Every Seacoast design-build project we take on starts with a conversation, and all of those conversations start with Carrie Roy. As our Sales and Marketing Manager, she’s usually the one explaining what design-build actually means, introducing new clients to the designer they’ll click with, and assuring them they don’t need to have it all figured out before the first meeting.
She’s a born-and-raised New Englander with a soft spot for arts and crafts style, and she has two firm design opinions: wallpaper is back and better than it’s ever been, and everyone deserves an outdoor kitchen.
Room for Discussion is our way of introducing the people behind the work. We’re sitting down with members of our Seacoast design-build team to talk about design, how we work together, and a little about who they are. Carrie was the natural place to start.
Q: When a client asks what makes KRB different from other firms in the area, what do you tell them?
Carrie: First and foremost, I explain what we do, which is design-build.
A lot of people in the area only know the cabinet company model, where you walk in and work with a designer on a layout for your kitchen or bathroom. We handle the whole project.
On the design side, I partner clients with one of our designers on staff, and we handle all of the design work and all of the selections. There are so many layers to that process, and we walk through every one of them.
On the production side, we do the demolition, the installation, the project management, the building permits, you name it. We handle it all so it’s easier for the client.
Sometimes people have general contracted a project on their own before, and usually that’s the reason they come see us. It was harder than they anticipated. So many trips here, so many trips there. They tell us, “We’ll tell you what we’re looking for, but we really want to lean on your expertise. Your designer’s expertise, your production team’s expertise. You handle it, and we’ll make the big decisions.”
Q: How has the way people research a renovation changed in the last few years?
Carrie: A lot has changed. Clients have so much information right at their fingertips. You can search anything and see images anywhere.
The challenge is that a lot of what’s out there may not apply to our region of New England. Costs, for one, differ greatly across the country. I often bring up HGTV, because the numbers they throw out on those shows are very, very, very different. So we talk through realistic costs at that first meeting.
We also try to identify the material in the photos clients show us. Is it marble, or is it porcelain that looks like marble?
From there, we come up with a design that matches their aesthetic and suits their lifestyle. That might be a couple who both cook in the same space, or a family with lots of little feet running around who needs something durable they can have for years to come.
Q: What should someone expect to get out of that first consultation with a KRB designer?
Carrie: A lot, actually. Sometimes people tell me, “I’ll just come in by myself,” but that initial consultation is the most important meeting.
Our goal is to get to know the clients, understand what they’re hoping to accomplish, and establish a realistic investment range for the project. Those meetings usually last about an hour.
Sometimes we ask people to send photos of their existing spaces ahead of time. Since we specialize in kitchens and baths, we can pull a similar project from our library, show the before and after results, and explain what we did.
Ideas come up throughout the design process, too. A client may say, “We need an addition. We need more space.” By the end, they realize they already have the space. It just wasn’t flowing well, and one corner wasn’t being used at all. Shifting a few things around lets us make the most of it.
We don’t charge for that meeting. We see it as education. We try not to use jargon, and if it does come up, we tell people to interrupt us and ask. You’re the one in charge of this project. We’re just here to help you get there.
Q: Does someone need to do a lot of research before they come in?
Carrie: No, they really don’t. Knowing what you want to do in your home helps, but even that can grow or shrink.
Someone might say, “I really just want to do my kitchen.” Then once we start talking, it turns out their flooring has seen better days. Or they’ll mention, “We never use that area over there,” and the designers come up with an idea to expand into it or widen a doorway.
Some people come in knowing exactly what they want and that’s wonderful. We can take that and run with it.
Other people say, “I honestly can’t match things together. I’m going to need to lean on you.” We’ve had people say, “Please don’t overwhelm me. Just give me three options and make sure they match. I can’t even match my clothes, but can you help me match my kitchen?” Absolutely, we can do that.
Either way, it doesn’t start with the selections. It starts with knowing what we’re going to do and establishing that budget range. Then our designers look at different layouts for the space, and we move forward from there.
What We Take On
Q: As a Seacoast design-build firm, what kinds of clients can KRB support?
Carrie: All different types, from simple projects to very high-end ones and anything in between.
On the simple end, someone might want to stay in their home as they age. They want to keep everything else in the bathroom and just change the tub to a shower for ease of access. That’s what we call a tub-to-shower conversion. We can handle that, and we have lots of options for it.
Then there’s the full bathroom remodel. Take it all out. They’ll say, “We’ve been here for 30 years. We’ve never done anything with it. It’s time to make it something we’re going to live with for the next 20 years.” Great, we can do that.
And on the other end, I’ve had a few clients come in and say, “Our bathroom feels like a dance hall.” It’s large, with great space, but there’s nothing in it. They’ll say, “We’d love a steam shower. We’d love a high-end toilet. Be creative. Show me what you can do.” We love doing that.
Q: What about clients who only need design and materials, what we call a Design + Retail Sale?
Carrie: We see a lot of that in our area, with folks building brand new homes.
Their builder handles the design, the layout, the framing, all the basic pieces, but they don’t want to end up with a builder-grade kitchen. They’d rather put a little extra into it. So they work with one of our designers on a unique layout that fits how they cook.
Say the two partners are both chefs and want to work side by side. They need enough elbow room, and maybe instead of a standard single sink, they want a galley workstation. Something that works whether it’s just the two of them cooking or they’re entertaining.
We do the design and procure all the materials. That’s what we call a retail sale. Then either their builder does the installation, or KRB does. Either way.
Q: Are there other areas of the home KRB specializes in beyond kitchens and baths?
Carrie: Yes, a few.
Closets are one. They’re usually right next to a kitchen or bathroom, so we design and customize closet systems, too. A few of our cabinet lines have gorgeous cabinets made specifically for closets.
We also look outside the home. We sell cabinets made for outdoor kitchens, and people will say, “An outdoor kitchen in New England? Why would you ever do that?”
Well, New England is a great place to live, and we have four seasons. The cabinets we put outside can withstand heat, cold, rain, ice, you name it. So why not expand your space? People love being outside, and it’s great to have another space to entertain at.
How the Team Works
Q: When a designer gets stuck on a project, what happens behind the scenes?
Carrie: Our team is unique in that it truly is a team. I won’t even say it’s only when someone’s stuck.
We have staff meetings where we just share projects. What are you working on? You have two kitchens going? Are they similar? What strategies are you using to make the most of those spaces?
And sometimes someone is stuck, which is no problem at all. Just the other day, one of our designers said, “I have this small space, and I never anticipated this. Has anybody found something that works here?” We all put our heads together and came up with a solution.
We often say that when you partner with KRB, you’re not just getting one designer, you’re getting all of us. We all get to know each other’s clients as they come into the showroom. During selections, a designer or a client will ask someone else to come take a look and give their two cents. Or if we’re looking for the last piece of the puzzle, like an accent tile or a wallpaper, someone will say, “Oh, I saw this the other day. This might work here.”
That’s really what pulls us together as a team and a family.
Q: And the production team is part of that conversation too?
Carrie: Yes, and we have a great production team. We meet weekly to talk through which projects are starting, how they’re progressing, and any challenges, whether we saw them coming or not.
Say we’re working on a bathroom and, lo and behold, we find a pipe where we didn’t expect one. We troubleshoot. The word here is that we can make anything happen, it’s just a matter of how. Sometimes we come up with a few different options and present them to the client: option one, option two, option three. Then we figure out the best way to proceed.
We do the same with cabinet reviews. Before a cabinet order goes to one of our vendors, we sit down as a team and look over the plans and layout. Many, many times, and in fact it just happened last week, someone asks, “Why did you put that cabinet together that way? Could you have done it this way instead?” We land on whatever makes the most sense for the client and what they’re hoping to achieve.
It’s a lot of collaboration, part to whole.
From Inspiration to Install
Q: Some clients come in with a ton of inspiration photos that don’t add up to one clear direction. How do you help them land on something cohesive?
Carrie: Sometimes clients send their whole Pinterest board, sometimes just a few snapshots. Most of the time, they’re somewhat cohesive.
But I have literally held up an iPad, swiped through someone’s photos, and asked, “What did you like about this one?” Sometimes they remember. Sometimes they say, “I don’t know, maybe the faucet?” It might be something very minimal.
You get to learn your client through that. Some people know they like bits and pieces. They’re a part-to-whole person, not a whole-vision person, so you have to pull it apart.
People also ask where we start. The vanity? The countertop? The fixtures? Every project is different. Sometimes the starting point comes organically. I’ll notice a couple of commonalities in someone’s photos, and it turns out it’s a wood grain tone on the cabinetry. So, we start there. Another client might say, “I really want a marble bathroom.” If you know what marble is all about, we can start with marble and build off of that.
There’s no right way forward. We meet you where you are and narrow it down from there. The biggest thing is that everything chimes together without too much busyness. We want it to be a nice, cohesive space to be in.
Q: Is there a part of the process that stands out from the rest?
Carrie: I don’t think one piece is more important than the others, but a big part of what we do happens up front.
We work on layouts and selections and pull everything together so that when clients sign a contract with us, it’s all there. We don’t start by tearing apart your bathroom, then making decisions while you live with a mess for longer than necessary. When you get to contract, you know everything that’s included.
The hard part, and we tell clients this when they sign, is the waiting. It brings me back to the Tom Petty song, “The Waiting.”
That’s because we order everything before we start your project. We have our showroom here in Stratham and our warehouse in Exeter. Members of our production team learn the project and the products and get everything ordered. We don’t start until every item is in our warehouse, which lessens the time and disruption in our clients’ homes.
We open everything and make sure it’s intact. If something came damaged, we send it back and get the replacement in the warehouse before we’re good to go. It’s a lot of upfront work and management, but it keeps us on track for our clients.
Q: That must be a relief with kitchens especially. Nobody wants to start living on takeout and microwave meals any sooner than they have to.
Carrie: Yes, and we’ve worked with so many organized clients that we’ve actually picked their brains. What worked for you? How did you set up your temporary kitchen? Now we have a flyer we give clients with suggestions.
I had a client in here just two days ago who said, “I’m already cleaning out my kitchen. I can’t wait. I’m ready to go.” She’s setting up a little space in the next room with the coffee maker, a toaster oven, a microwave, and a mini fridge. She was so excited.
So I gave her a few more tips for setting up a temporary space so the family can still function. A little microwave action helps, and grilling is a big one. If folks are getting a new refrigerator, we’ve even put the old one in the garage so they still have a fridge and freezer during the project.
Q: And for people who want nothing to do with a gutted kitchen, do you work with clients who head to a second home or stay with family?
Carrie: Actually, quite frequently. We’ve had a number of clients tell us, “Not interested. I’ve done this before. We’re off to Florida for the winter. We’ll be back to see how it turned out.” They love that.
The best part is that with technology now, we can do weekly video check-ins. Here’s what we did this week, here’s what got accomplished, here’s what’s next. Our guys in the field have gotten very good at doing videos.
Design Talk
Q: Wallpaper has made a serious comeback. What’s bringing people back to it after years of painted walls?
Carrie: I know. I absolutely love wallpaper, and I love seeing it come back.
Wallpaper adds a layer of warmth, and warmth is coming back into design: warm colors, warm textures, layered textures. For so long, the look was white, gray, cool colors, very linear lines, simplicity.
Wallpaper comes in so many different arrays. If you haven’t been down the wallpaper rabbit hole, you can get lost in it. On the subtle side, you have textures in different tones, like brown and tan, or a cream with a light shade of ivory. That gives you a pattern without overpowering the space. On the other side, big, bold patterns are coming back too, either with lots of color or more simple.
It’s just amazing. I, for one, am very pleased to see it.
Q: For clients who are excited about it, does KRB have wallpaper in the showroom?
Carrie: We certainly do. I have a whole slew of wallpaper.
And if clients come in with a tile or a wallpaper they saw on an inspo board, we can get almost anything. It may not be on our showroom floor, but we work with some of the biggest vendors around.
A lot of times people say, “I think I like this, but let’s find a few options around it.” That’s where we love the hunt.
Q: If you had a blank space to design for yourself, what style would you lean into?
Carrie: For me and my lifestyle, I lean toward a traditional look, or what some folks might call transitional.
I’m from New England, and I like the New England aesthetic, even if we’re sometimes a little slow to move with the times. Traditional is just going to last forever and be something you can live with.
I’ve also always loved the arts and crafts style. A warm wood, a few different patterns of wallpaper. I love that look. Something really timeless that can last.
Thank you to Carrie for sitting down with us. What came through most in our conversation is how much of KRB’s work happens as a team, from the first consultation to the last cabinet review, with a few extra sets of eyes on every project. After 30 years in business, that’s still what keeps us going. In Carrie’s words, “It’s just a joy. That’s why we love doing what we do.”
Next in Room for Discussion, we’re sitting down with our designers, the people who turn a quick swipe through someone’s inspiration photos into a game plan. If you’d like to meet the rest of our Seacoast design-build team before then, stop by our Stratham showroom. Carrie will be happy to show you the wallpaper!
