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A Note From Jason

Thank you to John Weinstein (Franz Viegener), Sarah Trumbore (Designer), Julie Suratt (Boston Home and Boston Weddings), Lisa Pacheco Robb (Architect), and Alina Wolhardt (Designer) for being part of our wonderful “Find Your Summer Escape” event with Boston Home last week.

Hi everyone,

On the heels of celebrating another wonderful Mother’s Day and an exciting event last week at our Watertown Showroom with Boston Home Magazine for Boston Design Week, I’m feeling grateful for our family, the amazing team we have, and the wonderful clients we get to work with on a daily basis. 

As we *finally* enter one of the most beautiful seasons in New England with 70 and 80-degree days expected this weekend, we’re embracing the theme of our recent event and Boston Home’s latest issue: “Find Your Summer Escape.” At the event, the three panelists talked about their recent summer home remodels featured in the magazine. They discussed staying away from trends and instead, really thinking about how you are going to use the space and make it into your dream retreat. Because after everything that’s happened over the past 2.5 years, these getaways are meant for rest, relaxation, enjoyment, and building lasting memories with the ones you love — so design them to bring you joy!

This month, I’m excited to introduce you to our May guest blogger, architect Adolfo Perez. Owner of an award-winning architectural firm practicing in the Greater Boston and New England area, Adolfo was inducted into the New England Home Design Hall of Fame in 2021 and his work and influence have set him apart at the pinnacle of his profession. With each project, Adolfo and his team strive to embrace the contemporary spirit of the time and place in which we live. His work balances the best of modern technology and building practices with the timeless ideals of craftsmanship, beauty and attention to detail that, together, create the special spaces we call home.

We’re excited to share Adolfo’s picks from our showroom — please let us know what you think. 

All the best,
Jason Sevinor
President, Designer Bath

A Note From Jason

Our new Salem Plumbing Supply store in Danvers is now open!

Hi everyone,

I just went away for a quick vacation with my family to enjoy some fun in the sun while the weather remains a little chilly in New England. When I was out of town, I had the opportunity to reflect on my family’s business and how we continually make decisions to create a better company. Better means different things to different people. I strive to make sure that we are doing the best job possible and working hard to make it easy to do business with us. We want to be a good employer and contributing member of the community. We want to sell items that meet the value and style requirements of a range of homeowners. This sounds simple, but meeting these basic goals is an ongoing challenge in an ever-changing world.

As you may know, Designer Bath is the showroom division of Salem Plumbing Supply, a company my grandfather started over 75 years ago. Altogether, we are comprised of Salem Plumbing Supply (SPS) wholesale retail operations in Gloucester, Beverly, and Danvers, and our Designer Bath (DB) showrooms in Watertown and Beverly. We jokingly describe the two parts of the business by saying that SPS provides everything you need behind the wall and DB offers all the pretty items that you see and touch. 

By being a “big little company,” we are able to generate economies of scale that enable us to access special product lines and price items competitively. We also have a significant amount of warehouse space in both Beverly and our new Danvers location. This ability to store items has become even more important with the supply side production issues we have all experienced during the pandemic. Adding this Danvers SPS site has taken a huge amount of my time and attention over the past months. The new facility will allow us to continue to upgrade the services we provide. We are still looking to fill a couple of key positions, so if you know someone who would like to work for a third-generation family business that focuses on building team camaraderie while delivering exceptional attention to clients, please reach out and let me know.

One of the ways that we can communicate the beauty of the displays in our showrooms is through photography. This month, we decided to take a different route with our blog and we invited professional interiors photographer Jessica Delaney to visit our Watertown showroom and pick her “five faves.” Jessica is a Boston photographer specializing in interior design & architecture. Since 2012, she’s photographed the spaces of award-winning interior designers and She believes in capturing the personalities of the interiors she is shooting and telling the story of a life well-lived. You can find her work in New England Home Magazine, Domino, Design New England Magazine, South Shore Living Magazine, Cottages and Bungalows Magazine, HGTV Magazine, The Boston Globe and Canada’s The Globe and Mail newspaper and as a contributor to Houzz.

We’re excited to share Jessica’s picks from our showroom — please let us know what you think. 

All the best,

Jason Sevinor

President, Designer Bath

A Note From Jason

Jason and Mindy in San Diego receiving The Forte Group award for “best showroom in the country.”

Hi everyone,

I am SO thrilled to announce that Designer Bath has been named “best showroom in the country” by the prestigious Forte Group. The Forte Group is an industry buying association and its members are boutique plumbing fixture showrooms throughout the USA. My sister Mindy and I headed to San Diego last month to attend the annual Forte conference and we were surprised and immensely proud when we won this accolade. Kudos to our entire team!

And back home in New England, we’re counting down the days until March 13, when we will spring our clocks forward and finally breathe a sigh of relief. I imagine we are all longing to bask in sunlight and warmth after such a long, cold winter. In our business, we have been impressed with the ability of talented designers to use natural light to make bathrooms and kitchens feel larger and brighter, even in the midst of a blizzard. However, I am looking forward to gazing out the windows as the snow melts, the grass greens, the trees blossom, and our kids head outside to play without snowsuits and boots. Just as Covid made us appreciate our family and friends and home sanctuaries, every winter in New England makes us anticipate and welcome the spring season all the more. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s here at last. Time to draw open the shades and soak in that sun.

Speaking of “warmth” I’m excited to introduce our March blogger Sashya Thind, whose design motto is warm minimalism. Sashya Thind is the principal of an award-winning firm that believes in personal and purposeful design. This approach has served her clients well for the last 15 years. Warm Minimalism, by definition, describes the experiential quality of the spaces she designs for her clients within a traditional or contemporary architectural setting.

We love Sashya’s picks from our showroom — please let us know what you think.

All the best,

Jason Sevinor

President, Designer Bath

A Note From Jason

Happy May!

Happy Mother’s Day from our Designer Bath family to yours.

We’ve made it through April showers and we’re more than ready for the May flowers. Here at Designer Bath, we’re not only excited for warmer weather, but also to celebrate one of our favorite holidays: Mother’s Day.

It’s important for me to acknowledge that our company may not have made it to our recent 75^th anniversary without the involvement and support of the “mothers” in my life – specifically my grandmother Ida, my mother Deb, my aunt Dale, my sister Mindy, and my wife Shelly. I also want to recognize the moms who are on the Designer Bath team – it is challenging to balance work and parenting and these ladies do it with grace and an amazing level of dedication to their different roles. Without their unwavering commitment over the years, our family business would not be where it is today. We encourage you to ‘shower’ the important women in your life with love on May 9th.

And now (drum roll please!) I am thrilled to announce that we have FINISHED the renovation of our Beverly showroom. If you have visited us over the past few months, we want to thank you for your patience as we modernized our space. From the moment you walk through our door, you will notice the updated and inviting décor and new displays. We are very happy with the fresh look and all the enhancements. Please come by and check it out!

Now without further ado, I’m pleased to announce our May guest blogger: Aileen Graf of Graf Architects.

With a Masters in Architecture from University of Pennsylvania, eight years in Philadelphia, then a short stint in Jackson Hole, WY; Aileen has spent the last 25 years immersed in New England Architecture. As the principal of a woman owned architecture firm with a concentration in residential design, Aileen thrives on the collaborative process of working with clients to find the best design solution for their lifestyle, while showing them that the process of custom design can be enjoyable and enlightening.

Jason Sevinor

President, Designer Bath & Salem Plumbing Supply

A Note From Jason

Hi everyone,

April Showers Bring May Flowers!

As we celebrate the beginning of spring, we finally have the opportunity to embrace the warm New England weather and get some much needed fresh air. Let’s enjoy the outdoors and soak in some sun — especially after such a long winter cooped up inside. With the arrival of April comes spring showers — both outside and inside your home! Now is the perfect time to invest in a new showerhead or luxurious outdoor shower. And with Mother’s Day just around the corner, I believe there’s no better way to show your appreciation for Mom than by helping her transform her bathroom into a relaxing, functional haven. 

If you decide to revitalize your bathroom – you might want to know more about the different types of showerheads available:

• Fixed showerhead (wall mount) – Found in most family bathrooms. For those who are interested in solid water pressure, this is the showerhead for you.
• Hand-held showerhead – Great for bathing pets, kids and those who may need to sit on a bench when rinsing.
• Dual showerhead system – Combination of a hand-held showerhead and a fixed showerhead.
• Rain showerheads – (larger in size – six inches or wider in diameter) – The wider the water spray, the warmer you feel while showering, thus enhancing the overall experience. The water in large flat rainheads is usually delivered via a gravity propulsion method, so it may not be the best option for those people with a lot of hair to wash and rinse. 
• Filtered showerhead – I have learned that these can help with dry or frizzy hair by greatly reducing the amount of chlorine, scale, and hard water.

With the warmer weather, I am always reminded of my goal of having an outdoor shower. In a subtle way, I plant the seed by mentioning to my wife that having this extra outdoor area will alleviate the challenge of limited indoor bathroom space. It’s good to have dreams!

Without further ado, we’re thrilled to introduce April’s guest blogger: Atsu Gunther of Atsu Gunther Design LLC. We had the pleasure of welcoming Atsu to our showroom to pick her favorites for this month’s blog. Originally from Japan, Atsu moved to the United States to pursue her college education in Interior Design. Upon graduation, she started her career in Boston with legendary interior designer William Hodgins. After 16 years working for several talented interior designs and architecture firms in both Boston and New York City, Atsu opened her own interior design studio in 2014. Recently, Atsu was featured in Boston Magazine for her renovation of this Cambridge Victorian. We are so happy to share her favorite pieces from our showroom.

Wishing you a safe and healthy April.

Jason Sevinor

President, Designer Bath & Salem Plumbing Supply

A Note From Jason

Hello everyone,

Have you seen the new Designer Bath ad in New England Home Magazine, Boston Home Magazine, and/or Northshore Home Magazine?

Happy March! The official first day of spring is only a few weeks away and I’m excited to spend more time outside with family and friends. I am especially looking forward to ‘springing ahead’ on March 14th so we can enjoy some extra sunlight at the end of the day.

One of our favorite holidays is just around the corner: St. Patrick’s Day! As everyone knows, this special day celebrating Irish heritage uses green as its signature color. For us, being green means making an effort to be kind to the environment. We try to do this every day, however, March 17 gives us an extra reason to go green! We are glad to share some water-saving tips. According to the EPA, by replacing an old, inefficient toilet, the average household can reduce toilet water usage by 20 to 60 percent. Believe it or not, that will result in a savings of about $110 per year on water costs and $2,200 over the lifetime of the toilet. Contact us today to learn more about how replacing your toilet can be the perfect spring renovation project and an ideal way to embrace “being green.”

Here’s the backstory on the development of our new print ad (shown above). Designer Bath takes pride in its leadership role in the industry. Part of being an innovator is being creative, thinking outside the box, and pushing the boundaries. We’ve had fun with our new print campaign – check out the animated version of our print ad.

Now without further ado, we are thrilled to announce this month’s blogger: Paige Lewin of Tess & Ted. After spending two decades in public relations, Paige leaped to a new form of creative expression when she opened Tess & Ted Interiors in 2014. Self-taught, Paige blends modern and classic design and is influenced heavily by her love of textiles, her New England upbringing, and her time living and working in Manhattan. Paige and her team work with clients wherever they are on the interior design spectrum — from DIY consultations to down-to-the-studs of home renovations. She believes everyone deserves a beautiful, comfortable home that accommodates all the chaos of real life, and works closely with her clients to create just that.

Best,
Jason Sevinor

President

When it comes to kitchen and bath, I always look for fixtures that feel amazing to the touch, deliver high style, and provide strong value for the cost. My five showroom favorites fit the bill perfectly:

A Note From Jason

Jason’s son Gunnar celebrating his February 14th birthday.

Hello everyone,

Happy February! It may be brutally cold out there, but at least we are getting more sunlight as the days go on. Spring will be here before we know it. With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, my home will soon be filled with presents and cake. We’ll be celebrating my son Gunnar’s 6th birthday. Where does the time go?

This month’s blog is a little different in an exciting way. Our guest blogger picked her favorite items by using the virtual tour feature on our website. By doing so, she was able to select from both our Watertown and Beverly showrooms. As we reflect on the ways that we have needed to pivot since the start of the pandemic, we are proud of the new initiatives we’ve implemented to enhance our customer experience and accommodate various shopping approaches, including the rollout of the virtual tour, Zoom appointments, and the online wishlist. Now our clients have the opportunity to view displays and choose items from the comfort of their own home!

Without further ado, we’re happy to introduce our February Showroom Favorites blogger: Jessica Chabot. Jessica has over 20 years in the construction and design industry. A graduate of the Boston Architectural College, Jess started her design career as a kitchen and bath designer and then spent eight years with a custom residential construction company. Currently, she is applying all of her experience and expertise as Senior Designer at Katie Rosenfeld and Company. She works with the team to create and execute high-end interiors. Jess lives in the burbs with her husband and two daughters. When she isn’t using her magic design wand to make people’s dreams come true, she volunteers as the president of the New England IFDA chapter and sits on her town’s Planning Board. We are thrilled to share her favorites with you.

 Wishing you all a warm and loving February.

Best,
Jason Sevinor

President

A Note From Jason

Happy New Year!

An exciting renovation is underway at our Beverly showroom.

We did it — we officially made it through 2020. Despite all of the challenges we endured and the ever-changing retail environment, we’ve worked hard to come out on the other side stronger and more resilient than ever. Looking forward, I feel hopeful for the future and I am cautiously optimistic about what this next chapter has in store for us.

Here at Designer Bath, we’re saying out with the old and in with the new as we kick off the year with an exciting renovation of our Beverly showroom. We always strive to display current trends as well as traditional favorites. The pandemic seemed to inspire many people to analyze their living spaces and ask if it was serving them effectively and creating joy. We went through a similar process and came up with some ways to freshen our space, and make it more  resourceful for clients. Stay tuned for some behind-the-scenes footage of our transformation. Be sure to follow our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date.

I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t comment on the events that transpired at the Capitol Building last week.  What comes up for me is the importance of leadership and the role we as leaders play to foster kindness and make a difference. I think about it every day. How can I make a difference for those with whom I come in contact?  How can I make a difference for those in my community?  How can I spread warmth and love?  This is my personal mission. From my perspective, leadership is a privilege, a gift and an honor.

Best,

Jason Sevinor

President

A Note From Jason

Happy December!

We’ll be accepting donations for our annual Toys for Tots campaign through Friday, December 11th. Stop by either of our showrooms or our Gloucester location to drop off unwrapped gifts.

We’ve officially made it to the end of 2020. This year has tested us and our ability to withstand change. Our business has implemented protocols to keep our staff and clients safe and we have overcome challenges that have been thrown our way. We’ve adapted, we’ve sacrificed, but most importantly, we’ve been given this time to step back and focus on what’s important in life — our family, our health, our lives. I truly believe we will come out of this stronger and more compassionate than ever.

Looking back on this roller coaster year, I am looking for ways to elevate the positive points. Last month as we moved into Thanksgiving, our employees had the opportunity to highlight what they are most thankful for this season. You can take a look at both Part One and Part Two on our Instagram. I couldn’t be more grateful for this Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing Supply family — the team that continues to keep this business thriving after 75 years.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably looking forward to keeping it simple this holiday season. We were lucky enough to host a virtual event with Chef Shelby and The Galley last month to demonstrate how to make your holiday meal more festive and less stressful. Head over to our website to view the video. For my family in particular, the adults have decided to donate to charity in lieu of exchanging gifts this year. We feel very fortunate that Designer Bath was deemed an essential business during this time. We have been able to keep our doors open, and continue to work with our valued clients and friends. I look forward to welcoming in a new year, with new opportunities, and many new appreciations.

Now without further ado, I am happy to introduce our final guest blogger of the year. This month’s guest is none other than David Cohen, Principal and Owner of Hampden Design. David, a licensed Construction Supervisor and Building Inspector, grew up always building, faceting, tinkering, and taking things apart. Priding himself on being a great listener to both the client and the home, he prioritizes respect, hard work, and open communication throughout the design and construction process. Since its inception, Hampden Design + Construction has earned several notable distinctions, most recently being named “Best Custom Home Design/Build 2020” by Boston Home Magazine. We couldn’t be happier to share his favorites with you.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season.

Best,
Jason Sevinor

President

The overall theme for my showroom selections was a natural, industrial vibe. I gravitated towards wooded elements, clean lines, and even a small mix of contemporary styles.