural disasters as a case study in architecture’s evolving role.
Personal anecdote: Josh’s wildfire experience in 1983 highlighting the urgency of resilient design.
Calgary-based designer Stephanie Martin shares the story of launching her firm during the 2008 financial crisis, the gap between design education and reality, and why hand-crafted authenticity remains vital in the age of AI. She also takes us inside the Rideau Residence, a project blending modern aesthetics with sentimental family history.
Launching in a Recession: Stephanie discusses starting her firm in 2008 during the financial crisis, which heavily impacted Calgary’s oil and gas-driven economy. She attributes her early success to “door-to-door” marketing and building a reputation through exceptional service rather than just aesthetics.
The “Cowboy Town” Reality: A look at Calgary’s diverse culture, strong job market, and affordable housing, countering its reputation as just a “cowboy town.”
Service Over Style: Stephanie emphasizes that the core of her business is caring about the clients’ lives, a lesson she learned early on that differentiates her firm today.
The Evolution of Design Practice
Education vs. Reality: A candid discussion on how design schools often focus on exaggerated creativity while overlooking practical skills like budgeting, timelines, and coordination.
Post-Pandemic Expectations: Clients now prioritize emotional connections and functional spaces over mere aesthetics, seeking designs that actively enhance their well-being.
Sustainability: The conversation touches on the necessity of sustainable building practices, including Stephanie’s experience with passive homes.
Technology & Authenticity
The AI Debate: Stephanie and Josh discuss the rise of AI in design. While Stephanie is optimistic about AI for efficiency, she argues for maintaining “hand-crafted” creativity to ensure designs remain meaningful.
Authentic Marketing: In an era of AI-generated content, Stephanie commits to keeping her social media presence true to her values by showcasing only authentic, human-created work.
Project Spotlight: The Rideau Residence
Modern-Traditional Mix: A deep dive into the kitchen design which juxtaposes modern elements with sentimental details, specifically a brick backsplash sourced from the owner’s grandmother’s house.
Space Transformation: How a formal dining room was reimagined into a dark, masculine office space that contrasts sharply with the rest of the light-filled home.
How Behavior-Driven Design Is Defining the Future of the Home
KBIS Series 2026, findings and experiences from the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, recorded live from the KBIS Podcast Studio presented by AJ Madison. This was the second year of this program and we built on last year’s show with even more experts in the industry sharing experience, findings and industry-leading insights.
What happens when home innovation prioritizes real-world habits over flashy, unnecessary features? This conversation explores how a deep understanding of how people use their appliances every day leads to intentional solutions that fit every lifestyle.
Join Justin Reinke, Head of Product Marketing at Midea, and Ryan Shaffer, Sr. Technical Product Planning Engineer at Midea, to discuss how hundreds of hours of in-home observation drive breakthroughs in everything from acoustic comfort to specialized hygiene. By analyzing universal pain points—like the rise of sustainable drinkware and open-concept living—we examine the R&D required to make daily chores easier through practical, performance-driven design that works harder for the household.
For decades, appliance innovation followed a predictable formula: more features, more technology, more complexity. Digital displays replaced analog controls. Connectivity introduced remote operation. Artificial intelligence promised optimization. But somewhere along the way, innovation lost sight of its most important objective—serving the human being.
Today, that philosophy is changing.
At KBIS 2026, one of the most important conversations wasn’t about technology itself, but about behavior. Appliance manufacturers are increasingly recognizing that true innovation does not begin in engineering labs. It begins in homes—watching how people live.
This shift represents a fundamental evolution in product development. Instead of asking what technology can do, manufacturers are asking what people actually need.
Consider the refrigerator. It is opened dozens of times each day, often absentmindedly, during moments of distraction, urgency, or fatigue. Every movement—the height of a shelf, the accessibility of a drawer, the ease of filling a glass—shapes the user’s experience. These micro-interactions define whether an appliance feels intuitive or frustrating.
Similarly, dishwashers must now accommodate modern behavioral realities. Reusable bottles, travel tumblers, and complex accessories require flexibility that traditional rack designs never anticipated. Washing machines must operate quietly enough to coexist within open-plan homes, where appliance noise becomes part of the lived environment.
These are not technological problems. They are human problems.
The most forward-thinking manufacturers have embraced observation as their primary design tool. By studying real households, engineers and designers can identify friction points invisible in traditional research. The goal is not to add features, but to remove obstacles.
This approach also challenges the industry’s historical obsession with specifications. Feature lists do not guarantee usability. Connectivity does not guarantee convenience. Technology that requires explanation has already failed its most important test.
The future appliance must be intuitive.
It must integrate seamlessly into daily routines, supporting behavior rather than disrupting it. It must operate quietly, reliably, and predictably. It must reduce mental load, not increase it.
Perhaps most importantly, it must respect the reality that appliances are not aspirational objects. They are functional infrastructure. They exist to support life, not define it.
This shift toward behavior-driven design reflects a broader maturation of the appliance industry. Innovation is no longer measured by novelty, but by invisibility. The best appliances do their job so well that users never think about them at all.
In the end, the future of appliances will not be defined by how advanced they are.
It will be defined by how effortlessly they serve the people who depend on them every day.
Behavior as the Foundation of Innovation
Product development begins with observing real-world habits.
When interiors meet intention: a dynamic panel on how color theory, holistic living, sustainable materials, and design thinking come together to redefine residential spaces for 2025 and beyond.
Sherwin Williams set out to cover Earth with beautiful colors over 150 years ago. 1866, Henry Sherwin and Edward Williams founded the company in Cleveland, Ohio, on a mission really. And the result is a company dedicated to delivery of thebest in paints, coatings and related products to discerning clients all over the world. That dedication was evident from the start with the hiring of Percy Neyman, the very first chemist employed by an American paint manufacturer. Sherwin Williams continues to set the bar high and provide the design community with the essential tools to create superior projects. Sherwin Williams is commitment to supporting the design community, which is why they sponsor programs, like this one. They are also dedicated to a betterment philosophical approach which is why they selected ‘wellness” as the topic for this talk.Thank you Sherwin Williams for your tireless support.
In this timely conversation, experts from across interior design and sustainable living explore what it means to design for wellness in 2025. Moderated by Sue Wadden and Ashlynn Bourque of Sherwin-Williams, the panel features voices from:
Jeanne Chung (Cozy, Stylish, Chic) — known for crafting spaces that blend comfort, style, and emotional balance.
Julee Ireland (Julee Ireland Design Studio) — bringing a refined, intentional aesthetic rooted in longevity and livable elegance.
Greg Roth (CarbonShack) — spotlighting eco-conscious material sourcing, sustainable practices, and climate-aligned living environments.
Together they examine how interior design can be a catalyst for holistic living — from color palettes that promote calm and emotional balance, to spatial planning that supports aging in place, to circadian lighting and neurodiversity-friendly layouts. The discussion underscores a rising trend: residential interiors inspired by hospitality, wellness, and sustainability principles.
Listeners will come away with fresh ideas on turning their homes into future-proof sanctuaries — design-forward, earth-conscious, and emotionally attuned.
Health span-focused design: Designing spaces that help residents live longer, healthier lives at home.
Aging in place: Home layouts that accommodate long-term functionality and wellness.
Home gyms, saunas, cold plunges: Integrating spa-level wellness amenities in private residences.
Dual kitchens: Inspired by Italian family homes for multigenerational living.
Collaboration with architects: Designers as integral contributors to maximize natural light and spatial flow.
VR visualization: Helping clients experience proportion, scale, and sightlines before construction.
Problem-solving as designers: Addressing unforeseen construction issues creatively while maintaining aesthetics.
Circadian lighting: Lighting systems (e.g., Lutron Ketra) that mimic natural light patterns to support sleep and productivity.
The Accidental Empire: Marmol Radziner on Preservation, Prefab, and Fighting the Tyranny of the Nimby. Leo Marmol and Ron Radziner discuss the 36-year evolution of their design-build firm, tracing its roots in a student co-op to becoming a leader in modern residential architecture, restoration, and the urgent need for sustainable urban density in Los Angeles.
The conversation features Leo Marmol and Ron Radziner, co-founders of Marmol Radziner, detailing the firm’s history, their design philosophy, and their views on the current state of preservation and sustainability in LA.
Origin Story and The Return to Modernism:
The co-founders met as students at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, living in “The Ark,” a condemned co-op. This environment of free rein to alter the building foreshadowed their later design-build approach.
They founded their firm in 1989 during the “dying days of postmodernism,” quickly committing to the modernist ideal of clarity, reduction, and the connection between design and craft (Bauhaus).
They attribute the firm’s early success to aligning with the eventual return to California modernism, driven by its rich history in the region.
Milestone Projects and Preservation:
The first major flag-planting project was the Gutentag Studio (a small, pure concrete block and cedar studio), followed by the new Ward Residence.
Their watershed moment in preservation was the Kaufmann House restoration (1993) in Palm Springs. At the time, there was virtually no industry for modern restoration, forcing the firm to develop the roadmap for approaching these aging buildings.
They view restorations as “classrooms” that inform their new work, maintaining a healthy split of one-third restoration and two-thirds new construction.
Preservation Today: The Fetish vs. Functionality:
Marmol and Radziner argue they are often at odds with the preservation community because they believe historic properties must evolve to remain functional and relevant, cautioning against a “fetish” that prevents necessary change.
They criticize the current situation where every modern building is deemed “sacred,” citing the contentious, successful fight to demolish the Barry Building on San Vicente as an example of overreach where the building’s significance did not rise to the level requiring preservation.
The Problem of Scale (“McModerns”) and Efficiency:
They express concern over the proliferation of “McModerns” and elephantine houses, driven by high property values and the pressure to “max out the buildable area” on a site.
They emphasize that their modern perspective is less about style and more about the fundamental importance of connection—internal open plans and connecting the home to the landscape and exterior rhythm of nature (a concept that is lost when properties are overbuilt).
Sustainability and the Nimby Problem:
While California leads the country in robust, fire-resilient, and energy-efficient building codes (which have been a success), they gave the state’s housing policy an “F.”
Leo Marmol asserted that the greenest thing the city can do is densify and allow more housing in the urban core, calling out the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) mentality as the primary political failure that forces sprawl and long commutes.
The Return to Prefabrication (Prefab 2.0):
Marmol Radziner initially experimented with prefab from 2004–2012 but stopped after the 2008 crash.
They are now returning to prefabrication—Prefab 2.0—as a response to the current “crisis of construction costs” and the need for quick, affordable, and sustainable housing solutions, particularly for fire rebuilds in Altadena and the Palisades.
Design-Build Practice Scale:
The firm combines Architecture, Construction Services (design-build), Landscape Architecture, and Interior Design under one roof.
They support their construction services with their own dedicated cabinet shop and metal shop in El Segundo, allowing for control over craft and execution.
Fire Resilience and Landscape:
The fires are affecting landscape rules, particularly regarding Zone Zero (the 0–5 feet immediately surrounding the building). They argue against the extreme position of “no planting” in Zone Zero, believing the right, well-irrigated planting can help against embers, which they identify as the biggest culprit in mass fires, more so than direct flame.
Home hardening (sealing every vulnerability) is considered the single most important factor, with modern energy codes being an accidental but highly effective form of fire hardening.
This week on the show, you’re going to ride along with me from the incredibly comfortable and stylish VW ID.Buzz, which served as the mobile podcast studio at CEDIA Expo / CIX this September in Denver, Colorado. Were going back for more conversations from the show.
CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association) is the global trade association for home technology professionals, specializing in smart home, automation, audio-visual, networking, and integrated systems. Its mission is to advance the home technology industry through education, certification, advocacy, and networking. Members include integrators, designers, manufacturers, and consultants who shape the connected environments we live and work in.
CEDIA Expo is the industry’s largest annual event for residential technology professionals. With hundreds of exhibitors, educational sessions, live demos, and global networking opportunities, it’s where new ideas and innovations in smart home and AV integration take center stage.
The Commercial Integrator Expo (CIX), co-located with CEDIA Expo, focuses on commercial integration technologies—from conferencing and IT infrastructure to building automation and emerging AV solutions—bringing together commercial integrators, IT pros, designers, and tech managers.
Jason McGraw | Group VP and Show Director, CEDIA Expo / CIX
Scope of the Show: McGraw details the scale of CEDIA Expo 2025, featuring over 350 exhibitors and immersive demo rooms that showcase integrated audio, video, and control systems.
Integration Meets Design: Discussion centers on the critical partnership between integrators and the design-build community (interior designers, architects, builders). McGraw emphasizes that technology—ranging from AI and energy management to lighting—must be a foundational element of the design process, not an afterthought.
The Business Case: Designers are encouraged to view integrators as essential trade partners, similar to electricians or plumbers, to better service clients and protect home networks.
Dale Sandberg | Product Manager for Electronics, Sonance
Aesthetic Performance: Sandberg discusses Sonance’s philosophy that sound should support the design of a space rather than dominate it. The focus is on blending high-fidelity performance with discreet aesthetics.
New Innovations: Highlights include the compact UA Series amplifiers designed to fit behind displays or in tight spaces, and the integration of professional-grade Blaze Audio amplifiers into the Sonance family.
Outdoor Living: The conversation covers the growing trend of outdoor entertainment, where amplifiers and speakers are used to create immersive environments in backyards and outdoor kitchens.
Jim Garrett | Senior Director of Product Strategy, Harman Luxury Audio Group
Hidden Technology: Garrett addresses the challenge of eliminating “wall acne” through invisible speakers and design-integrated solutions that do not compromise acoustic performance.
Pandemic Influence: The discussion explores how the pandemic shifted focus toward outdoor living and unconventional entertainment spaces, including garages and multi-generational gaming setups.
Brand Portfolio: Insights into the product strategies for Harman’s luxury brands—JBL, Revel, Mark Levinson, and JBL Synthesis—and the importance of gathering direct feedback from integrators to drive R&D.
Demo rooms showcasing integrated audio, video, and control systems
The Wave Effect of Trade Shows
Innovation as unseen currents shaping the industry
Ideas incubated at CEDIA spreading across markets and returning as trends
Integration Meets Design
Town hall insights with CEDIA’s Daryl Friedman & NKBA’s Bill Darcy
Bridging integrators with interior designers, kitchen & bath professionals, and architects
Untapped opportunities in collaborative smart home projects
Technology as a Design Driver
AI, energy management, lighting trends, and seamless AV systems
Why technology must be discussed at the start of design projects
Case studies: motorized shades, outdoor AV, invisible speakers, custom veneers
Outdoor Living & Luxury Spaces
Kitchens and backyards as multi-hundred-thousand-dollar investments
Expanding living spaces through technology
Luxury demo rooms and high-performance home theaters
Why Designers Should Be Here
Missing out on competitive advantages without CEDIA exposure
Seeing products in person vs. static web images
Real examples of design-centric AV solutions and invisible tech
The Business Case
Designers need integrators just as they need electricians, plumbers, and fabricators
Protecting networks and ensuring cybersecurity in the home
Service and maintenance as part of the client experience
Looking Forward
Progress and serendipity at trade shows
Extending collaboration with KBIS and IBS (Orlando, 2026)
Building lasting bridges between integrators and designers
Links & Resources
CEDIA Expo
Commercial Integrator Expo
NKBA – National Kitchen & Bath Association
KBIS – Kitchen & Bath Industry Show
Dale Sandberg on Sonance, New Electronics, and Designing for Sonic + Aesthetic Experience
Dale Sandberg, new Product Manager for Electronics at Sonance, shares how the company is blending high-fidelity performance with discreet design solutions, introducing amplifiers and loudspeakers that elevate both sonic and aesthetic experiences in residential and commercial spaces.
At his first CEDIA Expo, Dale highlights Sonance’s latest innovations, from compact UA Series amplifiers designed to disappear behind displays to Blaze Audio’s professional-grade amplifiers now integrated into the Sonance family. With a philosophy that sound should enhance the design of a space rather than dominate it, Sonance is shaping how integrators and designers deliver immersive, comfortable experiences both indoors and out.
Guest: Dale Sandberg, Product Manager for Electronics, Sonance.
Background: from pro audio to Sonance, less than one year with the company.
Context: first CEDIA Expo experience, excitement about Sonance’s direction.
New Product Highlights
Loudspeakers
High Output Series (professional side).
Wedge speaker for outdoor/architectural blending.
Re-engineered Power Pipe subwoofers for stronger low-end performance.
Mountable behind TVs, under tables, or in tight spaces.
Features T-slots for stacking/mounting other gear.
Energy-efficient design with minimal heat output.
Blaze Audio Amplifiers
Sonance acquisition of Blaze Audio brand (Pascal, Denmark).
Range from 60W per channel up to 400W bridged.
Full DSP capability, rack-mountable, UL-rated.
Outdoor applications via weather-rated cases.
Design & Integration Perspective
Compact electronics give designers freedom to hide gear while maintaining performance.
Balancing performance and aesthetics: sound follows the design, not the other way around.
Example: background music at parties that fills space without overwhelming conversation.
Outdoor living trend: amplifiers and speakers enabling outdoor kitchens, theaters, and entertainment spaces.
Company Ethos & Philosophy
Mission: deliver complete audio solutions—amplification, processing, and speakers.
Philosophy: the sonic experience should support the aesthetic experience of a home or space.
Growth vision: expand residential dominance while building commercial presence.
Takeaway: not just about volume—it’s about creating the right experience.
Jim Garrett | Harman Luxury Audio
Jim Garrett on Harman’s Audio Innovations, Hidden Tech, and Pandemic-Inspired Entertainment
Jim Garrett, Senior Director of Product Strategy and Planning at Harman Luxury Audio Group, shares how the company balances high-performance audio with design aesthetics, explores emerging opportunities in outdoor and unconventional home entertainment, and highlights why integrator feedback is vital to shaping future products.
From invisible speakers to immersive home cinema solutions, Jim Garrett takes listeners behind the scenes of Harman’s engineering and R&D process, discussing product development for brands like JBL, Revel, Synthesis, and Mark Levinson. He explains how the pandemic inspired new entertainment spaces, how technology can be seamlessly integrated into interiors, and why CEDIA Expo remains an essential hub for innovation, collaboration, and awareness in the custom electronics industry.
Guest: Jim Garrett, Senior Director of Product Strategy & Planning, Harman Luxury Audio Group.
Role: Oversees product roadmap, development direction, and exhibition strategy.
Context: Recorded in Volkswagen ID.Buzz at CEDIA Expo 2025.
CEDIA Expo 2025 Overview
Largest booth shared with parent company Samsung.
Opportunity to engage integrators directly and gather actionable feedback.
Importance of listening to installation professionals to improve products.
Product Strategy and Brand Focus
Harman Luxury Audio Group brands: JBL, JBL Synthesis, Revel, Mark Levinson.
Focus at Expo: JBL Synthesis for home cinema and immersive audio.
Solutions include invisible speakers, wall/ceiling installations, and custom home audio products.
Balancing Performance and Aesthetics
Challenge: high-performance products that are visually unobtrusive.
Goal: eliminate “wall acne” with invisible or design-integrated speakers.
Inspiration drawn from evolution in lighting design to minimize visual clutter.
Engineering and R&D
Harman’s science-based approach: performance must meet visual and acoustic demands.
Innovation includes weatherproof outdoor speakers and displays for bright sunlight.
Teams challenged to create high-fidelity systems that integrate seamlessly into homes.
Expanding Entertainment Spaces
Pandemic influence: growth of outdoor living and unconventional entertainment areas.
Multi-generational engagement: home theaters, garages, patios, bathrooms, and gaming setups.
Flexibility of audio/video systems allows new experiences across the home.
Integration and Awareness
Educating interior designers, architects, and end users about hidden tech.
The Phoenix Effect: Designers and Architects Lead the Innovative Rebuild of Fire-Impacted LA. An impassioned panel featuring William Hefner, Jamie Rummerfield, and Gwen Sukeena discusses architectural preservation, fire-resilient design, and community-driven efforts to shape a more thoughtful, resilient Los Angeles in the wake of the devastating wildfires.
The panel, moderated by Kelly Phillips Badal (Los Angeles Editor for Luxe Interiors and Design), focused on the challenges and innovative opportunities arising from the need to rebuild communities—specifically Altadena and the Palisades—after the recent devastating wildfires. The core themes were architectural preservation, fire-resilient building, and community collaboration.
The Power of Preservation and Moving Homes (Gwen Sukeena):
Interior designer Gwen Sukeena shared her deeply personal and compelling story of losing her own Altadena home to the fire and, determined to avoid building a “soulless” new structure, decided to save and move a 1910 Craftsman bungalow marked for demolition.
The process was grueling, taking less than three months and costing approximately $400,000 (including move, deconstruction, and foundation work), saving about one-third of the cost of a new build.
A significant finding revealed the house was originally built by the Milwaukee Building Company (later Meyer and Holler), known for iconic LA structures like Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Egyptian Theater.
Regulatory Advantage: Moving a pre-existing home allows it to be considered a remodel, exempting it from current Title 24 energy codes, which saves costs but requires creative fireproofing solutions (e.g., underneath shingles).
Architectural Legacy and Community-Driven Guides (Jamie Rummerfield):
Designer Jamie Rummerfield, co-founder of Save Iconic Architecture (SIA), detailed the initial community response and the need to combat “soulless box” tract homes during the speedy rebuild phase.
In collaboration with the Design Leadership Network (DLN), SIA created a pattern language book called the Golden California Pattern Book.
This field guide documents and celebrates the distinct eras that shaped Southern California living (Spanish Revival, Colonial Revival, California Modern, Cali Card), serving as a free resource for the public to understand and reference authentic regional design.
The initiative launched recently at a town hall and is available online as The New California Classics.
Fire Resilience and Replicating Character (William Hefner):
Architect William Hefner (Studio William Hefner), a fifth-generation Californian, emphasized the goal of building fire-resilient structures that still maintain the character clients lost.
His firm contributed plans to Case Study 2.0, focusing on variety, constructability, and designing for fire resistance using modern materials.
Solutions involve deep dives into materiality, such as using fiberglass-reinforced concrete that mimics subtle wood texture without serving as kindling, and designing eaves that do not trap embers.
He detailed a client who, after losing their 20-year-old California Italian Mediterranean Revival house, insisted on rebuilding it exactly as it was, underscoring how architecture is key to identity and emotional recovery.
Concerns and Future Outlook:
Panelists expressed concern about the upcoming explosion of building activity leading to opportunism (“land grabs,” unchecked development) and a lack of mindfulness regarding neighborhood character and streetscapes.
The creative community’s response has been impressive, with architects and designers creating resources like the Foothill Catalog (in Altadena) and the New California Classics to provide high-quality, approachable options for rebuilding.
