Destination: Luxury

Destination: Luxury

By John Filippelli

In fact, LuxeHome has created such buzz in the two months since it opened its doors that many industry insiders believe the concept will change the way the kitchen and bath industry does business.

Billed as a resource center for interior designers, architects, custom builders and affluent consumers, LuxeHome features a collection of 23 upscale manufacturer, distributor and dealership boutiques comprised of "products that do not exist anywhere else," according to Katherine M. Flaherty, v.p./building products and special projects for Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI).

Offering a "consumer friendly, home-shopping experience," the collection of boutiques features a full range of working displays and vignettes from a host of high-end kitchen and bath manufacturers, including Clive Christian of Chicago, Poggenpohl U.S., Inc. and Neff Design Centre, Inc.

Flaherty believes a good part of LuxeHome's appeal is the way it ties in to high-end consumers' growing interest in buying a "name" as well as a product. "[Affluent consumers] are impressed by the brand, the experience and the dealer they are interacting with [when they come into a boutique]. They are very interested in having something made for them, but they are also very interested in brands. Therefore, the strength of the boutiques is their established brand names," says Flaherty.

Flaherty notes that the LuxeHome brand is being actively marketed with a no-holds-barred publicity campaign that has resulted in unprecedented attendance numbers. She cites as an example the grand opening event, which drew more than 8,000 consumers and trade professionals from all over the country, including both design industry luminaries and celebrities from all walks of life.

In fact, many believe the grand opening was a watershed moment in the kitchen and bath industry. As Mick De Giulio, president of de Giulio Kitchen Design, Inc. noted, "It was eye opening to understand the true interest and excitement for what we are bringing to people. We reached a new pinnacle," he adds, noting that there was an estimated seven-to-one ratio of consumers to professionals in attendance that night.

James W. Livingston, CKD, president of Smartrooms, Inc., concurs with that estimation: "From early in the evening, there were wall-to-wall people. There were people we specifically invited back the next day because we couldn't get to everybody [that night]."

But, while LuxeHome's grand opening drew plenty of notice with the public at large, the focus of LuxeHome has been on building successful, win-win partnerships that will benefit the design community at large, while redefining the luxury market and making it more accessible.

As Flaherty notes: "This is a place for CKDs and CBDs to formulate partnerships or expand upon existing partnerships with these available resources who are more than happy to work with each of them. There has never been another place for an independent CKD or CBD to come to show their clients the products that are available at LuxeHome."

At its core, LuxeHome is about marketing to a sophisticated lifestyle and supporting interaction between vendors, design professionals and their clients, according to Christopher G. Kennedy, president of MMPI.

"At a time when building and remodeling projects are top of mind with homeowners, the street-level, consumer-oriented boutiques of LuxeHome will be an ideal resource for consumers and trade professionals," he offers. "It really will define the high-end marketplace and become a touchstone for every decision [professionals and consumers] make related to their kitchen and bath business."

And, although this is the first time these resources have been available under one roof for the high-end market, this may just be the beginning, Kennedy notes.