great design ideas for mobile, manufactured, and model homes
Recycling
what’s old can become new again
Cleaning Out The Clutter
Aug 1st
It’s hot as heck here today – the 1st day of August and it’s supposed to reach 106 degrees! So today instead of even trying to do anything outside I decided to work on one of my new goals and start simplifying my life and style.
Have you noticed how easy it is to make impulse purchases now and how things just start piling up? I think I inherited a little of my parents recession-fear mentality and it’s hard for me to pass up anything free like the little soaps and shampoos that you get in hotels. As a Lifestylist® I’m always picking up cool and unusual items that I plan on using for staging or merchandising a model home – thanks heavens the Home Idea Factory has lots of storage or I’d be in big trouble!
Last week I was fortunate enough to be invited to The Family Place – an amazing resource for abused women and families. I serve on the board for HomeAid / HomeBuilders Care in Dallas and we just built new apartments, a clinic and a school room for them and it was so rewarding to see what we were able to accomplish. We were also able to meet some of the women who live there and what a difference the Family Place has made in our lives. As we toured we also found out what a great need they have for some of those things I’ve been collecting and today I’m going to start simplifying my life to help them with their fresh start.
Ronald McDonald House in Rochester, NY is another charity very close to my heart. A few years ago we did a home that was merchandised completely with items that had been donated to the charity, then auctioned off to benefit Ronald McDonald House. I’ll be forever grateful to the volunteers and Rochester community who donated such beautiful items to work with!
Towels, sheets, bath products, diapers… these are all things we may have an abundance of but don’t want to throw out the ones that we don’t use as much anymore. Stuffed animals that we tend to collect at fairs and in crane games would be cherished by a child that had to leave everything behind to get to safety.
It feels so good to clean away some of the clutter and know that these items are going to help someone else. The less you have to organize the easier it will be!
Lifestylist® Advisory for Summer Fun
Jun 26th
Summer is officially here, and many of us are wondering how to keep the kids (or guests) entertained. When I was much younger, we used to go to the beach on Lake Erie with my Aunt Julie who is an artist. She always had great ideas on how we could do art projects using found objects, and we used to love making animals by gluing river rocks together then adding color and faces using Sharpie markers.
When I started my first company – Memory Merchandising – I wanted to stand out from the crowd so I made all of my own business cards using rubber stamps for an imprint that I then tinted using Prismacolor pencils. I’ve been told that people still have kept some of those because they thought they were so unique.
Today while I was web surfing I found two great websites full of ideas that can keep all of us busy for the entire year, if not more!
Sharpie Uncapped is a really fun site that has all kinds of ideas on how you can get creative with a Sharpie. I personally love the mugs, and think I may be heading out to Staples today to buy some new colors and play. I also love how they play up the talents of various artists and how they are really embracing the art community. If we had more companies like this the world might become a more colorful place.
Prismacolor has an amazing site as well, and I can’t wait to spend more time on it. You can upload your works of art to be showcased on their site, and a feature I really love is the color coordinator. You can use a virtual color wheel and they will tell you which of their products matches that color.
Congratulations to both of these companies for having websites that just aren’t about selling but offer great information that anyone can appreciate and use. I have some thank-you cards I need to send out – think I’ll be trying some of their ideas and making some handmade ones! Lifestylist Designed greeting cards here I come!
BeauFlor – The Next Generation of Flooring Has Arrived
Jun 21st
As a Lifestylist®, one of the things I spend a lot of time on is sourcing and specifying products for the home. Flooring is especially important, and I’ve seen a movement lately from what we’ve always expected to see in a home to some really exciting, unexpected products. Your lifestyle should play a huge part in what you want in different rooms in your home – do you have pets, kids, allergies to be concerned about or do you lead an active lifestyle? All of these should be considerations as to what type flooring you have in your home.
The Home Idea Factory is a perfect example of this. Living and working in a 1940′s building has lots of different challenges – add to that all of the animals we rescue and grandbabies – what you end up with is a need for something that is easy maintenance & a lot of style as well to make this Lifestylist® happy. I’ve been looking for years to find the perfect flooring for my media room which is my favorite room at the factory and where I spend most of my time. It is large so tiling or wood was cost-prohibitive, I knew carpet wouldn’t last since the dogs enjoy this room as well. I also wanted something with some sound barriers since the photography studio is below. When I discovered BeauFlor I knew I had my answer.
Believe it or not, this is a resilient vinyl flooring that is available in wider widths which means less or no seams. It also doesn’t have the paper backing that many vinyl floors have which can add to mold issues, and it is “lay flat – stay flat”. The patterns are absolutely amazing – I have been in homes that have BeauFlor in them and I have seen customers get on their hands and knees to see if the flooring was real tile or wood – actually it looks better in some cases! Plus you get the cost savings of a resilient flooring and the savings on installation – what more could you ask for?
Champion Homes of Texas has been using this flooring in their homes, and the customers love the look and how easy it is to care for. If you get a chance, be sure to take a look at this product in the nearest Champion Homes to you, or contact Syntec Industries to learn more about this amazing product. I can’t wait to have it in The Idea Factory to spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying!
DalTile Listens
Jun 16th
There are days (actually most of them!) when I love being a Lifestylist®, and this week was a great one. I was able to work with the amazing team at Champion Homes of Texas and finish the XTreme Model Home Challenge, then I was invited to the corporate headquarters for DalTile to view some new products they are working on.
Honestly, I don’t know why more companies don’t ask for our help – being able to give input to DalTile helps all of us in the long run. They get to learn about what we need and haven’t been able to find, and by learning about what DalTile is working on I’m able to be sure that my clients know about these amazing new and current products so they can take advantage of them as well.
DalTile has always done an amazing job of understanding the needs of designers and builders and delivering beautiful products that are exactly what the homeowner is looking for. After spending a few days with their team, I think I know know how they achieve this – they listen. The innovative new products they will be launching that we got to see are obviously the product of really listening to and understanding the lifestyle of today’s buyer. With more people wanting the ease of maintenance that tile affords as well as it being so family and pet friendly, tile is going to become even more important in tomorrow’s homes. I can’t give everything away, but soon you will be seeing tile that is so simple to install even I could do it 
and they are using new technologies to produce glass and mixed materials into mosaics that are worthy of being hung in a museum, but you will be able to easily install them in your own home. It was like they could read my mind – things that I had only dreamed about being able to use in my homes will soon be a reality.
Tile can be very intimidating to a novice homeowner, and with so many beautiful choices it can be very hard to choose what is your favorite. DalTile has helped take some of the guesswork out of this by having an easy to use website full of ideas. They also have design centers around the country that are staffed with some of the most knowledgeable designers I’ve ever worked with, and they are full of inspirations on how you can use tile to create your own dream home. They were very helpful to me when I was working on the new Design Center for @home Builders that will be opening soon – if you have a chance to stop by you should. They also helped me design the great kitchen backsplash for the new model home that just opened at Frisco Ranch for American Custom Builders.
Now it’s my turn to listen. I would love to hear about how you have used tile in your home. Feel free to contact us at: answers@lifestylist.com and share your beautiful rooms with us!
I’m Feeling Blue
Feb 24th
- The Preserve
- Bedroom Before
- Bedroom After
- Bath with Target Accessories
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.
Is This a Manufactured Home?
Sep 19th
The days of being able to tell if a home is manufactured or a site built are quickly coming to a close. Today’s manufactured home can offer as many options as it’s site built competition if not more. Technology and manufacturers have come a long way in what we can offer consumers today anywhere in the country.
I just got back from Hobbs, NM working with an amazing retailer – Young’s Factory Built Homes. This isn’t your “old school” retail center – even though they have been in business since 1958 nothing at this retail center is aged or dated. You can tell be the photos that the homes are well presented and would make anyone a proud homeowner. They asked me to come in and add some design trends to their interiors and I’m hoping to share what we accomplished in the next few months.
Making your house feel like a home doesn’t have to cost a fortune – something as simple as adding color with colors in trendy colors and adding a few accessories can make all the difference. Pillows are another easy way to add warmth and softness to any interior – plus they are great to curl up with on a cold day!
If you have a chance stop by Young’s and experience in person the trends we have shown. Tell them The Lifestylist® sent you!
Thrift Store Decors
Sep 12th
Let’s face it – we are all worried about spending more than we need to now more than ever. Show homes are a great way to get exposure, but since they are open a limited amount of time we have to be sure that the investment pays off long term.
Partnership merchandising is always something that the Home Idea Factory has been very active in, and one of my favorite homes that I was able to work on was the Ronald McDonald Show House in Rochester, NY. The home was a partnership between @home Builders, The Ronald McDonald House and The Rochester HomeBuilders Association. All of the furniture, decor, and accessories used in the home were donated by the community to the Ronald McDonald House for their annual ABC Sale that is the major fundraiser for them. With myself in Dallas and the home and merchandise in Rochester, was it a challenge to be able to find the right items for the home? Absolutely, but that’s what made the home unique, and showed the over 25,000 visitors how they too could decorate their home with gently used items and have something they can be proud of.
It was a win for all parties involved – the builder saved money on his merchandising costs and didn’t have to worry about what to do with the model furnishings after the show (all was sold or auctioned off raising over $25,000 for Ronald McDonald House), Ronald McDonald House raised great awareness and funds, and consumers got excited about using what they had and attending the ABC sale.
To see what the home was all about we did a video of the home.
The Green Evolution
Apr 21st
So you say you want an evolution… well it looks like the Green Evolution is here, and here to stay. No matter what industry you are in, everyone seems to be getting on “The Green Train”. But what does this really mean to you, and the world you live in? Defining Green is not an easy task, and the definition seems to be changing every day and mean different things to different people. It can be as simple as putting your trash in the appropriate container or as complex as an off-grid solar home. The important thing is that you do something and incorporate a green lifestyle into the way you live today and in the future. I heard an excellent example this week at the Manufactured Housing Conference where we were blessed to have Mark LaLiberte as a speaker. He used the example of a green builder in Connecticut who was bragging about the great granite he was able to get inexpensively in China. Being that New Hampshire – the granite state – borders Connecticut Mark asked why he didn’t source the product there. Sometimes we have to look at issues besides price – think about all of the energy that was wasted getting the product from China as well as the jobs locally he might have saved – and those employees that might have become customers – and to me it puts a different spin on how we forgo value for price many times. I see the greening of America as being an evolution instead of a revolution because it’s not going to happen overnight, but if everyone starts asking the question about what their choices are going to mean for ours and our families quality of life in the future hopefully we can start turning things around. As a Lifestylist I feel like it’s my responsibility to do my part and make a difference. It’s exciting to see how many ways we can get involved and stand up for what we believe in. Here’s to the Evolution!
The Lifestylist’s Resolutions for 2009
Dec 31st
One of my favorite things about starting a New Year is being able to leave this year behind and look forward with optimism and a renewed set of goals. True, this shouldn’t be something that happens just once a year, but it’s a great time to really focus on what you want your new year to hold.
Below is a recap on what I think 2009 will hold – I’ll go into more detail as the year progresses, and change these as the world changes I’m sure in ways we could have never expected. Happy 2009 from your favorite Lifestylist® !
Your Life – Your Style
Make this the year that you break out of the stereotypes about how you should live and dress and do it your way. Paint your walls purple, embrace that favorite sweater – if it makes you happy and enables you to feel better about yourself, go for it!
Save a Life
One of the best things I ever did was start rescuing animals. We now have quite a menagerie, but they bring so much joy and happiness into my life, I can’t imagine what my life would be without them. When you have a really rotten day, nothing makes you feel better than having your furry friend curl up in your lap and make it all better.
Attitude is Everything
I predict that 2009 is going to be the year where people really start taking a hard look about how they spend their very hard-earned money and start supporting local businesses and rewarding places and individuals that offer superior customer service and make you feel like your patronage is appreciated.
Re-Purpose and Save the Planet
This year I’m going to be very careful about how I spend every dollar, and I’m already making decisions on how badly I really need something. So many times it’s just easier to go out and buy what you need instead of putting the thought into how you can use what you already have to serve that purpose. This year is going to be about less disposable things and more recycling. Not only will I save some money, I’l also help save the planet!
Playing Dress Up
We are turning into a very casual society in dress and in the way we live. In many ways this is a good thing, but every once in awhile it’s a great idea to put on that dress, host a tea party or bring out that good china. I found a great company - lia sophia - that sells jewelry that is unique and well priced. My daughter introduced me to them, and I loved what they offered so much I have begun selling their line myself! Working out of the house makes it too easy to dress down every day, and so now that I am involved with lia sophia I make a conscious decision to wear my jewelry every time I go out, whether it’s to the grocery store or to a client meeting. I get so many compliments on it my self-esteem has been boosted and the day is much brighter.
Hang Ups
I love art – especially art by someone I’ve had the pleasure of meeting or has been picked up on a trip. Living in The Idea Factory means that I have very solid cement block walls, and because of this I’ve put off hanging most of my artwork. Art is very personal for me, and today I’m going to start putting a few holes in my walls so I can be surrounded with the color and memories that make me very happy.
Organize Your Digital Life
Have you noticed that the external hard drive is becoming the new catch-all? I’m realizing that I have tens of thousands of images and articles, but when I’m looking for that one that I need it’s never anywhere to be found. The start of a new year is the perfect time to evaluate what you need and how you store it. Take the time to remove the clutter on your desktop and put the things that you need right where you can find them. For those lucky Mac owners, the Apple stores are a great resource for getting your live moving in the right direction. It’s more important than ever to work smart and manage your time wisely.
Shake Things Up a Little
Do you feel like you are in a rut? I know I have lately – with all of the gloom and doom in the news about the economy and the other craziness out there maybe it’s time to jump out of that comfort zone and try something different for a change. I’ve been spending way too much time reading and worrying and I decided it was time to plug in the Wii fit I bought 6 months ago. I love it! It’s making me get out of my desk chair and literally breathe. Doing a little bit of exercise every day has renewed my spirit and now I’m ready to take on some new challenges.
Giving Thanks
Saying thank-you or letting someone know about exceptional service doesn’t cost a dime but can have great rewards to the person who bestowed great service on you. The next time someone goes out of their way to be gracious or helpful be sure to let them know you appreciate their help and when possible let their superiors know of their good deeds as well.
Family First
With all of the insecurity in the World right now, make suer to take time for family and remember what’s really important. A great dinner and evening at home can be priceless.
Recession Proof Design
Nov 1st
Last week I was in Rochester, NY for the annual ABC Sale that benefits the Ronald McDonald House. We may be in a recession, but there are still plenty of people out there that know how to be smart shoppers and don’t mind standing in line for a great deal.
This sale is the one that I had used merchandise from to merchandise my Homearama House 2008 for @Home Builders, so I was anxious to go back and see what goodies I might be able to find that I could use in my own home and models.
When they told me how big the sale was I was a little skeptical, but it lived up to every expectation and then some. And what amazing finds! The Homearama House featured a bookcase that was merchandised with vintage Kodak cameras from an Estate that was donated, and the rest of this collection was offered at the sale. I think these ended up being some of the most popular items in the sale, and when they opened the doors people literally ran to the area where the cameras were displayed and started grabbing. I was able to get a few, but some people were faster than I was.
Check out your local thrift shops, estate sales and church tag sales – you’ll be amazed at what great personality pieces are out there that can add a special touch to your design and allow you to still have some money left in the bank!