“The process of designing a kitchen or bath can be overwhelming,” Brower said. “We hope to demystify the process. We want to make it fun and less complicated.”
The dip in the housing market has prompted many homeowners to decide to stay put rather than try to tell their homes in an unsettled market. And a healthy proportion of those homeowners are deciding to renovate their homes to make their kitchens and bathrooms more attractive and functional, Brower said. In addition, the popularity and proliferation of home-improvement shows on cable television have helped to spark heightened interest in home improvements, he said.
National projections for home remodeling appear to support Brower’s observations. Home improvement spending is expected to trend up in the latter part of 2012, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity released in January by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
“We’re beginning to see some hopeful signs in the economy, and the housing market is finally starting its slow recovery,” Eric Belsky, the center’s managing director, said in January. “That should prove helpful for home improvement spending as the year progresses.”
Lifestyle Kitchen Designs will start with five employees, but will likely add to that number later this year, Brower said. The company intends to use the design of the new Cross Pointe showroom as a prototype of sorts for future locations, and the showroom’s working kitchen will be used for classes, visiting celebrity chefs and community events, Brower said.
For more information about Lifestyle Kitchen Designs, call Nisbet Brower at (937) 866-3611.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or mfisher@DaytonDaily News.com.
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