Follow Us on Houzz

It's hard to believe that we have been active on Houzz for over 5 years - where does the time go? Our clients love being able to get ideas and product information on their site, and it's such an easy way to share information.

You can find us on Houzz here - I hope that you will follow us and let us know what you think of our recent models.

Social Media Lifestylist® Guidelines for 2012

Happy New Year from the Lifestylist® family! I'm really excited about 2012, and the opportunities that come with it.
A lot of being a Lifestylist® is about being a trend tracker and doing research. Today I read something that was written by someone else titled "Social Media Lifestylist Guidelines for 2012" - boy does that sound dull! The first thing that comes to mind is a big dusty manual full of rules and regulations, and that is exactly what social media (and being a Lifestylist®) is not about.
The tag line I have always used for my Lifestylist® brand is "It's All About You". I didn't want the brand to be about me telling people what to do - I wanted to listen to people's wants, needs, and dreams, and help them achieve those even when they didn't know that's what they were really searching for. I don't want to dictate, I want to educate. I've learned that listening is so much more important than anything I will ever have to say, because sometimes if you let people express their thoughts they will find their answers.
Social media is such an exciting new frontier because it gives everyone the chance to tell their story to the universe. It's become a great equalizer because almost anyone  on any budget can get access to a computer and a free site and share their thoughts.
There's a down side to this though as well -there's not as much editing as we've seen in the past. We have to learn that even though someone may have written it, there is the possibility it might not be true. Before we share or depend on information we find we have to be sure and check the facts. As the guardian of the Lifestylist® trademark for almost 10 years now I've seen how many people want to tie into my brand but aren't willing to go through the legal process to acquire a brand of their own.
So what are the real Lifestylist's guidelines for 2012? Never call them guidelines, live your life to the fullest, listen to those around you and you can never laugh too much or have too much great food and wine!
Here's to a boisterous 2012!

Budgeting for New Model Homes

When a new client called me the other day the first thing he asked me was how much we charge per square foot. For some reason builders think this is the best way to cost out model home interiors. It may be the easiest, but it really doesn’t reflect the true cost of what a model home should be and you may be paying too much or even too little for what you are trying to achieve. I’ve decided to be a myth buster today and discuss what you really need to be factoring in when budgeting for you new model homes.

Buyer Profile: What is the lifestyle and expectations of the potential buyer? As a Lifestylist® one of the things I really focus on is what the buyer is looking for and how to portray that to them. Over-merchandising and doing a home that they don’t feel they can ever achieve is many times worse than under-merchandising. You would be amazed how many model homes I’ve walked that intimidate the potential buyer into thinking their home could never look as good as the model. A model should inspire the potential buyer with creative ideas and solutions to their decorating dilemmas.

Age of Life - Stage of Life: Are your potential buyers buying their first home or their last? Do they want to have kids and are worried about the schools or are they empty nesters? All of this should be reflected in your models.

How Many Models? Depending on how many homes you hope to build in the community and what the competition is doing this can play a huge part in your budgeting decisions.

Upgrades and Built-ins: These can make a huge difference in your budget and need to be discussed at the first meeting with your merchandiser. Another big part of this is who is going to pay for the materials and labor for these items.

How many Rooms: What really affects the budget is how many rooms are to be furnished as opposed to how many square feet. A dining room can be very expensive to furnish as opposed to a child’s room or a breakfast room.

Cost of the Home: This should be one of the biggest factors in coming up with the budget for your new models. a 3,000 sq. ft home can be an entry level home in one community and a multi-million dollar condo in another. It’s critical that the cost of the home, costs of competitive homes, and the level of buyer sophistication should all be taken into consideration.

We are here to help. If you would like us to take a look at your upcoming models and give you an idea of how to merchandise them we would love to. We are also strong believers in referrals and know merchandisers coast to coast that we would be happy to refer. Feel free to contact us at: [email protected]

Re-Defining Country Curtains

Sometimes it really pays off to keep an open mind. I had the manager of the Rochester Country Curtains call me about the Ronald McDonald Homearama House I’m doing with @Home Builders, and express an interest in being included in the home. The name scared me because the home is anything but country, but I told them to send me a catalog and I’d take a look.

What a pleasant surprise! The colors were right on trend, the styling was beautiful and the prices were great. They have been an absolute delight to deal with as well, and I’m looking forward to seeing everything installed.