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Summer Sizzler

By Maureen Klein -- Final score? It was a win-win for all the NYC Design Coalition participants at the 2024 summer get-together. Members from ASID, DLFNY, IDS, IFDA, and NKBA/KBIS had a ball mingling and munching in the beautiful showroom of host @Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. The 300 +/—attendees enjoyed signature cocktails and a bountiful buffet of hors d’œuvres from Long Island’s Lavarone Bros. Did you try the lump crabmeat sliders? Delish!

Live music got some folks dancing while others chatted away and explored the two-floor showroom and penthouse patio, where a collection of the latest outdoor kitchens could be envied against the stunning backdrop of city skyscrapers. But wait! There was more.

At the end of the evening, attendees’ badges were collected, and while guests feasted on Italian desserts, they anxiously listened to see if they might be a lucky winner to claim one of the dozens of door prizes the committee had gathered up from generous industry partners. 

Thanks go out to the wonderful event sponsors who provided this festive evening of camaraderie and support: Dellon Sales Company, Vadara Quartz Surfaces, Elkay USA, Pfister, Mr. Steam, and #QuickDrain, and to the Summer Social Committee for creating a night to remember!

Summer Social committee members from across all the organizations, L>R: John Tudisco, Barbara Haberman, Brent Brake, Kent Brasloff, Jane Vedara, Rose Hittmeyer, Tony Monteleone, Michelle Slovak, Brian Gallop and missing from photo, Charles Pavarini III.

Dancin the night away!

Rose Ott and Ellen Lopez epitomize the joy felt that evening.

Some of the NKBA VIPS, L to R: Tony Monteleone, Pres Charlé-John Cafiero, Barbara Haberman, Rose Ott, Jeannine Price, Jamie Keel, Toni Sabatino, Joan Ravasy and Julie Schuster.

Taking time out for a little party potty talk are L to R: Tracey Steele, Andrea Warriner, Ann Cohen, Rose Hittmeyer and Casey Keeler.

And another winning card is… Pino Abbruzzesi!

EMBRACE THE HEAT AND JOIN THE CELEBRATION!

As soon as those back-to-school shopping commercials hit the airwaves, you know August is flying by. But let's not let the sweltering heat and humidity get us down—let's embrace it! Even when the Hallmark Channel teases us with Christmas in July, we know those snowy dreams rarely come true in NYC. The last significant snowstorm, with 13.6 inches, was in 1978, a far cry from the great holiday blizzard of 1947 that buried the city under 26.4 inches for over a month.

While we're not prepping for snowstorms in these climate-changing times, we are gearing up for an electrifying NKBA Manhattan-NYC fall program! This December, we proudly celebrate our 25th year since the Manhattan Chapter was officially chartered by the NKBA on December 14, 1999.

We're kicking off the festivities on Tuesday, October 8th, with the NKBA Manhattan-NYC Chapter’s award-winning 3rd Annual EduDay at the A&D Building. Get ready for a jam-packed day of education and networking with CEUs, hot topics, dynamic speakers, interactive learning, a fabulous luncheon, and a closing cocktail party. To wrap up the year with a bang, join us for a holiday gala on Wednesday, December 11, at the iconic Porcelanosa Flatiron Showroom. Join us to raise a glass and toast our 25th-anniversary celebration!

On November 13 we will celebrate CEDIA and NKBA in NYC. This stimulating networking event will feature leaders in both industries discussing how evolving home technology influences K&B. One of our oldest and dearest sponsors, Thermador Appliances, is planning a special event on November 14 to unveil its newly renovated showroom.

This month, we're honoring our sponsors and volunteers on August 15th with a board dinner and meeting future board officer candidates. Sponsored by Signature Kitchen Suite and Wegner Fine Cabinetry at its new PH Showroom, Chairwoman Joan Ravasy has planned an exceptional evening for us all. We also warmly welcome new NKBA Chapter members in our Spotlight column. This month, we’re featuring the multi-talented 30 Under 30 Chapter member Danielle Noah of AJ Madison Showroom.

We’re also thrilled to introduce several new chapter sponsors, including Unique Appliances, which is expanding into the NYC market; aspire design and home Magazine, Porcelanosa New York Flagship Showroom; Free Power, with its innovative countertop technology; and the Kohler Experience Center, NYC. Let’s give a special shout-out to our 25th Anniversary Sponsors: Franz Viegener, Unique Appliances, Porcelanosa New York, and Savant Home.

In Memoriam, Summer Social & Upcoming Competitions

In this month’s NKBA Anecdotal Column, we offer an "In Memoriam" to Florence Perchuk a founding chapter member and chapter president. Maureen Klein's keen eye recaps the annual NYC Design Coalition Summer Social, held at the new Ferguson PH A&D Showroom in the A&D Building. Don’t forget that the NKBA Design Competition Awards deadline has been extended to August 18th. Plus, nominate your favorite 30 Under 30 rising star before August 31st!

Mark Your Calendars: Exciting Dates Ahead!

Also, in the "Industry Events Column," the 16th Annual edition of “What’s New, What’s Next” on September 19th at the New York Design Center (NYDC), showcasing the latest trends in design materials and products. October brings us two notable events: on October 1st, Career Day for Student Members & Guests with a keynote presentation, and morning and afternoon career advancement events at the A&D Building. Further, NKBA-NYC honors Kitchen & Bath Month, and our Chapter’s EduDay on October 8th will be a highlight as we celebrate our 25th anniversary. See this year’s Education Day lineup in the newsletter. And let’s not forget the High Point Furniture Market (HPMKT) in North Carolina from October 26 -30th. November 10 -11th brings us back to NYC for Boutique Design New York (BDNY), the leading trade fair and conference for hospitality’s boutique and lifestyle design community.

Let's embrace the heat, revel in these fantastic events, and celebrate our achievements together. Join the NKBA. Stay tuned for more updates on our social media platforms, and we look forward to seeing you at these fantastic events! We hope you have some wonderful plans to enjoy your summer. We welcome our sponsors and committee members to attend our monthly council/ board meetings, either in person or via Zoom. So let Rose, our treasurer, know if you want to attend or join our council. 

Warm regards,

Charlé-John

President, NKBA-NYC Chapter

30UNDER 30 -- DANIELLE NOAH

By Maureen Klein -- Armed with a BBA in Marketing and Advertising Communications from Baruch College, Danielle Noah realized it would take a little more niche training to land her dream job, which with her good fortune and ours, turned out to be in the kitchen and bath industry. Danielle works for AJ Madison, one of the largest on-line appliance retailers in the USA.

When you first told me you got a post grad certificate from the General Assembly, I’m thinking UN, huh?  

This General Assembly, generalassemb.ly, is a “tech bootcamp”, around since 2011, that provides courses in software engineering, data, or user experience design. I took a very intensive six month, 9-5, UX Design course that really allowed me to immerse myself with actual clients (startups) and was able to assist them in complete redesigns of their apps or websites. This helped me jump start my career because I had real life experience that I could use in my resume.

Why UX Design?  

What attracted me to UX was the understanding of why a website is the way that it is and how it could grasp a customers’ attention and create a seamless shopping experience. Similar to kitchen and bath design, accessiblity is very important in UX– making sure that a website is not only easy to navigate, but that the colors, fonts, and sizes work well together. 

I can apply a lot of the psychology of UX to help customers navigate the very daunting-at-times task of shopping for a new appliance. There are SO many options which tend to all look the same after scrolling through. Helping customers understand the features that the appliance has to offer and also see what each brand represents, has been very rewarding especially when it translates to sales.

What are some of your responsibilities at AJ Madison

As Marketing Operations Manager/Product Designer, I design the website brand, showroom and editorial pages. I also work on designing all of our emails for our 300K+ subscriber list – This allows us to reach not only regular customers but also the Pro Builder and Design Community. I also head up the social media channels, which gets over 4.3 million impressions per year.

You mentioned that the website has a great learning center, tell us more. 

We have an amazing on-line library of topics from “Should you Load your Dishwasher with the Silverware Up or Down?” to our “Luxury Cooking Appliance Guide” See https://www.ajmadison.com/learn.

What’s your favorite part ot the job?

I love working with designers and influencers to bring their dream appliances into their design projects. I built and designed the landing pages for our newest campaign– “Kitchen Design Collective” with Luxe Interiors + Design print magazine, https://www.ajmadison.com/kitchen-design-collective/. I especially enjoyed coordinating the photoshoot for our recent story, featuring the talented designer, Vanessa DeLeon. If any designer would like to submit their images for consideration for the KDC or other collaborations, reach out to me at DanielleN@ajmadison.com.

When and why did you join NKBA Manhattan?

I joined NKBA Manhattan this past year. I love partnering for events and networking with industry leaders. I attended KBIS this year as a Thirty Under 30 Class of 2024 recipient, https://nkba.org/thirty-under-30/class-of-2024/ which was an incredible experience. To me, KBIS is like the “super bowl” of appointments, it’s such an exciting event to experience.

Are you working on any personal DIY design projects now?

I’m recently a first time aunt and I got to decorate my nieces’ nursery. Now I’m creating an art piece for her room using one of her beautiful swaddles.

You mentioned helping other designers with their own website, how does that work?

I really enjoy working on freelance projects on the side and get to show off the designer’s beautiful project imagery. I start with a consultation to understand their needs and we build a brand for them selecting colors, fonts and telling their stories. If interested, contact me at daniellenoah26@gmail.com. I would love to bring your vision to life!

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

3^RD ANNUAL EDU DAY

NKBA MANHATTAN CHAPTER IS TURNING 25—LET’S CELEBRATE!

There’s a lot to celebrate, and we’ll kick off the festivities on October 8 at the NKBA Manhattan Chapter’s award-winning 3rd Annual EduDay at the A&D Building. We’re planning a full day of education and networking with CEUs, hot topics, dynamic speakers, interactive learning, a fabulous luncheon, and a closing cocktail party.

Of course, there will be raffle prizes, and we’ll also be running our Annual Membership Drive concurrently. So help us get the word out to your industry colleagues who have always wanted to join the Chapter but haven’t done so yet. Check out this Video recap of 2023 EduDay.

CELEBRATING OUR 25th YEAR

IN MEMORIAM: Founding Manhattan Chapter Board Member & President Florence Perchuk

Remember Florence Perchuk, who left us a few years ago at age 93. Florence was a well-known and much-revered industry colleague who mentored many and learned from all. During a career that spanned more than five decades—she was still at it in her 90th year—she ran her own kitchen and bath design firm employing 24 people, worked for St. Charles Kitchen and Bath in the A&D Building, and worked on special projects for Electrolux out of her offices in the Fisk Building on West 57th Street.

Florence seemed to be everywhere all at once: out at industry events in the evenings, traveling to Promote the values of the NKBA brand as chapter president and events chair, and campaigning to promote and highlight women in the field. She was the first female to be a Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer in New York State. Magazines loved her, regularly publishing her work and quoting her perspectives, which were always future-focused.

Then there was the work itself. She thrived on it, relished it, valued it. She loved materials and products—the more cutting-edge, the better—and she had the client base to indulge her wildest whim: Madam Chaing Kai-shek, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Michael J. Fox, to name a few. She wasn’t known as the “Empress” of kitchen design for nothing!

Florence was born in "Upper West Sider" and studied and sang opera before becoming a kitchen and bath designer. It was a life-long passion. She was a season ticket-holder at the Metropolitan Opera and also took subscriptions to other theatrical happenings at the New York State Theatre, the Roundabout Theatre, and La Mama. She saw virtually everything that came to Broadway, but her favorite refrain as she dashed from any room was, “I have to fly; I’ve got opera, darling!”

Florence Perchuk was predeceased by her husband, Peter Perchuk, in 1997 but is survived by her sons, Andrew and Neil, a daughter-in-law, Alison, and two grandsons, Owen and Marlon. She spent the last decade of her reign living her “best life” in Palm Springs, California. 

THANK YOU TO OUR NEW 25th ANNIVERSARY & CHAPTER SPONSORS

STAY CONNECTED! Get Social with the Manhattan Chapter

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

The Communications Committee seeks a co-newsletter chair or editor for outbound marketing to supply or report on relevant industry news. We'd love you to join our team if you have social media or writing skills. Please contact Communications@nkbamanhattan.com.

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The mission of the NKBA is to inspire, lead and empower the kitchen and bath industry through the creation of certifications, marketplaces, and networks.

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