Designing a Showroom to Set Your Firm Apart

“Our job here at Signature Kitchen & Bath is to guide you so this puzzle fits together smoothly and seamlessly. We accomplish this with a division of labor among our staff – so they becomes specialists in specific areas – and a set of comprehensive management systems that deliver superior attention to detail. Our people – their experience, skill set and professional approach to your project – will make a night-and-day difference in the quality of the job, and hence your satisfaction with it.

“Our philosophy is to always discuss with you the pros and cons of various product applications, design concepts and service offerings so you are empowered to make the right decision for your family. It’s our way of making certain this new kitchen becomes as personal as your signature.”

Displays with a Theme

Ken demonstrates all of the functional and design features of this “Chapel Hill Great Room” display. You discover that all of the appliances and sinks are “live,” and the display is used to serve meals during open houses. Clients are encouraged to “try out” the appliances if they’d like.

Before leaving this area, a framed sign catches your attention: “Statement of Values.” The subhead is “Trust.” The copy reads, “We believe in delivering what we promise – NO SURPRISES – and treating your home and project as if they were our own.” There’s a signature and headshot with a caption that reads, “Lorey Cavanaugh, CMKBD – President.”

“This is our Key West Butler’s Pantry,” says Ken as he leads you into a compact galley space. The cabinetry is a shimmering white lacquer-looking contemporary door with pewter hardware, in the shape of a fish, and marble counters set off against Caribbean blue-green walls. Black and white mosaic tile floors, a porcelain white sink with pewter gooseneck faucet and a ceiling fan conjure up what Florida in the 1920s might have looked like.

Another framed Statement of Values sign has the subhead: “Personal Touch.” You stop and read: “Having a kitchen or bath done is a long and complex process – like giving birth. Our staff serves as your personal ‘coach’ from beginning to end. You won’t experience any of the disjointed or impersonal feelings common with home centers, national design center chains or consumer buying clubs.”

Each of the next eight to 10 displays presents different creative applications of cabinetry and appliances. Each features a framed Statement of Values signed off by the company president. Each has an identifiable theme with a sign that expresses how that theme was completed in the display.

A few of the displays even had flat screen TVs featuring videos on topics such as cabinet building, countertop options and cabinet installation.

The combination of these personal touches differentiates the showroom from the other three showrooms you’ve visited

The next step of the process – which takes place in the conference area – will be addressed in the October issue of KBDN.

Ken Peterson, CKD, LPBC, is president of the Chapel Hill, NC-based SEN Design Group and an instructor for the “Road to Recovery: Best Business Strategies for 2011” seminar, co-produced by KBDN. Peterson can be reached at 1-800-991-1711 or kpeterson@sendesign.com.