December 1, 2022

This year’s choices run the gamut from working extensively with charities, award-winning blogs, giving back to their communities and educating their industry peers and supporting the next generation. As we have done in years past, KBB has named one overall winner, and there are eight Praiseworthy Picks.

Congrats to these deserving winners who are truly making a difference!

2022 Person of the Year

Jeanne Chung, Owner of Cozy Stylish Chic, Pasadena, Calif.
Our 2022 Person of the Year winner started out in the fashion industry, and she says her move to interior design allows her to use the same level of creativity but without the high level of competition and attitude. After being forced to move back to LA during the 2008 recession while attending the New York School of Interior Design, she started her Cozy Stylish Chic blog to get her feet wet in the design industry. When peers she met at the Design Bloggers Conference told Chung she should attend High Point, she jumped at the opportunity and was chosen to be part of the Style Spotters program in 2014, where industry influencers choose their picks for the hottest trends and products.

Chung recently completed the expansion of her retail and to-the-trade showroom, adding a Monogram Appliances Experience Center and an interior design coworking space. She designed the kitchen and butler’s pantry for the 2022 Pasadena Showcase House of Design, and the kitchen she designed for the 2018 Pasadena project was highlighted in a series of five commercials aired by Sirius XM as the “House of Sirius XM” with cameos by several stars.

Chung has been working with other Pasadena-area designers to change their perspective to promote what she calls a “collaboration over competition” mentality. She attends several annual trade shows and brings back much information and resources she shares with the design community. Through that sharing, introductions to new product lines perhaps outside a designer’s comfort zone can be made.

She recently filmed a series for Monogram to attract visitors to KBIS 2023 that shows how she uses the brand in her projects and showroom. She has been an advisory board member for the Design Influencers Conference since 2019, and part of her role is to mentor fellow designers on such things as adding new revenue streams to their existing interior design services.

We had the opportunity to speak with Chung on all she has been involved with in the last few years, as well as some of the achievements she has made throughout her career.

A look at one of the three statement kitchens in Monogram’s L.A. Experience Center inside Chung’s Cozy Stylish Chic showroom.

Tell us more about the expansion of your showroom.
In 2016, we opened a much smaller furniture trade showroom but quickly outgrew the space. Designers and the design-savvy consumer were visiting our former showroom and spending quite a bit of time sourcing for their projects, so we wanted to add the coworking element to give them a comfortable place to work and have space to expand our fabric and wallpaper lines. When the north end of the building became available, we jumped on the opportunity to occupy the entire building.

I contacted Monogram Appliances in the beginning stages of designing the showroom because I needed some appliances for a break room. With the brand’s collaboration, Monogram’s presence slowly morphed from a small break room into a high-end kitchen showroom and its L.A. Experience Center with three vignettes.

Since we opened earlier this year, we have held mixers so that designers can get together and exchange ideas. In addition, Monogram often brings in the sales team from one of several appliance showrooms in the area to give them deep-dive training on the appliances and the brand culture. Monogram Appliances has upped its game in recent years, and our goal is to show how it can compete toe-to-toe with other luxury appliance brands.

Our intent for the showroom has always been to be aspirational for the design community yet still relatable to the consumer. Being able to see the appliances in person in an environment that mimics a high-end residence makes a difference, and we wanted the consumer to have the same experience the designer has when attending KBIS but in a showroom setting.

How did you get involved in the Pasadena Showcase House of Design?
I have attended the Showcase House since I was 16, and growing up in the area, it was always an aspiration of mine to be a part of it. After covering it on my blog for years, in 2017 I was finally ready to design a room. I had to wait until I had enough experience under my belt and the resources and connections to ask for brands to donate product … or the funds to pay for it myself. Since then, we’ve done three more.

What was your design inspiration for the butler’s pantry and kitchen this year?
My two designers and I designed the whole space in 24 hours, which was the time allotted to walk through the house and turn in our bid. We submitted 3D renderings, which helped us secure a spot. The architecture of the 1915 English Tudor home itself was the inspiration behind our design. The kitchen was last remodeled in the 1950s with the domestic staff in mind, and we wanted to present our modern interpretation of a traditional English kitchen. We, outfitted it with high-end appliances from Monogram, and it blended in seamlessly with the rest of the home. The owner is a single male in his 40s, so we designed the kitchen to be gender neutral with rich woods and a neutral color palette and added feminine touches in the accessories.

Jeanne Chung designed the kitchen and butler’s pantry for the 2022 Pasadena Showcase House of Design as a modern interpretation of a traditional English kitchen.

What sort of efforts have you achieved within your local design community?
When I was traveling to trade shows and blogging, I met and became friends with a welcoming and collaborative group of designers from all around the country. I wanted to form a similar and noncompetitive community here in Pasadena. In our new showroom, we hold events to educate students and new designers on the business side of owning a firm and not only the technical skills they need. We bring in speakers, offer CEUs, and we are also an American Society of Interior Design industry partner with the local Pasadena chapter.

What is it like leading a High Point Market Insiders’ Tour?
The High Point Market Authority approached me in 2017 about leading a one-day tour for newbie designers to assist in buyer retention and have offered me the opportunity ever since. High Point Market is large and hard to navigate as a newcomer, as it is not held in an exhibit hall but all over the city and its outskirts. My tour showcases the breadth of the market, so we visit multiple showrooms in different areas throughout the city on the first day. This provides a great experience for first-time buyers and fosters good buyer retention. My tour is a fast-paced speed-dating event that shows first-timers to market everything from lighting to upholstery to case goods. I focus on lines that can be customized, as having access to product that no one else has is a key value a designer brings to the table.

What are some of your goals for 2023?
I will continue work on our showroom, as well as with the culture of the designer here in Pasadena; some are still very guarded. I believe the more experienced designer can learn a lot from the younger designer and vice versa. For instance, the younger designer can provide education on the best practices of navigating social media, but the more experienced designer can provide valuable insight on the business side of running a firm. The key is that we always have something to learn from one another, and as much as we think we can, we cannot do it alone.

Praiseworthy Picks

Laila Collins, Owner and Principal Designer, Manderley Home LLC, Alamo, Calif.
When she and her husband needed to remodel their home, Laila Collins decided to do it herself, which she said was quite the challenge but was also the impetus for her falling in love with interior design. Before opening her own firm, which is a woman-owned and minority business, she dedicated time to honing her craft by studying construction processes, attending KBIS and learning CAD. Collins and Manderley Home support Youth Homes, a non-profit organization that provides trauma-informed programs and furnishes safe spaces for children in the San Francisco foster care system. She and her firm – with the help of many volunteers – designed and furnished a five-bedroom farmhouse for Youth Homes. This year they renovated the organization’s retail thrift store, which will lead to a more than 200% increase in revenue for funds that support Youth Homes’ programs. Collins said her goal is for Manderley to be successful so that they can continue to support Youth Homes and any organization that allows those in need to experience the transformative powers of good design.

Geoff Dunlop, Director of Marketing for Brondell Inc., San Francisco
As part of the company’s commitment to the environment, Brondell has partnered with 1% for the Planet and donates 1% of its annual sales to non-profits impacting our planet. This partnership is important to Geoff Dunlop, and he says it sends the message to customers that they are supporting a company that gives back. He recently initiated a native tree-planting event where Brondell employees took Earth Day out of office. They partnered with the California Native Plant Society and the San Francisco Parks Department to take an overgrown piece of land in an underserved neighborhood and turn it into a park. This year, the company gave its customers the ability to plant a “virtual” tree in Tanzania, a country Dunlop says has been impacted by deforestation. In October, the Brondell team partnered with the Surfrider Foundation to clean up Bay Area beaches. At KBIS 2022, the company launched the Swash Thinline Luxury Bidet toilet, which is the thinnest luxury bidet on the market. The toilet eliminates the need for toilet paper, which Dunlop says decreases deforestation and the amount of chemicals used to bleach the paper.

Tanna Edler, Founder & Owner of Tanna by Design in Yakima, Wash.
Tanya Edler started her uber-successful blog, “Live Easy,” in June of 2020 to increase her industry presence, educate readers and convert them to clients, share her work, gain passive income and drive traffic to her website. Her philosophy is to live easy, and she believes everyone wants to elevate their everyday life by making it easy, acknowledging that there is a link between ease and happiness. Each monthly post focuses on a to-be-determined design project, and Edler includes free downloadable resources, which include commission-based affiliate links for suggested products. Her blog won the Interior Design Society’s Best Blog of 2022 for design, content and functionality. Edler has published 31 blog posts with more than 33,000 views, and her “Modern Ranch for a Farmhouse Hipster” is ranked in the top five on Google with the search words “modern ranch kitchen. She started her Coaching with Intent services in April of 2021 to diversify during the pandemic and to generate additional revenue. Today, Edler’s website has recorded 3,260 visitors, which is a 237% traffic increase, and the site has 429 overall ranking words on Google.

Sharon Sherman, CKD, Founder of Thyme and Place Design, Wyckoff, N.J.
Sharon Sherman is active in all facets of the kitchen and bath industry. Her 40 years of experience include being interviewed for podcasts, contributing to magazine content, speaking at events and winning awards. She hosts The Design Collaborative on Clubhouse, which is a platform for designers to come together and discuss issues, ask questions and get advice on all things business related. Her blog is another way she supports fellow peers, as its goal is to answer questions about design-related topics, and new topics always abound. Sherman donates 40% of her initial design consultation fee to the Social Service Association of Ridgewood, a non-profit organization that helps people in the local community overcome challenges. She is a firm believer of giving back and that the basic tenant of humanity is neighbors helping neighbors. She said her effort is a small token of saying thanks to everything that has contributed to her success. For the second year in a row, Sherman has been asked to speak at KBIS, and her topic for 2013 is how to handle difficult clients for positive and productive outcomes.

Maria Stapperfenne, CMKBD, CLIPP, Tewksbury Kitchens & Baths, Whitehouse Station, N.J.
Together with LaDonna Erickson and Louie Delaware of the Living in Place Institute, Maria Stapperfenne wrote a new program in the spring of 2021 for the NKBA called “One Fall Can Change It All.” She has already presented the CEU-eligible program to three NKBA chapters and says it aims to reduce falls in homes by a substantial percentage by providing education to industry pros and consumers. A regular Voices from the Industry speaker at KBIS, Stapperfenne will be presenting a session with Delaware and designer Toni Sabatino on how the LIPI principles affect people’s business and professional lives. She believes in practicing what she preaches, and as such has renovated each bathroom in her home with zero-clearance showers, grab bars and outlets behind the toilets. When she can convey this to clients, it makes them more secure about including those elements in their own projects. For 2023, Stapperfenne plans to write another professional program from the industry and hopes to groom more leaders for her local NKBA chapter by lifting up willing volunteers and supporting their efforts with meaningful backup and experience.

Ebony Stephenson, CLIPP, CAPS, Owner, Designs by Ebony, Newport News, Va.
One of the two designers who nominated Ebony Stephenson for this award said she did so for her tenacity, courage and boldness. She is the first Black president for the Virginia Chapter of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and has held the role the last three years. In this leadership role, Stephenson has been fostering equality, diversity and inclusion in our industry. In 2022, she was chosen as one of the “5 Black Designers to Follow on Instagram” by the NKBA, an initiative that was in honor and celebration of Juneteenth. As part of the Virginia Tech: Residential Environments and Design Advisory Board for the last 10 years, she has been able to give valuable feedback to the professors to ensure their curriculum is current to what employers want and need from graduating students. Virginia Tech is part of the NKBA’s Affiliated Schools Program, and Stephenson says it has been a tremendous honor to be a member of this advisory board at her alma mater and to have her company featured as a success story from this program.

Wayne Turett, Owner of The Turett Collaborative, New York City
For Wayne Turett and his firm, sustainability is the name of the game, and he considers it during every step of the design process – from the materials used to the structural design. He designed his own weekend home in Long Island according to Passive House standards and uses it to show his team and clients that beauty and comfort are not trade-offs for sustainability and green building. According to Turett, because Passive House design is in its early stages in that area, finding the materials and construction expertise needed meant that sourcing contractors and vendors took a bit more time. His home was recently included as a finalist for HGTV’s “Living Large in Small Spaces” competition and was a speaker at NYNOW IFDA’s panel on the sustainable home in August. He began his blog, “The Turett Collaborative,” during COVID to connect with peers and clients, and he says it has become a platform representative of his firm’s beliefs and interests. The goal of each post is to present to the reader something they can learn from and reproduce through walking tours, film guides and cultural profiles.

Kaitlyn Wolfe, Owner + Principal Designer, Iconic by Kaitlyn Wolfe in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Although the beginning of her education was in neuroscience and healthcare, Kaitlyn Wolfe knew from an early age that she wanted to be an interior designer. She was also determined to own her own business, so she pursued her MBA and at the same time gained experience working for a local interior designer, architect and general contractor. In 2019, she decided to focus on her company full time and has continued to double her team each year. Wolfe has achieved a lot in just the last few years, having won multiple awards and been published in many outlets. She attributes her success to hiring the best team and says they have worked hard at developing a reputation for designing unique and fresh spaces and providing full-service interiors and general contracting. Wolfe is also engaged in many speaking engagements and says she loves talking to young students because she wants to inspire others to follow their gut and passion. She and her team are moving into a new office space this year, and she has hired some new key positions to improve her firm’s process and overall client experience.

Click HERE to nominate for the 2023 competition!

Article originally published on Dec. 12, 2022, and was updated on July 6, 2023.