Ask an expert

We discuss the wonderful world of exciting glass with DecoGlaze’s Katie Weir

1. What have been the main challenges facing the kitchen and bathroom industry up until now?
A lack of cash due to the Global Financial Crisis and interest rate rises has made commitment to purchase slow. This has changed in the last three to four months and customers are now eager to purchase by way of kitchen and bathroom renovations.

2. What do you think the future holds for the industry?
DecoGlaze has seen a huge increase in glass cladding in other areas of the homes, especially full bathroom walls in glass. Our trade base is kitchen, bathroom and joinery companies, and we have also seen a change in their business set-up, where they are now contracted to do whole joinery packages in homes, not just the kitchens. This allows us to work in with the client and use coloured glass as vanity tops or glass on custom joinery to suit the rest of the house surroundings. Glass splashbacks are quickly becoming the must-have thing for the modern-style décor of homes.

3. What is your favourite part of the industry — what do you enjoy about the job you have?
My favourite part is the feedback we receive when jobs have been completed and the customer rings or writes with thanks, enthusiasm for the glass/ mirrors/ impressions products and the satisfaction of the beauty now created in their home. I enjoy the satisfaction of my job by being able to guide and help my customers with their choices.

4. How influential do you think overseas trends are?
European trends meld into Australian wants and are a highly valued motivator for Australian kitchen and bathroom designers.

I see our designers flock to Milan bi-yearly to attend Eurocucina for new trends, ideas, materials and colours to be used in their designs.

DecoGlaze now has glass trends from last year’s show, which you can view on our website: www.decoglaze.com.

5. What do you think the next 12 months hold in terms of emerging trends?
For DecoGlaze, I believe coloured glass bathroom panels will be given more consideration in bathroom renovations, as they are easy to clean and look spectacular, plus they can be done in any colour.

The use of coloured glass as drawer fronts, as well as glass benchtops on kitchens and media units are also upcoming trends.

DecoGlaze has also introduced our “Impressions Series”, which gives customers a choice of featuring any print or photograph onto their glass — be it on a kitchen splashback, entry wall panels, virtually anywhere in their home where they want to make a feature.

6. What does the future hold for Katie Weir?
This week I leave for the USA and will check out American trends for kitchens and bathrooms. Long-term plans include continuing to grow our sales department and perhaps one day owning my own DecoGlaze Franchise in the USA.

7. Any final thoughts?
Working at DecoGlaze in this industry is exciting and rewarding; it helps to work with a forever innovative product.

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