June 25, 2021

KBB is super excited to introduce our brand-new podcast – From the Tap – which is an out-of-the-box, hot-topic discussion with today’s leading industry experts.

Our first From the Tap episode is called Getting Into Product Design, where we discussed with designer Matthew Quinn, principal of Atlanta-based Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio and founder of the Matthew Quinn Collection, his advice on an interior designer getting involved in product design, which he has been doing for a little over 10 years.

He has partnerships with AKDO Tile, Art for Everyday, Francois & Co., Häfele, Julien: Home Refinements, La Cornue, MTI Baths, Rubinet Faucet Co. and Sun Valley Bronze.

When asked how he got started designing products, Quinn said he has had a lot of experience creating one-off products for various client projects – those that fulfill a specific need that may not have been available before. He then decided that some of his ideas were mass marketable and approached certain manufacturers about moving forward with those.

MTI Baths was his first product partnership, and one of his designs is still a best seller for the brand today. When deciding which manufacturers you want to work with, he says you really have to already love the brand – you do not want to work with a partner you know nothing about.

In terms of benefits to the parties involved, Quinn says it’s a great thing for a brand to have a designer’s stamp on something, and a kitchen and/or bath designer can come to the table with a completely different perspective with new ideas. For a designer, he says it’s a great feeling to have a product named after you.

Listen to the entire From the Tap podcast to learn more about:

• Differences and similarities between product and project design
• Time constraints around designing products and launching them
• Costs involved/compensation
• How long the brand relationship lasts
• Incorporating competing brands into the mix

In the podcast, which you can view on our YouTube page and listen to on such channels as Spotify, Quinn also shares what kinds of product categories are coming down the pipeline for him, as well as updates on what’s happening with his current brands and projects.