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There are advantages to working with all forms of housing – I get to see the best of all worlds. There are things that site-built homes do well, there is the efficiency of factory built and modular gives you the best of all types of construction. With all of the changes going on in our industry I’m always looking for a company to refer people to, and today I had the chance to find out what Champion Homes of Texas is up to.

The first thing that impressed me is that when you call their office a real person picks up the phone. I hate the “for xyx dial 123″ answering systems -by the time I get through to someone I forgot why I called! They seem very in tune to customer service and these little touches can make all the difference.I went out to their Burleson Texas plant to see what was new, and I can’t give away all of the details but there are very exciting times ahead for Champion. They have great people in place that are going to take the company to the head of the class. Their customers love them, they understand and listen to their buyers and they have done some very innovative concepts, including the “Suite Retreat”. Everyone talks about doing a luxurious spa bath, but Champion is delivering it. With a fireplace, glass surround shower, and plantation shutters being included, this is a room that has the “wow” feature that customers are looking for. I got to merchandise a few homes with this retreat for Young’s Factory Built Homes and they are even more beautiful in person.

If you are looking for a new approach to modular housing, check out what Champion has to offer – you won’t be disappointed – tell them the Lifestylist sent you!

Earlier this year Pantone named blue, or turquoise to be exact the color of the year. I’m wondering if the winter Olympic committee had consulted with them because blue is definitely a color we are seeing a lot of as we watch the winter games.

I love the shades of blue and green that were chosen for the Olympics -it just goes to show how much of a difference the right colors can make in the appearance of an event, branding campaign or even a room. Using navy vs. aqua on a wall makes all the difference, even though they are both blue.

@home Builders hired The Home Idea Factory to merchandise a new model for them, and shades of blue were used in various rooms. This home was around the corner from the previous model which was in different colors, but the challenge was to use as much from the old model in the new one to keep costs down. Everything from the old bedroom was recycled in the new one but we added new bedding and headboards. The kids bath was merchandised with accessories from Target that were on trend and budget conscious. Buyers could actually go out and buy the items they saw and fell in love with in the model home. This new model home has character and personality and lookers became buyers – a community which only sold a few homes a year had 8 sales in snowy November and they now have a waiting list for the next phase.

Color  can affect your mood, and happy colors create happy customers.

As a Lifestylist, giving back is something I really believe in. I was in a board meeting the other day at HomeAid and was hearing about a special project that some of our board members did for an injured veteran. To them helping others isn’t about “getting credit” it’s just the right thing to do.

I found this quote on the Rent-A-Center Community page: “At the crossroads of sharing, caring and compassion is Community. It’s a place where people come together with a common goal, to contribute resources and ideas in uncommonly generous and inspired ways. In a Community, compassion just comes with the territory whether that territory’s a small town, a big city, or a gathering spot that’s borders are only virtual. A Community is a place where no one is meant to go without and everyone belongs”

Rent-A-Center is very much this way, and I’m just beginning to find out how much so. When I travel coast to coast I’ve seen their stores and they are often in my neighborhood delivering. I’ve also seen their ads with their new spokesperson Troy Aikman so they were on my radar – great service and lots of value. But when I really took notice is when HomeAid needed some help and Rent-A-Center was the first to step up. And they are the strong silent type – not asking for their logos everywhere or even a mention – just doing it because it’s the right thing to do. When a project was having problems keeping the utilities on because the homeowner couldn’t afford the bill I saw someone with Rent-A-Center take the needed funds from his own pocket and help out without a word being said.

That intrigued me enough to do some research and I am blown away with how much Rent-A-Center gives back. Besides being a sponsor for the HomeAid Fairway to Haven Golf tournament, they also are very active with Feeding America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, have their own Make a Difference Scholarship program and much more. Check out their RACommunity page for details on how they get involved on a national level and in the neighborhoods they are a part of.

Being a good neighbor is about doing the right thing no matter how large or small (or random) that act of kindness might be. If we all just did one small thing for a neighbor or a complete stranger every day, think about what a different place the world could be!

Using color is one of the least expensive, most terrifying but also most rewarding ways to change a room. When I’m designing a new model home most builders will encourage me to use memorable colors, but when they first paint the room and see it without any accessories or furniture I often get a call wondering if they have the right information.

These rooms are a perfect example. You can imagine the call the builder got from the superintendent the first time they saw these! This is a model for Canoa Homes in Tucson, and they trusted me enough to wait and see what happened. This is also a great example of designing for your buyer, not yourself – we were targeting families with school age children. A Lifestylist targets in on what the buyer is really looking for, even when they may not realize it themselves.Once we had a few families go through the home we found that almost every female from 2 – 50 wanted that room with those paint colors. It was something the buyer might not have been brave enough to try on their own, but when they saw it completed they loved it.

This is also a great example of Partnership Merchandising. The Home Idea Factory had a great relationship with Home Interiors and Gifts – a direct sell company that we had done styling and product development with. Many of the accessories and “wallies” – the decals on the bath wall – we theirs and we identified them as such so buyers could reproduce what they saw in the room at a price they could afford. The bedding was from Bombay and the furniture from Ashley so all could be bought at local stores or from a Home Interiors and Gifts consultant.

Let your child have a say in what they want their room to look like. It might not be a color you would chose or a style you would like but by letting them be a part of the decorating decision they’ll take ownership of their decisions and be even more proud fo what they accomplished.

What a crazy week in Dallas! This town is all about the NBA All Star Game which is this weekend, but mother nature decided to steal the show and dusted us with over a ft. of snow!

The is the largest amount we ever had so we decided to take advantage of it and declared a snow day. The Lifestylists were all out playing in it trying to outdo each other with snowball fights and snow sculptures and when it got dark out I realized I had the opportunity of a lifetime to get some really unique shots of the Home Idea Factory. Fortunately I share the factory with the very talented Lisa Stewart of L.a.S. Photography and we headed out to see what we could find. After she used her magic and skills I love what we ended up with, and to me these really capture the personality of what The Home Idea Factory is all about – Your Life. Your Style. Your Way.

Lifestylist Design has worked on model homes from coast to coast, but one of the things we pride ourselves on is that we are very selective about which clients we work with. Customer service is a priority and I’ll only take on clients that I can give my full attention to and become a part of their team. Because of this philosophy I couldn’t be more proud of every model home that we do.

We have finally found the perfect client in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and our partnership has begun! This client thinks “out of the box” and is really listening to what the buyer wants. We all say we do, but this builder is actually doing it. They have been waiting in the wings doing their research and homework, but finally the first four homes are under construction! Our new model will be opening up in the Spring at a grand opening that’s going to be a lot of fun. That’s all I can tell you right now, but if you want more information feel free to contact us directly at: answers@lifestylist.com

Are you looking for a lifestylist design approach that creates models that truly sell homes? We’d love to talk to you and explain the Lifestylist difference.

Window treatments are something that is needed in every home, but few people know where to find the right treatments for their needs at a cost that they can afford.

Great news! This is a design area that had become much more affordable in the past few years, and now you can get beautiful treatments without breaking the bank. One of my favorite sources is Country Curtains. The name is deceiving – much of what they offer really isn’t “country” but styles that would fit in any decor. their fabrics and colors are also very on-trend and I’ve used them in many of the model home interiors that I’ve done recently as well as the Homearama House for @home Builders in Rochester, NY. They have stores around the country, but you can also purchase them on their website or from their catalog. One of the services that help take the guesswork out of finding the right treatment for your home is that they will send you swatches of the actual fabrics at no charge, and they also offer suggestions of Sherwin Williams paints that coordinate.

JC Penney is another favorite, and you can’t beat the quality or price. A great service is that they use different color pallettes every season and you can find coordinating linens, towels, bath accessories – you name it – that making your decorating decisions stress free.

Whatever your price range or style is, now you can do it your self from the comfort of your new home.

Happy New Year! One of the things I like to do at the end of every year is to go back and see what people have searched for or asked on my websites – it gives me a great snapshot of what people are looking for and want to know about when they visit. This year, what exactly a Lifestylist is and what is Lifestylist Marketing was the number one question.

The Lifestylist philosophy is that “It’s all about You” – the client’s life and style is what dictates how a Lifestylist works with you. My favorite example is I had a client in Phoenix, Arizona that was a major Phoenix Suns fan, and their team colors are orange and purple. The client wanted their entire home done in these colors. What they wanted is what they got, complete with a child’s room with a hardwood floor striped like a basketball court.

I just spoke to a friend who’s dog had just dug up her entire garden and her daughter slammed the door on a neighbor’s hand – all in about 30 minutes time. Her needs and lifestyle are completely different from my Son – no kids, no dogs, and lives in front of his computer. What my style is wouldn’t work well for either of them which is why I need to understand the client and what their “hot buttons” are. It takes extra time and sleuthing to achieve this – many times the client has trouble putting into words exactly what they are looking for but know it when they see it. I take the responsibility very seriously – a person’s environment can truly change their lives in a positive or negative way. If someone is happy in their home their quality of life improves.

Lifestylist Marketing is about you, and what your needs are. Customer service is an obsession with me, and if I can’t help you with what you are looking for I’ll always try to find someone who can help you. Model home merchandising is something we have been doing for a long time and we have an extensive list of other qualified merchandisers, marketing consultants, research firms – you name it! Let us know what your needs are and we’ll try to help you find that special something or firm that you are looking for.

Happy Holidays from our workshop to yours!

Builders, chefs, and community members teamed up today to start the “Home Sweet Gingerbread Home” competitions at NorthPark Center. Lifestylist® Suzanne chaired the event which looks like it will become an annual favorite.Chef and cookbook author Karel Ann Tieszen teamed up with Shared Housing board member Mona Lincoln and TX State Fair Celebri-chef Peter Clarac (he was a winner in the Oprah cook-off) to decide which of the houses would be awarded the coveted blue ribbon. Pastry Chef Instructor at the Art Institute of Dallas Nina Hunter amazed the judges with her beautiful victorian home complete with playful penguins enjoying the pool in the backyard and was awarded first place.

Thursday the “Builders and Bakers” competition will be taking place from 12pm to 4pm also at NorthPark. Teams comprised of members from the Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas will be creating homes on-site with celebrity chefs from Stephan Pyles, Sambuca, Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord Texan, DC’s Catering and The Cupcakery. They will then be judged and awarded various prizes in different categories.

The competitions will benefit two great organizations – Shared Housing Center and HomeAid / Homebuilders Care, both which break the cycle of homelessness and abuse in the Dallas area.