When Your Kitchen & Bath Remodeling opened their new offices in 1994 in Roseburg, Ore., they added an 1,800-square-foot showroom. That showroom remained the same until recently, when owners Leon and Harriet Noel updated it with new cabinetry, flooring, and countertops. They expected the new showroom to increase the excitement their clients feel about remodeling and allow clients to choose from a wider range of products, and they were right: The revamped showroom has already increased walk-in and drive-by traffic.
“When we opened the showroom in 1994, we used a lot of oak. That is what our community was familiar with. But slowly, clients started asking us about different wood for cabinetry and flooring,” Harriet says.
The remodeled showroom has nine kitchen displays, three bathroom displays, and a home office area. The update cost $80,000 and was completed by the company's crew in nine months. Leon used display allowances from three cabinetry companies to create the new displays.
The couple began by changing the layout of the existing showroom to improve flow and lead clients through all the displays. They removed one wall and cut down some of the taller walls to create a more open feel. “I had it too fragmented before, with tall walls, and you couldn't see the next display,” Leon says.
Leon also chose to display the cost of the products in each vignette and working display. Clients “can look at the door sample and see the cost. It helps them decide on products, but they don't feel embarrassed or pressured. It's a way to educate the consumer,” Leon says.
Harriet speced cherry, maple, and painted cabinetry and included furniture accents such as turned table legs, bun feet, and molding. She says replacing the old fluorescent lighting with track lighting immediately changed the ambiance of the space. They added a mosaic backsplash to showcase the company's custom tile capabilities. The revamp is exciting for the designers and for clients who are exposed to more design ideas.
Kid's Corner In a central area of the showroom, Harriet Noel added a television to play cartoons and kid's videos and a bag of toys to keep the children occupied while parents peruse the showroom. Showroom staff also help keep kids busy by playing a game that calls for identifying artificial food that is placed throughout the showroom. The kitchen vignettes have fake food such as cheesecake, spaghetti, salad, cereal, donuts, and cappuccino. The staff gives visiting children a list of all the food and sends them out on a search.
