Building a Dream

WORKING WITH PROFESSIONALS AT PDI KITCHEN, BATH & LIGHTING, DESIGNER TORI ALEXANDER CREATES CUSTOM SPACES THAT DELIVER ON A CLIENT’S EVERY DREAM

BY HOLLIE DEESE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY CRAVEN SHOWROOM AND SOEDER PORTRAIT ANTHONY ROMANO

Designer Tori Alexander collaborates closely with PDI Kitchen, Bath & Lighting to perfectly capture clients’ visions for their new or renovated spaces.

The pressure of being an interior designer seems to come from all sides: from the builder to facilitate fixtures, from the vendors to manage deliveries and from the clock to get it all done on schedule. But ultimately, the most pressure is internal — the responsibility the designer feels to give the client more than they are asking for, to make their dreams reality and to elevate them beyond expectations.

Tori Alexander of Alexander Designs usually has about 20 design projects in various stages of completion, so not only does she need her team to be strong and committed, she needs dependable vendors who offer the level of concierge service her clients expect.

One of those vendors is PDI Kitchen, Bath & Lighting on Sidco Drive in the Design District. And their secret weapon is Mary Soeder, business development manager.

Soeder, a Nashville native, became accustomed to working with designers and their preferences while at PDI in Atlanta. So when she came home to open the Nashville showroom, she headed straight to the organizations she knew would connect her with local designers. She attended events and made connections and let it be known that she wanted to be their preferred place to shop.

“I discovered a lot of designers were looking for a place to go that was fresh, where we could build together,” Soeder says. “We were able to create the environment, together with designers, of what they wanted us to be. They helped us figure out what the niche was in Nashville, and it was an opportunity to start with something and grow what everyone wanted.”

Though the showroom operates in a way that appeals to designers, the public can be a part of it too.

“Designers wanted a place where they could send clients to talk about high-end products, work off a budget or send specs and get finished samples — just really be a trade resource for them that is open to the public but not flooded with people like a big box store,” Soeder says.

So when Alexander came to Soeder asking for a standout bathtub as a starting point for a dream bathroom in Valley Forge, Soeder collaborated with Alexander to find the right piece for the client’s vision — channeling the look of a beautiful Parisian hotel inspired by a recent trip.

“Everything was based on that tub,” says Alexander, who worked with Oak Builders on the construction of the space. “The floor plan was created for it. This is an example of where I told Mary that I needed a showstopper tub, and she knew what I would want.”

Bringing PDI in on the front end of a project helps the designers and builders stay on track and minimize problems with delivery and supply, as well as find pieces they might not be aware of themselves.

“We knew this was going to be a more sophisticatedlooking space,” Soeder says. “There was going to be a lot of attention to detail. It was going to be a brand new bathroom, but it needed to look like it was straight out of an older French hotel.”

It also helps the designer to have a friend on the inside. The end result may be stunning, but the process can be stressful — not something to burden the client with unnecessarily.

“It can feel uncomfortable in phases of the process, and because the client lives there during it, they see up close and personal all those uncomfortable stages. So they need to trust in the overall vision to get to that finished project,” Alexander says. And it isn’t just industry folks who get that level of service at PDI. Homeowners who walk into the showroom will get knowledgeable help from the consultants on staff, who are chock full of knowledge gleaned from working with designers.

“When you use them, you actually get a little bit of insider professional help that you don’t have to pay for,” Soeder says. “They are drawing from previous experiences of working with the trade.”

She knows that PDI is not the only distributor in Nashville and that people can go other places. PDI just works to offer such a welcoming, knowledgeable, accessible environment that they won’t want to.

“At the end of the day, we’re all consumers,” Soeder says. “And what we strive for at PDI is helping you through the whole process. We’re trying to get creative with you to get your problem solved, or to get something in the timeframe that you need. We want to be a part of that project and not just a vendor. We want to be here for you.”NI