KCB Boiler Room Live! "Giving Back" Panel Discussion

KCB Boiler Room Live! "Giving Back" Panel Discussion

On June 11th, we hosted a panel discussion titled, “Giving Back,” where we invited leaders in Boston’s build-design community to share their stunning stories on what they are doing to make the world a better place. It was so inspirational that we wanted to make it available for streaming. Julie Arcari, of Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting, Patty Watson, of Taste Design Inc. in Middletown, RI, and Paul Reidt, of Kochman Reidt + Haigh Cabinetmakers, made up the panel, with Kevin moderating. Julie Arcari, of Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting, shared how she and her family wanted to make sure their team could afford homes and enjoy a secure life. What she calls a “sort of extension” of this care led to a focus on girls of their weavers who were being denied an education in Afghanistan. Over the years her fundraising to support the schooling formalized into the “5 Under 40” event, with partner New England Home, raising almost $700,000 for Barakat Inc, the organization making it happen. Additional charitable partnerships with Sola: School of Leadership Afghanistan, and GoodWeave have followed. Patty Watson, of Taste Design Inc., spoke of her team’s practice of finishing their projects with original art and how this positioned the firm to identify a unique way they could change the lives of artists: creating an artist-in-residency program within their own office space. Over the course of the year-long placement, they introduce the artist to their community, including their clients. They also get granular, covering “how to price…present…[and] frame their work.” Unexpected was the transformation of her team, where they are now very comfortable “recommending…brokering…and commissioning art and doing really custom pieces for their clients.” To date “500 clients, 75 art placements, and 35 commissioned pieces” have been made, with each commissioned piece representing at least one year of work. Paul Reidt, of Kochman Reidt + Haigh Cabinetmakers, as well as the founder of the long-running B/A/D Talks, shared how he founded this discussion series because at the time, there wasn’t a program where builders, architects, and designers could get together in such a way. In addition, Paul mentioned building a space on his own property for people seeking medical care in the Boston area, most of whom are families seeking care for their children, with stays often lasting for months. But he opened his portion of the panel by praising North Bennet Street School, of which he is a long-time board member. He reminded the audience that the School is the oldest trade school in the country that started as a “settlement house during a period of heavy immigration…to provide the means of transitioning to a new world for people,” including not just trade skills but language instruction and a social component, too. He also spoke eloquently of how “there’s not been enough value put on what we call ‘hand trades.’”  Kevin moderated the panel but also took some time to share his own stories of giving over the years. He began with the importance of storysharing, acknowledging the importance of how those who give need to share how they do it so they can not only inspire others but share how these programs originated and were carried out. He spoke of the work he’s done with the ICAA, Historic New England, BRAGB, IFDA, PRO New England, Boston Preservation Alliance, and more, in trying to connect them to his world. The educational outreach taking place in the Boiler Room, such as the Boiler Room Breakfast Club and Coffee & Cabinets events, are another way Cradock gives back. Pro-bono work with the Eliot School, Loring Greenough House, and the Wellesley ABC home were mentioned. He closed with the simple message: “Find something that connects with your values and contribute.” Original date of panel: 6/11/26 Media partner: New England Home

Cecilia Casagrande Discusses Thoughtful Design And Its Limits

“Big box design” bothers Cecilia Casagrande and was at the top of her mind when she sat down with us in the Boiler Room to let us get to know her better. Hotels in London and holidays in the English countryside, backpacking in Europe and Africa, growing up on Long Island and Brooklyn and that one time she partied with Depeche Mode—Cecilia has had a wild, storied life. She’s a sorta fearless, ambitious go-getter who’s hung her hat in the quiet of Brookline. With a Master’s in social work, she spent years in service. The lure of design and its ability to channel this wondrous world into intimate spaces was eventually too much. She quit her job, changed her name, hung up a shingle, and hasn’t looked back. What an amazing conversation!

Cory Gans Discusses Interiors, Architecture, and His Dad’s Hammer

Designer Cory Gans approached us back in 2025 with an idea for a panel discussion that involved a focus on the service industry. It was an amazing night of discussion. We recently had him back into the Boiler but this time to talk about himself! Quickly, we learned that Cory’s father was very much like Kevin, a furniture maker, carpenter, and general contractor with a family of kids—and this is the story of Cory growing up—who would often find themselves in the shop and eventually on building sites, taking it all in. We also heard of the time that Cory had to fetch his dad’s hammer out of a harbor. All these experiences have informed Cory as he approaches both construction and design at Planeta Design Group.  As for mixtape stories, Cory is young enough where CDs were his medium, although a combination of D batteries and a very long extension cord were essentials for his lineup that ranged from Mariah Carey, Dua Lipa, Adele, and Biggie Smalls while growing up in New Jersey.

Manny Makkas Discusses The Family Business

We’ve been lucky to work with Manny Makkas of Makkas Workroom on numerous projects. He’s a supporter of and familiar face at our Boiler Room events, as well. We were excited to have Manny in to hear more of his origin story and got a full-on odyssey. His story is THE Greek American immigration story. Incredible lows, highs, love, music, and a very strong family and community that explains so much of his success. Manny is an incredible storyteller who’s not afraid to get intimate. And after this episode, you won’t be able to listen to Pearl Jam the same way again.

Steve Payne Discusses Boston’s Historical Carpentry Scene

Last year we were lucky to have Steve Payne of Payne|Buchier Builders on a panel discussion titled “Preservation Vs. Performance,” and we wanted to bring him back to the Boiler Room to revisit two moments—which we played recordings of on the boombox.  We also wanted to hear his origin story–which is amazing! In his youth, Steve hitchhiked across the country doing all sorts of jobs in pursuit of actualizing the knowledge he learned from both his father and his Hampshire College geology professor. This fellow woodworker and mountain climber proved to be a major influence on Steve. Steve’s life is also reflective of deep, life-long friendships and profound love, with an acerbic, hair-trigger wit that always brings a laugh or elevates a story. We were blown away with how much of Steve’s story IS the history of Boston’s lumber and woodworking scene. With a start at Downes Lumber, the first company to deliver with a horseless carriage, and continuing at Dixon Brothers, Steve eventually opened up Payne|Bouchier. Kevin also knew and worked with many of this generation who have long passed, so it was a welcomed and heartfelt trip down memory lane. Musically, Steve’s a blues man and has been lucky to see many of these greats live, including in Boston’s historic jazz clubs which have come and gone. Lightnin’ Hopkins, Johnny Copeland, and Delta were some of the legends he mentioned, along with the time he saw B.B. King, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley live on the Common.