Designer ‘Goodies’ That Elevate Spaces
KBDN x Shine Interior Design Studio
LED-illuminated vanity mirrors and style and functionality to a vanity. (Photo: Natalie Biles, Shine Interior Design Studio/Payton Perkins)
Designer ‘Goodies’ That Elevate Spaces
Published on Kitchen & Bath Design News website, August 2025
When I began my design career in high-growth Tampa, FL two decades ago, resale value was more than a goal, it was the goal! Most clients wanted the kitchens and primary bathrooms they saw in glossy magazines faithfully reproduced in their homes and were willing to go into debt to finance them. This was the era of McMansions, rampant credit and homeowners expecting they’d sell their newly improved houses for significantly more than they’d paid a few years earlier. In other words, this was before the Great Recession, when expectations and home values crashed against new realities.
I believe one of the takeaways from that era was a new “YOLO” mindset among clients. The pandemic later reinforced the fragility of life and financial security. That, plus dramatically increased interest rates, meant homeowners were staying in their homes longer and putting a greater emphasis on personalizing them. Designers are gladly rising to the occasion. Here are some inspiring (and potentially profitable) ways they’re delivering “goodies” to make their clients’ kitchens and bathrooms more tailored to their personality and comfort.
Bathroom Goodies
There’s no finer artist in the world than Mother Nature, and Mariana Charters takes full advantage of its properties for her projects for Miami, Aspen and international destinations. “We propose natural stone freestanding elements to the majority of our clients,” she says. This is typically bathtubs and vanities in primary bathrooms where they serve as focal points. “These custom pieces often become the most memorable part of a project.” From a profitability standpoint, Charters shares that the features elevate the perceived value of the project, foster satisfaction and contribute to long-term relationships and referrals. Working with experienced local stone sources makes the process smooth, creates a stronger sense of place for the project and supports the firm’s sustainability goals, she notes.
Left: Natural stone adds distinctive beauty to a space. (Photo: Mariana Charters, Oppenheim Architecture/Photographer Karen Fuchs) / Right: Heated floors are easy to add and a welcome luxury for chilly climes. (Photo: Michael Winn, Winn Design + Build/Stacy Zarin Goldberg)
Central Arkansas designer Natalie Biles brings in beauty from a different source: Technology. Observing their growing popularity, she’s integrating LED vanity mirrors into a greater number of projects. “Considering the increasing importance of skincare and beauty routines in self-care practices, clients are showing interest in having this luxurious, hotel-inspired element in their homes,” she shares. The enhanced visibility adds functionality to their daily routines and a touch of sophistication. Teaming up with the trades early is key to success, making installing these fixtures a relatively smooth process, she advises. “It’s one of those details that elevates the everyday experience, and they’re often quick to mention it when showing off their new space.” It also elevates the project’s profitability, she adds.
Coastal Delaware-based custom home builder Marnie Oursler has a goody she proposes for clients with a view; when there’s a special vista that can be enjoyed from the primary suite, she loves recommending outdoor showers. “This feature adds to project profitability,” she remarks, “especially when clients are looking to create a luxury, spa-like experience in their beach home.” These spaces add to both client satisfaction and referral potential, she adds.
Left: Outside showers are popular in resort homes and boost a home’s value. (Photo: Marnie Oursler, Marnie Custom Homes/Dana Hoff) / Right: Heated towel bars add spa comfort to a full bathroom. (Photo: Michelle Gage, Michelle Gage Interiors/Brian Wetzel)
Design-build firm owner Michael Winn serves clients in the Washington, DC metro area, where winters can get quite chilly. “We propose heated flooring in nearly all of our primary bathroom renovations – and more often than not, clients opt in,” he notes. It’s a goody that provides comfort and luxury with relatively low complexity, he says. When planned from the start of a project, it’s simply about coordinating with the electrician and tile setter and confirming circuit capacity. “It doesn’t drive significant margin by itself,” Winn reports, “but it contributes to the perception of value – helping justify a premium finish package. It also opens the door to other upgrades (like smart thermostats or integrated floor sensors) that may increase scope.”
Philadelphia-based designer Michelle Gage’s goody is heated towel bars. “It’s not a budget buster but is a solid value add to their enjoyment of the bathroom. Most of our clients either request a heated towel bar or get one once we make the suggestion,” she stresses.
Kitchen Goodies
Durham, NC-based designer Jennifer Hutton’s goody is LED strip lighting. “Whether it’s built into slat walls, illuminating a backlit countertop or simply providing task illumination for cutting veggies in the kitchen, lighting adds a host of benefits to the space and creates layers of depth and design,” she notes. While she doesn’t see it as a profit center, “clients are always satisfied with the addition of LED strip lighting – every single time!” She also points out that, while adding functionality and aesthetics, kitchens lit this way photograph better.
Left: These built-in LED strips enhance a kitchen – and how it photographs. (Photo: Jennifer Hutton, Grau Design Studio/Sarah Martin) / Right: These are especially popular with enthusiastic home chefs. (Photo: Wendy Glaister Interiors/Mark Verschelden)
Wendy Glaister prioritizes her goody for her Central California clients with generous budgets – particularly those who love to cook. “The Zip Water is an investment, but for serious cooks looking for a serious kitchen, it makes really good sense.” She points to its sterilization abilities, as well as its sparkling and cold water dispensing, and touts its convenience. While she specifies them – and notes that there are placement factors to carefully consider – she lets her local partners sell them. “In my area, I have family owned retail stores that do an excellent job of staying on top of trends and who provide excellent customer service. I’m more of a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ kind of designer,” Glaister shares. While not taking a profit on these sales, she observes that it’s HUGE (her caps, not mine) for client satisfaction.
A few more…Gage’s kitchen goody is the pot filler. Seattle-based Tristan Gary says: “Pedal faucets in the kitchen for sure!” Jeanne Khoe Chung in Pasadena, CA is doing a lot of architectural metal shelving, rolling ladders and drawer outlets and lighting. Schenectady, NY-based Marianne Clifford says one of her go-to “goodies” is Bocci integrated outlets in full-height stone backsplashes for a seamless look.
Combination Room Goodies
Laura Hildebrandt’s goodies are more artistic than technical or nature-based, though they can certainly be nature inspired! “I always select wallpaper for my clients’ bathrooms. Wallpaper adds interest and texture that you just can’t get with paint. It really is what brings in the wow to bathroom design,” she declares. While she primarily uses it for these private spaces, she’s also used it creatively in other areas of the home, including breakfast nooks, kitchen ceilings and as cabinet liners. Clients love it – especially the initially skeptical ones, she notes – and so does her bottom line, as wallpaper boosts the project’s margins.
Left: Wallpaper adds style and profitability. (Photo: Laura Hildebrandt, Interiors by LH/Christy Kosnic) / Middle: Custom glass tile mosaic map personalizes shower for New York client. (Photo: Jenn Medoff, Dragonfly Designs and Jennifer Jelinek, JJ Interiors/Alex Staniloff) / Right: Any room can be personalized with a client’s art collection. (Photo: Rachel Moriarty, RM Interiors/Deborah Shields)
San Diego area designer Rachel Moriarty’s goody is original art, which shows up in nearly all of her projects. “I love collaborating with local artists to create pieces that feel deeply meaningful to the client and reflective of the overall design narrative.” She says it does add a layer of collaboration to her projects, but it’s one she welcomes. “Because I’m intentional about partnering with artists whose process I trust, it becomes an integrated part of the design flow, not an extra step. In some cases, the artwork even becomes the starting point, with the entire space designed around it.” It supports profitability, but it does more, she says: “Beyond the numbers, it elevates the overall design, positioning my work as artistic, high-end and editorial worthy. It also naturally attracts more clients who are drawn to bold, expressive and creatively styled homes, which is always good for business.” Her clients value having something that no one else has, she observes, especially when entertaining. (NB, knowing Moriarty’s expertise in art, I commissioned her to help position my own collection around my home earlier this year.)
Denver-based interior designer Jenn Medoff also features original artwork as one of her goodies – in her case, using custom glass tile mosaics. “For clients wanting texture, bling and a visual punch, glass mosaics are a go-to recommendation,” she stresses. They can show up in different rooms, but she often chooses them for shower feature walls. “I find that tight spaces present a unique opportunity to incorporate playful, wow moments and I love the drama, whimsy and reflective quality that glass brings.” Her tile artist is Brooklyn-based Allison Eden Studios. “Allison’s patterns and color combinations are endless, so I find that any tone can be set – from glam to playful to refined.” Like any custom detail, she notes, these mosaics do add time and thought to a project, but they also elevate the space and contribute to client satisfaction. “This intangible is the special sauce I always seek to incorporate into the homes I design,” Medoff shares.
Other Goodies
Lisa Adams designs closets and related projects for Los Angeles-area clients. One of the goodies she frequently specifies is a home safe. “For many of our high net worth and celebrity clients, a custom safe – especially one with fire protection for SoCal clients – is an essential part of the conversation,” she says. “While primary closets are the most common location, clients opt to install safes in a wide range of spaces: Hidden behind millwork in home offices, built into bespoke cabinetry in entry foyers, even hidden below the floor beneath furniture. Increasingly, clients are requesting satellite safes in secondary locations throughout the home.” Bespoke solutions that conceal and protect what clients value most adds what Adams calls a “premium layer” to the project scope, both in terms of budget and perceived value. It also generates referrals, she notes.
Left: Top-line safes deliver peace of mind, happy clients and referrals. (Photo: Lisa Adams, LA Closet Design/Meghan Beierle O’Brien) / Right: Smart shades add functionality, accessibility, privacy and energy efficiency. (Photo: Graber)
Technology is definitely a “goody” worth bringing to clients; many now expect and ask for it. Western Wyoming-based smart home integrator Ian Bryant brings tech goodies to client projects with features that enhance functionality, comfort, security and happiness. “Small aperture speakers that match small ceiling downlights” are popular, he says, especially those that have customizable bezels to match other finishes in the space. Video screens on motorized lifts that can be hidden when not in use are a frequent request in and near kitchens. He’s also seeing screens integrated into bathroom mirrors to “provide the convenience of catching up on the news while getting ready,” he notes.
As voice control continues to improve, it’s getting more popular with residential clients, Bryant says. “Now that most voice devices have the ability to integrate with a home control system and also with ChatGPT or other AI, the ability to talk your commands out like you would to a person is even easier. ‘Please turn on the island lights, change the TV channel to CNN and turn the volume up to 50%’ can be said all in one sentence and will happen without a hitch. The kitchen and bath are the two areas where voice control is the most useful and beneficial.” He predicts that artificial intelligence will make voice control even smarter and more user friendly.
Smart lighting and shades are huge too, he adds, “especially since task lighting is so key for both areas. Motorized shades as well that allow for quick and easy privacy or to reduce glare or unwanted heat” are popular.
Last Words
I’m so glad to see designers enhancing their client projects with functionality, luxury, comfort and creativity. And I’m glad to see clients embracing it – especially the features that personalize their rooms. The fact that they elevate the project, profitability and the designers who specify them should inspire all kitchen and bath pros with new ideas.