Working Together in the Kitchen

Apple, pumpkin, squash, pecan, mince meat, shepard’s ... which is your personal favorite? Recently we had the chance to really get to know the favorite flavors – and secret recipes – of our many co-workers here at Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing Supply.

Our annual Employee Appreciation Event was held in the large and well-outfitted cooking demonstration side of the Eurostoves showroom in Beverly. Eurostoves not only sells gorgeous cooking ranges (and more), they also host culinary classes to teach the art of fine cooking while offering team building opportunities in a fun and creative environment.

We were split up into a number of groups and then set up at different work stations, with each table filled with an abundance of fresh ingredients and the latest cooking gadgets. Fortunately each of our groups had a Eurostove chef on hand to share proper techniques along with flavor combination strategies. Our job was to create a complete menu of choices, ranging from soup to salad to main courses to desserts.

We learned some new recipes ...

And we also discovered that some of us can be quite competitive in the kitchen. The underdog meal (as in no one wanted to come up with a vegetarian dish) ended up taking first place for its presentation and flavorful combinations. Just goes to show how a creative challenge plus good old fashioned teamwork can win in the end! 

Having plenty of room to dice and slice along with having access to some of the best offerings in kitchen equipment today, certainly inspired our culinary success, as did sharing the work with one another. Every role was important, from potato peeling to sauce simmering to plate garnishing.

The Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing Supply team at Eurostoves

A special thank you goes to Dornbracht who sponsored our evening out at Eurostoves, and to the staff there who made it all look so easy. And fun. And delicious. We highly recommend their cooking classes, whether for a large group, a couples dinner, or kids party. Check out their class offerings (and menus) here.

Eurostoves also has an extensive selection of cooking tools and hostess gifts (perfect for the upcoming holiday season!)

However you choose to celebrate your Thanksgiving/Hannukah meal, whether cooking in or dining out, we hope you enjoy your time spent surrounded by family and friends. 

Designers Shine at Designer Bath

Succulent arrangement created by Laura Thomson

Last month we hosted our first “Designers Shine with Designer Bath” award party in our Beverly showroom. Designers were invited to submit photos of projects that they had completed using items from our showroom for review by a panel of judges, with the winning space to be photographed by Michael J. Lee Photography for one of our upcoming ads in Design New England Magazine. This was our first time running this contest, and we were pleased to receive photos of almost two dozen gorgeous spaces! Each space had unique qualities, but only one could be chosen. Leading up to the evenings announcement of the contest winner, submitting designers and invited guests mingled with our showroom staff plus representatives from a number of the quality lines represented in our 4,500 square foot showroom.    

Designer Bath President Ralph Sevinor with wife Debra

Jennifer Frost of Chive Events with designer Nancy Faye Glass

A delicious array of food was prepared and served by the charming women of Chive Events, who happen to be located right around the corner from us. Our menu had a tangerine tango theme to coordinate with the vibrant orange in our Designer Bath logo. A signature cocktail, the Tangerine Mint Spritzer, was a big hit with our full house of guests. A ginger peach cheesecake bite, offered for dessert, was indescribably delicious. Local craft brews, sustainably produced wines and fresh brewed ice tea were offered along with carbonated beverages from our Everpure Exubera sparkling water dispenser.

Ginger peach cheesecake bites from Chive Events

Julia Frost pouring Tangerine Mint Spritzers.

Designers Katherine Hawkins and Rosanne Palazola

with real estate agent Tina McManus of Bean Group

and Stacy Carpenter of Meadowview Construction.

Along with dramatic table centerpieces by Chive Events, the rest of the showroom was dressed with ocean-inspired flower arrangements and grass filled urns created by Laura Thomson Designs. 

Orchid filled cylinders topped with driftwood

by Laura Thomson Design

Designers Lynda Onthank and Sally Wilson

with showroom consultant Dale Gusman.

We enjoyed having many talented designers in attendance who have put together bath and kitchen design projects with the help of our expert showroom consultants. Seeing their photos of finished spaces is always so rewarding after a project, which can take quite awhile from pencil sketches to finishing touches, is finally considered compete. 

Design New England Magazines were available for all guests to take home and enjoy. The winning space of our design contest will be unveiled very soon in their September/October issue which will feature home renovations. This will be a great issue for our winning designer to be seen in ...

Winning designer Ian Mentasti of

Stephen Terhune Woodworking

Above is a sneak peek of the winning space. This master bath was designed by Ian Mentasti of Stephen Terhune Woodworking, a division of the design/build firm Carpenter & MacNeille. The custom detail of the submitted space really spoke to our judges when searching for one image that could represent the Designer Bath experience.

Designer Kristina Crestin of KC Studios with

showroom consultant Mindy Sevinor.

We will be sharing snapshots of the other entries in our first award contest in future posts on this blog. All of the spaces – from colorful kitchens to charming powder rooms – were great examples of what is possible when partnering with Designer Bath/Salem Plumbing Supply.  

Colleen Bertolino of Wenham Museum

with interior designer Lori Scholz.

From our showroom: consultants Michelle Ritchie,

Beezee Honan and Sharon Hunt 

Altmans representative Luis Ramirez with

Designer Bath Vice President Jason Sevinor

Of course no party is complete without a swag bag of goodies. Each of our guests received some of our favorite Designer Bath takeaways, along with information on new products being offered in our showroom. And everyone left with a Designer Bath spa robe of their very own, which put a smile on a lot of faces!

Submitting designers also received a small gift wrapped in a

make-up removing washcloth from Turkish Towel Company.

We would like to thank Bain Ultra, Dornbracht and Maax for sponsoring this special showroom event. If you are an interior designer, we invite you to consider Designer Bath as a resource for your next bath or kitchen design project. Check out our Shine page on our website for future designer related announcements, plus entry information for next years “Designers Shine with Designer Bath” contest. To see more photos from this years event, visit us on facebook.

In the showroom with Mindy

Mindy Sevinor-Feinberg

Mindy’s grandfather, William Sevinor, opened the doors to Salem Plumbing Supply over 65 years ago. Today, she is an important member of the Designer Bath showroom consulting team (although she certainly grew up “in the business” with dad, Ralph, at the helm since she was a little one).

For the past few years, Mindy has applied her former skills as an elementary school teacher (she is extremely organized and explains complicated subject matter with ease) to help her customers make design decisions. I decided it was time to give Mindy a pop quiz ...

photo courtesy: Fairmont Designs

Shaker Style Open Shelf Vanity in Polar White

What are customers looking for today?

Customers seem to be asking for more transitional products in terms of style. I believe I am selling more vanities lately and customers often care for a furniture style look over the cabinet look. I think a great example of this is the Fairmont Designs Shaker Style Open Shelf Vanity.

The Hansa Cuisine Sink Mixer with ECO Control Cartridge

What are some brands that customers are taking home from the showroom lately?


IN THE KITCHEN: 

For kitchen faucets people seem to really appreciate the eco-feature that Hansa offers with the ECO Control Cartridge.

 Altmans on display at Designer Bath

FOR THE BATH: Altmans. Even though we have only had them for a short time, it appears there is something for everyone.

One of Mindy’s favorites from our showroom:

Bordeaux Vanity Marble Console from Stone Forest

What are some of your showroom favorites?

Bourdeaux Vanity Console by Stone Forest. I love the classic look that will never go out of style, plus it offers a large bowl that gives you plenty of function. People love it!

MTI also is picking up steam in terms of many great free standing tub styles and beautiful shower bases.

photo courtesy: Dornbracht

IMO Shower series

Dornbracht’s IMO shower series is really sleek looking, too.

photo courtesy: Robern

What is one of your favorite new items in the showroom and what do you like about it?


The Robern wall mount. I love that this is a great modern way to offer storage, it provides a receptacle plug, and the unit can be recessed. Aren’t we always looking for more storage? I have one in my home and I love it. It even comes with an optional 7" diameter magnifying mirror that can be attached to the inside of the door, which is very handy when applying make-up and for personal grooming.   

Julien Classic Collection Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink

The other item I love is the Julien kitchen sink with the offset drain. Customers love that it offers a larger work surface area with the right adjusted drain while offering more storage underneath the sink as your p trap/disposal is out of the way.

How do you help customers make decisions when there is so much to choose from?

I try to simplify the process as much as possible by breaking it down by room and stages for lack of a better word  (i.e. items that take up the most square footage – tubs, vanities, etc. first – fixtures after I get an idea for style and budget). I use my knowledge to guide them, keep the process simple and efficient, and help them to make the best decisions that suit their needs. Even though there are tons of choices, if we break it down to a tub, vanity, faucet, etc. it’s easy to lead them in the right direction after listening to their needs and desires.

How do you help customers work within a budget?

I try to provide a good, better, best option in terms of pricing. I also give them information as to why one product may be more then another and what benefits they would get. Typically there is a reason why one product is more expensive then another beyond design. By giving them the benefits it helps them to decide if that is value added. 

What do you like most about your position?

Working with wonderful clients that share a piece of their lives with us, as well as having the opportunity to work with my family (dad Ralph, brother Jason, and aunt Dale).

Mindy, Lyla and Jared 

When not in the showroom, Mindy enjoys time with her husband, Jared, and their young daughter, Lyla. She loves to travel and volunteers internationally. Mindy is a fan of online decorating resource sites Houzz and Pinterest. Stop by and say hello to her the next time you visit Designer Bath, or set up an appointment to go over the details of your next project.