Show and Tell

Updating displays is an expensive proposition, and like Normandy, Simone favors enduring designs.

“We have some pretty talented design people here, and the materials that we selected are pretty timeless,” he says. As noted earlier, one kitchen is a full working kitchen, “so it will get some wear and tear. We figure it has a three- to four-year life span. On the other displays, we might get a little more time because the materials were purposely chosen to be timeless,” he says.

Asked for his advice to remodelers envisioning adding a showroom to their business, Simone says, “As with any remodeling project, have a clear plan in mind and have all your materials and quantities thought through so you have an idea of the overall cost, because you do sink a substantial amount of money into a design center like ours. And then there is also to the time factor. How are you going to get it built? Are you using your own people or are you using your own trade partners — all of which may take away from jobs that are in progress. How do you coordinate all of that?”