A seasoned kitchen and bath consultant with over 25 years of stone fabrication expertise shares her journey from family business to founding In The Bag Kitchen & Bath Consulting, bridging the gap between DIY homeowners and professional contractors through personalized design consultation.
Influential Woman · Stone Color and Finish Design Consulting
Alisha Barbuito
Design Consultant/Owner, In The Bag Kitchen & Bath Consulting
East Haven, CT 06513
1Article published
Her Story
About Alisha
Alisha Barbuito is a design consultant and entrepreneur with over 26 years of hands-on experience in the stone industry, specializing in natural stone, kitchen, and bath design. She owns her own consulting business in East Haven, Connecticut, where she helps clients coordinate countertops, cabinets, tile, flooring, paint, hardware, and finishes into cohesive spaces. Alisha began working in the stone fabrication industry at 18, joining her father’s business making kitchen and bathroom countertops. She worked alongside him until she was 45. Her father has been in the industry for over 45 years and used to cut slabs with a Skilsaw and create decorative edges with a belt grinder. To Alisha, he is the absolute definition of old-school craftsmanship.
Working alongside him for so many years, she learned things no course could ever teach. He taught her how to really look at stone; to understand its limitations, pay attention to the way a slab flows, think through seam placement, and notice the little details that can make or break a finished project. More importantly, he taught her to care about the person on the other side of the project and to treat every project with the same care she would give her own. Alisha knows the ins and outs of natural stone and quartz slabs, including their composition, hardness, and installation limitations. She understands how they fit into a kitchen and has developed an eye for making a kitchen design flow. She even learned to polish edges by hand and program machinery. Her role included running the showroom and office, doing design work, and sourcing materials for clients. From estimates and material orders to contracts and invoicing, she had a hand in nearly every part of the business. Somewhere along the way, what started as a job became something she loved. She developed her own eye for color, finishes, and design, learning how even the smallest choice can change the way an entire room comes together, all while working beside her father. He is well-known in the industry, and Alisha is proud to have built a name for herself as well.
The idea for her own business came after a larger company bought her father’s business. After spending time at home caring for her child, Alisha made the difficult decision to leave. During that time, she helped a longtime client with his kitchen, which made her realize she could start something beautiful of her own. That was the beginning of In The Bag Kitchen & Bath Consulting. Drawing on her extensive knowledge, Alisha saw an opportunity to help homeowners and contractors’ clients who struggle with decisions during a renovation. She sees her business as a sweet spot between DIY and full-service interior design, where clients pay only for the services they need. One of the most valuable services she offers contractors and cabinet companies is accompanying clients to slab yards, helping them choose stone that works with their layout while considering the details that could otherwise delay a project. With more than 26 years of experience, she brings a combination of practical stone knowledge and design guidance to this specialized area of consulting.
Alisha loves bringing beautiful spaces together and putting her creativity to work. She describes herself as approachable rather than overly formal. She loves beautiful things, but she also loves real homes, real budgets, and helping people create spaces where they truly want to spend time. That work brings her happiness, and she looks forward to continuing the journey she started with her father while building something of her own.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Alisha
01What do you attribute your success to?
Wholeheartedly, my father. His work ethic, attention to detail and pride in his craft was the foundation of my industry upbringing. Quality was never sacrificed for time or price. Most clients left our showroom feeling like they were part of our family and very confident in their decision to go to contract with us.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Treat every job as if it were your own. Educate your clients and don't just sell them a beautiful product. Help them understand everything that goes into it from start to finish.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Always believe in your expertise and abilities. May what be right for one client may not work for another and that's okay. Everything is not always unicorns and rainbows, if it was that easy, everyone would do it! Keep at it, stay strong and always keep pushing forward.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is helping homeowners sort through all the choices out there. Between social media, design trends, and endless material options, it's easy to love individual pieces but struggle to make them work together within a budget. With stone especially, there is more to consider than color. A beautiful slab needs to work with the kitchen's layout and material limitations deserve attention before decisions are finalized. I see a real opportunity to bridge the gap between doing everything yourself and hiring a full-service interior designer. Through my business, I offer guidance on the specific decisions clients need help with, from slab selection to coordinating tile, cabinet finishes and paint. My years in the stone industry allow me to bring both a design eye and practical knowledge to those conversations. It's also an opportunity to support contractors by helping their clients make coordinated selections earlier, reducing last minute changes and keeping projects moving.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values with what I do hands down is attention to detail and caring about the clients I am helping. My father taught me to treat every project with the same care I would give my own home, and that will always stay with me. I also believe in sharing my knowledge. After so many years in the stone industry, details that seem obvious to me may be things a homeowner has never considered. Helping them understand the process and feel confident in their decisions is one of the most rewarding parts of my work.
As far as personal life values, the most important will always be family. Family is at the heart of my life. Being a mom to my son shapes what matters most to me; showing up for the people I love, working hard, and treating others with kindness and honesty. I value time together and a good laugh. My dog, Briggs, is absolutely part of the family, and coffee is a daily essential. While coffee may not technically be a personal value, I feel it deserves an honorable mention.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Alisha
The Business I'm Building, the Lessons I'm Keeping
From Stone Fabrication to Kitchen Design: How 25+ Years of Craftsmanship Inspired a New Business Venture
Since I was 18 years old, I have worked in the stone fabrication industry for my father’s business, making kitchen and bathroom countertops. I worked alongside him until I was 45 years old. My father has been in the industry for over 45 years and used to cut slabs with a skill saw and make decorative edges with a belt grinder. He is the absolute definition of old-school craftsmanship.
Working alongside him for that long, he taught me things that no course could ever teach. He taught me how to really look at stone, how to understand its limitations, pay attention to the way a slab flows, think through seam placement, and notice all the little details that can make or break a finished project. More importantly, he taught me to care about the person on the other side of the project and to treat every project with the same care I would give my own.
I know the ins and outs of natural stone and quartz slabs, including their composition and hardness, how they fit into a kitchen, how to make a kitchen design flow just by eye, and what the limitations are when it comes to installation processes. I even learned to polish edges by hand myself and program machinery.
My role was to run the showroom and office, do design work, and source materials for all of our clients. I did estimates, ordered materials, handled contracts and invoicing—you name it, I did it. Somewhere along the way, what started as a job became something I genuinely loved. I developed my own eye for color, finishes, and design. I learned just how much the smallest choice can change the way an entire room comes together, all while I got to be next to my father doing it.
He is very well known in our industry, and I can say that I also built a name for myself, which I am very proud of.
My business idea came to me after a larger company had to buy my father’s business. After being home to care for my child, I had to make the tough decision to leave. During my time at home, I helped a very old client of mine with his kitchen, and that is what made me realize I could start something beautiful of my own.
That is where In The Bag Kitchen & Bath Consulting was born.
Because of my extensive knowledge, I felt like I could bridge the gap for homeowners and contractor clients who have a tough time making decisions when doing a home renovation. I consider my new business a sweet spot between DIY and full-fledged interior design, where clients only pay for the services they need.
One of my biggest selling points to contractors and cabinet companies is that I can assist clients when going to a slab yard to ensure that what they pick fits their layout and takes all the variables into consideration that could delay a project. I feel like this is a little niche that has not been touched upon because many people my age do not have over 25 years of experience under their belts.
I love making beautiful spaces come together and getting my creative juices going. I’m definitely not the overly formal designer type. I love beautiful things, but I also love real homes, real budgets, and helping people create a space they truly want to spend time in.
It is what brings me happiness, and I want to continue the journey I started with my father and build from it. When he retires, the big joke is that he can come work for me now!
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