Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM OCTOBER 2021 34 A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S D esigner Jeanne Chung of Cozy Stylish Chic has been quite busy this year, between becoming an NKBA Global Connect Advisor (where she offers insights to Global Connect Subscriber brands interested in entering the North American kitchen and bath marketplace) and opening her newest showroom, Designer Domicile. She shared a few details surrounding her exciting new venture. NKBA: How did you get into the interior design/showroom business? Jeanne Chung: I studied interior design at the New York School of Interior Design, but because of the recession in 2008 I was unable to finish my degree when my family moved back to L.A. I returned to my previous profession, fashion design, for a few years while I wrote about interior design on my blog, Cozy Stylish Chic, and started my interior design business as a side job. In 2014, I was named an official High Point Market Style Spotter, and one of the responsibilities is to post favorite design introductions spotted at Market on social media. I received so many inquiries on the items I posted that it occurred to me that opening a store or showroom would be a great way to monetize my style and trend spotting during Market. This set the wheels in motion for our retail space, which opened in 2016 in an area of Old Pasadena, where other design showrooms were starting to set up shop. Soon after opening, the retail showroom morphed into more of a to-the-trade showroom, as designers were the ones primarily taking notice of our resources on social media. In late 2018, we had the opportunity to take over our entire building. It was always my intention to have my own resource library, since the closest design center, the PDC (Pacific Design Center), is 30 miles away. This is when Designer Domicile was born, and soon thereafter, our collaboration with Monogram Appliances was sealed. NKBA: You recently opened Designer Domicile. Can you tell us about it? JC: Designer Domicile was created as an extension of our to-the-trade showroom – a coworking space for designers, complete with an extensive resource library and a place for learning and networking. There are a lot of interior designers in our area. Some have dedicated office space, but many still work from home and don't have the space for all the resources they need to run a full-fledged interior design business efficiently. We've created a collaborative work environment where private client meetings can take place in one of four acoustical glass pods. Designers have access to all the fabrics, finishes and tools at their fingertips to make the design and decision-making process faster and more efficient. Our intention is to equip designers for success with networking events, industry mixers and CEU sessions held in our space. In addition, they have a full kitchen showroom at their disposal. NKBA: How does the Experience Center for Monogram work? JC: The Monogram Experience Center is another extension of our showroom. What initially started as a kitchen/lunchroom for our co-working designers quickly turned into a full kitchen showroom and experience center when Monogram Appliances realized the full potential of the space. We built out two high-end kitchens and a bar vignette – all outfitted with the latest Monogram appliances in an elevated environment. Because we have regular business hours and are open to the public, not only can designers come in and use the space to show their clients, but the end-consumer can come in and experience the space as well. The space showcases the elevated look and technology of Monogram Appliances' Statement and Minimalist Collections and demonstrates how their appliances can fit into any style kitchen, whether modern or traditional. Unlike a typical appliance showroom, we've opted to outfit the space with what one would see in an upscale residential setting. The appliances are functional so we can host events with hands-on training, or even have a chef come in for demonstrations. We've opted to partner with appliance showrooms in the area rather than compete with them, and so we are only showcasing but not selling Monogram Appliances. We refer appliance purchases to one of several showrooms in the area. Isn't that what this business has evolved into – collaboration over competition? While we won't be selling the appliances, we will sell everything else in the showroom: furnishings, lighting, architectural metal shelving, cabinetry, storage SHOWROOM SPOTLIGHT: DESIGNER DOMICILE

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