Small Space: Creating Value

In the past having a small property was a detriment to your real estate investment. Now, with the move towards simplifying, downsizing, retiring and vacationing, small properties can have a definate advantage. An experience designer can help you make the most of your real estate investment.

Here are some things to consider that will create value to a small property.

Location:

• A room with a view is a positive feature for a small property. An expansive view can make a small space feel larger. A designer will accentuate the view making it the focal point of the space.
• Cultural rich city. Being in close proximity to dining, arts and entertainment gives a small space a definate advantage. A designer will help you diffuse city noise.
• Nature: Being able to escape into nature via long walks through the park, lounging at the beach or fishing at the lake, being close to nature is prime real estate. A designer has tricks to bringing the outside -in.

Storage and Style:

• Purchasing or updating a small property with built-ins and storage options as well as providing multi-purpose rooms is a resale perk. A designer can custom design built-in storage and closet systems for the property. Buyers can definately see the value of a small home with built-ins and lots of storage.
• Paint. It's true, a fresh coat of paint goes a long way - nuetral is better as people want to visualize their own style in the space. One of my secrets is to paint the cieling the same color as the walls creating a seamless space.
• Product. Having the latests upgrades is important. Counters should be at 36" high. Tile should be updated or glazed. Fixtures, including plumbing and lighting should be updated. Cabinets and built-in's should appear rich and expensive. An interior designer can create concept and cohesion in a space.

Amenities:

• Purchasing in a development or community that is rich in amenities will definately pay off. Pools, hot tubs, exercise facilities, walking and bicycle paths, and covered parking are benefits with advantage. Your realtor can guide you through the process of finding the perfect community.

Retirement Perks: Downsizing

By looking at downsizing as a perk of retirement rather than a necessity, you will have a much better frame of mind going forward.

Converting from a large home to a smaller home - or, no home at all in the case of travellers, takes a lot of thought, effort and dedication. Let's face it if you are not dedicated to your new mantra of "less is more" you will soon acquire new "stuff".

The New Home:

Location! Location! Location! Evaluate how you want to live and this will help you decide where you want to live.

For example, if you dont want to cook anymore, living in an area with a wide range of restaurant choices would be a essential factor in determining where you want to live. Also, you would no longer need a large kitchen. However, if you dream of living out in the country with no neighbors and a long trek into town you would need lots of pantry storage and a working kitchen. Both options can save you money in different ways.

When downsizing to your new home every room should have purpose, be utilized daily and be multi-purpose if possible. No more unused "formal" spaces. A great room provides, seating, viewing and dining all in one space. You can sit in your living space, watch television and have a table and chairs for dining all in one area. An extra bedroom should be multi-purpose. You can use if for tv and office, or guest room and office, or even guest room, office and tv/reading. Built-in storage and shelving, as well as a murphy bed or sleeper-sofa will be great investments.

Converting a closet to a computer credenza makes good sense and is much more useful. Creating and making the most of built-in storage and shelving systems will utilize volume of space from floor to ceiling. Creating storage is a vital component of downsizing as well as employing the volume of the space.

If you decide that you will travel during the first part of your retirement years you may decide that puting everything in a climate-controlled storage facility makes more sense and saves money. So what do you put in storage? Only the basics, items you will need/want when you are ready to move into a home again. Basic furniture items, kitchen items and mementos you cant part with, bed and bath items. You may find that many of the items you couldn't bare to part with in the beginning don't hold the same importance to you after you've been travelling and living without them for so long.

Perks of Downsizing: You are living your newly designed lifestyle. Less cooking. Less cleaning. Less maintaining. More dining. More relaxing. More freedom.

Purging and Clearing the Clutter:

It took many years to collect everything in your home. Many of those items hold emotional ties. Downsizing means you must re-evaluate and let go of many of your belongings. Some things will be easy and you will laugh at how silly it seems now to have held onto them for so long. Others will be extremely difficult to let go of.

First of all, it is best to ask children and family members if they want any of the items you are considering getting rid of. Your children may want old photos, heirlooms and furniture or yard maintenance items. I have listened to many stories of family members who are fighting over items they want as mementos of their parents once they have passed on. Why not give them those items now while you are still with them. Whatever items your family members dont want you need to respect and understand that your tastes are not theirs. You enjoyed the collection and that's what's important. Now you can look at the items as good investments - by selling these items at a garage sale you are making money that you can invest with.

Photo's: Keep a few family photos, the rest can be scanned and copied onto disc's and disc's can be copied and distributed to family members.

Clothing: Do not store clothing. Evaluate what you will need and use, and get rid of the rest.

Furniture: Keep only what you will use and wont become outdated. Pass on heirloom pieces, sell or donate the rest.

Holiday/Seasonal items: Keep one small box of your favorite things, distribute the rest among younger family members with small children and big homes! Your future holidays will be spent travelling or visiting family.

Collections: This is the hardest to get rid of. My best advice: Use, Donate, Sell.

Perks to Purging: You have addressed the issues of who gets what. You are freeing yourself of possessions. You have freedom to move.

Downsizing Pets?!

Yes it's true. When I moved into a larger home four years ago we had two hampsters, two finches, two cats and one medium sized dog. Well, hampsters get tumors and finches have a short life span. As the beloved pets passed on, I passed a new house rule - no more caged animals. Seeing how I was the only person cleaning the cages this was easy for me. We still have the cats and the dog but I inform my kids - regularly it seems - that when they move out they are taking their pets with them. By carefully planning the future, I will have only a small lap pet during my retirement, one that can travel with me, otherwise, I will have no pets at all.

Perks for downsizing pets: Less mess. Small space = small pets. Freedom to travel.

Downsizing provides more time, more money, more freedom and less burdens. Downsizing is indeed a retirement perk!

Symplify and Save Big

Let's face it the grass always looks greener on the other side - or across the street. In my case the thought of a larger house for our growing family was very enticing. Now, only four years later, I yearn for my previous smaller-more-efficient home where every inch was utilized and had purpose. Never did I consider the fact that many of the rooms in the new home are hardly ever used (formal living room, formal dining room, guest room). Or, what it would take to clean such a large place. I hardly ever see my kids because they have most of what they need in their bedrooms.

Being an interior designer, I often get calls from realtors inquiring about staging properties with furniture until the property sells. I soon realized that I have enough extra furniture and accessories in my own house that I can actually stage a small two bedroom condo!

As the kids get older and will soon be on their own, I am beginning to evaluate my belongings and wonder what their purpose will be in the future. I'm fairly certain my kids wont find my extensive shot glass collection of any sentimental value when they move out. Also, having acquired my mother's antique dining suite, I am fairly certain my kids wont want any of my furniture when they move out either.

Therefore, I am now retraining my thought process when I make a purchase. Although I have always been a true believer in "retail therapy" I must now consider: 1) why am I purchasing this item 2) what is the life expectancy of the item 3) do I really need it? 4) is it something my kids would want in the future? 5) what will it cost to maintain it? After asking myself these important questions I probably wont actually purchase many of the things I considered purchasing. I figure I will save a few hundred dollars every month by eliminating unnecessary items.

By trading my large home for a smaller-but-well-designed home, I will save thousands of dollars a month in mortgage, insurance, property taxes and utilities!

The light bulb is on and the horses are out! I'm loving this already! Heck, if I lose 15 pounds I already have a fairly new wardrobe waiting in my closet! I can afford to vacation AND look good! Simplifying does make perfect sense.

Small Spaces: Built-ins are a Blessing

The interest to downsize or simplify one's lifestyle has been gaining in popularity. Especially now, when baby boomers are beginning to retire and re-evaluate their current lifestyle and learning how to transition into their future lifestyle. I believe that built-in storage and shelving is critical to the successful transition to a smaller space.

Let's face it, when moving from a large space to a smaller space, somethings got to go. But having a well-planned space to move into will make life so much easier. Built-in storage and shelving is a key component to a well-planned space.

Use that space. I'm talking volume. From floor to ceiling, use every inch. A thoughtful layout will be functional and beautiful. Open shelving combined with closed cabinets and drawers, multiple levels, room for art and accessories as well as storage for paperwork and utility items.

For example, in the master bedroom, under the bed storage is great for keeping wrapping paper, seasonal clothing and items such as skis. A thoughtfully designed built-in closet system will utilize the space so much better than your standard shelf and rod. Built-in closet systems can provide additional drawer space, room for shoes, hats, and purses. Tie and belt racks are a great addition for your closet. You will save time with an organized closet by finding what you need when you need it, and your things will last longer if they are stored nicely rather than in a heap.

How about turning an unused hall closet into a built-in computer credenza that can be closed up and out of sight when not in use! Also, built-in benches with seats that can be lifted up are an excellent way to store extra blankets and bedding or boxes of photos.

An extra bedroom can have multiple uses by incorporating a murphy bed system that integrates built-in storage or a corner desk thereby providing space for office work or a t.v room as well as space for guests.

Hiring an expert that has fresh insight to your needs and can custom design the perfect solution will ease your burden and free up your time so that you can get to the task at hand - purging unused items.

Can I score points for sticking with my business?!

OMG! Cant I just score a few points for sticking with my business?! In this crazy economy where businesses are shutting down left and right I have to say that it is driving me crazy that I keep getting phone calls from previous friends, clients and business associates who want me to join their (yes) MLM (multi-level marketing) business! Good, Golly, Gosh, people! (my daughters favorite saying) If I'm going to put my efforts somewhere it's going to be where I find my passion, not where "supposedly" I can make a great career out of selling people on the latest fad! Wake up! Even Amway isnt around anymore! I'm not 20, I've been around to see many friends put their money and efforts into these endeavors. I'm not one of them, I want to love what I do, I am talented, I have passion, I went to school, I have a degree, I give back to my community, I am happy at MY career choice! I love my friends, but dont cross the line and mix the relationship. Those who know me, know that I am good at what I do and that I love what I do. Don't try to lead me down a different path. You gave up on your career, don't expect me to do the same.

Disturbing Mortgage Trend

It seems that lately I keep talking to people who are ready and willing to walk away from their mortgages and face foreclosure - I can't blame them. Last year we all faced rising insurance rates coupled with higher property taxes. That, along with the fact that here in Florida many of us are in businesses that are affected by the real estate market so we've had to go through 1 - 2 years of a seriousely depressed market. Today I spoke with one person who had an invesment property that has been for sale for well over a year, she is now dipping into her retirement savings to make the mortgage payment. We both agreed that there will come a point - sooner than later - when the retirement money will be more important than the condo and she says that when that time comes "the bank can have it back." Another person has her house up for sale because her husband is being transfered, she has it priced well below market and is even willing to take a loss to sell it but it no one is even looking at it. I myself saw a nice house for rent close to mine that is on a canal with a boat dock for half of what I pay for my mortgage, and the lawn and pool care are included! Oh, too just call the landlord when something needs fixing.....! Right now home ownership is overrated!

Slow in Sarasota

Wow! I have to say that this slow economy is finally on my doorstep. I usually receive many more calls than I have been during the month of October. However, I have learned from the past that when times are slow you take advantage of the opportunity to review your business plan, make changes, reassess what you are doing to get customers and think of new ways to get customers and make new contacts. So, that's what I've been doing.

Some of the changes I've made are where I network. For four years I have belonged to the Longboat Key Chamber and I have done all my networking there. For a short time I belonged to Sarasota Young Professionals but found that it was not "professional" at all. People told me years ago that I should attract business from Lakewood Ranch and although I had a couple of customers from there, I've never actually "tried" to get business from that area. Well now is different. For a small fee I was able to join Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance. A large group of businesses operating in LWR. I am really happy with the value of this membership. I am able to attend luncheon's and after-hours networking events where 200 people and more show up! It operates as well as any chamber in the area. Also, during my business evaluation I decided that I wanted to attract international clients so I joined Sarasota Sister Cities and Sarasota Association of Realtors. I haven't done much with either so far. Right now I think I will focus on the Sar. Sister Cities since many members have the same mindset as me. SAR hasnt impressed me much so far.

I've also placed ads in newspapers offering a wider range of services and holiday decorating. I've found that people ask their housekeepers and pool guys to care for their property while they're away and so I've decided to offer discounted property management services. So, I'm still focusing on Longboat Key, but I've recently added Lakewood Ranch as a viable area to establish my services as well.

As I mentioned above, I recently started offering Holiday Decorating services and my ad should come out next Thursday. I hope that it is well received as this would be a very fun outlet for my creativity. I love decorating my own house and have 3 trees and an extensive ornament collection. I also mentioned in the ad that I would do businesses as well.

Well the main point is that I've put a lot of effort and energy into finding new business and in my mind you cant put that much energy into something without it paying off in the end. I recently saw a special on CNBC in which Donald Trump was the guest and one of his points about being successful in your business is to "Be Tenacious!" and that's something that is sticking with me and will be part of my mantra!

Hotel of the Future: Posieden Mystery Island

I was one of the lucky people at the HD Boutique show in South Beach last week to attend the semninar on Radical Innovations. There were 4 innovative hotel design projects highlighted for this seminar. The story boards for all four were located outside the meeting room where attendees could browse each project before entering the seminar. Two hotel projects were honorable mentions and the other two were the finalists for a $5,000 award that was granted at the end of the seminar based on the results of the participants votes.

The Posiedon Undersea Resort was the winner of the award and rightly so. A lot of thought has gone into this hotel design including ways to float this underwater hotel above a coral reef.

The French designer, Jean-Claude Carme started out building submarine parts and also worked with Jaque Cousteau. The concepts that go into submarine design are what drive this hotel design. The rooms are pods that are bouyant and float above the coral reef located beneath it. The rooms are a spacious 550 s.f. each. and boast all the amenities you would expect from a 5 star resort. There is also an underwater restaurant. And, guests can pilot their own 3 person submarine!

The hotel is yet to be built but already has 12,000 guests waiting at $15,000 per person per night. Guests can only stay 2 nights underwater and the rest of the week in a hotel on the resorts privatey owned island located in Fijian waters.

How safe is it? Well, shortly after purchasing the island a Tsunami occured nearby as a result of an underwater earthquake. The owners soon learned that a deep trench undersea provided a barrier so that the wave from the tsunami was weakened before reaching the island resulting in just a 3" wave by the time it reached shore.

To learn more about this exciting resort visit their website at http://www.poseidonresorts.com/

Eco-Friendly products

Having gone to two trade shows in two and half weeks that had to do with interior design products I was impressed that there is much more emphasis placed on eco-friendly products, procedures and projects.

Products

I spoke with a wallcovering manufacturer who told me that the way they have addressed the issue is by letting the buyers return the unused product for recycling. The manufacturer will recycle the wallcovering rather than having it put in the trash.

There are new eco-friendly foams for bedding and pillows also. Low voc paints that we can use in our homes and businesses.

Most of us now know of eco-friendly flooring products such as bamboo and cork.

There is a conference on Green + Design in Atlanta on October 1-2 with 4 distinct areas of design; Commercial, Hospitality, Retail and Residential. There will be seminars directed at each of these distinct areas as well as product exhibits. To learn more about this conference and expo you can visit http://www.greendesignexpo.com/.

Practices

Not only are there products available to the consumer that are eco-friendly, there are aslo practices that businesses can put in place that are environmentally friendly. For example, restaurants can opt to put practices into place such as sorting recyclables from garbage and composting food waste. They can choose products wrapped in non-bleached papers and they can pressure suppliers to use packaging that is less harmful to the environment. They can also put symbols next to the items on their menus that are eco-friendly like vegetarian items.

Retail showrooms can use more effecient lighting and bulbs, and again eco friendly packaging.

Commercial offices can use light harvesting techniques, purchase furniture that is eco-friendly with little or no off-gasing, and cooling with water features.

Consumers can help by placing an emphasis on frequenting establishments that make a consious effort to go-green.

Projects

I attended a seminar at the HD Boutique trade show in South Beach titled Radical Design. There were two finalists that had created innovative hotel design projects and were trying to win a $5,000 prize for their ideas. The runners up were Carly Cannell and Linda Wallack of Weetu Corp, a new company that was formed just 1 month prior to the contest. These two women came up with the idea to radically redesign exhisting road-side motels/hotels of the 50's and 60's with a decidedly retro themed brand called the MoMotel. Their intent was to remodel existing motels rather than tear them down completely. They would reconfigure the floorplans to offer 3 different sizes, create an experience for budget concious travelers and use eco-friendly products. You can learn more about their concept by visiting www.goweetu.com.

Un-Branding: The New Trend

I attended the HD Boutique show in South Beach last week and one interesting trend that came out of it is "un-branding". The reason behind it is this, some chain hotels or lodging venues and chain restaurants are exactly the same no matter what their location is. You know exactly what it's going to look like. P.F. Changs restaurant is a good example, I love this restaurant and I know exactly what it's going to look like no matter if I'm in Tampa, Naples or Orlando. The same goes for lodging, there are numerous hotel chains that offer the same design in every city.

"A brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to the product and serves to create associations and expectations around it." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/brand. Business owners have been told for years to create a brand association for their products. Indeed, Starwood Hotels just hired their new CEO Frits van Paasschen, based on his branding experience - he has no lodging experience. I happen to be a member of Starwood resorts. I know that when I stay in at any Sheraton I will sleep on a SweetSleeper bed, heck, I bought the Marriott Bed and all it's bedding after staying at a Marriott Renaisance resort! I remember staying at a Westin resort and all the sand in the ashtrays were stamped with a symbolic "W".

So what's all the talk about un-branding now? Not to worry, your marketing dollars did not go to waste. Un-branding is about giving the location or setting of the venue much more consideration in the design. Restauranteur Jeffrey Chodorow, of China Grill and Social restaurants, spoke to us about taking the important elements that you find in both Social restaurants; game room, pool table, lounge seating, etc and keeping those elements but creating a design that is site specific and takes in the elements of its surroundings. Karen Daroff of Daroff Designs said the same thing when she spoke of spa design. When creating a new restaurant or spa or hotel regardless of whether you've created your own "brand" aesthetic, the design of the space should encompass the key elements of it's surroundings; mountains, desert, red rock canyons, water, white sand beaches. Miami = Art Deco, beaches, water, Arizona = desert, cactus, Idaho= mountains, stone, evergreen trees. Indeed Social in Miami is white on white, with chrome and clean lines. Social in Hollywood is actually Morrocon inspired. But in every Social restaurant you will find a game area and pool table and other elements connected with being in a Social restaurant.

What they are saying is keep the elements that are unique to your brand, but give leeway for designing for the location. A white on white, with chrome contemporary restaurant in the wild, wild west desert of Arizona would feel out of place. Wouldnt it be great if your destination hotel was designed with the destination itself in mind? If the hotel sprung from the landscape.

HD Boutique Show in South Beach

I attend the HD Boutique show in Miami every year. I love hospitality design and since I specialize in vacation homes and rentals I think it's important to stay informed of what is happening in hotel design. This show is sponsored by Hospitality Design magazine and just like the magazine the show continues to grow each year. Four years ago I walked the entire show in half a day - this year it took 2 days. Every year brings dynamic speakers on cutting edge topics.

I truly believe that hotel design is at the forefront of residential design. People stay in these incredible, luxurious hotel rooms and want to replicate that experience within their home. When I design a vacation home I want people to feel at ease the moment they step in the door, I want to "wow" them. I want them to feel like the place is worth every dime they are spending to be there - and more. I want them to tell their friends.

When I attend this show I get to see the products that will be in hotels, I form relationships to purchase the products at cost, I attend seminars to hear from people about what to look for in the future, how a concept was formed and what went into implementing it, I like to hear from the experts about what is important to them, maybe there is something I should be thinking about more seriousely, and I get to learn about the differences in a variety of products.

This year I saw a lot stronger emphasis placed on eco-friendly products. I saw a trend by the hotels and restaurants of un-branding, and they had very good points for this. And I saw dramatic concepts for hotels in the future.

South Beach is the perfect location for this show and staying in the area is priceless. There are dozens of trendy boutique hotels in this area, all within walking distance. During the day we would go to the show and at night we would walk to a few hotels in the area and check out the design of the lobby, restaurant, bar and pool areas. We would spend time in the spaces and experience them for ourselves. One night the group got split up temporarily and a couple of us spent some time in the lobby of one of the hotels (I think it was the National - not sure, too many cocktails) that had numerous classic chair designs, so we tried each one out for comfort. It was fantastic! One of my favorite hotels was the DeLano! I could not get enough of this hotel, it was so comfortable to lounge in. Another night I dragged the group to the Sagamore Hotel because it houses the restaurant/bar Social and the following day I would be attending a seminar hosted by the owner and designer of the restaurant. It was really incredible to have visited the space and then listen to what went into creating the space.

HD Boutique is about hotel and restaurant design now and in the future and South Beach is the perfect backdrop for this event.

SAR - International Congress

I was fortunate enough to attend the first annual SAR (Sarasota Association of Realtors) International Congress this past week. It was held at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club and many of the sponsors had businesses at LWR. The purpose was to inform realtors on how to do business with other realtors in other countries around the world. There was an economist that gave his professional opinion about where the real estate market really is and where it is headed. He backed it up with graphs and good resources. It was very enlightening and more positive for our area than negative although the general consensus is that we will still go through another 6 months at least of slow growth.

This seminar was two days for me (some realtors were there for three days). I was the only Interior Designer there and my purpose was to meet new realtors, inform them about my business services and suggest that I could help sponsor one of their overseas trips if they were to include my promo materials with theirs. I met many people who were open to the idea and want to explore it more.

There were many speakers who talked to us about how they do business in other countries, what to plan for and things that you might not think about when doing business in a foriegn country. It was suggested that you should focus on one country, study the culture, learn how to do business in that country and become an expert on that country. Better to focus on one country than to try and do it all everywhere. There was a panel of people from other countries and people who do business in other countries and they answered questions about what it is like in each particular country to do business in the real estate market. It was incredibly informative. There was also information about resources, and websites and programs that you can use to market abroad. They talked about making contacts abroad with other realtors and creating business relationships.

We also got to tour the Lakewood Ranch area on a guided tour bus. We stopped at some Pat Neal homes where they served lunch, then toured model homes at the Lake Club where they served us dessert!

The staff at the Country Club served up the most fantastic meals during the entire 3 day event. We took home goody bags filled with information on LWR and the sponsors and many promo items.

designers daily blog 9/22/07

I've done 3 trade shows in 2-1/2 weeks and have tried to use this weekend to catch up. The first trade show was in Orlando for a Furniture and Accessories show. The current economy had a terrible outcome on this show as there were very few companies on display - apparently many have gone out of business, and very few attendees - perhaps for the same reason. Nonetheless I made a few very good contacts for purchasing direct with the manufacturer so I was happy.

The second show was for Sarasota Association of Realtors - International Congress. I attended this event because I want to make new realtor contacts, and especially those focusing on the international client. It was an incredible 2 day show, I met some great people, and it was worth every cent. I learned so much and it really put a bug in my hat to become an international realtor.

The third show was for HD Boutique in South Beach. It stands for hospitality design for hotels and restaurants. I attend this show every year and am never disappointed. I am excited about all that I learned and have a few great news article ideas from it. Usually I stay with my friend who is a designer in Ft. Lauderdale but this time I got a room at a trendy boutique hotel - The Catalina and she met me there for both days. It was crazy, the hotel is very trendy, it was voted best place to model watch in '07. And true to its name there were half a dozen models checking out monday morning when I arrived. Many of the shows attendees were also staying at this hotel so I made lots of friends right away. The convention center was 2 blocks away and South Beach was 1 block away. I arrived monday, met about 6 people from the show, Elizabeth showed up and we walked to this street that has a bunch of restaurants and outdoor seating, it was awesome and the restaurant we chose had the best manager, we had a great night. The next day, we went to the show, walked half the floor and went to a seminar on spa design. That night we met at the bar and there was a tradeshow party across the street, that was a total rip off $90 for the tickets and you get all you can drink but the food was a cold veggie and dip buffet! The waiters walked around with skewered meat appetizers but were few and far between so for $90 I had two drinks, and three bite sized pieces of meat! A few of us decided to go find a better place to eat up the street, as we were walking by the Ritz Carlton there was an event happening at their restaurant and we were trying to read the sign to see what it was, when someone tapped me on my shoulder, I turned around and Channel 10 news camera was in my face and the newswoman was handing me a postcard with a painting of a bunch of naked people and in front of the painting was a bunch of naked people, she asked me what I thought about it and I asked "the painting or the orgy?" she said you tell me and I said "I dont know, is it art or is it an orgy?" she asked "would you participate?" and I said "no", then a long pause and I said "at least not for free" (that's what a couple of drinks will do). Then she asked one of the guys with us and he said he would do it but he had to leave for Chicago that day. So, we were probably on the evening news but we were'nt inside to watch so I'll never know.
The next day I walked the other half of the show floor and attended a couple of more seminars. One was on Dramatic Design which was a contest for someone to comeup with a design for a hotel in the future and it had to be feasible. There were 2 finalist, both had really good ideas and I expect to see both completed in the future. The audience got to vote who the winner was and they got$5,000. It was such a compelling seminar that nobody wanted to leave when it went over its alloted time. I voted for the posieden project which is a concept by a french man on an underwater hotel - it is so incredible I really hope it gets built although right now it's at an estimated $15,000 per person per night room rate. He's got it booked for the first 3 years once its completed. There was a panel of 5 judges within the hospitality industry that got to ask questions. Some of them were kind of lame. After that seminar I walked into the other seminar on the restaurant chain Social. The owner and the designer were there explaining the concept and implementation of the restaurant and now they are going to launch a hotel with the same name. They were unorganized speakers but they were still intriguing because the ideas are really exciting. I've decided to write seperate blogs on the things I learned because it would be too much for one blog.

Saturday I had to go through 5 bags of flyers, magazines, business cards and ads from the three shows so now I am in the process of flipping through the magazines. I hope this all goes to good use someday.

Designers Daily Journal 9/12/07

Ok, so I sort of dropped the ball with the blog for a few days. Here's the catch up. Thursday evening the people I thought were going to hire me decided to cancel our Friday shopping trip because they saw a model done by another designer and wanted to meet with her. This was fine because I had to fit them in on Friday to begin with. So on Friday I got ready for our family trip to Orlando for the Rock the Universe Christian Concerts at Universal Studios. We played all weekend in Orlando because it was my birthday and this is what we do for my "national holiday" as I told the kids. Monday I had blinds installed at a condo I finished up earlier in the year and I also met with the tile guy and the plumber at the "never ending job" I am currently trying to wrap up. I dont like the little straggly things that happen at the end of a job because I have to put so much of my time into it and the clients dont really want to pay for that time since in their minds the job is done. So, I took care of some small items then had to come back the next day to meet the electrician to hang the new chandelier. Found out that my usual electrician has a serious medical condition that came up over the weekend so he's laid up - I really hope he gets better because I've been working with him for four years and he's the best and I would feel horrible if something happened to him. I also learned that one of the contractors I'm working with lost his father to a motorcycle accident. They were very close and we are praying for his family as well.
Today I met with my artist friend to discuss the artwork for an upcoming condo remodel. I love being able to customize the artwork and she has great prices. The clients will get a unique piece and yet pay only what they would pay for mass-produced art. I'm really excited about the art that I chose. Next it was on the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance luncheon, the first one Ive been to and it had at least 200 people. I am really enjoying this group. Afterwards I stopped at Chasen Ried because one of the owners asked if I was interested in a job there, not knowing that I had my own business, but I like to introduce myself to people in the industry regardless if we can work together now or not. Turns out they needed a designer and I happen to know of one that is looking for a job. Then I finished the day with my evening Spanish class. Who knows I could be speaking Spanish - in 5 years! It seems overwhelming! But I will get it - eventually. Tomorrow I have my first Sarasota Association of Realtors event and am looking forward to making new contacts.

Designers daily journal 9/6/07

First the good news: I had a great meeting with a specialist in Search Engine Optimization at the Small Business Development Council in Tampa today! He really knows his stuff and it was easy to understand and follow along. I told him that I wanted to get my website to the first page of the searches without having to pay for it (sponsored search). We looked at my website and he gave me lots of ideas on what I can do to get it to the first page and also other ways to create a more user friendly website. I came away with lots of ideas and cant wait to get started. It's going to take a good amount of time to write the new copy so I need to dedicate that time in my schedule.
Now the bad news: The couple that I had planned to furnish their new rental decided to not rush things and wait to make a decision. Of course my first instinct is to ask myself what I did wrong. But that's a bad mindset and entirely unjustified so I am working through it and know that whatever happens it's for the best. I hope they are not going to go for those other designers that the property management company also refers. They use the cheapest products and there is no talent to their designs at all. I guess you get what you pay for. It's like free advice...it's worth every penny you paid.

I practiced my spanish tonight with my kids who are also taking spanish this year. Its becoming a really fun family affair. My son laughed because mom has homework!

Designers Journal 9-5-07

I helped an older couple from Savannah arrange their furnishings in their new home. They are really a lovely couple to work with. As with most men, the husband was most concerned with his sound system and making sure it worked to it's best ability. This posed a challenge as his Bose speakers have a speaker in the back that is supposed to bounce off a flat surface (usually a wall) the speakers also could not be place closer than 18" to the t.v. This created a challenge because they have a lot of eclectic pieces of furniture and I wanted to put things on an angle rather than have everything up agains the walls in a rectangle. So we struggled with it for about 45 minutes trying different arrangements and I could tell he was very aggravated with the way the arrangement didnt accomodate his speakers. So, knowing that if I didnt make him happy the whole design was at stake, I tried an arrangement that worked for the speakers and I found a way to still get some items on an angle. It wasnt the optimum result but we were all happy with the end result. Even though I know how to make it look good, if the homeowners cant live with it than it is worthless, they have to be happy first.

I started my spanish class tonight. I learned a lot, it seems impossible to learn right now. There's a married couple in the class that dominate the class and constantly switch the focus of what is being taught. I'm pretty sure one of us will kill them before the class ends.
How do you say "Get a rope!"

Designers Journal 9/4/2007

I spent the weekend catching up on paperwork and focusing on marketing products. I ordered postcards for a mailing I'm going to send the residents of one of the larger properties I've done work in. I also ordered postcards to drop off at the realtors offices in Lakewood Ranch. Each set of postcards was specifically tailored for the clients I'm wishing to reach. On LBK the post card has a testimonial from one of my former clients who has 2 units at the property. At LWR the postcards focus on theme designed rooms such as childrens rooms, game rooms, home theater rooms - I have some really awesome products for theme rooms and want to focus on that more.

Today was supposed to be a day of catching up on shopping for some smaller items for some clients but I got a call from a couple that was referred to me by one of the property management companies and the only time I could fit them in was today so I met with them and we decided to work together furnishing their condo to get it on the rental market. They are really a lovely couple. Thank you God for always sending me the nice people!

Designers Daily Journal 8/31/07

I had a really great day today. I have been working for months on a condo remodel and the owners finally came down to see it this weekend. They absolutely love it and even brought me a present because they knew my birthday is next weekend. Then we went shopping for a new chandelier and found a really unique showstopper that we fell in love with. We also found a bedside lamp for the guest room and a silk palm tree for the living room and a torchiere lamp for the living room as well. I think everything we purchased was on sale because of the holiday weekend. We loaded all the purchases in my truck and then they took me to lunch at Sam Sneads, again for my birthday. I just love it when my clients love their remodels! Although I dont think the property management company is going to love me because the owners dont want to rent the unit out anymore.....oops. Well, now it's time to enjoy the long holiday weekend.

Designers Daily Journal 8/29/07

Today was short but sweet. I met with the Director of Sales of a new resort on the island and presented my company to him and explained how I could be of service to the builder by developing a design concept for the rooms and spec the products for the builder to purchase. It was a good meeting and we'll see what comes of it. Then I spent a few hours at the beach with my husband since it was his day off.

Designers Daily Journal 8/29/07

Wow, what a busy day. I went to the breakfast meeting at the Longboat Key Chamber and decided to wear my Ambassador shirt and play that role instead of standing up and talking about my business. Had a great conversation with the lady that's involved with promoting the EDC (Economic Development Council). SO everyone eats breakfast, sits down and gets a minute to talk about their business. I decided to talk about what you can do when business is slow and re-evaluate your marketing strategy and brainstorm with people. Everyone thought I had great ideas and was right on track. Next I went straight to meet with the owner of Superior Interiors, to make the final selections for materials that are going into a condo remodel we are working. This was the second meeting we've had about this and both lasted a good 4 hours. But we finalized all the details this time and I feel really good about the direction of the project. Afterwards I went to the Plumbing Gallery and chose all the plumbing products for the project. The only thing left for me to do is get him the lighting products. After that we will wait for the permitting to be approved (it should have been done by now but the architect has been stalling us for far too long). Then once we're approved, the demo will get started, when demo is done and their building the new walls and installing the wiring and plumbing in the walls, I will start with shopping for the furniture, window treatments, rugs and accessories. Some furniture will take 3 months to come in and that is about how long it will take the construction guys to remodel the unit. God willing! The condo is complete in my head, I know exactly what it's going to look like when it's completed so now all I have to do is order the products to make it look that way.
Next I met with another client that was nearby to show him the fabric samples for his window treatments. That reminds me, his check is in my car. He hates writing checks and no matter how much something is, it's always too much in his mind.

Afterwards, I came home, the house was 83 degres for some reason, and I had to make dinner! Yikes, you just want to serve watermellon when it's that hot! Fed everyone then went to the volunteers meeting at my daughters school to sign up for the events I will help out with (in my spare time! ha!) for the year - private school.

Now I'm answering emails and updating blogsite. During a loud thunder and lightening storm that is freaking out my dog so I must attend to her now. Cheers!

Designers Daily Journal 8/28/07

My handyman team is so great! They refered me to one of their clients, whom I met with this morning. Lovely couple who moved here recently, brought their furniture and want to use it in their new place here. Their style is eclectic, and not very expensive but they do have some original modern pieces from the 60's. This is actually a small job for me but still quite challenging trying to make a mish-mash of furniture look good, all while making them both happy when its entirely clear they never agree. However, I told them they have to at least let me try the pieces in some new places even if they dont "think" it will work. I've done this enough times, I have a good eye and a great sense of room balance and I've had awesome results so they will just have to discover this as we go.

Afterwards, I met with Kimmy my web designer and went over some website details. She does great work! It's all Greek to me, but she walked me through it. It's easier just to have her make the changes and me keep to the things I do best. While I was with her we submitted the website to Google and attempted to submit to Yahoo! but registration was required so I didnt feel like spending the time on it then.

Next I went to my workroom to pick up some fabric samples for my client to look at tomorrow.

Finally I came home, discovered a new business social site called linkedIn and it looked worthwhile so I registered for it and found out that many of the people I do business with are already members so I asked them to give me recommendations. Then I sent invites to all the other people and invited them to join - it's free! Finally, I went back to submitting my website to Yahoo! - the hard way, I tried to do it myself. But thankfully I screwed it up and had to call in and got a great gal to help me and she is going to have them do a profile on my business and get the right keywords programmed and have their people get me good positioning so in the end I felt better - during the middle of it she probably should have hung up on me because I was flustered and a bit of a _itch.

Ok, so all this computer stuff I launched on this past week, has been time consuming but it will pan out eventually and it damn well better pay off!

Designer's Daily Journal 08/27/07

Well, for a Monday, today is starting out quite nicely! I met with a mentor at the Small Business Development Center at MCC in Lakewood Ranch. We worked on finding new markets for me to target and he had a lot of great ideas. I am going to take a couple of weeks to implement those ideas and then meet back with him again to go over my "branding position" (what makes me stand out from my competition). During those two weeks I will make a list of everything that comes to mind as to how I am different from my competition so that we will have something to get started with.

Next I entered two new blogs pertaining to design and I think I'll market my blog to the local papers, I think they might appreciate having this type of content at their fingertips.

While typing my entries, I got a call from a lady that was refered to me by my handyman team, Glen and Troy (they are THE BEST!). I will meet with her tomorrow to see about placing her existing furniture and artwork that she brought from Savannah, into her new home here in Bradenton.

I have so much new stuff for my webmaster, Kimmy, to implement into my website after my meeting at the SBDC, that she'll probably be able to retire while I still have to work!

ROI-Return on Investment Property

If your vacation property has tired, worn furnishings you are losing money. You may not want to spend the money to update the interiors because it is just a rental and you and your family hardly ever use it. Think again. After all, this property is income property, and your goal is to produce income. What if I told you that by making the necessary upgrades to your furnishings, your property will rent faster, more frequently and you have a good chance at recapturing the money you spent on the improvements in the first year!

Many local property management companies refer me when their clients properties are not renting, due to the condition of the furniture. Let's face it, if people can afford to spend $6 - 8,000 a month on a rental property they expect the property to have the level of furnishings that they are accustomed to.

A recently upgraded condo on the beach, showed a remarkable increase in renters, specifically because of the recent improvements. Now,the owners can hardly get in to use it themselves! AND, they've already recaptured much of their investment in the first few months! Before making the improvements, they were so disappointed with the lack of rental traffic that they actually considered selling it. Now, they are thrilled that they finally comitted to making the improvements instead.

Hiring a designer to assist with upgrades is a great way to get started. Designers have a trained eye to see the potential of a property and can save you time and money by doing it right the first time. My clients can't get over how easy it is to work with a designer and the peace of mind they get by puting the project in my hands while they get on with their busy lives.

There is one possible drawback, I recently completed two condo remodels for two seperate clients. Both couples liked the improvements to their units so much, they decided to pull out of the rental market and keep the units exclusively to themselves!

New Trend with Property Investors

Not too long ago property investors were buying places for a low price, making some minor improvements to the property, turning around and reselling them for a much higher price and earning a nice profit in a relatively short period of time. Now, with the real estate market taking such a huge downturn, property investors are left holding many properties in their portfolio and are looking for new ways to create income and pay these mortgages.

Here in Sarasota, Florida there is an increased trend for these property investors to turn-key furnish their properties and use them as vacatation rental properties. Turn-key is a term used to describe a place that is completely ready to use. In this case it means that the properties are completely furnished, including bed linens, towels and kitchenware, for the renter to walk in and start using the place immediately.

It still takes a considerble investment to completely furnish a place, especially if window coverings are involved and these investors are not used to purchasing this type of product. Being an interior designer myself, I have found it challenging to meet their budgets, but after intense research and making new supplier contacts I have found that together we can come up with a satisfactory working budget to meet their needs.

By furnishing the property and managing it as a seasonal rental these investors are creating enough income to pay for the full year of mortgage payments and they can thus afford to hold onto the properties until the market changes again.

The bonus to furnishing a property is that on average the property sells faster than those properties that sit bare.

So, if your a property investor and you haven't turned your properties into rentals, now is the time to do it, before you miss our high tourist season. It takes a minimum of 4 weeks to get the place turn-key ready, so don't wait until the last minute.

Beach Cabana Theme

I love themed designs. I created this Beach Cabana theme design for the entry of a client's vacation condo. You can see more of my designs at www.interiorsbydeb.com

Designer's Daily Journal

Since this is my first day of blogging let me get you up to speed. I'm an interior designer in Sarasota and in Orlando, specifically Celebration Florida. I started my business in 2003 and have been growing it ever since. I specialize in vacation homes and condos and 80% of my clients dont live here full time. I get all of my business through referals. Usually, realtors and property management companies refer me to their clients.

I belong to the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce and the Kissimmee Chamber of Commerce.

So, I've recently been doing a marketing push. I joined the Lakewood Ranch Business Aliance group in order to make more contacts in the LWR area. Networking is huge here in Florida - it's the best way to get business. I signed up to help out on the events committee and we're in the process of planning an event during the Christmas season.

I am also in the process of joining the Sarasota Association of Realtors. The reason I've decided to join is because many of the people who give me leads already belong to this organization and suggested that I join. The main reason for joining is that I am now trying to really focus on International clients and SAR is hosting an event focusing on international clients. Also, there is an organization called International Real state Council that I want to learn more about.

Friday I went to the beach with my husband, while the kids were at school, and I brought some reading material that I wanted to catch up on. I read in Biz941 about the importance of blogging. I made some business calls and played in the surf.

Saturday I drove to Orlando to attend the Furniture and Accessories Market at the Orlando Convention Center. I drove 3.5 hours round trip to go to show that took me 1.5 hrs to walk through! At first I thought it was going to be a total waste because most of the stuff was cheap crap. However, I did make some worthwhile supplier contacts. I now have two places to purchase mattress sets, a great contact for buying silk florals, and numerous contacts for artwork. All of these contacts will sell to me at wholesale prices so in the end this was more than worth my time and effort.

Today, I decided to do research on blogggin and how I can benefit from it and I set up my blogsite. A new learning experience! I also printed out my business plan and a copy of my 1-page condensed business plan for tomorrows appointment.

Tomorrow I have an appointment at the Small Business Development Center where I will review, with one of their experts, my business strategy, how it can be improved, what I'm doing right, what I'm doing wrong, how to direct more people to my website and now blogsite, and any other advice they have to offer. No matter how long you've been in business you should review your business plan, make changes if needed and always look for professional advice. You should also commit 30% of your time marketing.

Got what it takes to be a designer?

So, you've watched Design Star and now you want to be a designer. Do you have what it takes? Most designers will tell you that it starts first with Passion- you have to have a passion for design. You will never make it without a passion for the business. Got passion?

OK, next is Education - go to school and earn a degree in Interior Design. I did a lot of research on many schools and their programs. Then when I had found two schools I was considering, I called the top designers in the area and asked them for their opinions on the schools and their programs and if they were going to hire someone, which school education would they prefer. All the designers I called were more than happy to give me their input and I chose my school. Education is key!

Experience! Obviousely, you will need experience. How do you get experience? With an internship - preferably two internships. Some internships are paid. My design program required two internships and I decided that "where" I interned was more important than if it was a paid internship. I also decided to explore two of three design areas.

The three areas of design are Residential, Hospitality and Commercial design. Residential is working with Homeowners. Hospitality is vast and includes Hotels, Hospitals, Restaurants, Casinos. Commercial includes Office Space, Retail Space, Corporate Space.

I chose Hospitality as my first internship and joined NEWH (Network of Executive Women in Hospitality) through this networking organization I met a lady who owned Interior Design International a hospitality design firm in Seattle. I was able to eventually hire on as an intern which led to a full time paid position. The second internship was with two well established interior designers that shared an office space in the Seattle Design Center building. They were awesome designers that taught me a lot! Internships are a great way to get experience!