NEWS! Named 2026 Top Innovator By Kitchen and Bath Design News Magazine!
I’m thrilled to have been named as one of Kitchen and Bath Design News Magazine’s 2026 Top Innovators for my work at the intersection of digital marketing and artificial intelligence within the kitchen and bath industry.
Thank you, KBDN Magazine - it’s such an honor to be alongside all of the other women and men recognized, too, and I am so appreciative.
To see the entire article, please scroll to the link at the bottom of this post.
[ Please note: in the blurb below, it states we are introducing DesignOpsAI at High Point Market, but instead we are launching it virtually, via Zoom webinar, on Monday, November 16th. If you’re a designer reading this, please put that date on your calendar and be looking for another blog post shortly - just about that, with the confirmed time. ]
The truly thrilling part of this for me, though, is to also see Savour Partnership client Lori Carpenter recognized and my very close friend Shea Pumarejo also recognized with this honor along with long time industry friends who are members of my private Facebook community for interior and kitchen and bath designers, Design Wealth.
As the paragraph above about her states, Lori, founder of The 3rd Phase platform, will be partnering with Woodbridge Furniture and Taylor King Furniture at the upcoming High Point Market on The Longevity Home activation, which encompasses 3 separate parts:
1/ The Longevity Home Edit Lookbook consists of furniture items Lori has curated from both manufacturer’s collections that are especially well suited for people in their 50’s and 60’s now who want to invest in quality furniture once, without having to buy again when they’re in their late 80’s and 90’s. The Longevity Home Edit Lookbook will be available in both print and digital editions throughout both showrooms.
2/ The Longevity Home Showroom Tours - On Sunday, Oct. 18th, beginning at 9 am in the Taylor King showroom at 200 Steele on the 3rd floor, Lori will lead a showroom tour of the items she’s curated for The Longevity Home Lookbook and discuss why she chose each item. At 10 am, she’ll move next door to Woodbridge Furniture, where she’ll do the same thing. You are invited to join her in either location — mimosas are on tap at Taylor King!
3/ The Longevity Home Panel - at 3 pm on Monday, Oct. 19th in the Woodbridge showroom, 200 Steele, 3rd floor, Lori will be moderating a panel with her guests, interior designers, Carla Aston, Michelle Blemel, and interior designer and general contractor, Elizabeth Scruggs.
Being introduced by Jane Dagmi, managing director of High Point x Design, this is a panel you won’t want to miss if you’re interested in learning more about the real world experiences of these 3 designers who are designing Longevity Homes for their clients and families, and how they market their services effectively to secure more clients who are in their 3rd Phase of life, and who desire to live vibrantly and beautifully in their own homes, forever.
If you have not yet joined Lori’s free and private Facebook community, which I help her admin, please do it on this link —> https://www.facebook.com/groups/the3rdphase
Lastly, find and subscribe to The 3rd Phase podcast on Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music and listen in as Lori interviews her expert guests every other week about some aspect of home, health or wealth management. You will learn SO MUCH!
Follow Lori on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/loricarpenterdesigns
Lori: congratulations!
When I saw that my very, very good friend, award winning kitchen and bath designer, Shea Pumarejo, was also recognized with this honor, I was so happy!
Shea was the winner of the Best Overall Bath award at KBIS this year [ and the accompanying $55,000.00 that went it! ]- a very thrilling moment I was there to witness along with her friends in San Antonio who came to support her at the awards ceremony.
Shea is also the beta tester for DesignOpsAI, which we are introducing on Monday, November 16th, via a Zoom webinar. More on that in another post.
This recognition as an innovator couldn’t happen to a more deserving person. Congratulations, Shea!
Follow Shea on IG at https://www.instagram.com/studio_pumarejo
There are others recognized with this honor, too, who are long time friends and also members of my private Facebook community for interior and kitchen and bath designers, Design Wealth.
Congratulations, Elle, Rose and Luann!
To all others also recognized that I don’t know yet, I hope we have a chance to meet next year at KBIS, or at another industry event. Congratulations to each of you, too. It’s my honor to be amongst you.
To read the entire article in the beautiful new issue of Kitchen & Bath Design News Magazine, start here on page 28.
To the editors: thank you so much! I am truly grateful.
Leslie Carothers
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