Kitchen and Bath Design Expert: Jamie Goldberg
Jamie Goldberg, AKBD, CAPS is an NKBA-certified kitchen and bath designer and a freelance design journalist. Her articles have appeared in Signature Kitchens & Baths Magazine, Fine Homebuilding, BobVila.com, KitchenBathIdeas.com and many others. She is also a regular contributor to Kitchens.com, where her Sensible Style blog appears each month.
Jamie currently lives and works in San Diego, California, where she writes her own Gold Notes blog and serves clients of her Florida-based Jamie Goldberg Kitchen and Bath Design, LLC firm CONTACT INFORMATION: Jamie Goldberg, AKBD, CAPS |
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What do you see as the top Kitchen and Bath design trends for 2009?
- I’m seeing warmer and softer “comfort” finishes and lines, contrasted with previous years’ sharp edges and bright, shiny chrome.
- There’s an increasing focus on water and energy savings, as well as an overall acknowledgement of the economy’s impact on the American homeowner with new, value-oriented lines.
- One trend that continues to grow — and will until the next baby boom, I’m sure — is Aging in Place. At this year’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, there were more products than ever that acknowledge the graying of society with increased accessibility and convenience. It also plays out in the integration of grab bars into designer bathroom suites, but by no means is limited to that arena.
At the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show this year, many sophisticated, innovative new appliances and products were unveiled. How do you see the increase in smart kitchen and bath appliances making life easier for homeowners?
Any innovation that saves people time is perfectly in tune with our frenetic lives. We’re working harder than ever in our jobs and careers, and want our free time to be as unencumbered as possible. If an oven can speed dinner to the table, that’s a plus. If a washing machine can make the laundry chore quicker, well, that’s an appliance most homeowners would want to own.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Everywhere! I’m a voracious magazine reader and web surfer. I also get inspired when I travel and shop. It’s rare when I come back from a trip without a new idea for a project I’m working on.
What advice would you give to homeowners considering a kitchen or bathroom remodel?
To paraphrase the carpenters’ maxim, plan first, purchase second. A great kitchen or bath starts with a great plan. And great plans come from professionals with knowledge and experience. The fees that you pay for such expertise are offset by the savings you’ll reap in avoiding expensive mistakes and frustration. I’m naturally biased toward the National Kitchen & Bath Association (nkba.org) as the source for such professionals, as kitchens and baths are our full-time focus.
Tell us about your favorite kitchen and/or bathroom design project.
They’re all my favorite when I’m working on them! Two that particularly stand out are a stroke victim’s master bath, which I helped make much more accessible for him, as well as more attractive, and an island home that had been flattened by Hurricane Charley, that I had the great pleasure of helping redesign.
In your personal kitchen or bath – what is the product or products that you can’t imagine living without?
I greatly enjoy my master bath’s built-in shower bench and hand-held massaging shower head. If I were staying in my home more than another two years, I’d totally redo the kitchen!
Imagine designing your dream kitchen or bath. What style would it be? What products would you use ?
My dream kitchen, unlike my current one, will most definitely be zoned for efficient cooking, prep and clean-up with point-of-use appliances, two islands and a second sink. It will also be more open to the dining room.
Aesthetically, I love the look of painted white, shaker-style cabinets with black honed-finish quartz countertops and a wide plank, reclaimed wood floor. It’s a timeless look that fits with the casual style I embrace at home.
I’d have to have LED under-cabinet lights, a designer-sized GelPro mat to make holiday meal prep more comfortable, and tons of cabinet convenience accessories like in-drawer organizers, roll-out trays and pull-outs.
My husband is our family chef, so he gets to choose the kind of cooking appliances he wants to use, though I’d definitely want him to try out an induction cooktop and convection and steam ovens. (What a fun shopping trip that will be.) Whatever cooking surface he selects, there will have to be a top-notch, super-quiet range hood insert to go with it!
Green design is an important consideration for many homeowners. Do you have advice for homeowners who want to “green” their kitchen or bathroom?
Decide what’s really important to you and build those values into your remodel. For some, it will be using materials that don’t pollute your indoor environment. For others, it will be sourcing locally-made and re-used materials. Many homeowners want to save money by lowering their energy and water bills. That’s green, too. There are many different approaches and different price points. It’s essential to prioritize. Ultimately, the “greenest” solution is designing a kitchen or bath that will sustain you for as long as you remain in that home.
We’d like to thank Jamie Goldberg, AKBD, CAPS of Jamie Goldberg Kitchen and Bath Design LLC for generously sharing her expertise and design advice.
Related: Kitchen and Bath Design Experts Talk Design Trends 2009 , Jamie Goldberg, AKBD, CAPS on Aging in Place and Universal Design for Kitchen & Bath
