What we all marveled at upon completion of this project was how we were to able take a variety of other peoples cast offs and turn them into a pretty wonderful, aesthetically pleasing home for a family to move into.  Each of the families that move into a rental unit at the Anne Ross campus, KEEP everything that they have in their home when they move in.  This enables them to move forward without starting over each time.  Looking around at the items in the home, this mom and her kids have lots of great stuff for now and the future.

We’re excited to share our success with you all.  Please take a moment to look at the finished results and read the comments from our contact at Annie Ross:

“They absolutely loved the house, and were so excited! I wish you could have seen it – the kids didn’t want to leave their bedrooms once they saw them, and the mom kept asking how you guys knew all of their favorite things!  Apparently she loves light green and purple, and was so excited about the living room and kitchen.  The little boy is in a map phase right now, so he was really excited to have one on his wall, and the little girl just walked around smiling for a good half hour after picking out her bed.

They asked me to thank you profusely, and are so excited to have a new home that is so beautiful!”

…and that is why we volunteer

It all started last year when I finally bought a laptop computer with my Christmas money. I was so excited because I could finally do some work while I sat in the shade on our deck overlooking the river. But I still thought I would need to use my older desktop computer in my home office. Boy was I wrong! After a whole year, I have never again sat in my office to use my desktop computer. My laptop has everything I need.

The second thing that happened — my new business coach talked to me about creating a work space that was comfortable and free of distractions. I realized my office wasn’t comfortable because I hate sitting in an office style chair. I’m much more comfortable sitting in a lounge chair with my laptop — um, well — on top of my lap.

Then the third thing — one of my technologically savvy clients turned me on to various wireless technology that makes it so I no longer have to deal with a hideous mass of cords hanging under my desk. Yay!!

So, I’m completely re-thinking my home office and turning it into a haven — yes, that’s right, a haven — where I can retreat to focus on work. I’m re-examining everything in there to make it function just right for me. If you are ready to re-vamp your home office, or setting one up for the first time, the following questions and tips will help you create an office that works for YOU!

Equipment:

Do you still use a land-line telephone? I disconnected mine when I realized that I only used my fax machine 3 times last year and I make and receive all of my calls on my cell phone. I’m saving $40 per month by getting rid of the land line. That got rid of an ugly phone and answering machine on my desk and eliminated 2 phone cords and an electrical cord – Super!

Do you still use a desk top computer? Some people need them for the large screens. Mine was 6 years old, and my 1 year old laptop actually has 8 times as much memory capacity. So, for me, the laptop is all I need and that eliminates a whole bunch of stuff from the top of my desk.

Wireless docking stations and wireless printing: My techno-savvy client told me about these advances in modern technology. Why would an interior designer be so excited about this? Well, it means that you are no longer forced to put your desk on the wall right next to the cable or phone outlet. You don’t even have to put your desk or docking station in the same room as the cable outlet! It totally eliminates so many cords hanging under your desk, so you can sit your desk in the middle of the room if you feel like it and only need to be concerned with an electrical cord or two.This is amazing design freedom!

Layout:

Now that you have all this freedom to put your furniture where you want it, you can arrange things any way you like. Here are some tips on layout.

If clients come to your home office, the best impression is made by having your desk face the entrance to your office. Having your back to the door is also bad feng shui.

If you are the only one who goes into your office, then consider placing your desk to take advantage of a nice view. No view? Then treat yourself to some nice art so you have something beautiful to rest your eyes on when you’re thinking.

An L-shaped desk is generally more efficient and comfortable to use (as opposed to a desk in front of you and a credenza behind you) when you have many items you need to reach for over and over. Place the things you need frequently closest to you, and the rest further away.

Furnishings & Aesthetics: continue reading …

photos: istockphoto

With the constant increase in electrical usage the quality of our electricity coming into our homes and businesses has continued to go down. Red’s Electric Company has the answer – PowerwoRx e3. It provides a Whole House Energy Management System for the best possible energy savings and Total Home Protection based upon a unique technology that provides three key benefits:

• Equipment Protection
• Electrical Noise Filtration
• Energy Savings

Cost

$795.00 includes unit, permit and installation (single panel residential home).

Equipment Protection

PowerwoRx e3 is like having an ELECTRONIC BODYGUARD for your home or business! PowerwoRx technology provides Surge and Spike Suppression, a feature that will help protect and extend the useful life of your electrical equipment. Voltage surges and spikes come from many different internal and external sources such utility grid changes, damaged transformers or electrical lines due to accidents or acts of God, old or out dated utility transformers that supply electrical power to your home, lightning and turning on and off major motor loads in your home. Typical homes in the United States are bombarded with literally hundreds of surges and spikes a day that damage sensitive electrical equipment over time. These surges and spikes will damage your expensive electronics and will cause them to wear out at a faster pace. A combination of the PowerwoRx e3 harmonic resistant capacitors and metal oxide varistors (MOV’s) give the home owner the maximum protection available on the market today. The external lights on the PowerwoRx e3 system provide an easy visual indicator that the system is protecting your home.

Electrical Noise Filtration

PowerwoRx e3 technology provides Harmonic Filtration which has become more important since the 1980’s and almost mandatory going into the 21st Century due to the proliferation of computers, fax and copy machines and variable frequency drives which are known as “nonlinear loads”. “Nonlinear loads ask for and use electric current in “pulses” unlike traditional electrical equipment. This pulse use of electrical current creates damaging noise, interference and heat on today’s electrical systems causing interference within sensitive electrical equipment or worse causing them to overheat and fail. The use of computerized electronics within the American home has been growing at exponential rates and the need for filtering out the interference, noise and heat created by nonlinear loads has never been greater. Installing the PowerwoRx e3 system in your home will reduce the need to produce electrical energy reducing the amount of coal and oil being burned to generate the electric energy resulting i the reduction of environmentally harmful emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide. It is Red’s Electric Company’s mission to install PowerwoRx e3 systems in 500,000 homes across the Portland/Vancouver area which will annually reduce the need to generate 17 megawatts of electricity saving 42,250 tons of coal or 231,500 barrels of oil and reducing by 98,250 tons of carbon dioxide, 42,000 pounds of nitrous oxide and 221,500 pounds of sulfur dioxide of annual greenhouse emissions.

Energy Savings

PowerwoRx e3 provides energy savings by reducing the amount of power drawn from your utility with the use of specially designed harmonic resistant capacitors. On average a homeowner will save 8% – 15% off their monthly bill. PowerwoRx e3 systems optimize your homes power factor thus reducing the amount of energy your homes motor loads use such as air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, dishwashers, pool pumps, vacuum cleaners, furnace blower motors, fans etc. Motor loads (inductive loads) inherently require more energy to do their work compared to other electrical equipment in your home. The PowerwoRx e3’s“power factor optimization” significantly increases the efficiency of your motor load and stores waste energy resulting in decreased demand and usage of electricity from your utility company. This can equate to cost savings for you the home owner. Power factor is the measurement of how efficient your electrical system is using the energy delivered to your home from your utility company. For example, your stove and dryer heating coils and incandescent light bulbs have a “power factor rating” of unity or 1. This equipment converts electric energy to heat and light. Motor loads as described above can have “power factor ratings” as low as 0.2. This combination of electric loads in American homes results in an average “power factor rating” of .77 or less. The .77 indicates that your home is using more energy than it should to operate your electrical equipment. The PowerwoRx e3 technology has a proven track record of increasing a home’s “power factor rating” to .98 or better. So what does this mean as far as real savings? The answer is “it depends”. Actual results will vary depending on inductive loads. The value of PowerwoRx e3 is all three features: Equipment Protection, Electrical Noise Filtration, and Energy Savings.

Brian D. Ruffner

M: 503.351.6272   O: 503-233.6467 | redselectric.com

Red’s Electric Company, Inc

“making a difference every day”

First I’d like to tell you a little about my experience with the store. Surface is a truly unique finish materials boutique. I recently worked with them to help one of my clients select flooring, countertop and backsplash materials. My sales person was David Horn. His professionalism, helpfulness with my client and expert product knowledge was all first rate. The staff members are all very respectful of the designer/client relationship and will help you as much or as little as you want. The showroom has a warm and comfortable ambiance with nice big work tables to lay out and compare all your possible choices. Enormous windows give you great natural light so you can really see the colors and textures. If you like a little privacy, they also have a separate conference room where designer and client can really brainstorm uninterrupted.

For my last client, I went in alone to preview their selections, then when I knew I was coming in with my client, I phoned ahead and David had all the selections pulled out and arranged on a work table for us when we arrived. Their vast selection is encased in big rolling carts so not everything is on view at once. Initially, I thought this would make it harder to view products, but after being in there with a client, I really appreciated that this display system kept us from going into overwhelm or being distracted with too many choices.

*******************

Kerlite:

This product is an ultra-thin – just 3 mm -  super strong, porcelain tile that comes in seven sizes, including huge sheets. You can use it on floors or walls, but here is the very cool thing — you can put it right over existing materials including old tile or even linoleum without having to take out the old material. This is true even going over textured floor tiles.

Available in 26 colors and 3 finishes, my favorite is the tone-on-tone floral pattern. The photos of the bathrooms and living room are from the manufacturer’s website and they show the use of the huge sheet sizes to minimize grout lines. It’s also perfect for great kitchen design applications such as backsplash walls.  Kerlite is even frost proof so it can be installed outdoors. I’m told that this product has even been installed as siding on a home exterior. I’d love to see that.

In keeping with my desire to find sustainably made options for my clients, according to Coto d’Este, Kerlite ceramic tiling material is “obtained from natural and carefully selected raw materials, such as light clays and pure feldspars,” and “firing is carried out in electric kilns without any release of polluting fumes.” With seemingly endless uses in both interior decor and exterior design applications, it is a product worth checking out. As porcelain tile goes, this is rather high-end, retailing around $12 per square foot. But for the amazing flexibility and lack of demo work, it could be a great idea for your next design project.

I would just love to take all of the credit for this, but as I have said before, it takes a team to successfully sell a home. With properties languishing on the market for months and months at a time, it seems like a miracle that a home could sell so fast. So, here is what each person did.

The Broker:
* Counseled the seller regarding the importance of condition and presentation of the home.
* Expertly assessed the right pricing for the property
* Referred the seller to the Home Stager
* Hired a professional photographer to take great photos for the listing

The Home Stager (Me) :
* Started by asking the broker for any special concerns or negatives about the property – Although either of the two bedrooms could be the “master”, the seller had set up the downstairs room as their master and the upstairs bedroom as a “guest” room with a futon. So the perception of no master on the main floor was an issue.The bedroom on the main floor looked very crowded & wall color was dark.
* Scheduled and performed a thorough “Walk & Talk” consultation for the seller with specifics about what needed to be done and why.
* Empowered the seller to know that she could accomplish everything by prioritizing and showing specific examples to take out any guesswork.
* Provided additional furnishings / art / accessories and returned to do the final staging.

The Seller:
* Trusted her professionals and committed to doing everything recommended by her broker and home stager.
* Rolled up her sleeves and worked hard!

Now here’s the success story that shows that all three pieces are what sold this home —

Two weeks prior to going on the market, the broker put out a “pre-listing” notice so people would know it was coming up. She connected with another broker who had a buyer ready to buy! They went to see the house, contract in hand ready to write an offer, before the painting and staging work had been done (bad idea). As soon as the buyer saw that the “master” bedroom was downstairs, they changed their mind and passed on the house.

So, to prepare the home, I had the seller remove clutter & older, unattractive furniture. Also had her paint the kitchen in a warm sand color and paint the cabinets white, plus update the hardware. The main floor bedroom had a futon in it. Because of the arms on the futon, when it was folded down to be a bed, the arms protruded into the space enough to make it very tight and to “scream” that it was a guest room. Although I had recommeded painting a lighter color in the bedroom, time & money made us decide to go with the existing color. The seller’s white bedding made the dark walls seem even darker. So I used darker bedding more befitting of a “master” bedroom, and added art & throw pillows that tied in with the green but in lighter shades.

Once the property was staged, professional photos were taken that day and put online asap! An open house was held the next day. According to the broker, the very first person who walked in bought the home. The main level bedroom was readily accepted as the “master”. Happy Ending!! If you would like help professionally staging a home for sale, I would love to help! Pangaea Interior Design

Here are before & after photos for you to enjoy. “After Photos” courtesy of Rachel Weinstein rachelweinstein@comcast.net

Living Room Before Home Staging

Living Room After Home Staging by Pangaea Interior Design

Kitchen Before Painting

Kitchen After Painting and New Hardware

Bedroom Before Home Staging

Bedroom After Home Staging by Pangaea Interior Design

Here are Portland Interior Designer, Pangaea’s, tips for some very cool ways to add warmth to any space without touching your thermostat:

Colors are referred to as “cool” or “warm” for a reason. All white rooms, or rooms that are decorated in cool colors like pale blues & greens, literally feel warmer when colors like red, golden yellow, brick, rust, burgundy & plum are added.

These super cool throw pillows by Koko are a great mix of cool & warm colors. The wool felt fabric is warm to the touch and they are like little works of art to boot!

When I feel goosebumps coming on I reach for a luxurious faux fur throw. This one by PreFurs in Lynx is absolutely amazing! The look of fur is warm and inviting, and on the practical side, it keeps you toasty on the coldest of evenings.

Read on for more cool ways to add warmth to your space …

]]> http://idsportland.org/the-warmth-of-cool/feed 0 http://idsportland.org/home-improvement-and-remodeling-show http://idsportland.org/home-improvement-and-remodeling-show#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:06:14 +0000 IDS Portland http://idsportland.org/?p=946 Continue reading →]]> Home Improvement Show

Do you have plenty of clients?  We have a couple of shifts available.

IDS is striving for your business success: The primary focus of this event is to attract new clients to YOU!

We’re very excited to share all the details with you. Should you have ANY questions, please contact Karen Linder or Pam Sandall via email. We’d love to answer your questions. Tremendous effort has been made to make this booth truly special and we’d like to share those details with you so you may share in our enthusiasm. Please take a moment to read the details.

The booth will be set up as a working showroom, so potential clients can actually see you in action. We have fabric swatches and paint samples on hand as well as flooring options. You will be able to pull together a ‘look’ for your client immediately AND print it off with your contact information for your client to take home with them.

The booth will also LOOK beautiful – and will feature two complete living rooms:

Before room – The before room will not be trashy or tacky…simply show basic mistakes clients make, white walls, incorrect placement, no window coverings, etc…

After room, beautifully updated to reflect the effective changes a designer will make in their homes.

Both of these rooms will be featured side by side and elevated to attract homeowners to the booth. BOTH of these rooms will feature a common ‘inspiration’ item so the homeowner’s will understand our desire to work WITH them and not overrule them. The booth is 20 x 20 feet and is set up as an island – no shared walls. Each of the living rooms will have a window, so even from the backside, people will be drawn in. It is also located close to the center feature area at the show.

What’s Expected of the Designers?

The designer need only bring their business cards and any collateral / marketing materials they wish. They are encouraged to bring their portfolio if available or a laptop loaded with their photos if they prefer. For those of you who have never worked a show or are nervous about the venue, please know that the booth has been set up specifically for there to be a purpose…a reason for visitors to the show to seek you out. We’re expecting a very successful event!

Never worked a trade show?? This is the one to do as the work is done for you. You can show up with your business cards and you welcoming smile and work confidently with your colleagues. You won’t be alone in the booth as the schedule is set for a minimum of two designers in the booth at all time.

If you have any further questions e-mail Karen Linder or call 503-515-4745.

Click to Register

Registration closes at the close of business on Monday, August 17th. The HIS committee will publish the schedule to all who responded by Wednesday, August 19th. If there are additional shifts available, those interested will be contacted directly. Be sure to indicate on your initial request if you’d like two shifts in which to participate. We want to open this opportunity up to as many designers as possible, so we are starting with one shift each.

Please note that participation is open to all active IDS design members of any level. If you’re receiving this email and are NOT a member, it means that you’ve attended meetings and we’d love you to join! Booth shifts are reserved for current members only at this point, however. If you’ve considered joining and want to participate, now would be a great time to sign up!

Questions? – Email Committee Chair, Karen Linder

Need more information?
The Details

We are very excited to have a booth at the Home Improvement and Remodeling show that will be held in September, 24, 25, 26, 27 at the Convention Center.

Our booth is large, takes up four spaces, located on prime real estate, Location! location! Location! We are going to have a spectacular booth – sure to catch the eyes of every “Do it your selfer” walking by, a show stopper! I say that because we are going to have “Before” and “After” rooms, each space a 10 x 10 room, completely redesigned to represent the fabulous work we all do as interior designers. The design committee has come up with two beautiful rugs donated for show use from NW Rugs, this piece will be our inspiration for both rooms, we also have some “lovely” before furniture/accessories to showcase and we are working on procuring beautiful furniture, draperies and accessories for our after room.

Click to Register

The front section of our booth will be the design area. In this space we will have cafe tables set up for work spaces, complete with baskets of fabric, tiles, paint chips and magazines. Each designer will have an opportunity to showcase their portfolio on their shift. Our goal is for each designer to have face to face time with potential clients, giving them ideas of ways you can help them with their “design dilemmas”, take away of mini design boards you created for them at the show, complete with your business card attached! Remember the statistic of 74% of the show attendees plan to make a purchase in the next six months.

(these are initial renderings that are still being finalized)

We will also be having a $ 5,000 drawing for a shopping spree or room makeover! Who will be the lucky designer? It is going to be a “Designers Challenge”; we will enter all designers from the show in a drawing, pick three names and these three will meet with the winner. The winner will interview each designer and each designer has an opportunity to present their solution, the winner chooses!

IDS will have a large presence at the show, I hope many of you will sign up for a three hour shift, it is a great opportunity to add new clients to your business!

Best regards,

Karen Linder

Click to Register

Community reuse projects will be displayed in the ReFind Furniture Showroom from 6-8 pm on Thursday, June 11th. The event will feature a People’s Choice Award and the opportunity to network with other artists, makers and Do-It-Yourself extraordinaires. Light refreshments will be provided. To read more about this and submission details, please visit our website . You can see photos of reuse projects here: Flickr Photos.
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2009-06-11
End Time: 20:00

MAKE YOUR LISTS AND MAKE THEM COMPLETE

Designer Diane Plesset, author of “The Survival Guide: Home Remodeling,” advises the same initial approach.

“First and foremost,” she says, “is to think about the budget and range of investment that you want to establish, and be ready and willing to test the reality of it.”

Plesset, of D.P. Design + Associates, says many first-timers don’t have a clue about what renovations will cost, and the only way to begin is to make a list of everything you want.

And she means everything.

Instead of saying, “We want to remodel the living room,” Plesset says to frame it this way: “We want the remodeled living room to include …”

Tangible items can get realistic price tags, which start to establish your budget.

Also, Plesset suggests having some visuals to supplement your lists. And be specific with what it was in the photo that appealed to you.

Having photos can also guard against launching a remodel that might be too grand for the value of your home.

“It’s human nature to want the beautiful picture we see,” Plesset says. “But the neighborhood may not support that.”

A designer, Plesset says, will then be able to see what you want, but pull it to within your budget and the house’s value, which is a huge deal.

Additional comments from Diane:

“Not everyone is a “list person,” but making lists helps to clarify many things, especially if we take the time to prioritize the items. If the room being remodeled is used by the entire family, i.e., the living room, family room, or kitchen, everyone in the family should make a separate list, then allow time to discuss the lists openly before talking with a designer, so any issues can be resolved. All of us have had to be a family or marriage counselor as well as interior designer, because there were unresolved issues.

Another suggestion I make is for the homeowners (or the designer) to keep an accurate spreadsheet for all products and labor. Following my advice when we built our home, we stayed within 1% of the established budget for all products we purchased, and within 3% for all labor.”

Diane Plesset, CMKBD, CID #5818, NCIDQ, C.A.P.S.
D.P. Design + Associates
503-632-8801
diane@dp-design.com
Look at my award-winning book:
“THE Survival Guide: Home Remodeling”