The Decorating Voice

SDP Roving Reporter with More

HGTV has become a bit disappointing lately with most of it's attention devoted to selling, staging, and flipping houses.  I love staging but I miss the real decorating shows that I couldn't stand to miss a few years ago. But, when I hear people talk about HGTV and their favorite shows, one always stands out, Candace Olson, Divine Design.  The thing we all love the best are her drawings.  Well, I don't know about you, but I can't draw like that! But I can make it appear like I do, with Minutes Matter Studio by Debbie Green.  With this amazing program, you can do beautiful rooms with your client's real photos or room templates already provided.  Debbie will be a guest on a future Decorating Lollapalooza, sponsored by The SDP.  In the interim, take a look at their site and download a trial version of their program.   

Your Personal Voice

I have had requests to make the blog a place to meet and greet one another as well to say on top of what is happening in the world. So this is the place, tell us about you, how long have you been in business, what are the biggest struggles and joys in having your own business.  This will be a great way for you to network with others and build your own power group of people.  The SDP strength is helping decorating professionals to succeed. We try to do our part through webinars, blogs, teleconferences, weekly newsletters, annual conferences and more. Then the way each of you share and support one another is the other 1/2 of the success circle we are trying to build. So tell us about you in this posting and let's start the process going.

You might be a member of The SDP or someone who wants to build a decorating business. We would love to get to know you.

The SDP Roving Reporter says.."it's Ba-a-ack"

I love wallpaper and have all my life.  In fact, I began my decorating career with a wallpapering business.  It was a legal way to get into beautiful houses and while I was there, I was giving decorating advice, which ended up launching my decorating business.  Wallpaper is art for the walls and can make such a change in a room in minutes. Blue Mountain Wallcoverings have a wonderful line of wall papers featuring many different looks and styles. My favorite feature was the Design with Color collection. The collection showcased by color and then seperated by styles inside each book. These books are available to decorators, in a variety of programs.  Visit the Design by Color website where you can actual view all of the various patterns and colorways by clicking on a button and changing them in 6 different pre-selected room settings. To find out where to buy their patterns or to add their wallpaper books to your library, contact them at 866-563-9872 or on the website for more details. Mention The SDP blog when you call. 

SDP Roving Reporter Continues

  What a fabulous experience the IWCE show was!  The SDP was invited to be a part of the event with a booth here because of our new partnership in education relationship with Window Fashions Magazine.  Many people visited our booth and were interested in membership in The SDP. We explained to them that although The SDP offers many membership, its strength is helping decorators to succeed.  We hope you take advantage of the many ways we try to help you improve your business.

Many others visiting our booth were interested in working relationships with our members and we will keep you posted as we add new industry partners.  The turn out was impressive considering the tornado of a few weeks ago. The tornado really took a toll on the building we were in and in fact, 2/3 of the building was closed due to damage but the area we were in had been whipped back into shape.  For those of you who stayed at the Westin during AmericasMart, you may remember the wall of glass that was in each room.  The tornado destroyed the glass of many windows, and in fact, looking at the hotel, you see many window completely missing.  But Atlanta is marching on and I am glad we were able to be a part of the IWCE.  It will be held next year, again in Atlanta, in May and I encourage you to make it part of your plan for next year. A special thank you to Laure Gill and Cheryl Cousins, who schlepped in furniture and accessories for the booth and helped me to hold down the fort for 4 days.  

As you can see it was the end of the four day process, and boy, did I need some make-up and I do wish Jenny Craig would call me when they are done with Queen Latifah!  Laure and Cheryl look gorgeous as usual.  Now let's get down to business and see some of the great stuff at the IWCE show. 

One of the big events was something called "Construction Zone" which had a constant series of hands on projects going on.   I suggested to the organizers of the event, that next year, they add a "Decorator's Zone" they loved the idea, so hopefully it will play out.

Here are some great top treatments.  Watch for more ideas in the next blog.

Hey Blogging Experts-I need Help

For you expert bloggers, can you give me a hand.  We all know I can come up with plenty to say, but I am not as techie as some. So can someone guide me?  First of all, a wise person (but I can't find your email) said to sign up with feedburner so people could subscribe to the blog...I did.  But whenever I try reading the directions of what to do next to make it work effectively, my eyes glaze over, my mouth goes slack, and I fall into a techie coma.  I am simply a visual learner so can someone guide me?  JoAnne

The SDP Roving Reporter-Post 2

  It's JoAnne Lenart-Weary, The SDP Roving Reporter bringing the IWCE show to you!  Remember as you look at the photos, click on them to see a larger view. I found a great company called Adaptive Textiles, a digital textile printing company.  jeanelle Dech, President of Adaptive Textiles, shared her line with me and impressed is an understatement. Basically, you can choose one of the great looking patterns and colorways they have in stock or create your own.  You can custom design fabric, floorcloths, wall hangings and more with your photo's, designs, etc. Quite frankly, you are limited only by your own creativity. Fabrics sell for $25-$50 a yard and there is no minimum order.  What a fabulous way to customize a home. It also could be a signature staging tool for windows, pillows, table coverings, etc.

 

One of my favorite elements of the show are the Window Vignettes.  These were done by a variety of Drapery Pro workrooms. The inspiration was to create a window treatment inspired by a celebrity and the crowd needs to decide who the inspiration for each was.  The following was one of my favorites..not for the design but for the feather trim around the bottom.  Not too real life perhaps but can't you just see the homeowner in her silk pegnoir set, smoking a long cigarette in an ivory holder, (okay, not very politically correct anymore, but can you see it?)          

 

  Now look at this...not sure who this is inspired by...perhaps cat in a hat? What a unique design!  Okay, come back soon for more great ideas!  JoAnne Lenart-Weary

Conference Confidental

Are you thinking about whether to go to conference in August? Wondering whether you should make the investment of time and money? Wondering what you'll get out of it AND, most importantly, wondering whether you'll be able to unbury the kids from the ceiling-high pile of laundry that will inevitably appear while you're gone???

I hear you and I think they are excellent questions.

We women know all too well the constraints on our time - we run the show not only in our business but in just about every area of our lives. Sometimes we just need that "Calgon" moment - time for us. Time to relax, unwind, and reinvigorate our minds, bodies, and businesses. That's one of the reasons I'm a huge believer in attending conferences and conventions. The change of scenery always helps me appreciate home. It also gives me perspective - on life and business. I always leave with my batteries recharged.

Conferences also give me the opportunity to rub shoulders with like-minded women who are more than happy to share their successes and challenges - who let me know I'm not out there alone. I love getting girl-time to stay up late or sleep in a bit - what a luxury.

While my business is definitely feeling the pinch of the challenging economy here in Northeast Ohio, I've been putting away $25.00 from each job I've done since right after last August in my "Conference Fund" jar to help pay for expenses. How great to have a job where I can get a vacation/tax write off and professional enrichment!!

I'm looking forward to chilling out at the Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa and soaking in the sun while soaking up all the wonderfully fabulous ideas I know we're going to get. Have you read the great reviews on TripAdvisor about the resort? Sounds like heaven!

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then I know I'll see you in Arizona in August - and I'm going to leave a shovel in the laundry room so they can dig themselves out!

Diana, Devine Designs

It's so much more than Decorating

Recently I taught a class in New Jersey with Carol Bass.  Our first home of the week was owned by a woman, who had purchased her parent's home which had originally had been her grandparent's home.  There was chaos everywhere, in every room, in every corner.  I think the house was so caught up in three generations of life, it didn't know what or more importantly, "who" it should be.  When we talked to the owner, you could see that this chaos was impacting her day to day life. She was distracted, overwhelmed, and unhappy.  We had a horrible time to get her to leave the house as I believe she was so afraid of losing the small amount of control that she had and leaving the house in the hands of strangers was terrifying to her.  Finally, with much reassurance, she left "the house" and returned a few hours later to the beginnings of "Her Home."   You saw the transformation taking place in her as she walked around the space.  Gone were the 25 years old window treatments, in their place was a look that was much more 'today."  Gone were the years of magazines, papers, clutter, and tchotkes that were choking the room. The new room blended all three generations and most importantly, it now looked like she belonged...it was and can be HER house.  She was smiling and excited about the new potential she saw in the house.  As I watched her, I thought, "whoa, do we all get, that what we do is so much more than decorating?"  It is not just about the visual or aesthetics ..it is truly about the emotional. Interior Decorating and it's various niches, empower people to love what they have, love what they add, and love being where they are at.  How fortunate we are to be blessed with talent that blesses others.  JoAnne