In the kitchen and bath industry, Janice Costa is best known as long-time editor of Kitchen & Bath Design News, as well as author of “Grand Master Baths” and co-author of the humorous yet practical guide to kitchen remodeling, “Everything and the Kitchen Sink: Remodel Your Kitchen Without Losing Your Mind.” Among family, however, she is better remembered for such childhood kitchen disasters as setting her first Easy-Bake Oven on fire and melting socks in the microwave during a broken dryer emergency (who knew that socks could actually melt?).

But despite a few early kitchen mishaps, Janice has developed a deep and abiding respect for the role of the kitchen as the true “heart of the home.” Good design isn’t just a luxury, she’s quick to point out; it’s something that vastly improves people’s quality of life. In fact, for those who think design is merely superficial, she is quick to cite a worldwide kitchen survey, which showed a direct correlation between people’s satisfaction with their kitchen and their overall happiness. Recognizing this, she has made it her mission to help others find their design bliss.

As editor of Kitchen & Bath Design News, the industry’s leading kitchen and bath design magazine, she is uniquely keyed into the design world, thanks to an intimate rapport with her monthly readership of design professionals—a readership that encompasses more than 55,000 kitchen and bath dealers, designers, remodelers, architects and builders.

Janice has been interviewed about trends in the design industry by CNN, HGTV.com, USA Today, the LA Times, U.S. News & World Report, the Chicago Sun-Times, Woman’s Day, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, the New York Times, and a host of other publications.

A well-known writer, editor, speaker, and industry presence for over a decade, Janice has spoken at regional and national industry events, home shows, and educational forums. She has served on a variety of industry trend panels and product manufacturer advisory boards, both in the U.S. and abroad, addressing design, product, and color trends. She has acted as a judge for both national and international kitchen and bath design contests, including Woman’s Day Best New Kitchen and Bath Products competition, Delta Faucet’s “Just Say Wow!” contest, and London’s Bathrooms + Kitchens Magazine “Designer of the Year” competition, among others, and has edited numerous design books developed by the National Kitchen & Bath Association.

Janice has also written on a variety of lifestyle topics from wine to fine chocolates, and her work has been published in Cosmopolitan, Good Living, Changing Homes, Qualified Remodeler, Newsday and numerous other publications. When she’s not writing, Janice is active in the Therapy Dog program, training and certifying therapy dogs to visit hospitals, libraries, nursing homes, hospices and other venues. A Cornell University graduate, she lives in New York.