1. THINK 2014 Training DIFFERENTLY DECORA MASTERBRAND CABINETS
Good morning / afternoon everyone! We just saw most of you at the recent Vendor Training Events, but unlike those events, today is dedicated completely to Decora.
Before we get started, <Introductions>
When a customer walks into your showroom for the first time and asks you to tell the differences amongst the brands, how many of you would describe Decora as “high-end?” What do you think your customers think when they hear “high end?” <Will probably hear “expensive.> Absolutely. We all do. But that’s not necessarily true.
Our goals today are to 1) reinforce what we already know about Decora, 2) share some new ways to utilize Decora and 3) focus on how we can qualify our customers properly in Decora. How we can think differently about this amazing line.
Speaking of thinking differently. Let’s start off with a little creative thinking exercise.
DECORA
MASTERBRAND CABINETS

2. DESIGNING AROUND APPLIANCES
Standard SKUs
Factory Cut-Outs
Appliance Panels
It’s no secret that customers are actually choosing to spend more money on appliances. This means that there are more commercial-style appliances being integrated into the kitchen. Decora is the perfect choice for customers who are using these types of appliances. Here’s why.

3. RANGE TOPS
Range tops are gaining in popularity. What cabinet do we use with a range top? A Country Sink Base with a huge 13” panel, would leave you with a lot of flat, unused space. So why not choose from one of our 6 different standard sku options in Decora.
We have a 28 ½” tall, two drawer base as well as 5 different variations of drop-in range cabinets. These feature an 8” rail at the top than can be trimmed up to 6 ½” for a more custom look. The drawer base and the roll tray option are both available with standard depth drawers and roll trays OR with reduced depth, allowing for proper gas line clearance.
Always be sure to check the installation specs for your customer’s exact appliance for the option that’s best for them.
As a side note, do you know where to find these “range tops” in 20/20? They are under the Range category in the ROOM_APP catalog.

4. Square  Island  Chimney  Stainless
ALL ABOUT THE HOOD
Square  Island  Chimney  Stainless
With these powerful cooking surfaces, you need to have a pretty substantial hood right? Not only does the OTR not provide enough CFMs, but it also isn’t the greatest look above one of these nice cooking surfaces. 
Choose from one of Decora’s 14 different options for the perfect marriage of beauty and function. We have square hoods, arched hoods, our Artisan hood that was introduced earlier this year and even 2 different stainless hoods. No need to shop somewhere else for a hood and blower. We also have some design ideas for other wood hoods in the back of the book.
Trainer’s Notes:
The predesigned range hoods are not a one and done placement in 20/20 like Thomasville. 14
HOODS TO
CHOOSE FROM

5. HOW THE MICROWAVE TO GET THIS LOOK
Since the microwave is moving away from above the range, we need a new home for it. Most customers are looking for this small, but frequently used appliance, to be hidden, and at a more comfortable height.
Here are some ideas for countertop microwaves.
If you want to hide the micro, you could use a wall cabinet, increased depth, sitting on the counter. You could use a standard pantry and sit it on one of the adjustable shelves.
Another idea would be to order a wall cabinet with the Extended Down Left, Right and Back to create a little “nook” for a countertop microwave.
And last, but not least, would be to use a Wall Vertical Lift cabinet.
If your customer wants to use a built-in microwave, Decora has tall Oven Microwave cabinets with a convenient drawer right below or a variety of base microwave cabinet options.
HOW
TO GET
THIS LOOK

6. OVENS
Moving on from microwave ovens to “regular” ovens. The picture on the left shows how
an oven cabinet may look when using other cabinet lines. Notice the nice extra touch of
the 6” of blank space above and below the appliance. With Decora, you will get a more
custom-fit look, every time.
We ask for cut-out dimensions for each built-in appliance because we do the cut-out in the
factory. This accomplishes 2 main things:
We adjust the size of the doors to reduce flat, unused space. If we can use a standard-sized door, we will. If not, we will do a custom-sized door.
And...the installer will thank you because they don’t have to do it in the field. 
Don’t forget that the oven installation kit is available, as well, to give the installer a clean built in look instead of a choppy/scratched face frame.

7. OVENS Order a 30 ½” wide oven cabinet cut with a 28 ½” wide cut-out
Save money on installation and maximize storage space
Eliminates voiding the warranty when making unauthorized cutouts
Wait, there are more reasons to love Decora! What’s the cut-out for most 30” ovens? Right, 28 ½”W. But what is the max cut-out, for pretty much all brands, for a 30” wide oven cabinet? Right, 28”. So what happens? You end up either going with a 33” which is a bummer because you could use those inches somewhere else OR you chance it and use the 30.” This is also a bummer because it may or may not work, then the entire design is compromised.
Remember that Increased Width we spoke about earlier? Well, here’s where it can really come in handy. Simply order the 30” oven cabinet and increase the width to 30 ½” and now your opening is 28 ½”. Problem solved. 

8. OVENS
One more thing to note before we move off the topic of ovens. When your customers say that they want a double oven. It’s important to find out if they want it for occasional, holiday type cooking or if they want it because they frequently use two ovens. If they plan on using both ovens frequently, consider using two single oven cabinets. This will put each of these two ovens at a more comfortable height. Around 54” at the top.

9. APPLIANCE PANELS
Some customers may want to take built-in to a whole other level, with integrated appliances. These customers are interested in trying to hide the most obvious parts of the kitchen. Aside from stainless, integrated is the second most desired type of appliance in kitchen design. Even though appliance panels are perceived as one of the most challenging parts of a design, Decora makes it easy.
Source: *Houzz Consumer Survey

10. APPLIANCE PANEL PROGRAM
Step 1: Determine the make and model number of the appliance(s).
Step 2: Get the installation specs (not the dimensions).
It’s basically a 5 step “program” and you guys are doing ½ of this already.
Make sure the customer gets you the make and model number before you begin the actual design process. This is critical for the design of the kitchen. Don’t let them give you that “I’m just getting a standard refrigerator.” line.
Once you have that, get the installation specs. So look online for the installation specs. They are usually under manuals. Find the page that describes the custom panels and print that page. Don’t worry it’s easy to spot. That’s what you have in front of you.
Sometimes you may see a drawing like the one in the bottom corner. What this means is
that that particular appliance requires a door, a ¼” skin and a spacer. With other
companies, the installer would have to put all of the pieces together, not to mention supply
their own spacer panel. With Decora…ah ah ah…we assemble the entire thing in the
factory so it’s ready to install. That is something your installers will thank you for.

11. APPLIANCE PANEL PROGRAM
Step 3: Complete the appliance panel form.
Step 4: Fax form and panel installation info.
Step 3: Complete the appliance panel form. This can be copied from the spec book or even better, printed from the online spec in 20/20.
Step 4: Fax the form and the installation instructions (just the panel pages, not the entire file) to Customer Service.

12. YOU’RE DONE! Step 5: Receive the information and enter into 20/20.
Once the form is complete, fax it over to Customer Service along with the panel specs and within 2 days you’ll receive everything you need to order the panels. And…you’re done!

13. OK…let’s review this together.
<Review the form.>
After that hard work, we could all relax right? No, not another break, let’s talk about wine.

14. HOW MORE REFRIGERATOR OPTIONS TO GET THIS LOOK
Sometimes our customers want one of these glass front wine refrigerators that requires some kind of wood frame around it. How have you guys done this in the past? <Ask for responses.>
With Decora, you can use that 3/4SOLID molding we spoke about earlier and profile on all 4 edges, to frame this out in the field.
HOW
TO GET
THIS LOOK

15. HOW MORE REFRIGERATOR OPTIONS TO GET THIS LOOK
Before we move away from refrigerators, here’s a very common “challenge” when designing around refrigerators. You end up with a small gap between the refrigerator and the refrigerator wall cabinet. Decora offers so many solutions to reduce this gap and hide the bottom of that wall cabinet.
In other lines you would probably have to add a filler or a valance there, but what does that do? It creates a seam AND you have to pay the installer to install it.
But with Decora, you could:
Use modify the wall cabinet with bottom valance rail (BVR) modification. You can increase the 1 ½” rail at the bottom another 3 ½” in ¼” increments. This increases the overall height of the cabinet by extending the frame down, not by increasing the interior dimension of the cabinet.
If you want to gain more inside the cabinet, you can always do an Increased Height option and bring the cabinet as close to the refrigerator as possible.
You could even order that 3/4SOLID material we spoke about earlier and profile the front and make a custom valance that will match the profile of the door style!
HOW
TO GET
THIS LOOK

16. Defining Decorá
Question #1 – How does a designer fit a 30” double oven into a 30” Decorá double oven cabinet?
a. Order a 33”W oven cabinet
b. Increase width modification to 30-1/2”
c. 30”W cabinet, a filler and a prayer
d. Suggest a 48”W Viking range
Question #2 – What is the #1 requirement that you must provide before ordering a Decorá oven or microwave cabinet?
a. Door style and finish
b. Master Design Review Approval
c. Supply the appliance manufacturer’s cut out dimension
d. Have the customer sign a disclaimer form
Question #3 – Name the five (5) steps to ordering a decorative appliance panel:
a. Determine the make/model number of the appliance
b. Get the installation specs (not the dimensions)
c. Complete the appliance panel form
d. Fax the form and panel installation specs
e. Receive the information and enter into 2020. .

17. THINK Level 5 Complete DIFFERENTLY DECORA MASTERBRAND CABINETS
Good morning / afternoon everyone! We just saw most of you at the recent Vendor Training Events, but unlike those events, today is dedicated completely to Decora.
Before we get started, <Introductions>
When a customer walks into your showroom for the first time and asks you to tell the differences amongst the brands, how many of you would describe Decora as “high-end?” What do you think your customers think when they hear “high end?” <Will probably hear “expensive.> Absolutely. We all do. But that’s not necessarily true.
Our goals today are to 1) reinforce what we already know about Decora, 2) share some new ways to utilize Decora and 3) focus on how we can qualify our customers properly in Decora. How we can think differently about this amazing line.
Speaking of thinking differently. Let’s start off with a little creative thinking exercise.
DECORA
MASTERBRAND CABINETS