For nearly three decades, my work has centered on kitchens, baths and whole-home remodeling. It is a niche I love that is technical, detailed, wellness-driven and foundational to how people live. But over the last few years, I have felt a pull to broaden my practice in a meaningful way. Clients are asking for more than hard surfaces and construction details; they want the furnishings, textiles, lighting, rugs, art and accessories that complete the home. This year’s High Point Market – my third – felt different. I was not attending as a curious observer but as a designer intentionally expanding my services.
High Point = A Turning Point
Two years ago, I lost a project I was fully qualified to lead. It was new construction, a second home and 90% in my wheelhouse. The deciding factor was furnishings. I addressed them too lightly in the scope and fees, and another designer focused on furnishings won the project. It was a hard lesson and a clarifying one. If I wanted to serve clients holistically, my offerings needed to reflect the full experience of living in a space.
Expanding With Intention
I am not making an overnight leap into full-home furnishing. I am expanding deliberately by beginning in and around the rooms I already know intimately. I am layering in tables, seating, cushions and pillows, rugs, blinds, accessories and the soft goods that elevate the spaces in which I have long specialized. It feels a little like going back to school, except I am bringing 28 years of business systems, technical knowledge, client trust and industry experience with me.
One of my favorite purchases this year was a glass and metal table from Charleston Forge. When it shipped from North Carolina, I suddenly needed to navigate receivers, freight logistics and white-glove delivery. This is an entirely different workflow from cabinetry arriving directly to a residence. I leaned on colleagues through the Northwest Society of Interior Designers, the only regional trade association in the Pacific Northwest, where I will be serving as president next year. They offered immediate guidance and connected me with a trusted local receiver. The value of a broad, engaged network was unmistakable.
What I Saw at High Point Market: The Rise of Neuroaesthetics
The theme running through High Point this year was neuroaesthetics, the study of how our environments influence emotional and cognitive well-being. It is a natural evolution of the wellness design principles I teach, including biophilia, universal design, sustainability, environmental health, air and water quality and WELL Building methodologies.
I attended an all-day workshop on the neuroscience of design, and it reinforced what many of us in kitchen and bath already practice instinctively: We are designing for the human nervous system, not just the visual composition.
Roberta Schilling Collection. Photo: Paula Kennedy
One standout showroom piece captured this beautifully. It was a sculptural art installation designed to double as acoustic treatment (above). I shared it online with a sentiment that feels true to where our industry is heading: Art doubles as function for wellness in the comfort of our spaces.
Design Trends Supporting the Shift
Charleston Forge. Photo: Paula Kennedy
Across Market, several themes aligned with this wellness-focused direction:
• Organic shapes and soft geometry
• Mixed materials such as glass, metal, stone and warm woods
• Performance fabrics and durable textiles
• Natural textures with biophilic influence
• Pieces that blend sensory comfort with aesthetics
These were not just trends. They were reflections of how people want to feel in their homes.
Looking Ahead
Kitchen and bath will always be the center of my professional world. NKBA and KBIS are my anchors, the association and show that shaped my entire career. High Point Market is a natural extension that allows me to complete the spaces I design with depth and intention.
This year’s HPMKT did not just expand my product knowledge. It deepened my commitment to designing homes that support wellness, comfort and creative expression. After 28 years, this evolution feels less like a reinvention and more like a homecoming, arriving at a fuller, more holistic version of the work I have always loved.
—Paula Kennedy, CMKBD, CLIPP, CACC is the founder of Timeless Kitchen Design, located in the greater Seattle area
