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NKBA Columbia River Chapter News

Please welcome our new 2010 NKBA Columbia River Chapters Officers:

President: Jennifer Crawford
VP Programs: Glenda McAdam
VP Membership: Kirstin Havnaer
VP Professional Development: Chelly Wentworth
VP Technology & Communications: Mike Slaby
VP Academic Relations: Sharon Olsen
VP Government Relations: TBA
Treasurer: Jean Burton
Secretary: Molly Switzer
Chapter Representative: Dorothy Harter
Strategic Planning Chair
Past President: Diane Foreman


Reprinted from Medford Mail Tribune 2-12-10 , HBA Spring Home Show Tabloid

By NKBA Member Tamara Reichenhammer of Reichenshammer Bulding and Design of Ashland, Oregon

Are you dreaming about an “Island”?

Is your Kitchen “outdated”? ...”Tired”? ...Just not “Functioning” like it should?

Is your microwave oven sitting on the counter? –or on a barstool?

Do you have to unplug the blender to use your electric can opener?

Oh My !!

You need a Kitchen Make-Over...it’s time to revive and enliven the hardest working room in your home with freshness, beauty and function!

Decorating options are plentiful at all price points. Lately, we all spend more time enjoying simple pleasures at home instead of taking part in solo leisure activities and eating out. Is your home a nurturing environment that brings relaxation and respite for your busy family and friends?

Or, are your counters cluttered with small appliances that didn’t exist when your kitchen was built? A professional kitchen designer can help you organize and re-vitalize even the smallest space with innovative storage solutions and creative design elements.

A great kitchen is much more than just cabinets so hiring a professional designer to coordinate all the elements of an effective design, including task and ambient lighting, adequate electrical placements, flooring, ceiling treatments (do you still love that plastic fluorescent look?!), counter tops, back splashes and hardware choices will simplify the decision process and save money on costly mistakes

Today semi-custom cabinets, moderately priced, can be ordered in a wide array of wood species with a variety of stains, glazes and new colors with many fashion and speciality finish options such as hand sanded edges or hand-rubbed styles that combine several shades for a unique style.

The current shift to a more casual feel, lighter in coloration indicative of traditional Cottage or Old World themes has been refreshed with colors such as biscotti, Irish creme, taupe, or a pale willow instead of plain white. Another new trend is to create an island in a complementary color to harmonize with furnishings in the kitchen or adjacent family room for design impact. Onlays and carved corner posts or corbels complete and complement any design, but a little goes a long way and adds a touch of personality to your project.

Your kitchen design professional can show you how to incorporate design elements that will add excitement to your project through the use of mullion doors, moldings and a mix of textures to create an enhanced, harmonious environment.

Innovative storage solutions inside the cabinets are another area where professional advice can help utilize every bit of space available. A “ zone” design strategy using pull out and roll out units, specialized drawer inserts and full extension drawer glides brings increased utility and ease for every kitchen task, be it storage, preparation, serving or clean up.

The myriad of product choices in today’s marketplace can be confusing, but working with your ideas, an NKBA trained kitchen design professional can make the planning process enjoyable and enable your dream kitchen make-over to become a showcase for you and your culinary creations.

Written by Tamara Reichenshammer, Chief Designer
Reichenshammer Bldg. & Design, Inc., 21 N. Main St. Ashland, OR 97520
541-482-1212 by appointment

Note: At my seminar on kitchen design at the Spring Home Show one woman raised her hand and asked if her husband could do the installation. I said, he could if he had several years of finish carpentry experience. Then I asked if he had a pair of scissors. She replied that he did. I asked if she would allow him to give her a haircut with his scissors–she gasped and said “Absolutely not!”. Some things are best left to a professional.


Legislative News

National Association of Homebuilders Joins Opposition To Interior Design Licensing

At its annual Board of Directors Meeting in Chicago, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) voted to assist in opposing efforts by the interior design lobby to enact restrictive interior design licensing throughout the country.

By a unanimous vote, the Board accepted the recommendations of ten other NAHB councils and committees to assist their state chapters in opposing interior design licensing. In issuing its recommendation, the Association voted to "support and assist state and local home builders associations in their efforts to oppose legislation that restricts the ability of NAHB members to practice interior design in the normal pursuit of their residential construction and remodeling business".

The passage of the recommendation by the full Board is the culmination of many discussions and a presentation before the NAHB Remodelers Council last May by Edward S. Nagorsky, the General Counsel and Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Kitchen & Bath Association. While the NAHB expressed its support and recognition of the value of special titles, professional designations and certification, it stated that did not support legislation that would limit, prohibit or restrict the practice of interior design by individuals who were not certified or licensed as interior designers. "Interior Designer title and practice acts do not provide a necessary form of consumer protection." NAHB further found that interior design regulation was not necessary to protect the health and safety of the public, and that the passage of such laws would increase the cost of construction and make housing and remodeling less affordable.

"We are thrilled that NAHB has recognized the need to join the ever-growing numbers of trade organizations and public interest groups that are opposing the anti-competitive efforts of the American Society of Interior Designers, the International Interior Design Association and their supported coalitions to enact laws which would only serve to benefit the economic self-interest of the few designers who would qualify for licensing." Nagorsky said. "There are now well over 30 groups that are working at the state and national level to oppose these restrictive design laws which add nothing to the protection of the public."


NKBA COLUMBIA RIVER CHAPTER STRATEGIC PLAN 2009
Board team effort at the San Diego officers’ training session

GOAL 1: KNOWLEDGE SOURCE: There will be a higher level of education and professionalism in the industry worldwide. NKBA members will be the most highly skilled and recognized for their expertise.

Strategic Objectives for knowledge source:

  • Study Group: Continue bi-monthly study group meetings in preparation for the September exam. We will publically recognize those who have received their certifications. Have those who passed recently become the mentors for those in the next study group. Invite to orientation meeting. Actively recruit people to apply for the study group.
  • Expand our education program to benefit other segments and industry partners.
  • Mentoring: Yearly mentoring programs to get more people involved in the chapter, i.e. committees, board, etc.
  • Focus on student awareness in our organization and prepare them for careers in our industry.
  • Every chapter meeting we will have both membership forms and literature for attendees so they can continue to acquaint themselves with NKBA opportunities.

GOAL 2: CONSUMER AWARENESS: There will be greater awareness and preference for products and professional services from NKBA members worldwide.

Strategic Objectives for consumer awareness:

  • Advertising: Through advertising and PR, find ways to promote the value and benefit of the NKBA and the strength and purpose of our education.
  • Educating our members on why they should use the NKBA logo and appellations to increase brand awareness and educate consumers by working on creating seminars and participating in community events.

GOAL 3: MEMBERSHIP: The kitchen and bath industry worldwide will find NKBA membership and involvement in the association essential to their professional success.

Strategic Objectives for membership:

  • Our plan was to increase membership by 10%, which we succeeded in doing so and retention of current members remained high. Our goal this year is to continue that trend and use the web site to increase the perceived value to every member segment with an opportunity to promote their products and services.
  • Profile members on our chapter web site and/or through our newsletter.
  • Benefit our members by providing professional and job resources such as portfolio resumes and revues through our web site, newsletter and workshops.
  • Determine methods to obtain information and feedback from membership to improve value and service for our members.

GOAL 4: ADVOCACY: Public policy and legislation affecting the kitchen and bath industry will be positively influenced through the NKBA leadership role in monitoring and affecting industry issues.

Strategic Objectives for advocacy:

  • Stay informed with all local design organizations and their stance on legislation.
  • Remain in contact with National’s program for legislation.
  • Find positive ways to promote our position on legislation to design communities, consumers and the industry.
  • Educate our membership of the importance of responding to the grass roots when needed in dealing with legislative affairs.

GOAL 5: INFORMATION SOURCE & RESOURCE: The NKBA will be the information source and resource for the industry worldwide.

Strategic Objectives for Information Source & Resource:

  • Redesign and simplify our local web site and utilize the national newsletter to keep members and consumers informed.
  • Look at other electronics means and social networks to promote our chapter and members.
  • Interact with other residential design groups and industry trade organizations in order to promote NKBA as a major information source and resource.

GOAL 6: K/BIS: The NKBA will continue to develop a higher level of awareness and continued enhancement of international exhibitions, education and networking opportunities for the kitchen and bath industry.

Strategic Objectives for K/BIS:

  • Continue to make a concerted effort to encourage member and student participation in K/BIS. Continually discuss how we can help members attend.

This report submitted by Judith Adams, Chair of Long Range Planning 2009


Local News


National News

Lawful Enterprise

The NKBA speaks out against interior design legislation

By Edward S. Nagorsky

June 01, 2008 - Over the last few years, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) has been at the forefront of protecting the rights of its members and the public against a small segment of the interior design industry. This segment seeks to limit the practice of design to only those it deems worthy and competent through a combination of education (at its selected programs and schools) and qualification (via an exam that it has developed and marketed).

The largest professional association for interior designers, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has made it very clear that it intends to be the sole gateway to the entire design profession and that without passing its supported exam, the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ), one is not able to safely and effectively furnish design services. Over the past 30 years, ASID has undertaken a campaign to convince its members of a desperate need for interior design licensing to "protect the public" from those designers who are deemed unqualified because they have not met standards arbitrarily set by the organization. ASlD has spent, by some estimates, more than $5 million in trying to push through legislation that would prohibit or severely limit the ability of non-members to continue practicing interior design. Read the full article...

CALENDAR

Columbia River Chapter of NKBA

Mar 18, 2010 meeting

Topic: Precision Countertops Showroom Tour

Date: March 18
5:30 - 8:00 PM

Location: Precision Countertops
26200 SW 95th Avenue
Wilsonville, OR
(503) 692-6660

MAP IT

Registration Deadline March 15

Click here for more information.


COMPLETE CALENDAR


Minutes from last Board Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes available to Chapter Members upon request


Student News Page
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Current Design Contests

Interested in entering your work in a Design Competition? We strive to keep up to date on all local and national competitions. For more information CLICK HERE

“You don’t have to be great to get started, but you do have to get started to be great.” (Debbie Mrazek, the-sales-company.com)



Earn CEUs on the Internet

The NKBA is pleased to announce that we are inaugurating web-based seminars, or webinars, this October. These one hour sessions, led by experienced NKBA instructors and other industry leaders, will cover a wide array of materials. Subjects include Professional Resource Library materials, such as "Venting Kitchens and Baths," to business topics like "To Fee or Not to Fee," as well as sales skills topics like "Selling the Upgrade."

Not only will these webinars provide our members with an excellent and convenient opportunity to hear and discuss an assortment of topics, but they are also a great way to earn NKBA CEUs. Each webinar will be worth .1 CEU. To participate, you will need high speed Internet access and a telephone.

Both Mac and Windows formats are supported. Please refer to our web site at www.nkba.org for additional information, including seminar topics, dates and times. These offerings will be updated on a continual basis. You can enroll in these webinars via our web site or by calling NKBA Customer Service at (800) THE-NKBA.

Click for web site


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