Leslie Clagett
Verified
As seen in:
Kitchen & Bath Business,
Issuu,
The Architect's Newspaper,
This Old House,
Architectural Record,
archrecord.construction.com,
KRLB-TV (Richland, WA)
Covers:
Architecture, design, interiors, construction, building products/materials, urban planning
Articles by Leslie Clagett
Designer Christopher Grubb Gets the Last Word
Founder of Beverly Hills-based Arch-Interiors, designer Christopher Grubb reflects and projects on his creative career. How has your background influenced the way you approach the design business? Christopher Grubb: I approached the design business with the benefit of experiences I gained from a very young age through the start of college. My grandfather was a contractor, so I was able to observe construction, craftsmanship, and the process of building.
Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse
Located in the center of New York City’s first historic district, the 2026 Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse is set in a grand 25-foot-wide residence that is a stunning example of nineteenth-century architecture. Originally built in the Greek Revival style for New York merchant Samuel Bell, the home was later enhanced in the 1860s with its distinctive Mansard roof.
LG Debuts New Appliance Collections at Guggenheim Museum
LG Signature, the premium appliance brand from LG Electronics, hosted a gala at the Guggenheim Museum to celebrate modern design equity, intuitive innovation and individual self-expression in the home. The brand is introducing three new kitchen appliance collections: Iconic, Seamless and Tailored, each crafted to create a unified home experience that blends elevated design with user-centric innovation. An appropriate message embellished the ramp at the Guggenheim.
Marketing First: Building a Brand Beyond Technology
In an industry where information is increasingly accessible and AI can generate answers in seconds, experience, judgment and strategic thinking remain the true competitive advantages. Technology should support your marketing strategy – not define it.
Navigating Job Prospecting and Career Changes in the Age of AI
It’s not a surprise to hear that artificial intelligence has quickly become one of the biggest disruptors in today’s workforce. From interview preparation, to résumé optimization, to job matching and to market research, AI is reshaping the way employers hire – and how candidates search for their next career opportunity. But despite all the headlines predicting that AI will replace jobs, one truth remains: people still hire people.
Rediscovering Your Happy Place: Finding Joy in the Hard Parts of Design
Everyone has bad days; it’s a simple fact of life. If you were to graph your mood on a scale of one to 10 each day, there are inevitable dips on the chart. In the kitchen and bath industry, several things can cause you to have a bad day: product delays, problems on the jobsites and challenging clients, to name just a few. It’s important to recognize when the chart is trending downward over time rather than upward or even just staying neutral.
From Function to Focal Point: How Appliances are Taking the Lead in Luxury Kitchen Design
The custom kitchen has quietly become one of the most sophisticated rooms in the modern home, and the shift has far more to do than just cabinetry and finishes. In fact, it’s appliance technology that is increasingly dictating layout and the overall design language of today’s kitchen spaces.
Cersaie 2026: Education and Art
Cersaie 2026 hosted a total of 1,190 exhibitors in the 1.5+ million square feet of the Bologna Exhibition Centre. A robust 92,352 visitors filled the halls over the course of the five-day event, among them your foot-sore KBB correspondent. Here’s a quick recap of the show; look for further Cersaie coverage in our November/December issue.
Ali Faulkner on Avoiding Business Blind Spots
In our latest From the Tap podcast, we speak with Ali Faulkner, founder of Newport Beach, Cal.-based AEF Interiors. Having built AEF Interiors into a seven-figure firm, she’s uniquely qualified to talk about the business blind spots that often hamper a design studio’s success as well as ways to resolve them. As creative businesses evolve from small ateliers to thriving firms, the journey often reveals unexpected operational challenges.
Kallista Merges with Robern, New Design Gallery Planned
As of October 1, 2026, Robern becomes part of the Kallista brand, bringing together two trusted design legacies to create a broader luxury lifestyle brand. “Throughout our history, Kallista has pushed the boundaries of design and engineering,” said Alexander Dornbracht, Vice President and General Manager of Kallista.
KBB Announces 2026 Awards – Project Winners
The KBB Project Awards honor outstanding kitchen and bath design and those who create it. In addition to Kitchen Project of the Year and Bathroom Project of the Year, we also included awards for specific project categories. 2026 BEST BATH Pakinam Elfaham, ASID and Marwan Moumen, Ocean Drive Designs, San Diego Coming into this project after the architectural plans were already permitted forced the designer to work within the existing shell rather than shape the space from scratch.
KBIS 2027 Hard Hat Media Tour Now Accepting Applications
The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is now accepting applications for the 2027 Hard Hat Media Tour, one of the show’s most anticipated media programs, returning to the show floor at the Las Vegas Convention Center, February 2-4, 2027. The 2027 Hard Hat Media Tour is made possible by title sponsor Daltile, alongside Empava as coffee sponsor.
Building a Memorable Brand
In an era where attention spans are often measured in the latest meme, the psychology behind branding is the secret sauce. Understanding it is the key to standing out in a sea of sameness. Your firm’s brand is more than a fancy logo or a snazzy tagline. It’s a reflection of all those subconscious cues that whisper (or shout) to people about what your firm stands for and why it matters.
AjMadison on How Laundry Appliances Are Evolving to Meet Consumers’ Priorities
According to appliance retailer AjMadison, space-saving innovation, energy efficiency and long-term value are reshaping the modern laundry room. Consumers are prioritizing efficiency, sustainability and smarter design when updating their homes, and laundry appliances are evolving beyond basic cleaning performance to support this demand.
Using AI to Create and Sell Your Own Collections on Your Own Website
Designing your own bespoke collections with AI and then selling them on your own websites is an idea whose time has come. Recently, while scrolling through LinkedIn, I saw a beautiful image that I thought had been created with AI, but I wasn’t sure. It had been created by someone I know. I asked Steve, privately, if it had been created using AI, and he said, YES. I also asked him if I could have his permission to use it as my inspiration image to train my AI to create a modern bed for me.
Designing Bathrooms for Maintenance – And Homeowner Appreciation
A newly completed bathroom is usually judged by what is immediately visible: the tile layout, vanity, lighting, fixtures and finishes. Yet some of the most consequential design decisions are the ones homeowners will encounter months or years later, when a drain slows, a valve needs to be reached or routine cleaning becomes more difficult than expected. Designing bathrooms with a focus on maintenance does not require compromising the room’s aesthetics.
Kitchen + Bath Canada Names National Designer Advisory Group
Kitchen + Bath Canada, produced by Forge, today announced the members of its inaugural Designer Advisory Group, comprising accomplished professionals from across the country who will help shape the reimagined 2026 show and its development as Canada’s dedicated, professional-only kitchen and bath industry event.
Tour the 2026 Kips Bay Decorator Show House
The 2026 Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York has officially opened its doors, unveiling the work of 22 of the nation’s most celebrated designers within the storied townhouse at 80 West Washington Place in the heart of Greenwich Village. Now in its 51st year, the annual design event transforms one of Manhattan’s most distinctive residences into a creative showcase, with each room offering a unique vision from today’s leading design talent.
When Price Stalls a Project
A client approves the kitchen design and estimated price. Three weeks later, the contract is still unsigned, the deposit has not been paid and the project has no place on the production calendar. A project can be listed as approved when only one part of the decision is settled: the client likes the design. They have not necessarily accepted the final scope and price, decided how they will pay or committed to the proposed schedule.
Business at Trade Shows is Better Together
Year over year, the design and construction community looks to trade shows as a pulse check. For architects, builders and designers who walk the show floor, the expectation is often straightforward: see what new products are launching, what materials are trending and where the market is headed.
Artful Aging-in-Place Bathroom
Looking to enhance her 96-year-old mother’s bathroom experience, the homeowner entrusted Chicago-based Jasmin Reese Interiors with creating a safe, accessible and serene aging-in-place environment for the ensuite space. Working within the 9’4” x 5’6” footprint of the room, Reese maintained the location of the vanity, toilet and shower, which, once the old tub was removed, became a walk-/roll-in design that could accommodate the woman and her caregiver.
Warmth, Texture and Continuity: The New Role of Natural Stone and Quartz Surfaces
Warmth, Texture and Continuity: The New Role of Natural Stone and Quartz Surfaces Home design trends are moving away from cool grays, stark whites and high-gloss surfaces toward palettes that are warmer, more textured and more personal. Attention is also on creating connections throughout the home, with signature elements introducing common threads that tie spaces together. Natural stone and quartz surfaces are the centerpieces of these shifts.
Walking the Floor at IWF Atlanta: A Look at Where Kitchens Are Headed
At IWF, there is no better way to understand where the woodworking and remodeling industries are going than to put on a comfortable pair of shoes and walk the floor. That was my mission when I arrived in Atlanta for the International Woodworking Fair, held August 25 through 28 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
NKBA Design Competition Call for Entries Now Open
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), the world’s leading trade association for the kitchen and bath industry, representing nearly 55,000 North American kitchen and bath industry professionals, is accepting submissions for the 2027 NKBA Design Competition through October 4. Designers are encouraged to submit their top residential kitchen and bath projects for a chance to be recognized in one of the most prestigious competitions in the industry.
Design That Supports Both Everyday Living and Major Life Transitions
In our latest From the Tap podcast, we speak with Chicago-based Andrea Goldman about designing kitchens and baths that support real-life routines – an experience that sometimes overlaps with clients who are going through major life transitions. The designer notes that most successful kitchens and baths begin long before decisions about finishes, fixtures or aesthetics are made. The process begins with understanding how people actually live.
Designer Luis Fernandez Gets the Last Word
With offices in Los Angeles, New York and Miami, designer (and Miele Master) Luis Fernandez reflects and projects on his creative career. How has your background influenced the way you approach the design business? Luis Fernandez: The different facets of “design” I’ve explored over the course of my design career have shaped my point of view and approach in a big way.
Emerald and Questex Unite as Forge to Shape the Future of B2B Events and Media
Forge, the new corporate brand uniting Emerald and Questex LLC and new parent company of KBB and other related media and event brands, has debuted as a leading global B2B events and media company serving customers through live events, digital media, data and year-round communities. The move follows Apollo-managed funds’ (“Apollo Funds”) acquisition of the two companies in July 2026. Forge begins with one market-led strategy and a newly appointed Board of Directors.
Designer Stephanie Martin Shares Her Favorite Products
Calgary-based designer Stephanie Martin creates spaces with impact by using pieces that have visual heft and physical presence. Photos courtesy of the respective companies, unless otherwise noted. Mir Mirror by ffabb “Designed by Marianna Tomlenovich, this leather-wrapped mirror exudes quiet luxury and offers a bold and dramatic feel with its oversized stature.
Saunas In the Home: What Designers Need to Know
As homeowners become more intentional about how their spaces support daily routines, recovery and overall well-being, we’re seeing increased interest in dedicated wellness features within the home. Among the most popular additions are saunas, which have evolved from a luxury amenity into a lifestyle-driven investment. Today, many clients are looking for ways to bring experiences traditionally found at spas, fitness clubs or wellness retreats into their own homes.
The Next Evolution of Kitchen Design: Longevity
For decades, The Golden Girls television show made growing older with friends look not only possible, but appealing: independent lives, built-in companionship and nightly conversations around the kitchen table. A recent New York Times article shows that this model is moving beyond the sitcom, as older adults turn to home-sharing for companionship, financial practicality and the ability to remain in their homes.
Houseplant Maximalism in the Kitchen, Bath and Beyond
What is houseplant maximalism? To me, houseplant maximalism is the ultimate expression of lushness in the home. It’s where plants hold the same significance as art and design, and where each plant is carefully selected to fit the interior, even as they grow in layers and create density. It creates an informal and calming atmosphere, even in a room filled with plants. It is a space where both the eyes and the emotions are free to explore.
Rethinking the Renovation: How COVID Changed What Clients Want From Their Kitchens and Baths
Every design-build firm has a “before” and “after” line drawn somewhere around 2020. In the early months of the pandemic, we assumed the surge in kitchen and bath renovation interest was a temporary reaction, people were home all day, staring at the things they wanted to change, and suddenly had the time and motivation to act on it.
High Point Market: A Look Back and Ahead
After a successful High Point Market debut in the Fall of 2025, the NKBA returned to Broad Hall in April featuring the next evolution in kitchen and bath design. Drawing the country’s most high-end and upscale interior designers, architects and home furnishings buyers, High Point is the world’s largest home furnishings trade show held twice a year in High Point, N.C. Above: The entrance to NKBA’s immersive showroom at Spring Market.
Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse Announces Full Roster of Designers for Fall 2026
The Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA), New York City’s oldest civic association, today announced the full lineup of interior designers, architects and landscape and furniture designers participating in the 2026 Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse, the borough’s most prestigious design event and a biennial fundraiser supporting the BHA’s work preserving the neighborhood’s architectural legacy since 1910.
KBIS 2027 Opens Call for Presenters as the Show Returns to Las Vegas
The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is now accepting speaker submissions for NEXTStage and the LUXURY Lounge, the two destinations where the industry gathers to trade ideas and shape what comes next. The KBIS Podcast Studio is also seeking its own lineup of industry voices to record live on the show floor. As KBIS heads back to Las Vegas, the show will stage three days of robust and enriching conversations at the Las Vegas Convention Center, February 2-4, 2027.
How Outdoor Living Design Influences Health and Wellness
The backyard directly influences how people eat, gather, move and recover. Science shows that if the outdoor living environment is changed, behavioral adaptations follow. That idea is supported by a growing body of research. A large-scale review published in Environmental Research, analyzing 143 studies, found that exposure to green space is associated with lower cortisol levels, reduced heart rate and improved heart rate variability (HRV), a key indicator of how the body responds to stress.
Building Trust: The Real Reason Clients Say “Yes”
Ask any experienced kitchen or bath designer what really closes a sale, and you’ll hear a lot of answers – pricing, design, product selection. But if we’re being honest, most of those are secondary. The real reason clients move forward is simple: they trust you. And not just a little. They trust you with a significant investment, their home, and a process they often don’t fully understand. That kind of trust isn’t given lightly – and it doesn’t happen by accident.
Kitchen Designed for Long-Term Wellness
During the pandemic, WINN Design + Build completed a large screened-in porch and pool project for a Virginia family with teenagers. Several years later, after the teens had left the house, the clients reengaged the McLean, Va.-based remodeler – this time to reimagine their kitchen and wet bar. The spaces were already somewhat functional; however, they boasted the early-2000s look from when the home was built.
Fireplace Fundamentals – And Beyond
A fireplace can bring literal and emotional warmth to any place in the home – kitchen, bathroom, living space and more. Designer Natalie Pullen offers her thoughts on the smartest ways to add this compelling element. How do you determine the optimal placement and scale of a fireplace within a room to balance focal point impact with functional flow and furniture arrangement? In every design project, form follows function for me.
Behind the Brand: Product Designers From Brizo, Trone and Watermark Talk With KBB
Welcome to the latest edition of Behind the Brand, where KBB seeks to illuminate – somewhat! – the creative process from the perspective of top product designers in the kitchen and bath fields. Being able to look at everyday objects in a radically different way is the [un]common denominator of these talented individuals.
Pool House With an Industrial Edge
For this new build project, designer Renée Biery ASID NCIDQ of Montchanin, Del.-based deVignier Design worked with a long-time client to design a fully functional pool house kitchen and bathroom tailored to their frequent entertaining needs. While their main house kitchen leans more traditional, the client wanted try out a different look for this space, and eventually settled on a transitional/industrial aesthetic. Key to this vibe was the poured concrete counter in the kitchen zone.
Multigenerational Living: Better Together by Design
Interest in multigenerational living has grown in recent years, driven by high housing costs, limited housing availability, the potential to reduce carbon footprints through shared resources and the need for affordable care for both children and older adults. Beyond these practical considerations, research points to clear social benefits. Children in these environments show increased resilience, stronger social skills, a greater sense of belonging and reduced ageist stereotypes.
Encouraging Clients to Embrace Bold Design
In our latest From the Tap podcast, we speak with Beth Dotolo and Carolina Gentry, co-founders of Pulp Design Studios, about how they steer clients beyond “safe” choices – including how they build trust, when to push, when to pull back and the strategies they use to help clients feel confident making bold design moves. This conversation centers on how designers guide clients past conventional, safe design choices and encourage them to embrace bold, personalized design decisions.
HIRI Insights Help Designers Meet Homeowner Needs
Homeowners today are more informed, more involved and more selective than ever before when it comes to kitchen and bath renovations. New data from the Home Improvement Research Institute’s (HIRI) biennial “Project Decision Study” highlights that while demand remains strong, the evolving way projects are planned, priced and executed is directly impacting design pros. 1. Kitchen and Bath Projects Are Discretionary Not all home improvement projects are viewed the same.
ClosetCon 2026 Delivers Education, Innovation and Award-Winning Design in West Palm Beach
Woodworking Network’s ClosetCon, held last month in West Palm Beach, Fla., once again brought together designers, manufacturers, installers, fabricators and business leaders from across North America for one of the closet industry’s premier educational and networking events. The conference showcased the latest trends in custom storage while reinforcing that success in today’s market depends on continual learning, collaboration and craftsmanship.
Penthouse Bathroom Sanctuary
In the heart of Victoria, British Columbia, Pamela Billinghurst of Pamela Billinghurst Interior Design transformed a penthouse on Yates Street, one of the city’s most historically significant thoroughfares, from a dated space into a contemporary sanctuary of purpose. Reflecting on the project, Billinghurst said,”Typically, clients want more. In this case, though, the client wanted fewer but better bathrooms.
NKBA Releases Updated Planning Guidelines
The latest iteration of the NKBA Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines has been published by the National Kitchen & Bath Association. The fifth edition aligns the Guidelines with the latest standards from the International Residential Code (IRC), International Green Construction Code (IgCC), International Mechanical Code (IMC), National Building Code of Canada and CSA/ASC B652 Accessible Dwellings.
Sustainability Solutions
We take a look at two brands whose innovations and values have significantly contributed to sustainability in the sector. Hansgrohe Group David Zapf, specialist for surface technology at Hansgrohe Group, shows off the breakthrough electrohydraulic technology at the heart of the brand’s recycling of galvanized plastic parts.
Accessible Bathroom Design Is Evolving: What Designers Should Know
ADA and senior-residence accessible bathroom product categories have historically received limited attention in design conversations. In recent years, however, perceptions around these fixtures have begun to shift. What was once associated with purely institutional aesthetics has evolved into a new generation of products that combine accessibility, safety and contemporary design.
What the Design Industry Isn’t Teaching the Next Generation – And How We’re Fixing It
The next generation of interior designers is extraordinarily talented. They can render a space in 3D, navigate the latest software and present a concept beautifully on screen. Yet many of these same students find that translating that confidence into a room full of design industry professionals is a different challenge entirely. It’s not a reflection of their ability; it’s a reflection of how they learned.
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