Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Interview With Whohub Part 1

I was invited to do an interview with WhoHub.com. Here is the transcript from that interview... I hope it will help you learn a little more about me! Due to the amount of questions, I have broken it up into four segments. To view the complete interview go to: http://www.whohub.com/mitchy1441


What is your specialty?
I am an Interior Designer, specializing in kitchen, bathroom and custom furniture design. I believe it is important to list those specialties because it gives me an added edge when working with my clients. Most designers have no experience nor knowledge of wood materials, cabinetry and the intricacies of furniture mechanics.

Where can we view your portfolio online?
You can see samples of my work and learn of my experiences, good, witty and indifferent at my Interior Design Blog http://www.interiordesign2you.blogspot.com or view a large collection of my work and learn about my wonderful company Custom Interiors LLC at http://www.mycustominteriors.com

What made you interested in design?
When I was 11 I had a powder pink room with white based wallpaper that had a floral linear pattern and a matching border. It was not the best design so I began doodling on my walls creating alternate borders around my window and voila- a designer was born. I was punished a lot when I was younger, so I began sketching furniture for my imaginary designer home. Now I get paid to design the homes of others. I cannot dream of doing anything else. I can't go into a public restroom without redesigning it in my mind!
What has been your professional career path?
I went from school to interning and working for others. I've worked for a few mid to high end kitchen cabinet and plumbing centers, where I gained my expertise in kitchen and bathroom design and plumbing, lighting and cabinetry knowledge. I met the love of my life right after high school. Eventually him (a custom cabinetmaker and master finisher), and I doing Interior Design opened our own company on the east coast catering to high end clientele in NY, MA, CT, VT and RI. Now living on the west coast, we do the same for our clients in the Phoenix metro area and affluent outskirts. I am also working on designing some custom furniture pieces going into a great showroom in Tempe, AZ.

What is your motivation? What makes you get up in the mornings?
I am always striving for that larger home (above my largest of 15,000 sq. ft.), that chance to improve upon my current skill set and wow myself and my client. I am seeking that "AHA" moment where I have pushed the envelope by creating an extraordinary and unique space. I live for modern and contemporary design, but I also enjoy the excitement that comes from creating a completely different interior. I live off of truly educating my client so that I am making them understand our process, not just presenting them what I want for their space. My motivations are the referrals to that next client because I did so well for the last and that beautiful portfolio picture that I get to take when I am done with their home. I get excited when I can wake up to work on a whole home remodel or a unique custom piece of furniture to fit a space. Design is both my job and my reward!

How would you define your design style?
My preferred style would be ethnically inspired contemporary and a tinge of ultra modern. I have a very eclectic home. My husband is more transitional, loving both contemporary and traditional design. Although I say that the homes I do are all about my client, I often infuse one little piece of me in every design. I am happy to say that I never repeat an interior, right down to never using the same paint color. Each home is all their own. You can look through so many portfolios and see the same thing over and over from one client to another. That is not the case when I work. Each home is truly an individual thought all its own. My style is the spirit of my client interpretted through my paint brush.

How do you promote and move your work?
My clients over the last few years have been through word of mouth. Now that the market has slowed, I must admit my workload has decreased tremendously. I am working to establish new contacts through social networking and getting my name out to all who will listen. Our cabinet division has also begun using lead companies as a way to generate new prospects, but they are not the best R.O.I. We also get many who find our website through google searches.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Why An Interior Designer Is A Wise Investment!

I was recently on Craigslist, as I am on frequent occasion, and came across a "gig" that nearly had me spill my coffee. A homeowner needed help with choosing colors, arranging furniture and adding accessories to their home. They sought the help of an INTERIOR DESIGNER and said they would pay $10.00 an hour, up to $100.00 total for the assistance. I am so insulted by the very thought of this offer and immediately wanted to do a RE: Interior Designer post, as so many other skilled laborers do when an offensive offer for a skilled trade is posted on Craigslist. Unfortunately, the post was from four days prior and I assumed that no one would see it who needed to. I let it go, but now I need to speak about it to the masses!

I realize that our economy flew south for the winter, and the spring... maybe the summer too, but that doesn't mean that a designer's time is worth any less. Sure stores are having sales because purchases are down. That sofa that you desire might be $300.00 less at the store because the store purchased it for $500.00 less than normal because the manufacturer is not selling as many these days. They are passing their savings (or losses) onto the store who is passing it onto the consumer. It all makes sense, because that is a product.

An Interior Designer went through many years of education to obtain their degree, or their training and continue with ongoing education to continue to provide you with the safest, most beautiful and on-trend design abilities. We can't take back those years or the cost to attend. The school doesn't give us a rebate because the economy went bad. Many designers are paying back student loans for years after they are in the workforce. We still require the same amount of hours to plan and execute your room's design. We will still need to use all of our knowledge. Our time is still worth the same. Why is it that potential clients feel that they deserve a discount on our skills simply because times are tough? They are tough for us too! In a time where necessity rules above luxury, we are not the most sought after bunch in the workforce! As the days pass, I am continuously reminded of why we should be.

You cannot move out of your home right now... who can afford to carry two mortgages while your old home sits awaiting a sale? So, you have decided to invest in remodeling what you have to make it a bit more livable. Genius idea and one that I highly recommend. Not only because it helps to employ more designers, but because a renovation will help in two ways.
  1. Property values will go up again, that's history. Any work you do to your home will assist in selling it when you are ready, as upgrades always affect a buyer in a positive manner if done well.
  2. If you decide to stay in your home for a while, you are creating an atmosphere that will make you appreciate what you have and live comfortably in it.

I recently came across a powerful woman executive who's new home I thought I would be working on. Instead she decided to go it alone. She worked with her painters to pick the paint colors, worked with a seamstress to pick the fabric for her curtains, had many items permanently affixed to her interior in a style that is in complete conflict with her decor and the interior style of the home. She thinks it all looks wonderful, and some of it is nice, but so much of it does not flow properly and everyone that I have come across in the few times that I have been there notice and point it out. Now I can easily have the attitude that she got what she paid for, but as I am an artist and design is my craft, seeing the home in it's condition bothers me terribly. Some of the colors chosen are the wrong shades or tones, the curtains are alright, but could be extraordinary and the furnishings that she chose for several rooms are all the wrong scale. Proportion is everything when placing items in a space and can really kill the look if not done correctly or to the proper scale. I know it seems so easy to just pick a piece of furniture that you think looks nice and plop it into a room, but a sofa that is 1' too small can throw off the entire room. Creating the correct composition by balancing large, chunky pieces and soft, demure pieces is a skill. Properly blending the juxtaposition of contemporary art and accent pieces with traditional or tuscan furnishings and accessories is very easy to do incorrectly. There are rules to be applied and an eye to be looked through that a homeowner just doesn't always have.

So often I will hear a homeowner speak about their interior and say that "it just doesn't feel comfortable to me. Something is not quite right with the space and I can't put my finger on it." Too many times it's the scale of the furnishings. Many times the sofa is too large for the space or the table is too small for the arrangement. Then there is the most popular reason the home is blah to them, the wall color is a dreadfully neutral shade of light beige and it doesn't do a thing for the colors of their throw pillows, which they were told by HGTV would give them a "pop of color". Three shades of beige and one pop of red does not make a room fit for the cover of Elle Decor. And if you add a red to your one accent wall (woo hoo) are you putting an orange based red behind a blue based fabric? Was it a warm red or a cool red that you paired with that sage green bed linen? It's all relative and important. It's all part of the makeup of a well planned home and it's all what we do as designers. If you can live with the items you have bought and now want to return, the wall that you want to paint over and are once again not sure what color to choose, the granite countertop that now looks yellow up against your cabinets but looked brown in the store- that's one thing. Why spend money on mistakes when a designer can make it right the very first time? We are worth what you pay us. We make you smile every time you enter your house. We ease your stress as you sink in to the comfort of your sofa cushions. We cause a beautiful effect on your walls with a soothing color palette. We are the instruments with which to create the perfect home. Consider using us to your advantage and believing that we are worth the investment.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Being Green When Making Green...and St. Patrick's Day

Hi All,

New week, new holiday, new post. Today is St. Patrick's Day and while Irish and honorary Irish bask in the yummy fattening delight of corned beef and cabbage, others in the world use this day to sport their cutest green outfits or everything covered in four leaf clovers that they can find! I am going in a different direction this year; not that I won't still probably wear green, why not? This year I am using green as a symbol to improve the green aspects in my life and my business. Of course green is the color of money- and I am hoping to improve that in my life as well, as the market is still not jumping like I wish it was. I am also taking a day to increase my focus on green practices, both in my personal life and my company.

So, my kids think I am crazy every time I step into a super Walmart with my eight black recycled bags. I stack them folded into the front of my cart and use them when I check out, instead of the plastic bags they offer. Not only do I help in my own tiny little way to save the landfills from my twenty plastic bags that never break down into organic matter, but the large recycled bags actually hold way more weight than those cheap plastic bags. I feel good when I remember to take them out of my trunk before I head to the store, not so bad when I have to send one of my daughters back to the truck to get them out of the trunk and horrible when I completely forget that they are in the trunk and leave the store with plastic bags. So many people ignore the very thought of purchasing these bags, as though it can't possibly make a difference, or that one dollar a bag will really break the bank! Perhaps if they took a second to view their own carbon footprint or considered how often they shop, they might realize that any small contribution can help. It is estimated that we dispose of over 500 billion plastic bags a year! If you want to learn more about the effects on your environment check out this website: http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php One hundred thousand small changes can equal one large change. It can make a difference! Anyway, enough of my public service announcement.

Many of my friends call me a "Maria Stuart" ( a Puerto Rican Martha Stuart). I like to garden, so for the last ten years I've had my own compost pile in my backyard, no matter where I've lived. I use compact fluorescent lightbulbs to conserve energy, unplug everything in the house when I go on a trip. I donate all of my children's old clothing and toys and furnishings to Big Brother, Big Sister or Goodwill, whenever they are low of stock. Donating is very important to me. Even when someone feels that they have no money to give to the needy, donating old items is a free way to be involved in giving back and it prevents needed items from going to the dump and being covered over with millions of pounds of dirt to sit for decades! It's one of the easiest forms of creating a greener earth! Even tag salers, those that troll the streets on a Sunday looking for rummage sale deals are being green, whether they know it or not! One man's trash is not only another man's treasure, but everyone's cleaner world! If that seller can't find a buyer for their old things, they will toss it in the trash. Thank the Lord that someone else sees that old dresser as a re-purposed vanity cabinet.

I, like many Interior Designers, spend time at consignment stores looking for deals on items that can be reupholstered or reused in a client's new space. Some of the pieces you can find are priceless and better than anything new you can imagine for that space. New is not always better. Then there are the remodels that we do. Our company makes fine custom cabinetry, in addition to interior design. Whenever we have to remove cabinets, furniture and appliances, we donate them to worthy causes. Our furniture and slightly used appliances go to Habitat For Humanity. They build new homes and make repairs to homes of those in need. Our client's old dining table goes to a family of five getting their first new home. Older items or those that they can't take go to Stardust Building Supply or Goodwill. Stardust is a non-profit that sells used goods with the proceeds going to other organizations in need. In addition to this, I specify low VOC paints by Sherwin Williams for all of my client's homes. The cost of these paints are not any higher than the standard paint cans, so clients do not have to pay more to be a little greener, and they avoid emitting volatile compounds into the air, which is better for their health. They also have the options of no VOC paints, which Sherwin Williams offers as well. I just find the extra cost to be a harder sell to those that are more concerned with the cost of their job over how sustainable I have made it.

I must say I am happy that my vendors have all increased their catalogs of sustainable products, including case goods made of reclaimed woods and fabrics made of bamboo, which regenerates more rapidly than any other wood species. The possibilities of interior design are endless with these great new items. I hope, in time, I will have a true need to specify these products for my clients. I don't just want to suggest these healthier options for them, I want them to demand a better lifestyle for themselves and our planet. It will come, this I know. In the meantime, I as a designer, Custom Interiors LLC as a company, and Michelle as a person, will continue to use every mention of green as a reflection of how to contribute to making my world a greener one, one clover at a time.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Not So Divine Design/ HGTVDIY Myths & Lies

I have just walked in the door and handed her my business card. Just as I am spying her home for the first time, my client grabs her remote. "I have a few things I love saved on my DVR." Then it begins, 22 recorded episodes of Divine Design, Color Splash, Bathroom Renovations and Design On A Dime. ( Designers: does this ever happen to you?)

I always find this to be an amusing challenge, although somewhat disheartening for the wonderful person who has spent hour upon hour worshiping their Home and Garden channels because they saw that perfect room they just have to have in their home. Now I have to explain to them that the budget they thought would cover their dream room will not even pay for their furniture. These shows that once helped homeowners see the potential in their homes has done two things that burn my bippy:
1.They create the false perception that you can do many remodeling projects on your own that truly should be done by a professional.
2. They fail to explain to you the true costs associated with that fantastic remodel they just showed you, leaving you to believe that it can't be much.


As # 1 is pretty much self explanatory, I am moving on # 2. Even worse than leaving the homeowner clueless about the cost of that remodeling project- you have shows that present a room done for under $2,000.00. Let's dissect this idea for a moment. You are watching a show where they are redoing a living room. The fireplace is old, dirty brick, the furniture is OK, but they are reupholstering the two accent chairs with "fabric remnants" and create matching custom curtains. They are going to flank (which means place on either side of) the fireplace with custom bookcases, add some custom made artwork, create a chandelier out of an old light fixture (the big craft project of the day) and add an area rug- which, if they run out of money they will miraculously find in the basement! lol.

OK, so first of all, who's doing all of this work for them? Not the homeowners and not the host. They have a nice little crew of 7 people working feverishly under a tent in their backyard. How much are they being paid for labor? If you were to do the same job in your home, you would have to hire an electrician or a plumber, a seamstress, a carpenter or at the least- a handyman. Labor costs are not cheap. Every specialist's time is worth money, just as a designer's time is worth money. Labor costs are how they make their living. And speaking of the designer, who laid out the floor plan and drew the designs for approval of the homeowner. They are definitely leaving out that important part. That's where I begin to make my money- in the planning and then implementation of the work to your interior.

The tile on the fireplace that they have chosen is a glass mosaic on a mesh backing. Just the tile without the setting materials cost them $14.00 a square foot. Of course the fireplace they are doing goes 5' across and 4' up the wall. Minus the 6 square feet for the opening in the fireplace, they are covering 14 square feet of wall. $196.00 plus tax will just be the cost of the tile. Then there is the cost of the mortar and grout, tools, rental of the tile cutting saw or the cost of labor, which where I live runs around $17.00 a square foot retail. The labor is around $300.00 plus tax. So we're $500.00 into our $2K makeover already and we've barely accomplished anything.

These shows create such a false hope for the consumer that's dying to think they can now do it all themselves and spend next to nothing doing it. Sure there's a bit you can do with a moderate skill set but what about when you watch these shows for inspiration to use when you work with your designer? That show should really give you a realistic dollar figure for what that entire room cost to do in that particular city, accounting for all labor costs and materials. You will usually find that it was probably around $20,000 when you were hoping to recreate it for three grand.

It drives me loco to see so many people who firmly believe they can get a whole new room, furnishings and all, for under $2,000.00. It is just not reality. Sometimes I have to explain things in the simplest way that I know how "things just cost what they cost!" A sofa is gonna cost between $1,800 and $5,000. A built-in entertainment center will cost no less than $3,000. You can get a nice ceiling fan for $200.00 but you will pay no less than $50.00 to have it installed. If you can pay $3,000 for that 52" HDTV with all sorts of technology, let's expand our minds to realize that the whole room might be equal to many times the sum of it's parts! Not so divine anymore, is it?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

When Do I Hire An Interior Designer? New Construction Edition


Too many times I've met my client for the first time after they have made far too many design mistakes. Either they have spent way too much money on upgrades that they didn't need, didn't understand or could have purchased through me for way cheaper; or they did things in their home that didn't make sense within the space. I so often find that I am faced with my client saying " I didn't realize you could help me with that." or " I never thought to hire you at the beginning stages." or "Wow, I could have brought you with me to the design center?" The truth is, many clients put the bat signal in the sky way after the Joker has attacked Gotham City. Your good interior designer, meaning someone like me (of course),should be with you at the conception of your blueprints. This is where the first crutial design decisions are made that form the bones upon which you construct your home and every direction your interior goes from there. Why design a Tuscan home if you desire a contemporary feel? Why perform surgery on your home to fix something you coulld have altered while it was an embryo?
I can't tell you how many blueprints I have dissected that have insufficient lighting plans. Architects that are a bit more old school simply stick a center fixture in the room, regardless of how large it is. They also put all of the outlets along the walls in a 20' x 18' room as though it's the 90's and we all still align our furnishings against the walls like they are punished. Some architects get tray ceiling happy, some don't explain to their clients that adding space to one room, usually takes space from another, unless you are blowing out that wall. Maybe you want a niche in one wall or a feature on another. Perhaps you plan to have a detail in your yard that you want to view from all angles and require a certain window. Maybe you plan to have an indoor, outdoor bathroom- but are not sure how you will pull it off? Maybe you've never heard of one, but in a few months I might suggest it and you fall in love with the idea... How do we get those retractable glass doors into that wall now??? So many possibilities and they would cost far less money if I was there in the planning stages of your home. So now your walls in your master are going up surrounding a space for a 5' tub, but you thought a 6' tub would fit because the space measures out to be 6'...but you never considered the space required to support the drop in tub. Your architect put in a beautiful rounded breakfast nook with a portico, but you and your husband prefer to eat at the kitchen counter...lots of moola wasted there. I could go on, but I have other paragraphs to write!
Once your blueprints are done, your general contractor begins to solicit bids for the work to be done on your home to create a budget for you to get your financing. BUDGETS FOR HIGH END HOMES ARE ALWAYS A GOOD 20% LOWER THAN THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY NEEDED TO COMPLETE THEM... and for good reason. When the plumber is quoting your install, it is based on the blueprint that does not tell him you want a snail shower with multi- spa, 12 jet package. The electrician is quoting installation of 40 recessed can lights and not the 72 that you actually need. They don't know you want sconces in every hallway $$$. Then there is the sheetrocker that is using a texture on the walls that you are going to have venetian plastered or wall papered. They need to be smooth, but you didn't know you wanted all of that until you got to that stage of planning. I had a client get convinced that they should have 10% knock down texture on their walls, which turned out to be more like 5% and they didn't understand what it would look like. It looks like your taper missed a few spots with the sander. Not pretty! I had a client change a bank of windows in their family room to french doors and now they have no wall space to place anything in that room. It is just so easy to make a mistake that will affect you for the next twenty years. Why gamble? Getting your designer in on your project from day one can save you money and headaches in the long run.
And if you are not building a custom home, you have to face the dreaded "Design Center", which they should call the money trap instead. You just don't understand that the hand scraped walnut floor that you paid $16.00 per square foot for, I could have gotten you for $8.00 a square. Over the life of your loan that floor can cost you $200,000. Take the important upgrades that are structural and not as easy to change- like Low E windows and a larger water heater. If you upgrade your standard cabinets to the fancy staggered height cherry with a chocolate stain, you will sink $40,000 into a kitchen I could have sold you for half. It's just that high of a mark-up, honestly. Don't be fooled. Take the standar cabinets and swap them out for something that will be an overall better quality custom cabinet rather than the lower end stock cabinet company that they are claiming to be top quality.
The bottom line is $150.00 an hour for a good designer is a small price to pay to save you money down the line. Some, like me, can even act as project manager on your job site, eliminating so many of the frustrations involved with seeing those contractor mistakes after the fact. Consider the many important uses for your designer during your next home build or tell someone you know. $$$$$

Monday, March 9, 2009

Good Furniture versus CRAP!

I am a firm believer in educating my clients. It's important for me to make sure they understand every aspect of what they wish to do in a project and everything about the products I specify for their homes.

Our discussion for this moment is about furniture. I have had many problems with furniture stores as of late, thanks to the failing economy and poor customer service practices of the stores themselves. This is why I am happy to say that I am now purchasing fairly exclusively from my favorite showroom Nyla Simone Home in Tempe. Not only do they have beautiful merchandise at an exceptional price for the quality; I don't have to worry about my purchases, and that's important to me... Now, onto my subject of discussion...

I work with clients of all budgets, from mid range to high-end. And, for the most part, they understand the value of a quality piece of furniture. However, I have been in a store shopping for my clients and have heard " $ 900.00 for a chair... Are they crazy? I'm in the wrong store." But you're not!!!
Right place, wrong frame of mind. How can you know what a REAL piece of furniture costs, when Ashley and The Roomstore are telling you that you can buy a sofa, loveseat, chair, coffee table, two end tables and two lamps for $ 1,999.00. ( First of all, DESIGN RULE Numero Uno, NEVER MATCH YOUR ENTIRE LIVING ROOM SET TO ITSELF... so 90's!)

The cost of a piece of furniture is largely related to the quality of materials used in it's fabrication. Does that mean that going to that " STUCK UP" furniture store in the North of Scottsdale warrants a sofa costing $ 15,000. NO!!!! There is also such a thing as frivolous mark-up to pay for my Benz. Be careful! We'll talk about that in another blog post.

Chances are the sofa from those lower priced box stores are comprised of a low density foam, an inferior particle board and 1" x 2" frame ( what makes up the bottom of your seating area).
Chances are very good that you will be feeling those springs on your backside in a few years, if they last that long! Chances are excellent that your sofa comes in three colors, purchased by the thousands of square feet to give them "such a great deal that they pass on to you"; that the leather back to your sofa will probably not have a grain match, and if it does, chances are very good that portions of your "leather" are actually a nice quality vinyl. Oops! Are you checking your couch?

I am not saying that there are not some nice, decent quality chairs for under $900.00. But, if you are not looking for a contermporary piece with a simplistic style in a microsuede, you are looking at an average chair of good quality starting at no less than $600.00 and going up to around $2,200.00 (depending on your fabric). Most chair purchases that I make for clients fall within the $800.00 (with a standard fabric) to around $1,600 (with a nicer quality fabric or a C.O.M ((customer's own materials- which means a fabric that I purchase especially for the room from another vendor)).

If you were to cut your seating in half, there should be several layers to your piece. Underneath your fabric layer should be a wrap of dacron or another thin foam sheeting forming the fill below it. Your fill should consist of one or more layers of either a high density polyurethane (as your least expensive option), or another fiber or poly blend product. You should have options for down and some companies offer a hypoallergenic fill for those who have allergies to feathers but still want a down luxury fill. Underneath your fill layers is the construction of your piece. Believe it or not there's wood in there! The frame should be a sturdy kiln dried wood screwed and/ or doweled with thick corner blocks. Under your fill will be a plywood/ spring, open/ spring or even an eight way hand tied configuration supporting the weight placed upon your seat. In an eight way hand tied sofa 3- dimensional coils are hand attached to the bottoms and sides of the frame and tied to eight adjoining coils in that many directions to prevent shift in the piece. It gives an even strength throughout every area of the sofa to prevent "bottoming out" (or a lower sagging) when a larger person sits down or the wearing away in one particular area of a piece. You will find this in the higher quality pieces, but you can also find good quality without it.

Last, but not least, the crowning jewelry of your piece- there is the fabric, or upholstery. You need to consider all that I do when approaching this subject. Do you have children? Pets that might be scratching the upholstery? Will you be eating on it, laying all over it or merely staring at it in the parlor? Will it need a high traffic fabric and should you purchase a stain guard? Any high quality piece will not simply come with a protective coating, you must order it. Many polyester blends, silks, satins, rayon combos will leave water stains when cleaned, as will many chenilles. A solid will show more dirt than a print. A medium- dark color works best in AZ. Something too light will show dirt by getting darker. Something too dark will show lint, dust and pet hair. A high quality leather will not damage when scratched. There is a particular type of leather that is a harder feeling, more rustic leather meant to be scratched and weather with age, but you will not find it at that chain store. That leather is scratching because it is garbage. Don't be fooled.

Of course, I strongly recommend that you do not go it alone. If you are working with a good designer, go with them to the store or allow them to specify what will work best in your space. A showroom will not carry absolutely every product they sell, so if your piece is custom made and you can sit in one piece mad eby the same maufacturer, the others that are made the same will sit the same as well. Do not dismiss a piece because it isn't on the showroom floor. Trust your designer to make the best choice for your room. I have put together some of my best rooms all from a catalog. A real piece of furniture is an investment. I have recently reupholstered 2 sofas that I have had for a few years. Because the pieces are good quality, I saved thousands reupholstering versus buying new... and NO, you can't reupholster your sofa for $500.00. That'll be another blog post. Man, I'm gonna be busy!

I'm back...with a VENGEANCE!!!

Hello All,

Welcome back to me and my blog. I took a blog vacation, which it turns out is not the best thing to do. I, at first, found it necessary to spend all of my effort hunting down potential new clients. I have since found that I need the therapy that my blog allows me to have, so I am back!!! And boy do I have a lot to say. My last few months have given me insight into so many things. More than anything it has shown me that the potential client (yeah YOU) are uneducated when it comes to purchasing and design. And that is not your fault. It is the fault of many different outlets. The largest one begin mainstream media. Television has got my poor unsuspecting clients believing that they can do anything with a little gusto and $3,000... Oh my gosh! Damn you big box store who tells my potential clients that they can get an entire kitchen for $128.00 a square foot. Damn you overstock places that tell them they can now have granite for as low as $35.00 a square foot. And most of all- SHAME ON EVERY DESIGN SHOW ON HGTV that makes my clients believe that they can gut and remodel their living room, put in high end furnishing, glass tile walls, wallpaper and new flooring and doesn't tell them what it all costs. Sure, I have shared ways to do low cost cosmetic makeovers. They do exist... But honestly, now is the time to invest in what we have and do it well. I am back now to show you how. Candace won't tell you, somebody has to!!!!!