An 85-year-old family-owned and –operated home design emporium known among New York area celebrities, top interior designers and well-heeled consumers as the “Disneyland of home design” had dreams of taking its specialty high-end kitchen, bath, lighting, tile and decorative hardware concept to other markets. Priming the pump, MAX Communications developed a strategic local, regional and national public relations plan that showcased the retailer’s one-of-a-kind showroom and luxury product selection, as well as its stunning installations in some of the country’s most beautiful homes.

We rolled out the red carpet for New York’s national home magazine editors, treating them to private tours of the retailer’s amazing showrooms, as well as scouting tours of its design installations in clients’ homes. We bylined advertorials positioning the design staff as tastemakers in the luxury home remodeling industry, maximized the store’s participation in top-notch designer showhouses, and landed the retailer a coveted design role on ABC-TV’s national hit series, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

The PR momentum for this local gem built quickly and endured as the retailer expanded into other markets. Countless features and designer profiles appeared in leading national consumer magazines including Food & Wine, House & Garden, Beautiful Baths, Beautiful Kitchens, Kitchen and Bath Ideas, Better Homes & Gardens, Woman’s Day Kitchens & Baths, Renovation Style, HOME, Yankee, Dream Kitchens, and influential regional publications, as well as television profiles with HGTV and ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.