November 2007
DEBORAH WOWS DESIGNERS AT NEW ORLEANS LAUNCH
A new business concept for interior design professionals was unveiled recently when leading USA kitchen designer Deborah Oertle presented a talk for members of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) held at Absolute Appliance in Metairie, near New Orleans.
The concept is aimed at “giving back to designers the kudos and the rewards they deserve”, explained Deborah, who is co-owner of Deborah James Coastal Kitchens, launched earlier this year from her studio in Mandeville, near New Orleans, specifically for interior design professionals.
Under the business concept, interior design professionals retain a significant proportion of the profit from every kitchen design project, while also benefiting from a complete high-end design, specification, and order-processing facility.
Deborah’s business model is previously unheard of within the kitchen design industry, and stems from several years’ experience within the industry, including almost a decade as the owner of Rutt of Chicago, which was at that time one of the most prestigious companies in the industry and of which the Chicago showroom was the flagship.
“I have long felt that designers receive little praise and even less reward for their efforts,” explained Deborah. “I have been toying with this concept for years and was unable to make progress with it until I met my now life- and business-partner Stephen James Smith, who helped me to develop it into a viable business model.”
The resultant business launched its first five high-end design themes as the Deborah James Coastal Collection in the summer and already has established a presence throughout the USA coastal states, with the appointment of representatives in those states as well as around the Chicago area.
“The design themes enable end-users along with their interior design professionals to select their own “look” and finishes of their kitchen design within each theme, while also streamlining the specification and order-processing procedures. The whole kitchen concept can then be designed as a single entity taking into consideration practicality and aesthetics,” Deborah explained.
“Interior designers thus retain full control and management of the project, while at the same time they are rewarded with a significant proportion of the profit.”
Michelle Verdigets, recent past-president of the South Central chapter of ASID, and owner of MVM Interiors in Metairie, was overjoyed with the new design partnership concept: “This is fantastic, we have never heard of anything like this before and makes our job as interior design professionals so much easier and much more effective for the end-user.”
Anna Spangenberg, owner of Absolute Appliance in Metairie, where the presentation was hosted, was equally impressed with the new concept: “Although we provide appliances-only, this concept is a breath of fresh air to the industry and deserves every success.”
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