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Design, High Point, Show News & Business

HPMA, NKBA Joint Research Findings Revealed During Fall Market Event

Whole-home study connects furnishings, kitchen and bath sectors for interior design trade.

10/18/2026
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Market Authority (HPMA) and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) revealed key findings from their jointly produced 2026 Whole-Home Design Study during HPMA’s Fall Market Keynote Series event in the High Point Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 17.

The keynote presentation titled “Evolution of the Home: The Consumer Shifts Reshaping Design & What It Means for Your Business” featured a live discussion between Bill Darcy, NKBA Global President and CEO, and Tammy Covington, HPMA President and CEO, moderated by Kaitlin Petersen, Business of Home Editor-in-Chief.

"Our joint Whole-Home Design Study reveals how whole-home design is reshaping the designer's role,” said Darcy. “As project scope expands, designers coordinate more broadly and increasingly tap into specialized expertise.”

Some of the study’s key findings discussed at the keynote event reflect the ongoing partnership between HPMA and NKBA and their shared goal to identify key growth opportunities and shifting consumer expectations reshaping residential design.

● Residential design is expanding beyond the single-room project. 61% of current residential projects are multi-room or whole-home, and nearly half of designers report that project scope typically expands. Looking ahead, 66% of NKBA designers and 76% of High Point Market designers want to take on more projects that extend across multiple rooms or whole-home.

● The kitchen remains a key gateway to whole-home design, but other spaces can play an equally important role. While 78% of NKBA designers identify the kitchen as the typical starting point, High Point Market designers are nearly evenly split between the kitchen (40%) and living/entertainment spaces (39%). Client trust in the designer and adjacent rooms feeling outdated or disconnected by comparison are key drivers of scope expansion.

● Whole-home design is broadening the role of the designer. Whole-home projects require coordination across spaces and with a broader network of specialized professionals. NKBA designers report working with an average of 10 types of professionals on whole-home projects, compared with 12 among High Point Market designers.

As independent trade organizations working together, another aim of the whole-home study was to qualify the evolving relationship between kitchen and bath professionals, interior designers, and the broader home furnishings industry.

“The partnership between HPMA and NKBA is a strategic one,” said Covington. “When we work together to reduce friction for our stakeholders, everyone wins. This study greatly emphasizes the critical and central role designers play in a project. The findings also highlight areas of opportunity for designers looking to potentially expand their services or reach.”

“No single designer can do it all, so building a strong network of specialists is essential,” Darcy added. “That intersection is where NKBA and HPMA align, and High Point Market is the perfect place to foster those connections."

Key takeaways from the collaboration reinforce that NKBA and HPMA serve distinct but complementary communities, with new opportunities to connect each organization’s core audiences.

● 78% of High Point Market respondents are aware of NKBA, while 66% of NKBA respondents
are aware of High Point Market/HPMA.

● 27% of High Point Market respondents have attended KBIS, while 22% of NKBA respondents
have attended High Point Market.

● Only 5% of High Point Market respondents are NKBA members, underscoring the limited
duplication between the two communities.

A summary of the report, highlighting key findings, is available on the High Point Market website. The full report is available to NKBA members and available for purchase by non-members on the NKBA website.
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