Emily Tomek, AKBD, says her career as a kitchen and bath designer helps families build lifelong memories

“So many of my favorite memories were made in my kitchen, from baking cookies with my mom, to chasing our dog around the table, Tomek said. “The best designs are places where memories are made. The best designers understand the client’s needs and address them in a beautiful, functional way.”

Recognized as an NKBA Thirty Under 30 inductee in the Class of 2020, Tomek earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Iowa State University’s College of Design and graduated with honors. She works as an associate kitchen and bath designer at Drury Designs in Glen Ellyn, Ill., and we asked her to tell NKBA NextUp about her career journey.

When did you first realize this might be the career for you? How did you decide on the kitchen and bath sector specifically?  

“I fell in love with the idea of creating spaces that promote lifelong memories and human interaction. Speaking with clients and understanding their unique vision for the space is such an important part of designing interiors. 

“The art of crafting a design solution that reflects someone’s vision is what sparked my interest and why I chose a career in the design industry.” 

What technology do you use daily and weekly? 

I use Chief Architect every day for drawings and 3D renderings. I also use Adobe Creative Cloud Applications a lot: Photoshop, Acrobat and InDesign. Photoshop enhances my renderings and Acrobat and InDesign are fantastic for client presentations. I also use Zoho for customer relationship management. 

How much time do you dedicate to ongoing learning? 

“I have my AKBD certification, so I attend a lot of online training sessions and meetings to maintain my accreditation.” (Editor’s note: Maintaining all NKBA professional certifications requires completing a set number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every year.)  “I try to attend at least one meeting a week. There are always new and exciting trends in the design industry, so I think it is important to take time to keep up!”

The Work

We are grateful to the team at Drury Design for allowing us to share some of the projects where Tomek contributed as an associate designer, working with senior designer Alicia Saso. 

Learn more about how to become a kitchen and bath designer. 

Looking for kitchen and bath designer jobs near you? Visit the NKBA Job Board