Virtual Design Studio at KBIS 2013 @ NOLA
Articulated Design Studio’s founder Corey Klassen presenting at the KBIS 2013 Designer Studios in New Orleans, LA
Online Interior Design, the beginnings
updated by Andrew Luketic Mar 14, 2024
What we will cover:
NKBA, The difference between then (2013) and now
The Start of an online interior design Industry
The NKBA and KBIS 2024, a celebrations of 60 years
New Orleans KBIS 2013
QueX Connex, Then and now
Our Design Studio, then and now
What other technologies help us innovate?
Links to interviews.
NKBA; The difference between then (2013) and now.
As Studio Director at Articulated I find hidden gems like this blog from our CKID archives, showing you how we have been captivated by online design from the start. Our founding designer’s blog shows them beta testing the technology at the beginnings of the virtual interior design industry. QueX ( now QueX Connex ) launched their industry leading technology at KBIS 2013 and invited 8 leading interior designer bloggers (including our Creative Director) to present their first virtual online design project and to speak about their experience to an audience of interior designers from across North America. Keep in mind this is before virtually meetings were ever launched by the icons of the technological transformations of Zoom and Google Meet, and provided one of the first ways for designers to “virtually” meet their clients online.
Each of the 8 panelists presented on the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show’s KBIS 2013 Designer Studios stage in the New Orleans Convention Centre. This group of interior designers were some of the first designers to use this type of technology for their practice. This was way before online elements and apps like Pintrest and Tiktok further distrupted the traditional interior design landscape. Now-a-days there are many interior designers working virtually and online as it can enable a variety of types of services.
The start of an online interior design Industry
As I mentioned, Our Vancouver based Creative Director was on a panel of 8 Interior Designers from across United States and Canada. They were Andie Day, Carmen Christensen, Cheryl Kees Clendenon, Lori Gilder, Meredith Heron, Susan Serra and Tyler Wisler. Each were interior designer bloggers with a unique viewpoint to test out this expansion of the interior design industry. The foundations for how our design studio works to this day were built in this small “incubator group” in 2013. We continue to strive to harness digital innovations to simplify the design journeys of our clients and designers.
It sets a standard for our full service interior design capabilities with clients, by providing a hybrid online component to their in-person experience with us. As Lori Gilder pointed out in her observations back then it “allows everyone involved to get a full overview of all aspects of the design process, at the same time enhancing the communication between the client and the design team as a whole.” Our founder has continued to embrace this way of working ever since, and has been interviewed upon the topic of online or virtual design by both the Globe & Mail and Chatelaine Magazine. In an effort to make this blog article from 2013 evergreen I will connect with resources, other blogs, and instagram posts from this time period, to provide context to this emergence of online interior design.
*The Blogger details are a bit of a bonus, as some of these 8 designers would later travel on different Blog Tours together. A bit of our history goes back to when Corey was known to occasionally travel with an international crew of interior designer bloggers. Traveling to London for Design & Fashion Week ( #blogtourldn ) or to the Brizo Factory in Tennessee ( #blogger19 ), to see the very latest technology for home design. It all started in the early years of our studio’s founding as Corey Klassen Interior Design (CKID) … way before our rebrand in 2020 to Articulated Design Studio.
The NKBA and KBIS 2024, a celebration of 60 years
This event at the New Orleans Convention Centre was part of a period of massive growth for the online design industry and the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) which has chapters across both Canada and the United States. At the time the association was celebrating its 50th anniversary, now a decade later it is celebrating 60 years. The voices from the industry speaker series (which Corey just spoke at in KBIS 2024 in Las Vegas) was launched at KBIS 2013, along with new educational programs spanning a wide range of industry-relevant subjects like “Integrating Universal Design in the Kitchen”, “Google AdWords – An Introduction to Search Marketing,” and “Seeing as We Age: Lighting and Aging in Place”
This decade of growth could only have happened when you have innovative partners that can inspire new ideas and contribute to the educational programs of an organisation like the NKBA. Participating in this panel of designers testing out new technology is only one of the ways the NKBA has provided opportunities for our founder. Over the years Corey has contributed at the local level with the British Columbia NKBA Chapter by inaugurating their awards competition now called the DEA Awards and chairing it for its first 3 years. The educational programs and publications of the NKBA have also been an opportunity Corey to learn, expand their abilities and contribute back to the association in a variety of ways. One of those earned industry recognition as an Design Innovator of 2022
Then: KBIS 2013, April 19-20, New Orleans Convention Centre
The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), held annually, has been working hard to bring new and exciting innovations to the kitchen and bath industry. This year the show travels to New Orleans, LA USA, but that's not all! This year Corey has been invited to participate in the Design Studio Powered by QueX where he will design a loft living space for the millennial generation presented in large format.
"I am so extremely excited to be apart of the Design Studio Powered by QueX at KBIS in New Orleans." said Corey "I have been involved locally at the chapter level with the NKBA for a few years, teach in the locally NKBA accredited college, and have been studying hard to take my Certified Kitchen Designer and Certified Bath Designer exams this year. I believe in the power of the NKBA and with its mission to enhance member success world-wide this adventure makes no exception!"
QueX Connex, Then and now
More about the Design Studio Powered by QueX:
The booth (#3352) will feature eight designers who will use the latest interactive display technology to create state-of-the-art presentations for kitchens, baths or outdoor while representing a specific purchasing demographic – Millennial, GenX or Baby Boomer.
Through large electronic multi-touch display walls, virtual and augmented reality and 3D technology, QueX will connect physical and virtual channels to create a new level of product engagement that improves the customer buying experience.
The designers presenting kitchen design are:Susan Serra and Lori Gilder.
The designers presenting bath design are: Cheryl Klees Clenendon and Andie Day.
The designers presenting outdoor design are: Carmen Christensen and Tyler Wisler.
The designers presenting the loft living space are: Meredith Heron and Corey Klassen.
In addition to the Design Studios, Corey will be on the judging panel for the Best of KBIS 2013, speaking in the Tech Lounge at the NKBA booth, participating in corporate training and connecting with Canadian Chapters and members world-wide.
KBIS Archives show Susan Presenting her Kitchen Design
KBIS Design Studios, Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (New Orleans LA)
Designer experts include Corey Klassen plus Andie Day, Carmen Christensen, Cheryl Kees Clendenon, Lori Gilder, Meredith Heron, Susan Serra and Tyler Wisler. Sponsored by QuEX
KBIS Tech Bar, Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (New Orleans LA)
kbis2013
Our Design Studio, then (2013) and now
The foundations for how our design studio works to this day use digital innovation to simplify the design journeys of our clients and designers. Now a days we utilise Canadian Tech. from Ottawa, ON called My Doma Studio. They provide our online client portal with its smart device app for android and iOS, and we are proud to be one of their early beta testers. They are the only provider currently with an app that integrates an interior designer’s communications with their clients all in one place.
This sets a standard for our full service interior design capabilities with clients, by providing a hybrid online component to their in-person experience with us. As Lori Gilder pointed out in her observations back then it “allows everyone involved to get a full overview of all aspects of the design process, at the same time enhancing the communication between the client and the design team as a whole.” Digital technology is now used to not only draft and draw images, it can improve the communication efficiency between a designer and their clients to manage their project details.
So not only did this type of innovation develop a new type service. Remote delivery allowed us to provide Online Interior Design Service to an expanded group of people. For clients it helped us improve and expand not only our Full Service Interior Design capabilities, we were now able to work in different regions and improve the efficiency of a design project. As logistics and fulfilment networks modernised over the next decade we were able to expand the types of custom made to order products we could sell our clients. This is how we can work with clients across the country from:
Full home renovations in York, Ontario,
Commercial renovation code compliance consultation in Merrit BC,
Luxury small condo interior design in Coal Harbour,
To decorating a new build house in Calgary Alberta
All from the Lower Mainland of British Columbia from our Vancouver Base, working remotely most of the time and traveling to in person meetings across our service region.
What other digital technologies do you use to innovate?
Beyond drafting digitally and an online client portal, now with its own smart device app for both clients and designers there are also other technologies that we utilise in our design studio that you might not expect. One of those is lidar digital camera, specifically from Matterport who has been an industry leader in this technology. Not only can you capture a space to virtually showcase a real estate property. You can use their quality cameras to capture what the industry calls the “as built” details of a project site and use the virtual models to communicate with the various professionals of a construction project in an integrated Design approach.