Chelsie Butler

The demand for luxury in interiors has moved beyond aspiration — it is now a client expectation across a wide range of budgets. From dramatic natural stone feature walls and book-matched marble countertops to dimensional tile, specialty porcelains, intricate mosaics, custom cabinetry, statement hardware, technology, custom storage, and highly personalized details, today’s clients are asking for spaces that feel distinctive, elevated, and emotionally connected to the way they live.

Moderated by award-winning Beverly Hills, CA-based designer Christopher Grubb, this dynamic panel brings together acclaimed Pasadena, CA-based designer Jeanne Chung, Ft. Lauderdale, FL-based designer Alena Capra, and Chelsie Butler, Executive Editor of Kitchen & Bath Business Magazine, for a coast-to-coast conversation on what defines luxury now and what clients are requesting in today’s interiors, and what’s emerging next.

Drawing from their design practices and national editorial perspective, the panel will explore the materials, finishes, surfaces, textures, patterns, and details shaping kitchens, baths, and interiors across the country. The discussion will focus on how these elements are being specified, combined, and customized to create spaces that feel distinctive, current, and luxurious.

This panel offers a unique opportunity to hear what is being used in active luxury design projects as well as what is being seen nationally from an editorial point of view. Jeanne and Alena will discuss how they use surfaces, textures, patterns, finishes, storage, lighting, technology, and custom detailing to create impact, whether working on a modest remodel or a high-end residence, while Chelsie will share the materials, products, and design directions she is seeing across the kitchen and bath industry. The panel will also address where to splurge, where to save, and how thoughtful material selections can stretch a budget without sacrificing the feeling of luxury.

Attendees will leave with fresh insight into today’s luxury client, practical ideas for specifying materials and details with confidence, and new ways to deliver an elevated, memorable design experience at multiple price points.

Hosted by Chelsie Butler, Executive Editor of KBB Magazine, this episode captures the energy of the NEXTStage as she sits down with the inaugural winners of KBIS Innovation Hour, debuting in 2026. Fresh off a fast-paced, live presentation judged entirely by real-time audience voting, the winning brands recognized as Most Innovative, Most Unexpected, and I’d Spec This Tomorrow, dig into the thinking behind their ideas and why their innovations struck a chord with the audience at the NEXTStage. More than a recap, the conversation brings the stage moment to life, offering deeper context around the real-world usefulness that made these ideas stand out.