February 24, 2020

Ultra Design Center took on 2019 in a big way. The company moved into a 13,000-sq.-ft. showroom on the third floor of the International Design Collection Building in Denver. It entered the lighting category, added several new luxury lines and promoted two staff members to management positions.

In just the first month of 2020, these accomplishments were rewarded in a big way! At the recent Luxury Products Group Conference and Expo, Ultra Design Center was named Showroom of the Year.

“Ultra’s showroom is the definition of luxury,” said Jeff MacDowell, LPG executive director. “It looks more like a gallery than a traditional decorative showroom. Kevin has worked tirelessly to expand the showroom’s business as well as their participation with LPG vendors.”

Ultra offers a full range of decorative bath, plumbing, kitchen, hardware and lighting products to customers throughout Colorado and parts of Wyoming. Ultra’s products are mostly installed in custom homes and high-end remodels. Approximately 80% of the company’s sales are to the trade — designers, contractors or installers — but the team is highly focused on engaging and educating homeowners in the process. Ultra also redistributes product to kitchen and bath dealers and other wholesalers, which accounts for about 10% of its sales.

The showroom is described as a “premier design resource” that displays “a curated selection of products sourced worldwide that deliver superior style and features, authentically crafted using the best materials.”

Its displays are set up in a way that customers can see and touch the products, and in many cases are experiential, allowing customers to operate them and see how they look and feel when in use. The company’s goal is to spark customers’ creativity and help them develop a vision for their projects and how the products at Ultra can cohesively work together in their own homes.

“There are so many great showrooms in LPG that are deserving,” said Ultra Design Center owner Kevin Castelo. “I had no idea it would be Ultra. As Jeff was making the announcement, I thought about all of the help that Ultra and I received over the recent years, both from my dedicated team and also from the vendors — many of whom were also in that room at the conference. Ultra’s growth and progress wouldn’t have been possible without all of their contributions.

“I feel fortunate to be a part of LPG because it’s such a great community of showrooms and vendors. LPG has given me an invaluable network of friends and colleagues who are genuinely interested in helping one another. Having the LPG network at my fingertips has been priceless.”

Luxury Products Group was developed by the former Omni buying group (now IMARK Plumbing). Omni members were traditional plumbing wholesale companies, and many of them also had decorative showrooms. Ten years ago, Omni decided it would be beneficial to form a separate group that was focused solely on the decorative side of its businesses. Ultra was one of the first decorative-only businesses to join LPG.