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38 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | June 2015 at all price points, [so you can] appeal to diferent customers." While many designers embrace some form of the "red kitchen" phi- losophy, Kathleen Donohue, CMKBD, CAPS, senior designer at the Neil Kelly showroom in Bend, OR is not a fan. "I think we've evolved past the red kitchen," she says. "Our clients are more and more sophisticated, [and] we need to show people what they can imagine in their own kitchen, comforting them, not assaulting them with too much 'stuf.'" Michele Dugan, LEED-AP, CID, ASID, of Marin Cabinet Studio in Larkspur, CA, has her own take on the theory. Rather than showcasing some- thing out of the ordinary that clients wouldn't actually buy, she aspires to use her displays to convince clients to be more creative in their own homes. She cites a display with Andy Warhol tile as an eye-catching display that's also inspirational. "You can't be afraid to push the envelope in your show- room," she believes. "If a designer can't do it in their own showroom, they're never going to get a client to [be cre- ative] in their own home. You have to have faith in your design." LAYOUT IDEAS The right layout is part of creating a positive showroom experience. To that end, the concept of the showroom needs to be well thought out long be- fore the layout is designed. In Dugan's case, she says, "When I decided to do a showroom, I didn't want to have a huge showroom that looked like every other showroom, with rows of four cabinets in this style and fve in that style. So my concept was that it should be a microcosm of a home." Indeed, her showroom is designed to look and feel like a real home, with real rooms that a client could envision living in, complete with working appli- ances. The whole space is designed to feel warm and welcoming, rather than like a retail store, she notes, and the end result is that visitors feel comfort- able being there, and are better able to translate what they see to how their own homes could look. Making visitors comfortable is critical, agrees Geragi, who notes, "We want to see everyone who walks into the showroom, but we don't rush in. We give them time and space, observe, listen to the conversation and then introduce a welcoming acknowledge - ment with qualifying questions as to their visit. To do this, the reception- ist or sales designers are a bit further back from the entrance to allow peo- ple to feel less intimidated." Bailey says, "We believe it is im- portant to have an area close to the entrance where customers can wait, be educated, and/or entertained. It is quick and easy to make a customer feel comfortable by simply welcoming them, ofering a beverage or snack, and asking what brings them in." 'EXPERIENTIAL' DESIGN Dealers and designers agree that the showroom needs to ofer not just prod- ucts, but an experience. However, there are many diferent theories about how to create that experience. Bailey says, "A successful show- room will engage all five senses." She notes, "Sight is the most obvious one – it is important for displays to be visually enticing and free of holes and clutter. Touch is just as critical, as customers come to a showroom to touch and feel products. To maximize exposure to this sense, ensure that dis- plays are easy to reach, clean and in good operation. Invite the customers to take product in their hands, as it will intensify the memory that is created." She continues, "Appealing to all tastes can be challenging when con- sidering sound. Select soft music that is relaxing and upbeat and ensure that customers have private areas for meetings so that they are not over- whelmed by the buzz created by other conversations." Bailey adds, "Taste and smell can both be activated very simply: The smell of freshly brewed cofee in the morn- ing or hot out of the oven cookies in the afternoon can heighten the senses." Sometimes little things can bring in that "home-y" touch; Donohue re- calls bringing her elderly dog Molly to the showroom in Eugene and having people stop by just to say "hi" to Molly. Dugan agrees that the consumer experience is hugely important, not- ing, "My whole concept was based on experience. When I frst took the space and thought about how I wanted it to be physically, I started with how I wanted it to feel for the customer." Showroom Savvy At Marin Cabinet Studio, Michele Dugan designed the showroom to look and feel like a real home – complete with built- in cofee maker, a media center with a working TV, home ofce, working kitchen and even a recycling center that has drawn a lot of interest from her California clientele. Because storage is important in her market, she makes sure her displays showcase a wide variety of well-designed storage options.