Randy L. Snell, Senior Interior Designer, graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, has over 20 years of experience designing high-end Residential, Private Club and Hospitality interiors. Prior to the founding of Archetype Design Studio, Randy worked as an Interior Designer at two of Pittsburgh's most prestigious firms, Mark Christy Associates from 1989-2000 and Astorino from 2000-2006.
While at Astorino, Randy and his team were winners of Pittsburgh Magazine's 2006 Superior Interiors competition. Randy was also featured in an episode of the HGTV show Designer's Challenge, where he and his team created the chosen design for a Pittsburgh-area media room. His work has also been featured in various Design Magazines through the years. Randy's projects have taken him across the country, working in locations such as Manhattan, Martha's Vineyard, Cleveland, Florida, New Jersey and St. Croix.
Bob Krashna, Ceramiche
Tina Krashna Founder and President of Ceramiche Tile and Stone.
- Education in interior design. 25 years experience in
- Design and sales of ceramic tile and stone.
Bob Krashna Co-Founder and Vice President of Ceramiche Tile and Stone
- Over 5 years experience in the tile industry and over 20 years
- Experience in the project management of commercial construction projects
Ceramiche Tile and Stone started on Steuben St. in the west end in 2002 by Tina Krashna. Her background in interior design and over 20 years experience in retail sales including 8 years as a wholesale buyer in tile and setting materials set the stage for the new showroom.
Specializing in tile, stone and mosaics Ceramiche's business outgrew the Steuben st. location. In 2004, Ceramiche purchased its current location at 510 s. main st in the west end and has steadily improved the building as well as our tile selections. With over 5,000 s.f. of showroom space, Ceramiche has become the premier tile showroom in the Pittsburgh area, catering to retail customers, interior designers and contractors.
Our goal at Ceramiche is quite simple. Make sure that every customer is comfortable with their experience at our showroom. We have the friendliest and most knowledgeable sales staff to help you make your projects fun.
Our product line consists of natural stone, ceramics, porcelain tile, glass and metal tile and counter top materials.
Services offered: Complete ceramic tile designs for the bathroom, kitchens, fireplaces, etc.
Prior projects: New residential local construction as well as from Florida to Main. Specialty commercial work, restaurants, executive suites and other trade showrooms.
Changes in the last 6 months: Ceramiche is now a WBE (women business enterprise). This give us the opportunity to procure more commercial and state projects. Of course we continue to acquire new product lines to keep it interesting. Always something new at Ceramiche.
3 good reasons to do business with Ceramiche.
We have the largest selection of tile, stone and glass in our area. We have a range of materials that our clients can choose from as well as all prices ranges.
Our Sales Staff. We make our customers feel comfortable with their selections and we make the whole experience fun for them as well as us.
Our Service. We stand behind every sale. We still go by that old saying that the customer is always right and we go out of our way to help.
Judy Soccio, Soccio Rodriguez Design
BIO: Judy Soccio is an award-winning window treatment specialist. Her company, SoccioRodriguez Design, provides in-home consultation and full service design, fabrication and installation of window treatments with an emphasis on the vintage home.
Previous work experience in the theatre and a fascination with classic architecture and historic interiors led Soccio to design historically appropriate window coverings for a 1923 Chicago bungalow. Since 2001 she has draped numerous houses in Chicago, Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania.
Soccio’s award-winning design for windows in new retail shops was inspired by a 19th century Parisian drapery design. Two years later Soccio won another industry award for recreating a 100 year old fabric design for a home renovation featuring the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Judy Soccio’s educational background includes an M.Ed. from Pepperdine University and an M.A. from Northwestern. She has enjoyed careers in theatre, television production, publishing and education.
Judy is a charter member of the Workroom Association of America, a professional member of the Custom Home Furnishings Forum, and a Window Fashion Certified Professional.
She is a board member of the Workroom Association of America and a charter member of the WFCP Advisory Board. Her work has been published in local, trade and national shelter magazines and she has written for WF-Vision magazine, Local Real Estate Deals magazine, and Victorian Homes magazine. Judy is currently working on a book of vintage window treatments for today’s homes.
In addition to her daily adventures in the drapery trade, Judy is a frequent presenter at design schools and consumer events where she speaks on a variety of window treatment and self-promotion topics.
Selma Sherman, of Selma Sherman Interiors
BIO: Boston University BA degree and Hunter College MA degree in Art History and Fine Arts
I am originally from New York City and have been living in Pittsburgh for 37 years.
My firm, selma b. sherman/interiors, has been in business for 31 years.
Scope of work: residences, offices, healthcare, medispas, retail stores and religious institutions.
In conjunction with my design work, I feel that it is extremely important to give back to the community.
The arts "feed my soul" and help me in the creative process of design. To do this, I am involved with the arts in Pittsburgh.
I am a Trustee of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and I am Chair of the Pittsburgh Dance Council Advisory Board.
I also feel that it is important to be active in Women's Heath issues. I am past Chair of the Komen Pittsburgh, Race For The Cure Board and a current member of that Board.
My personal position: I strongly feel that "Good Design is a way of Life". By this, I mean that every project should be designed around the clients needs and lifestyle. It is extremely important to design each space to meet those needs. My designs have form and function FIRST and the beauty and products in the design revolve around that.
Rooms and/or offices/or healthcare environments should meet the needs of the client as well as reflect THEIR personalities. I don't want any of my projects to look the same, and they shouldn't as each client is different.
I also design spaces for maximum flexibility. Clients use their spaces differently at different times in their lives and the space should be flexible to meet these changes.
Company info: I am involved in every aspect of a job from inception to final construction. I help the client with the original concept and plans including: lighting design, kitchen and bath planning, furniture, carpet, closet design, tile design and any other finishes required for completion of the job.
I am on site on a regular basis to resolve any problems. I work with a great team of craftsmen that know me and what I expect. We have worked together for over 30 years on my jobsites and can work well together. We are a TEAM. This is a very important part of getting the job finished well and on time.
I sell lighting, kitchens, bathrooms, tile, carpet, flooring, furniture, window treatments, art, plants and any other product needed to finish the job. (I have also purchased bedding and towels if required!)
I work closely with my "tech" experts to incorporate sound,computer and television technology into the space.
PROJECTS: include healthcare. I am currently working on hospitals. I am striving to make hospital rooms and lobbies less "institutional" and more hotel and home like for both the patients and visitors. There are new and amazing products that I am working with that can accomplish this goal.
In the last six months, I have been involved in more healthcare projects.
As well as hospitals, I have recently completed 2 Medispas which I loved planning and working on. I strived to make them efficient yet, calm and spa-like for the patients.
In the last year, I have seen a move towards clients using their homes more and traveling less. This translates into more residential design projects in existing homes.
REASONS TO TO BUSINESS WITH ME: When I work on a project, the client has "no worries." I take care of ALL the details and problems. I am the one to make their lives easier during this process.
Many times, we plan a major renovation, and my clients leave town when the work is being done and return to a completed project!! That is an example of how we have complete confidence and trust in each other.
Matt Moritz, Eddy Homes
Matt Moritz designs and builds homes because he has a passion for construction; it is in his blood. Matt is a fourth-generation homebuilder who has been working for Eddy Homes most of his life. Starting as a part-time laborer in his early high school years, he learned every aspect of building a quality luxury home by doing it himself. After earning a BA in Economics from Johns Hopkins University and graduating cum laude from Duquesne University's Law School, he came to work full-time overseeing the construction of new homes and developing new home communities throughout the Pittsburgh area. Based on his education and experience, Matt approaches new home construction with the mindset that every new home must be constructed as perfectly as possible. As the Vice President of Eddy Homes, he remains actively involved in all aspects of design and construction to ensure these high standards are maintained and limits the number of new homes built each year to ensure that level of quality perseveres.
Eddy Homes has been building luxury custom homes and developing exclusive new home communities in the Pittsburgh area since 1971. A continued focus on surpassing clients' expectations and anticipating their needs exemplifies Eddy Homes' commitment to excellence and this approach has been the foundation of their business from the very beginning. With four decades of experience, Eddy Homes provides their clients with the scope and technology of a national organization combined with the hands-on personalized attention of a family business.
Liz Murphy,owner of Liz Murphy Design, LLC
Graduating with a degree in Interior Design from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, Liz Murphy worked in commercial design for 20 years in the Boston area. Her experience combines positions working within architectural firms and for corporations providing space planning and facilities management services. She held leadership positions within architectural firms, managing space planning and interior design studios as well as administrative responsibilities for marketing and business development.
Upon relocating to Pittsburgh, PA in 1996, she established Liz Murphy Design, providing residential interior design services concentrating on renovations to primarily older homes. Specializing in kitchens, bathrooms and other remodeling projects, she offers her clients complete interior design services that incorporate not only the design but full project management services to see the project through to completion. Liz Murphy Design also includes the more decorative aspects of design, including selection and specification of all finishes, furnishings, window treatments, lighting and plumbing fixtures and color consultation.
Jeffrey Morris,owner of Jeffrey's Kitchen & Bath Center
Having grown up in a family with a long line of builders, Jeffrey has been around new construction and remodeling his entire life. After living and traveling in Europe for over a year, he developed a love for architecture and design. This love for design continued while attending New York University in lower Manhattan. He was exposed to some of the most cutting edge designers and most impressive spaces in the country.
Jeffrey moved to the South Hills in 2009 and began working with Case Remodeling assisting clients with designs and selections. In 2010, he opened Jeffrey’s Kitchen & Bath Center with a showroom in McMurray. The Kitchen & Bath Center is a close alliance with Case Remodeling. Where Case does the installation and production work, Jeffrey’s assists clients with design and products. It is a great situation for both companies as well as the client. This unique and successful relationship has allowed both companies to grow very quickly and provide impeccable customer service.
Rachel B. Pavilack, ASIDis the dynamic owner of Pavilack Design.
Ms. Pavilack is an accomplished interior designer with more than 25 years of experience designing both commercial and residential environments. Prior to owning her own firm, Rachel was employed for 18 years at Burt Hill, an international architectural firm. She has also worked in New York City designing fashion showrooms.
A creative, highly experienced interior designer, Rachel strives to provide client satisfaction through innovative design ideas, exceptional attention to detail, resourceful problem solving and a strong work ethic. She has extensive experience with programming, space planning, design, and with the selection of interior finishes, lighting, and furniture.
Ms. Pavilack studied and received her BFA at the Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. She is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and is certified by the National Council for Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ). Rachel has received local and national recognition. Showing her work in its pages, Pittsburgh Magazine’s Home and Garden awarded her Honorable Mention in its 2006 Superior Interiors Contest for residential design. She has been selected as the first featured designer in Pittsburgh’s Home Design and Remodeling Resource Guide, and she was honored with the Ralph Burt award for her exemplary performance as an employee while at Burt Hill. Showing current trends in law firm design, a project for the New York City office of a premier Pittsburgh law firm was featured in the national Lawyer. A piece on a high tech design for a major Pittsburgh advertising agency is available in the national Archi-tech.
Ashley Corona,Assistant Director, TH Trade
Ashley Corona graduated from La Roche College with a BS in Interior Design and also studied abroad at Richmond University Rome. She is now an Interior Designer and Assistant Director at TH Trade. For the past five years, Ashley has been involved in planning and designing interiors for commercial and residential spaces as well as custom window treatments. She is proficient in directing all phases of design projects, from working with clients to preparing presentations and proposals to scheduling installation furniture and accessories.
Karolyn Spagnola, Owner SPAGNOLO DESIGN est. 1997
High-End Residential Designer
Nationally recognized
voted #1 Designer in North Hills of PA
National Color & Design Consultant for PPG Pittsburgh Paints/ PPG Industries
Traveling North America including Alaska, Mexico and Canada.
Currently on a tour.
Tim Hillebrand,President of Hillmon Appliance Distributors
Tim Hillebrand was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area, growing up in the South Hills, as the oldest of 5 boys. Tim’s father, Don, founded Don’s Appliances almost 40 years ago and together the store is run by Don and his family. Tim graduated from Duquesne University. He personally has been in the appliance business over 25 years. Tim currently resides in Washington, PA with his wife of 11 years, Ami, and their 7-year old son, Luke. They are very involved with the American Cancer Society and the JFK School, where Luke is currently enrolled. As a family they enjoy vacationing at the beach and Walt Disney World together.
Tim is currently the President of Hillmon Appliance Distributors.
Hillmon Appliance has been in business for 12 years, starting as strictly a distributor to builders in the area, allowing their customers a place to see appliances in kitchen settings before making their purchase. Over the years, Hillmon Appliance has evolved into a retailer to the everyday customer, who is more than welcome to walk into the store and meet with one of our experienced sales staff. Live displays are set up to allow customers to “test drive” various appliances and get a feel for all of their features. Hillmon carries all luxury brands, including, Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele, Jenn-Air, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Thermador, Bosch, Viking and GE. Hillmon offers all household appliances, as well as sinks, faucets and BBQs.
Hillmon is in the midst of many appliance deals with the condos at PNC Place. Hillmon is also bidding on the appliances in the One Grandview project, a redevelopment plan on Mt. Washington that will be replacing the former Edge Restaurant.
Over the last 6 months, people aren’t as concerned with name brands as they once were. They are now more concerned with features, benefits and the overall quality of the appliances that they are wishing to purchase. New construction has also slowed down drastically, while remodeling has seemed to have taken over.
3 good reasons to do business with Hillmon Appliance Distributors:
Customer Service
Product lines carried
Quality of our showroom
Russell Rice,Managing Director of National Woodwork
After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Mr. Rice founded Kisco, a contract furniture sales and marketing company. Under his leadership, the business grew to $20 million in annual sales, representing a compounded annual growth rate of 25% — more than five times the industry average. After selling his business to Herman Miller, Inc., he conceived and published an industry-innovating service consolidation plan, including the M&A models and shepherded the business through its incubation phase.
In November or 2009, Mr. Rice purchased the assets of former National Casework, a 38 year old manufacturer of custom woodwork, cabinets and furniture. In first six months the company doubled the prior period sales and is forecasting continued strong growth through a multi-channel go-to-market approach.
Walt Winkowski,Director of New Construction, Prudential Preferred Realty
Currently involved with 65 new communities throughout the Metropolitan Pittsburgh Area. Focused on how the downtown in the market is impacting spec building the most.
Trend shift from McMansion to more functional usable living space. We are the best in new home sales in the Pittsburgh Market because we have well-trained sales associates, and the company’s commitment to new home sales.
Scott Ludwick,Associate Broker, Prudential Preferred Realty
Prudential Preferred Realty since 1981 – nearly 30 years.
Holds a number of designations –
GRI (Graduate of the Realtor’s Institute),
CRS (Certified Residential Specialist),
CRB (Certified Residential Broker),
ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative) and the At Home With Diversity designation as well.
Walt has taught Home Buying and Home Selling classes for Westmoreland County Community College for the past 15 years.
Past President Westmoreland Realtor’s Association
#1 Sales agent Westmoreland County since 1989!
Ranked in the top 100 Sales Agents in North America since 1998!
Jack Tumpson,Publisher of Whirl Magazine
Jack Tumpson is the Publisher of WHIRL, a monthly magazine in Western Pennsylvania. Along with his wife, Christine, he founded the magazine in 2000 as a social and special events magazine. Today WHIRL Publishing has four publications; WHIRL, the region’s premier monthly lifestyle magazine, edible Allegheny, a bi-monthly food magazine, WHIRL Wedding Guide, a semi-annual directory for the bride to be, and the newly launched WHIRL @ Home, a quarterly design and shelter publication.
Prior to WHIRL, Tumpson was a Manufacturer’s Representative for the Kitchen and Building Supply industry before beginning a 16-year career in the Music Business. First as an independent concert promoter running Next Big Thing Productions in Pittsburgh, Pa., and then Director of Marketing for Star Lake Amphitheatre, also in Pittsburgh. The last stop before Whirl was Nashville, TN as Executive Director of Starwood Amphitheater for SFX Entertainement.
Mr. Tumpson holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Miami University in Oxford Ohio, and lives in Pittsburgh with his wife and two children. Christine Tumpson,Editor-in-Chief of Whirl Magazine
Christine Tumpson is the Editor-in-Chief of WHIRL Publishing, publishing WHIRL Magazine, Edible Allegheny Magazine, the WHIRL Wedding Guide, and the newly launched WHIRL @ Home. A native of Washington, PA, Christine and her husband, Jack, launched WHIRL in 2001 and Edible Allegheny in 2008.
A graduate of Shady Side Academy, the University of Pittsburgh and The National Law Center at George Washington University, Christine practiced family law in Pittsburgh before relocating to Nashville, TN with Jack in 1996. The family, along with their two children, Max and Corinne, moved back to Pittsburgh and launched Whirl with the intention of showcasing the wonderful people, places and aspects of Western Pennsylvania.
Christine is the host of WHIRL Wednesday on KDKA-TV's Pittsburgh Today Live, sits on the board of Family Hospice and is a regular volunteer at Family House.
Katie Mavrich,Managing Editor of Whirl Magazine
Katie Mavrich is the managing editor of WHIRL Publishing, which publishes WHIRL Magazine, Edible Allegheny, WHIRL Wedding Guide, and the newly-launched WHIRL @ Home. She has been with WHIRL since her internship in 2003.
Katie holds a bachelor degree in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest alumni, and has served on the steering committee for the event for four years. She lives in Cecil, Pa., with her fiancé, Jimmy, and their dog, Dakota.
Michael Braun,Braun Design Partners, LLC
In 2003, Michael Braun and his wife Aimee started their own interior design and architectural space planning firm, Braun Design Partners, LLC. Included in the firm’s efforts are commercial projects, but the core of the business is residential interior design and space planning. Projects range from small one story additions with interior design services, to complete space planning and interior design services for vacation homes in the luxury home market. Braun Design Partners firmly believe that the success of any project can only be measured by how well they’ve really understood their clients’ dreams. A sampling of the firm’s work can be found on their web site, www.BraunDesignPartners.com.
Michael is a graduate of Parsons School Design with a BFA degree in Environmental Design which is a multi-disciplined course of study that includes architecture, interior design and furniture design. His work has been published in a variety of magazines such as Progressive Architecture, Interior Design and Interiors Magazine, and in the book “Memphis: Objects, Furniture and Patterns”, by Richard Horn. He has over twenty-seven years of experience in architectural design, interior design and furniture design and he holds a US patent in furniture design.
Aimee is a graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in Interior Design. She has been working in interior design for over fifteen years and is an allied member of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers). Aimee's experience has been in residential design, restaurant design and commercial design. Her work has been published in Vail Beaver Creek Magazine, Luxury Living, Mountain Living and Colorado Homes and Lifestyle. Aimee is also the winner of the 2004 BEAM Award, given by the Eagle Valley Home Builders Association for "Best Overall Interior Design" for her residential work in Woody Creek, Colorado.
Michael has also created, developed and directs the operations of an ecommerce website, www.DesignPartnersResource.com. The site provides fine home furnishings, interior accent pieces and coordinating accessories to the public. In addition, a portion of the website is dedicated as a referral service to connect visitors to the site with interior design firms in their area. Currently, there are over two hundred interior design firms in its registry.
www.BraunDesignPartners.com
David Marc Kaplan,David Kaplan Interior Design, LLC
Mr. Kaplan was raised in an antiques and fine arts
business. He developed his appreciation for fine arts
and decorative arts at a young age and has remained in
the Interior Furnishings industries throughout his career. He has been involved in many aspects of the industry, serving the Contract, Residential, Trade Showroom, Retail and Wholesale markets.
After attending the University of Pittsburgh, Mr. Kaplan joined Gimbel’s Department Store, and worked at retail in the Oriental rug department. In 1980, he went to work at Franklin Interiors, a contract furniture dealer, as an Account Representative in the Pittsburgh market. In 1983, he was employed by the Joseph Horne Co. to manage its Commercial Interiors Division and Marforth Showrooms, a to the trade showroom for the Interior Design Community. In 1991, he assumed responsibility for all the furniture businesses at Horne’s, including its retail operation with six locations in Pennsylvania and Ohio. After Federated Department stores acquired Horne’s, Mr. Kaplan started his business representing manufacturers and selling to retail stores, showrooms, and interior designers. He has represented six divisions of the Sherrill Family of brands for thirteen years in Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia.
Jason T. Busch,Curator of Decorative Arts at Carnegie Museum
Mr. Busch is the Alan G. and Jane A. Lehman Curator of Decorative Arts and head of the department at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. He directed the renovation of the museum’s storied Ailsa Mellon Bruce Galleries, which includes decorative arts, modernist design and contemporary craft. Mr. Busch has held fellowships and internships at the National Park Service, Historic Deerfield, Colonial Williamsburg and the Cincinnati Historical Society. He received his master’s degree in Early American Culture from the Winterthur Program at the University of Delaware. In addition, he has actively contributed to scholarship on decorative arts, culminating in several exhibitions and publications.
Lynn M. Smith,Lynn M. Smith Interior Artistry
Creative yet down to earth, Ms. Smith has 25 years of experience in the arts and since moving from San Francisco she has expanded into interior arrangement. Her list of happy clients ranges from business to sports, entertainment to cultural figures from London to California. Ms. Smith has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Business Times, as well as appearing on HGTV’s hit show, Decorating Cents. She is also a member of Interior Redesign Industry Specialists (IRIS) and recently was awarded “Best Redesigned Living Room” by her peers at the National Conference.
Karl Owens,Historic Homes Specialist, and Realtor, Howard Hanna
Mr. Owens is an Historic Homes Specialist is based at the Sewickley office of Howard Hanna Real Estate where he has received numerous awards including Top Producer, Multi–Million Dollar Producer, National Sales Excellence, Best of the Best of Howard Hanna and #1 Listing & Sales Agent in Central North Side. He has a special interest in the Historic Mexican War Streets area.
Susie Mitrik,Manager of Window Treatments at Today’s Home Inc.
Susie has been in a thousand Pittsburgh homes over the years. She has thirty years of experience in the window treatments and upholstery field.
As manager of the custom window treatments department at Today’s Home Inc., Susie is the design engineer who oversees every type of couture project imaginable.
At Today’s Home, the Window Treatments department is an integral part of the design solution process. Susie works as part of the design team to complete the design vision.
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