RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2026
20
experts who are not affiliated with DPHA or any of its members. We
extend our gratitude and thanks to this year's panel:
• Alena Capra is an interior designer with 20 years of industry
experience and the owner of the highly sought-after Fort Lauderdale,
FL-based firm Alena Capra Designs. Beyond her work as a designer,
she is an on-air television personality, sharing her design expertise
on local and national TV, on design-related educational videos, and
at home shows, showroom openings, and other industry events.
• Eliot Sefrin is the founding editor and longtime publisher of
Kitchen & Bath Design News, which marked its 42nd year of
publishing in 2025 and is widely considered the leading magazine
serving kitchen and bath design professionals. Sefrin has spent
most of his career in media covering the kitchen and bath industry,
serving as KBDN's editorial director and publisher from 1994–2011.
He currently serves as publisher emeritus for KBDN and its parent
company, SOLA Group Inc., which also publishes KBDN's sister
magazines, Qualified Remodeler and Residential Design.
• Alissa Ponchione has worked in trade journalism for most of her
career, writing for Nightclub & Bar, and Hotel News Now. She
currently serves as executive editor of Hospitality Design magazine,
a leading publication in the hospitality industry. She has a degree
in journalism from Ohio University and a master's in literature from
American University.
DPHA 2024 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
BATHROOM FIXTURE
FURNITURE
KITCHEN FIXTURE
ACCESSORY
Native Trails – Arcata
Hastings Bath Collection – Etoile
Brizo – The Frank Lloyd Wright® Kitchen Collection by Brizo
®
Vibe and Harmony Grab Bars – LiveVale
