Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Tierney.
Sandra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started as a professional chef working privately in homes for the rich and famous. After living through a remodel nightmare, I decided to become a kitchen designer and found an opportunity at Home Depot before the founders sold the company. Back in the 90’s it was a great place to work and they provided me with an education and supported me to get certified through the NKBA. I left after their big sell out and went on to become a project manager for a company in Poway before getting the courage to go out on my own. I started in my house and eventually opened my own showroom in Escondido. I went on to win 2 National design competitions, was featured in Better Homes and Garden and now a speaker for the National Kitchen and Bath Association. I am currently writing a kitchen design book while designing a house I plan to build
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I was born in the sixties. I had nothing but struggles. My father was not a nice man and refused to help pay for my education because I was a girl. I worked while attending high school to pay my own way to fulfill my dream of going to the Culinary Institute of America. There, it was made clear to me that women were not wanted in commercial kitchens. If the instructors were not trying to intimidate me into quitting, they were cornering me in isolated areas making passes.
After graduating (the only girl in my class) I decided to move to LA where I eventually became a private chef. After major life changes, I wound up in SD and wanted a career change. I decided to work as a cashier at Home Depot while I figured things out but, during the orientation, they spoke about opportunities like becoming a kitchen designer. I lit up! Cashiering was fun for 5 minutes and then I thought I was going to lose my mind but, I learned a lot about myself. I put in enough time before I knocked on the manager’s door and asked to go into the kitchen dept. I was told NO. I did not give up. Every Friday, I knocked on that door for months before they finally gave in.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a Multi-National Award-Winning Master Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer with a showroom in Escondido. My approach is different from most designers in that I put function over form and I am known for maximizing storage. As a chef, I fully understand the needs of a kitchen. I set my showroom up as a teaching tool and included many things that people think they want because they saw it in a magazine to show them why they shouldn’t get it.
My client’s appreciate being educated by me which in turn helps them to make good choices. I enjoy guiding them through the process to achieve the most efficient kitchen that includes their wish list. Listening is key
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Interesting question. Before the recession of 2008, Cabinets had raised panels and a lot of ornamentation. Then all the expensive fluff went away and simple more affordable design and painted flat panel shaker doors appeared have been with us since. Not long ago we began to see the return of wood and I was having the feeling the raised panel would be coming back too. However, it appears to me that we are now back in a recession. I am very active in my community and every business I know in my industry is suffering. Prices had already increased 40 to 50% since Covid and since the announcement of the tariffs, all my suppliers (except for Canada) has increased prices again. I fear that many are just using the tariffs as an excuse. All the jobs I had lined up for this year are on hold because there is so much uncertainty. The stock market needs to stabilize and interest rates need to come back down.
On another note, smart technology continues to become more prevalent to my chagrin. Having to use an app to turn on a light switch or turn on your shower is just ridiculous to me. I worked on a project last year where the cooktop is under a porcelain countertop, completely invisible. You open a drawer underneath it to turn it on. NO THANKS!
Contact Info: Sandra 760-738-4200 sandra@cabinetsbydesign.info
