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.
I have a confession to make. I’m exhausted. In the best possible way after a week in Orlando, Florida for the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. I have so much to share with you today!
My journey started on the Monday before the show began for a travel day, sound check and confirming the final details form the show. In addition to hosting the KBIS Podcast Studio again this year, moderating a panel on the NEXT Stage and recording conversations for the show, I wanted to help you prepare for the show next February in Las Vegas.
But Josh, next February is like 11 months away. That’s true, but here’s a secret. Come a little closer, it’s just us. KBIS is the essential American kitchen and bath show, full stop. It’s about learning, seeing, connecting and putting all of the pieces together to understand how the American market is setting up for the next year and the trending ideas that have staying power for the next 5-10 years.
You can listen to Convo By Design for the conversations with industry insiders. If I were a designer, I would. I believe that this show tells the stories that you should really know to get a feel for directionality of the industry. Specifiers are the plus of the industry and the ideas emanating from the show this year covered the technology revolution taking place from an AI perspective, but there’s more. The kitchen is in the midst of a wholesale change. And it’s exciting to see it happen in real time.
Learning was a key theme this year. If you were not at the show this year, you are behind the curve. I don’t say this to scare you, I tell you this so you make the time to get to the show next year. All three days and plan to see as much as you can. But, I wanted to share some of the key ideas from the show this year. For additional details, check the show notes.
Luxury is the measurable outcome of thoughtful design—where performance, longevity, and relevance align to support the way people actually live.
Luxury is the removal of friction from daily life.
Luxury is durability aligned with intent.
Luxury is design that continues to perform long after the purchase is forgotten.
Luxury is confidence—in function, longevity, and fit.
Luxury is not what you spend. It’s what you never have to rethink.
The Kitchen as the Primary Investment
The kitchen remains the #1 homeowner investment nationwide.
Homeowners are willing to exceed budget in the kitchen more than any other space.
The kitchen is the most public and social room in the home.
It represents identity: “I’m a cook,” “I entertain,” “I host.”
Food equals memory; appliances enable those memories.
The Expanding Kitchen Ecosystem
Kitchens are no longer singular spaces—they expand throughout the home.
Secondary kitchens (sculleries, prep kitchens, butler’s pantries) are rising.
Beverage centers, bars, and wine storage are increasingly common.
Coffee stations and en-suite kitchenettes are viewed as lifestyle enhancements.
Outdoor kitchens are now expected in many markets.
Refrigeration appears in bathrooms (skincare), offices, and guest suites.
Multigenerational living drives multi-kitchen design.
Post-COVID entertaining shifted bar culture into the home.
Value Has Replaced Price as the Primary Decision Driver
Consumers rarely regret investing more in appliances.
Longevity, performance, and service support define value.
Sustainability increasingly aligns with durability.
Human-Centric Design Is the New Standard
Appliances must be intuitive without relying on manuals.
UX consistency across appliances improves adoption.
Technology must solve real problems—not create new friction.
Appliances Are Expanding Beyond the Kitchen
Refrigeration, coffee systems, and specialty appliances now appear throughout the home.
Multi-kitchen and multi-generational design is driving specification complexity.
Flexibility and modular integration are essential.
Practical Innovation vs Feature Saturation
Most consumers use only a small percentage of available features.
Simplification improves usability, adoption, and satisfaction.
Innovation must solve real problems—not marketing problems.
Appliances as Infrastructure for Daily Life
Refrigerators open dozens of times daily, making ergonomic design critical.
Dishwashers, washers, and refrigeration now integrate into behavioral routines.
Appliances increasingly support lifestyle efficiency, not just task completion.
Quiet Luxury: The New Definition of Premium
Quiet luxury shifts focus from visual dominance to experiential excellence.
Appliances integrate seamlessly into architecture.
Performance becomes more important than appearance.
Identity & Evolution in Design
Designers must periodically redefine themselves and their work to remain relevant.
Personal growth and evolving priorities shape professional identity and approach.
Burnout vs Ambition
Burnout is not a badge of honor; it results from overextension and emotional labor.
Ambition aligns energy with superpowers and opportunities, creating sustainable growth.
Setting boundaries is essential to differentiate productive ambition from harmful overwork.
Emotional Labor & Client Management
Design work involves managing client emotions, expectations, and second-guessing.
Designers act as liaisons between clients, contractors, and teams, absorbing invisible pressures.
Managing scope creep and change orders is a practical strategy to protect both energy and profitability.
Social Media & Comparison Culture
Social media can amplify unrealistic expectations and unhealthy competition.
Designers often feel compelled to accommodate clients’ desires, sometimes overextending themselves to maintain a positive perception.
These core themes coming out of the show this year tell a story that cannot be ignored. The thought process is changing. More human-centric at a time when technology seems to be taking over. Interesting times.
Shifting away from that, I want to share two conversations from the show.
Brandon Kirschner | Azzuro Living – Control the Process, Control the Outcome: Inside Azzurro Living’s Design Advantage
Brandon Kirshner of Azzurro Living explains how factory ownership, material innovation, and hands-on experimentation are redefining luxury outdoor furniture—and why relationships and resilience matter more than ever.
Recorded live at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Orlando, this conversation with Brandon Kirshner, Partner and VP of Design at Azzurro Living, explores what it means to design, manufacture, and deliver luxury outdoor furniture with complete control over the process.
Kirshner shares how owning and operating their own production facility provides a rare advantage in a crowded marketplace. This vertical integration allows Azzurro Living to oversee every step—from raw material sourcing to fabrication—ensuring performance, durability, and design integrity in extreme climates.
The conversation also explores the realities of modern product manufacturing: navigating global instability, breaking through to specifiers in an oversaturated marketplace, and the renewed importance of in-person relationships. At its core, this is a story about design leadership, material obsession, and maintaining optimism in a rapidly shifting industry.
Vertical Integration Changes Everything
Full ownership of production facility ensures quality control
Ability to experiment directly with materials and fabrication
Eliminates reliance on third-party manufacturing limitations
Material Innovation Drives Luxury Performance
Products engineered for extreme heat and harsh winters
Hands-on experimentation with rope, wicker, and aluminum
Performance and longevity are core to brand value
Design as the Core Differentiator
Industrial design roots shape product philosophy
Focus on original forms rather than “me-too” furniture
Design enhances lifestyle, not just aesthetics
Relationships Still Drive Specification
Trade shows like High Point Market remain essential
Face-to-face interaction builds trust and long-term partnerships
Education through sales teams and specifier outreach is critical
Resilience and Optimism in a Volatile Industry
Navigating tariffs, supply chains, and global uncertainty
Maintaining a solution-oriented mindset
Viewing disruption as part of long-term growth
In luxury outdoor furniture, control isn’t just an operational advantage—it’s a creative one.
For Brandon Kirshner, Partner and VP of Design at Azzurro Living, ownership of the manufacturing process is the foundation of everything the company does. Unlike many competitors who rely on outsourced production, Azzurro Living operates its own factory, giving Kirshner and his team direct oversight of every detail, from raw materials to finished form.
This control allows for something rare in today’s manufacturing environment: true experimentation. Working directly with fabricators, Kirshner explores new weaving techniques, tests material durability, and refines structural details. The result is furniture engineered not just to look refined, but to perform in punishing environments—from desert heat exceeding 115 degrees to unpredictable seasonal extremes.
Kirshner’s path into furniture design began with industrial design studies, where exposure to iconic modernist designers revealed furniture as both functional object and artistic expression. That perspective continues to shape his work today, where innovation isn’t driven by trend cycles, but by material curiosity and structural integrity.
Launching Azzurro Living in 2020 presented immediate challenges, from supply chain disruption to economic uncertainty. Yet Kirshner views volatility as inevitable rather than exceptional. Experience has taught him that adaptability—not stability—is the constant in product manufacturing.
Equally important is maintaining strong relationships within the design community. Trade shows, in-person meetings, and direct engagement remain essential tools for connecting with specifiers and building trust.
In an increasingly crowded marketplace, Azzurro Living’s approach is clear: control the process, push material boundaries, and let design lead. The result is furniture that reflects not just luxury, but intention.
“Owning our factory gives us complete control—from raw material to finished product—and that changes everything.”
“Design is the reason people invest in luxury furniture. Performance just makes it last.”
“You can’t innovate from a distance. Being hands-on with materials is where real progress happens.”
“Trade shows and face-to-face interaction still matter because this industry runs on relationships.”
“No matter what challenges come—tariffs, supply chain, geopolitics—we’ll figure it out. That mindset is essential.”
This is Cathy Purple Cherry – Founding Principal | Purple Cherry, freshly installed in the Convo By Design Icon Registry, we caught up at KBIS for a fresh take.
Human-Centered Architecture, Resilience, and the Responsibility of Design
Cathy Purple Cherry reflects on architecture as a lifelong act of care—supporting people through turbulence, embracing multigenerational living, rejecting trend culture, and using design as a tool for healing, connection, and growth.
Recorded live at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, this conversation with Cathy Purple Cherry of Purple Cherry Architects explores architecture not as a moment of visual impact, but as a lifelong framework for human support.
Purple Cherry shares her philosophy that architecture must evolve alongside the people it serves, especially during times of societal turbulence and personal change. Her work is grounded in human-centered thinking, emotional durability, and the belief that design can create stability amid chaos.
The discussion moves beyond aesthetics into deeper territory—resilience shaped by hardship, the responsibility of creatives to provide clarity and options, and the importance of giving back. Purple Cherry also addresses the rise of multigenerational living, generational shifts in work culture, and the dangers of trend-driven design thinking.
At its core, this conversation reveals architecture as both a professional discipline and a personal calling—one rooted in empathy, long-term thinking, and service.
Architecture as Long-Term Support, Not Momentary Expression
Design must serve people across decades, not just visual moments
Architecture provides emotional stability during uncertain times
Human-centered design is becoming essential, not optional
Growth Through Challenge and Adversity
Personal and professional hardship builds resilience
Lessons learned shape better architects and stronger leaders
Teaching and mentoring are essential responsibilities
Multigenerational Living as a Cultural Shift
Economic and social changes are reshaping American housing
Families are staying connected longer
Architecture must adapt to evolving family dynamics
The Responsibility of Creatives in Times of Tension
Architects provide clarity and solutions amid chaos
Design can serve as a “relief valve” for societal stress
Creatives help people reimagine how they live
Rejecting Trend Culture in Favor of Lasting Design
Enduring design comes from purpose, not prediction
Giving Back as a Core Professional and Personal Value
Sharing knowledge strengthens the profession
Service to others creates deeper meaning in creative work
Design is both a gift and a responsibility
For Cathy Purple Cherry, architecture has never been about creating a moment. It’s about supporting a lifetime.
As founder of Purple Cherry Architects, with offices in Annapolis, Charlottesville, and New York City, Purple Cherry has built a practice grounded in the belief that design must evolve alongside the people it serves. Architecture, she explains, is not about solving for a single moment, but about creating environments that support human life over time.
That perspective feels especially relevant today. As social, economic, and cultural turbulence reshapes how people live and work, architecture has taken on a new role—not just as shelter, but as emotional infrastructure. Spaces must provide calm, clarity, and flexibility, particularly as multigenerational living becomes more common and families remain connected longer under one roof.
Purple Cherry rejects the idea that architecture should chase trends. While the industry often focuses on forecasting aesthetic movements, she believes true design transcends these cycles. Lasting architecture emerges from purpose, empathy, and a deep understanding of human behavior.
Her perspective is shaped not only by decades of professional experience, but by personal adversity. Hardship, she explains, builds resilience and strengthens one’s ability to serve others. That philosophy extends into her commitment to mentorship, service, and giving back—values she sees as inseparable from meaningful creative work.
For Purple Cherry, architecture is both discipline and calling. It is a lifelong process of learning, teaching, and refining. And in a world defined by rapid change, her message is clear: the most important role of design is not to impress, but to support the people who live within it.
“Architecture isn’t about solving for a moment. It’s about supporting people over time.”
“Through suffering, we become stronger—and that’s what allows us to better serve others.”
“Anything in the built environment that can calm us and organize our lives becomes essential.”
“Design should never be driven by trends. It should be driven by purpose and people.”
“The meaning of life is discovering your gifts. The purpose of life is sharing them.”
The New Appliance Ecosystem: Translating Value, Technology, and Human-Centric Design
The modern appliance conversation has shifted beyond features and price into something far more consequential: value, usability, and human-centered design.
Designers, manufacturers, showrooms, and independent testing labs now operate as an interconnected ecosystem guiding consumers through increasingly complex decisions. The future of appliance specification belongs to those who can translate technology into meaningful, intuitive, lifestyle-driven solutions.
Featuring insights from Nicole Papantoniou of the Good Housekeeping Institute, Jeff Sweet of Sub-Zero Group Inc., and Christa Mallinger of AJ Madison, this conversation explores how appliances have evolved from commodities into lifestyle infrastructure—and why education, not persuasion, defines the next era.
The appliance industry has entered a human-centric phase, where performance, intuitive use, and real lifestyle benefit outweigh raw features or price alone. Designers act as translators of lifestyle, manufacturers as problem-solvers, and showrooms as educators—collectively helping consumers navigate increasingly sophisticated choices.
Panelists discussed the shift from feature-driven sales toward performance-driven value, emphasizing longevity, ease of use, and frictionless integration into daily life. They also explored the growing role of education, testing standards, showroom partnerships, and post-installation support in helping consumers fully realize the value of their investment.
Technology remains central, but its success depends entirely on reducing friction—not adding novelty. The conversation revealed that the future of appliances lies not in more technology, but in better technology—technology that disappears into the experience.
The Appliance Ecosystem Is Interdependent
Designers interpret lifestyle and aesthetic needs.
Independent testing organizations validate performance and usability.
Value Has Replaced Price as the Primary Decision Driver
Consumers rarely regret investing more in appliances.
Longevity, performance, and service support define value.
Sustainability increasingly aligns with durability.
Human-Centric Design Is the New Standard
Appliances must be intuitive without relying on manuals.
UX consistency across appliances improves adoption.
Technology must solve real problems—not create new friction.
Education Is More Important Than Selling
Many consumers buy appliances only once every 10–15 years.
Showrooms and testing labs bridge the knowledge gap.
Post-installation education helps unlock full product potential.
Appliances Are Expanding Beyond the Kitchen
Refrigeration, coffee systems, and specialty appliances now appear throughout the home.
Multi-kitchen and multi-generational design is driving specification complexity.
Flexibility and modular integration are essential.
Technology Adoption Depends on Familiarity and Trust
Induction adoption accelerates when paired with familiar controls.
Consumers embrace technology that feels intuitive and beneficial.
Novelty alone does not guarantee long-term value.
The modern appliance is no longer just a tool. It’s infrastructure.
At KBIS, where the industry gathers annually to define its future, a clear shift has emerged. Appliances are no longer judged solely by features or price, but by how effectively they integrate into human behavior. The question is no longer, “What does it do?” but rather, “What does it enable?”
This shift has elevated the importance of collaboration across the appliance ecosystem. Designers serve as translators, interpreting the client’s lifestyle into functional requirements. Manufacturers act as problem-solvers, engineering solutions grounded in real user needs. Showrooms and retailers bridge the gap between technology and understanding, while independent testing organizations validate claims and ensure products deliver on their promises.
This ecosystem exists because appliance decisions have become more consequential—and more complex.
Unlike consumer electronics, appliances are purchased infrequently. A homeowner may go fifteen years between purchases. During that time, the category evolves dramatically. Induction replaces gas. Steam ovens expand culinary capability. Refrigeration becomes modular, flexible, and architectural. Appliances no longer exist solely in kitchens, but in offices, bedrooms, outdoor spaces, and wellness areas.
With that expansion comes responsibility. Technology must reduce friction, not create it.
Christa, Nicole and Jeff all emphasized that human-centric design now drives product development. Appliances must be intuitive enough to operate without instruction, consistent enough to feel familiar, and purposeful enough to justify their presence. Technology for its own sake has limited value. Technology that removes mental load, improves performance, or enhances daily living defines the future.
This is where education becomes critical.
Showrooms no longer simply display products; they contextualize them. Independent testing organizations evaluate not only performance, but usability, cleanability, and intuitive function. Manufacturers increasingly provide post-installation support, recognizing that the real product experience begins after installation, not at purchase.
Value, therefore, is no longer measured in features alone.
It is measured in longevity. In reliability. In the confidence that a product will perform consistently over time. In the reduction of friction between intention and outcome.
Perhaps most importantly, appliances have become emotional infrastructure. They support gathering, creativity, ritual, and identity. They enable the modern kitchen to function not just as a place of preparation, but as a center of living.
The future of appliances will not be defined by how advanced they are.
It will be defined by how invisible they become—seamlessly enabling life without demanding attention.
And those who understand that distinction—designers, manufacturers, and educators alike—will define the next generation of the built environment.
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.
Luxury can be expensive, but it can also be subtle, practical, or deeply personal. Sometimes it’s about choice, sometimes restraint, sometimes the way a space or product simply works better for you. Through thoughtful discussion, the episode examines how luxury shows up in appliances and design—through performance, comfort, longevity, and everyday ease—and why it resonates differently for everyone over time
This nuanced conversation explores the evolving meaning of luxury through multiple industry perspectives, featuring Devoree Axelrod, General Manager at AJ Madison, alongside industry expert Jill Cohen, Editor-in-Chief, Luxe Interiors + Design.
Luxury Isn’t a Price Point. It’s a Performance Standard.
At the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show 2026, leaders from AJ Madison and Luxe Interiors + Design reframing luxury as durability, intentionality, and the ability of design to support how people actually live.
The word “luxury” has become one of the most overused—and least defined—terms in the design industry. At KBIS 2026, a live conversation featuring Devoree Axelrod, General Manager of AJ Madison, and Jill Cohen, Editor in Chief of Luxe Interiors + Design, set out to recalibrate its meaning. What emerged was less about price and more about performance, longevity, and intent.
For decades, luxury was shorthand for premium brands, higher costs, and visual distinction. Today, that definition is insufficient. The modern homeowner isn’t simply buying a product; they’re investing in how their home supports their routines, relationships, and future. Luxury, in this context, becomes the elimination of friction. It’s the appliance that performs reliably every day. It’s the kitchen designed around how a family actually cooks and gathers. It’s the confidence that decisions made today will still make sense twenty years from now.
Cohen shared findings from Luxe’s upcoming national survey of 1,000 leading architects, designers, and builders, confirming that the kitchen remains the single most important area of homeowner investment. More significantly, appliances are often the first and most consequential decisions made in the design process. They establish the spatial, technical, and functional framework around which everything else follows.
Axelrod reinforced this from her vantage point inside one of the country’s largest appliance retailers. Appliance selection determines infrastructure—electrical loads, ventilation, plumbing, and spatial relationships—making it foundational rather than decorative. When clients prioritize performance and usability first, the rest of the design aligns more effectively, both functionally and financially.
The conversation also addressed the persistent myth of the fixed budget. In reality, budgets are fluid, shaped as much by emotion as by arithmetic. Homeowners may begin with a number in mind, but that number evolves as priorities clarify. The role of the designer and appliance advisor becomes essential: helping clients distinguish between what serves their lives and what merely satisfies aspiration.
This shift is evident in how kitchens are expanding beyond their traditional boundaries. Secondary prep kitchens, beverage stations, outdoor kitchens, coffee bars, and integrated refrigeration throughout the home reflect a broader redefinition of convenience. These are not excesses for their own sake; they are extensions of daily life, driven by multigenerational living, remote work, and a deeper integration between hospitality and residential design.
Perhaps most telling was the reframing of luxury itself. Neither Axelrod nor Cohen defined it by brand name. Instead, luxury was described as ease, time, and permanence. It is waking up and having what you need within reach. It is durability that eliminates the need for replacement. It is thoughtful planning that prevents regret.
In this light, luxury is not what something costs. It is what something enables.
And increasingly, what it enables is a home that works—quietly, reliably, and seamlessly—in service of the people who live there.
Luxury is the measurable outcome of thoughtful design—where performance, longevity, and relevance align to support the way people actually live.
Luxury is the removal of friction from daily life.
Luxury is durability aligned with intent.
Luxury is design that continues to perform long after the purchase is forgotten.
Luxury is confidence—in function, longevity, and fit.
Luxury is not what you spend. It’s what you never have to rethink.
The Kitchen as the Primary Investment
The kitchen remains the #1 homeowner investment nationwide.
Homeowners are willing to exceed budget in the kitchen more than any other space.
The kitchen is the most public and social room in the home.
It represents identity: “I’m a cook,” “I entertain,” “I host.”
Food equals memory; appliances enable those memories.
Appliance-First Design Strategy
Appliances determine electrical, ventilation, plumbing, and layout requirements.
Major appliance decisions must precede cabinetry and finish selections.
Early appliance specification prevents costly redesigns.
Designers increasingly plan around cooking infrastructure first.
Professional appliance advisors play a key role in product education and innovation updates.
Budget Realities & Psychology
Budgets are rarely fixed; they are often unstated or misunderstood.
Clients frequently establish budgets before fully understanding what they want.
Designers must define the intersection of “want” and “need.”
Stretching budget in the kitchen feels justified because it is essential.
Strategic trade-offs are common (invest in cooking, scale back secondary items).
Transparency and cost clarity are critical in today’s climate.
Surprises—especially tariff or pricing shocks—undermine trust.
Professional designers protect clients from unrealistic expectations and long-term regret.
The Expanding Kitchen Ecosystem
Kitchens are no longer singular spaces—they expand throughout the home.
Secondary kitchens (sculleries, prep kitchens, butler’s pantries) are rising.
Beverage centers, bars, and wine storage are increasingly common.
Coffee stations and en-suite kitchenettes are viewed as lifestyle enhancements.
Outdoor kitchens are now expected in many markets.
Refrigeration appears in bathrooms (skincare), offices, and guest suites.
Multigenerational living drives multi-kitchen design.
Post-COVID entertaining shifted bar culture into the home.
Lifestyle-Driven Design Trends
Hospitality influences residential expectations.
Convenience and personalization outweigh pure status signaling.
Aging in place is shaping appliance planning (drawer refrigeration, wall ovens).
Durability is increasingly valued over trend-based aesthetics.
Remote work drives integrated kitchenettes and beverage access in home offices.
Multiple laundry setups reflect modern household logistics.
Status vs. Practicality
Status still influences resale-driven decisions in some cases.
However, emotional connection tends to be with category (cooking, entertaining) rather than brand alone.
Longevity and service reliability often justify premium selections.
Magazine-driven or editorial glamour exists—but practical function ultimately wins.
Role of the Professional Designer
Designers provide budget discipline and scope management.
They help clients make decisions faster, reducing cost creep.
They balance aspiration with feasibility.
Professional oversight protects long-term value.
Design is positioned not as a privilege, but as a necessity.
Market & Cultural Influences
COVID permanently shifted how homes are used.
Entertaining moved inward; bar and pizza oven sales spiked.
Multigenerational living increased spatial complexity.
Social media informs but can distort expectations.
Consumers increasingly research via reviews and digital channels.
Clients are more cautious amid economic and tariff uncertainty.
Guiding Principle
“Proper planning prevents poor performance.”
Early, honest, and intentional planning reduces regret.
Design is both a desire business and a service industry.
The goal is not excess—it is alignment between space and life.
The chill is still in the air as winter prepares to give way to spring. That time of year, depending on where in the world you happen to be, nature is beginning to remind us about the magic of renewal in small but familiar ways. We are reminded that the more things change, renewal is possible. Today’s Icon Registry episode celebrates our newest inductee, and those who have listened to the show for a while know her, and even though she left this world a few years ago, her spirit endures.
Christine Anderson was a SoCal based publicist with a dedication to her clients, friends and colleagues rarely seen anymore. I had the opportunity to work with Christine on many occasions and she hosted the show more than any other guest show. You might even recall her hosting the ICON Registry episode featuring Woodson & Rummerfield.
This is Christine’s well deserved induction into the registry. What you are about to hear is Christine’s conversation with Dora Epstein Jones Dr. Dora Epstein Jones is a prominent architectural theorist, educator, and administrator known for her rigorous interrogation of the discipline’s boundaries. She is currently a Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture, having joined the faculty in Fall 2023.
The Convo By Design Icon Registry is presented by Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home, a Best Buy company and avid supporters of the design community. They help designers become the very best version of their professional selves through advocacy, educational opportunities and professional support.
This wraps up another episode of the Convo By Design Icon Registry. A celebration and recognition of a true master in the art of design and the mastery of all that encompasses in the pursuit of making better the lives of those they serve. And, giving back along the way. Thank you Christine for your many years of friendship, partnership and collaboration, you are truly missed. Thanks for listening to Convo By Design. Thank you to my partner sponsors, Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home for presenting the Convo By Design Icon Registry and Convo By Design partner sponsors, Pacific Sales Kitchen & Home,TimberTech & Shelter Republic. And thank you for taking the time to listen. I couldn’t do this without you, wouldn’t want to. I hope this show helps you stay motivated, inspired and focused so you can rise above the chaos. -CXD
Kitchen Revolution: Elevating Kitchens and Baths for Lifestyle, Wellness, and Technology. Designers and innovators discuss how kitchens and bathrooms have transformed into lifestyle-focused, wellness-oriented, and tech-savvy spaces, shaping the homes of today’s discerning clients. From pandemic-driven shifts to smart appliances, spa-like bathrooms, and open-concept living, this panel explores the evolving demands of homeowners and the strategies designers use to balance aesthetics, function, and innovation.
1. Introduction
Host Virzine Hovasapyan, Experience Director of Marketplace of Innovation for Pacific Sales, introduces the panel and sets the stage: kitchens and baths are no longer purely functional—they are deeply personal lifestyle environments.
Emphasis on the convergence of beauty, comfort, and smart technology to meet wellness-focused and tech-savvy client needs.
2. Panel Introductions
Karen Rideau, Kitchen Design Group: three decades of experience, expanding from kitchen and bath to full interior architecture.
Holly Hollenbeck, HSH Interiors: bi-coastal firm specializing in remodels and new builds, high focus on kitchen and bath.
Lori Hafele, Hafele Design: luxury cabinetry-focused design, hard surfaces specialist.
Pam Barthold, Poziom Designs: national remodels, holiday decor focus, wellness integration.
3. Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Shifts
Kitchens evolving into living spaces for family interaction and entertaining.
Movement from segmented to open-plan living; the kitchen is now the “heart of the home.”
Rise of furniture-like cabinetry and hidden storage to maintain aesthetic beauty.
4. Collaboration Between Designers and Showrooms
Importance of collaboration between designers, manufacturers, and showrooms.
Need for continuous education on appliance and technology innovations (steam ovens, microwaves/air fryers, modular units).
Designers as knowledge bridges for clients.
5. Wellness in Kitchen and Bath
Bathrooms now spa-like: steam showers, infrared saunas, cold plunges.
Kitchens adapting for wellness-conscious lifestyles: beverage centers, accessible hot water, herb gardens, indoor/outdoor cooking integration.
Architecture education is often romanticized as a pursuit of pure creativity, but in reality, it serves as a masterclass in grit. The studio environment, characterized by sleepless nights and public critiques, builds a specific kind of resilience necessary for navigating a risk-averse industry. While sectors like lighting have undergone rapid technological revolutions—moving from incandescent to LED in a decade—commercial construction moves at the speed of a massive vessel, slowed by liability concerns and ingrained methods.
This hesitation, however, is slowly giving way to data-driven sustainability. The industry has shifted from making purely economic arguments for energy efficiency to focusing on human health and wellness, a transition accelerated by the pandemic. Tools like the Healthy Materials Database now allow teams to bypass greenwashing, using empirical data to guide tradespeople who might otherwise resist new specifications. By framing material changes as collaborative problem-solving rather than top-down mandates, the industry can bridge the gap between high-concept design and practical application.
Nowhere is this practical application more evident than in the “Net Zero Trailer” project. Born from a desire to improve job site dignity and efficiency, this ten-week experiment successfully merged Passive House standards with trailer manufacturing. It proved that construction environments do not have to be uncomfortable energy hogs; they can be solar-powered hubs of productivity. This experiment serves as a microcosm for the industry’s broader challenge: how to scale innovation. Whether adapting to the massive energy demands of data centers or designing schools with a 100-year operational lifespan, the future of building requires looking beyond current codes. It demands a “green shoots” mentality where structures are designed not just for immediate occupancy, but for climate resilience and flexibility across generations.
The Hedgehog Concept: A framework from the book Good to Great focusing on the intersection of passion, talent, and economic engines.
USGBC & Healthy Materials: Susan discusses her work with the U.S. Green Building Council and managing a database of over 2,500 sustainable building products.
Climate Risk & 100-Year Buildings: The shift toward designing K-12 schools and community structures to withstand climate changes and serve communities for a century or more.
Thanks for listening to Convo By Design, 13 years, over 700 episodes and 3 million downloads and listens to the show!
