191: Paul Thomas & Daniel Beauchemin -How Artists and Custom Framers Benefit Your Interior Design Firm

Are you a little intimidated at the thought of incorporating art into your design projects? Well, today’s show could really help you to move beyond that, as the discussion centers on the value of a trusted vendor- in this case, an expert Framer, someone who can really help you to attain success in this area.  LuAnn points out that the expert Framer is yet another colleague for you to rely on and so she couldn’t think of a better way to have this conversation, than to have an artist on the show, alongside his favorite Framer. Listen in today, as LuAnn talks to Paul Thomas, a renowned artist and Daniel Beauchemin,  an accomplished Interior Designer and the owner of the famous Chelsea Frames, in New York City, about the importance of quality professional framing and how that can really enhance a beautiful piece of art.

Paul Thomas has been described as an artist of intuition. His paintings are composed through a natural pattern of creation, rather than a formal analysis. Paul’s work is a true reflection of his personality- bright, cheerful, full of vitality and movement and filled with an inner radiance. Much of the translucence of the color tends to be lost when viewing Paul’s work online or in a catalog, so it would really be well worth seeing it in person. His work is in both public and private collections in the US, Canada, France, Italy and South America. Some of the highlight collections include the US Consulate in Florence, Italy, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Bologna, The Louis Azzaro Collection, The NYU Langone Medical Centre, Montefiore Medical Centre, Boston Scientific World Headquarters, Holiday House 2013, 2014 and 2015 and Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2015. In 2016, Paul won “Best In Show” at the Architectural Digest Design Show, where he collaborated with Charles Pavarini (Episode #16). Paul has also worked in collaboration with numerous other well known Interior Designers. In 2017, Paul’s work became the exclusive art for Haru Restaurants in New York City.

Daniel Beauchemin grew up in a house where the design was part of daily life. It was a multi-cultural environment where he was exposed to the Canadian-American and European culture at home and his parent’s friends spanned the whole world, so he developed an eclectic taste for beautifully designed things from a very early age. Daniel studied Architecture, with a focus on Furniture design, as well as Art History and Interiors. He came to New York in the early 1990’s and worked with some notable New York City Interior Design Firms and he also opened his own firm in 1996, which he ran until 2009. He purchased Chelsea Frames in 1995 and it became the focus of his work. By 2009, it had become one of the most renowned framing studios in the USA, with customers all over the world. He left for a while and worked and designed for Larson-Juhl, but after seven years, he rejoined his partner, Jaclyn Acker, full time in Chelsea Frames, where he still works with Collectors, Designers, and clients on a daily basis. Listen in now and learn from a unique perspective, how you can incorporate fine art into your Design Projects with confidence!

Today, LuAnn, Paul, and Daniel discuss:

  • Daniel’s perspective on the relationship between an Artist and a Framer and what he brings to the table when he works with an artist like Paul.
  • How Daniel was recently approached by Larson-Juhl to do their booth presentation at the Art Expo New York 2017.
  • How Daniel approached the Larson-Juhl booth at the Art Expo New York and framed Paul’s pieces in three different ways so that he could effectively display both Larson Jewel’s products and Paul’s work.
  • Paul’s thought that the artist’s work is elevated by what the Framer does with it.
  • How Daniel guides designers to learn to develop an eye to select a really good frame.
  • That it’s really Daniel’s job to listen.
  • The three very different collection styles that Daniel used with the Larson-Juhl booth presentation.
  • The effect that Daniel’s work- the art of framing– has on Paul and his work.
  • The real benefit of Artists, Framers, and Designers working collaboratively.
  • How Daniel actually ‘finished’ one of Paul’s pieces.
  • Some tips for Designers to work better with Framers.
  • That Daniel works regularly with Designers all over the world, so you can feel free to reach out to him.
  • Paul’s suggestion for making the best decision when choosing a frame.
  • That there are some Designers who actually create the room around the art because it’s such an important feature.

Links:

Daniel’s email: daniel@chelseaframes.com

190: Kathy Kuo – How Kathy Kuo Home, the Online Boutique, Can Assist Your Interior Design Firm

Kathy Kuo

Today’s guest is Kathy Kuo, an open, high-energy, talented designer, and Rockstar businesswoman.

You may have seen her amazing Instagram feed or heard of the online boutique she founded, Kathy Kuo Home. She’s also a wife, mother, cook, and world traveler. Born in Taiwan, raised in Boston, and now settled in NYC, Kathy graduated from the Rhode Island School of Interior Design and has traveled to over 30 countries. She recently starred in the FYI Network’s Rowhouse Showdown and her designs have been featured in several lifestyle publications. She’s here to discuss her career, her design firm, and how Kathy Kuo Home can help you!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

  • The impetus behind the e-commerce site she founded 10 years ago: it later became Kathy Kuo Home
  • How times have changed in the last 2-3 years
  • Kathy’s site, and how it is consumer-facing and trade-facing
  • Freedom and flexibility with online shopping
  • How Kathy’s network functions to meet clients’ needs
  • What it’s like working with celebrities
  • Great topics on Kathy’s blog: The top three? How to answer awkward questions, How to mix metals, and How to create a design board
  • Why your initial contract should include clear intention
  • How to deal with a client’s inflamed remarks
  • Vendors available at KKH
  • E-design: how it works
  • Why the presentation has to be significant
  • Kathy’s “Get the Look” project collection

Resources:

https://www.kathykuohome.com (Find Kathy’s blog, shop, and design business information!)

https://www.mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness (Find the special offer for listeners!)

189: Power Talk Friday – Jan Bowen: Cultivating Your Intuition is Smart for You & For Your Interior Design Business.

Jan L. Bowen

The guest for today’s Power Talk Friday is Jan Bowen, the Founder, and Principal of Strategic Solution Services. Jan is an author, a keynote speaker, a catalyst and a thought leader, with the central theme of her work being alignment. Jan talks about work aligning with life from both the inside and the outside. She is passionate about helping people to live their lives fully, through her work as an Author, a Coach, and a Public Speaker as well as through her business. Listen in to find out more about Jan and the really inspiring work she does.

LuAnn could talk to Jan about any of the several aspects of coaching that she does- Leadership Coaching and working with teams or individuals, but the subject of intuition is the one that came up. There are so many things that LuAnn can teach, but she realized that although she’s a huge believer in intuition and she’s spent her whole life, since childhood, cultivating it, she feels that teaching people how to cultivate and follow their intuition isn’t something that she can break down into actionable advice. Intuition has become so instinctive for her that she doubts she has the language to teach it. So, today LuAnn will talk about that with Jan, because Jan really knows how to teach people how to use it- it relates to leadership training and to interactions with clients. Listen in now and find out from Jan how you can cultivate your intuition and use it to enhance your life and business.

Today, LuAnn talks to Jan about:

  • How her intuition speaks to her.
  • How she teaches people to cultivate their intuition.
  • What people tend to think that intuition is.
  • Allowing your intuition to build and develop.
  • Keeping a log of your successes with your intuition.
  • How to know the difference between just an idea and her intuition.
  • That intuition is rational- it’s not emotional.
  • Starting with knowing what your personal feelings about intuition really are.
  • That your intuition will never lead you into harm- it will save you.
  • Your intuition is really your truest self, talking to you.
  • Paying attention to ways that you get your intuitive messages and the miraculous patterns that they form.
  • That many people get their intuitive messages when they’re showering.
  • Having goals for how you would like your intuition to work for you.
  • How Jan uses her intuition in a unique way, within business relationships.
  • The many, many areas in your life that intuition can really work for you.
  • Keeping track of how your intuition talks to you, to increase the intuitive messages that you will receive.
  • Clearing your clutter, to be still and better hear your intuitive voice.
  • When you are physiologically busy, you can often be more open to hearing your intuition.
  • Allowing your intuition to talk to you, as you really do have all the information that you need, for everything.
  • Listening carefully to pick up the non-verbal messages that people are giving you.
  • That your heart is really intelligent!
  • Why you need to trust and follow your hunches.
  • That using your intuition makes it grow stronger.
  • Intuition is part of the human condition.

Resources:

Jan’s books:

It’s Not That Complicated- How To Create A Personalised Template Of Alignment.

Why Do You Get Up In The Morning?- Demystifying Life Purpose

How To Hear What You Know

Links:

Jan’s website: https://www.janlbowen.com

Jan is also on Instagram, Linkedin, and Twitter

188: Jane Cunningham- Why Defining Your Core Values Helps Grow Your Interior Design Business

Interior Design Business Podcast A Well-Designed Business® LuAnn Nigara

The guest on today’s show is Jane Cunningham, the President, Principal Designer and CEO of Room Resolutions. Interestingly, Jane is also a classically trained musician- she used to be the Principal Clarinettist in the Honolulu Symphony. Jane describes how she is particularly skilled at finding her way through the intimacy of the second movement of a musical piece. LuAnn learned from Jane’s website how Jane sees the second movement in music in correlation to the journey we have in our lives, seeking a different tempo in the second half, or sometimes even changing the theme, or using a different key. That got LuAnn thinking about Fred Berns (#174) and she found it interesting that Jane not only knows what her ‘only’ is, but she has it right there, on her website! Listen in and find out how Jane’s skill as a classically trained musician and her specific talent for the second movement inform her both as an individual and as a Designer.

 

Room Resolutions is a luxury Interior Design Firm, which is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, specializing in large scale residential and commercial renovation, as well as new builds. Jane runs Room Resolutions together with her daughter, Amanda, who is the firm’s Design Manager. Amanda is responsible for educating the clients about the scope, the specifications and the details of the selections in the projects, from vendor relationships, procurement and expediting, to total Project Management, including the overseeing of the tradesmen and craftsmen. She also manages all the Social Media and website tasks. Sounds like a busy lady! Listen in now to find out more about the awesome firm that these two ladies run together!

 

Today, Jane and LuAnn discuss:

  • The 12 Core Values of her Company, that Jane has listed on her website.
  • How Jane arrived at her Core Values.
  • The value of being clear about who you are and what you want to convey to your clients.
  • The more that people get to know who you are, the more you can stand out.
  • That for Jane, there has to be an in-depth relationship with her clients, which starts with her being intrinsically honest about who she really is.
  • Vulnerability- how it works for Jane in getting people to know who she really is.
  • What Jane means by ‘Champagne Professionals’.
  • How Jane’s firm keeps everything in really detailed and systemized order.
  • Making sure that the communication is really clear when working on a project, by setting everything up in advance.
  • Jane’s process of avoiding glitches in the Designer world.
  • Dealing effectively with changes, with clear communication.
  • How Jane handles with her client communication, by corralling them in the beginning.
  • How Jane ascertains if a client is right for her firm.
  • Two questions that you could ask your potential clients, to tell you a lot about them.

Some amazing things about Amanda!

187: Laura Lochrin- Strategies to Help Your New Interior Design Firm Look & Be More Professional

Laura Lochrin

Are you an Outlanders fan? If so, you’re just going to love listening to the accent of today’s guest! LuAnn warns you though, that if you’re not, the first five to ten minutes of today’s show aren’t going to be your cup of tea! Today’s guest is Laura Lochrin, who’s originally from Scotland and she only moved here, with her husband and children, five years ago.  She now lives in sunny California. Listen in to find out about Laura and the particular way that she goes about her business.

LuAnn was really surprised to discover that Laura only opened her firm eight months ago. Today, they talk about the challenges that Laura faces in having a start-up design firm, two small children and a husband- all of this while living on the other side of the world from where she was raised! Listen in now, to their really fun conversation. Today, Laura talks to LuAnn about:

  • What it was like for her, getting started in the USA.
  • How she grew her Instagram following in such a short time.
  • Her Instagram feed- how much of her own work is on it and how much of it is curated posts of other people’s work.
  • Laura’s way of working with Instagram.
  • How Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and now also Yelp are translating into business for Laura.
  • Appealing to the right people for her kind of work, through her Instagram feed.
  • Using Instagram as a Marketing Tool.
  • Those things are starting to get a little hectic with her solo business, now.
  • Time management- one of her biggest challenges at the moment.
  • The challenges of being a working mom.
  • How she makes things work, as a mom and a designer.
  • That she developed the necessary confidence to do design work as a result of her background in advertising.
  • Some of the challenges that she faces with her business, at the moment.
  • How much she’s learned from listening to LuAnn’s Podcast!
  • That she uses Design Manager to help with her administrative processes.
  • That she falls a little more in love with MyDoma, every time she uses it.
  • What she does that really helps her new business to thrive.
  • How Laura structures her fees.
  • That she knows the value of her work because she knows what she has to give up in her life, in order to make it happen.
  • Making the time to go to the Industry Markets and to meet other designers.
  • That her Superpower is all about the details- in every aspect of her life.

Laura’s website: Laura Lochrin Interiors

186: Power Talk Friday: Anna Brockway- Chairish Updates to Improve Your Interior Design Business

Anna Brockway

Today, LuAnn is delighted to be getting together again with Anna Brockway, who first appeared on episode #79 of the show. Anna is the CEO and founder of Charish, which is also one of the show’s sponsors. Anna is back today, as there are some crazy new updates to Charish that she and LuAnn want to share with you. Listen in to find out more about Charish and why it’s important to you, as Interior Designers.

Charish is an Online Marketplace, which was started about four years ago. Three months ago, it had over 150 000 items available for sale on the site and nearly 1 000 000 buyers and sellers that do business there every month. Recently they’ve introduced a really cool virtual app that Interior Designers are going bananas about! Listen in now and find out more about Anna’s really fun and fast growing business. If you’re new to the show, please go back and listen to episode #79, to get the full story of how Anna started Charish and everything else that you need to know about it.

 

Today, Anna talks to LuAnn about:

  • A quick run down of what Charish is and how it helps Interior Designers with their businesses.
  • That the transactions at Charish are similar to those on e-Bay.
  • The delivery service that Charish provides.
  • The advantages of using Charish for Interior Designers.
  • The ‘cash back’ discount benefit, for Interior Designers who use Charish.
  • The new and exciting things that have been recently added to the Charish platform, making it an even better tool for the Design Trade to use.
  • How the fantastic, new, ‘try it before you buy it’ virtual app works.
  • That you can use the app to do design work on your iPhone.
  • Amazing ways that you could use the app.
  • The really large range of prices available at Charish.
  • The Charish Pink Book- a digital pricing guide. Their version of the Kelly Blue Book.
  • The environmental advantages to buying vintage furniture.
  • The styles and trends that are available at Charish.
  • The value points for used furniture.
  • Pricing for either time or money.

Links:

Anna’s website:

https://www.chairish.com

185: Designerlebrity in the House! Interior Design Powerhouse Panel Talk

1119 What Would Lu Do This Is The Difference Between Business Owners Who Wait And Those Who Act Thumbnail.png

Are you bummed because you weren’t able to attend the amazing  Designerlebrity Event, which was held on the 17th of May at the gorgeous Ethan Allen Showroom in New York City? If so, have no worries, because we have the full audio for the event, right here for you, on today’s show. Listen in now, to catch this special presentation.

The panel for the event included Barbara Viteri, a brilliant business woman and the Creator of Designerlebrity, Cheryl Eisen, the Founder of Interior Marketing Group, Mikel Welsch, the Principal of Mikel Welsch Design and Manuella Morreira, the co-founder of the really beautiful New York Ethan Allan location. Today’s show starts off with LuAnn’s private, pre-show interview of the four panelists. After that, we go straight into the live panel discussion, which happened in front of all the attendees. Listen in to find out more about this outstanding Designer  Event.

 

Some highlights include:

  • Mikel gives some inside info on Harry Connick Jr – that he really is as sweet and authentic as he seems to be, on his show!
  • Mikel gives a brief synopsis of working with Steve Harvey.
  • What it’s like for Cheryl Eisen to work on the show with Frederick.
  • That Cheryl staged Bethany’s apartment and it sold within twenty-four hours – for over asking!
  • What it’s like for Cheryl, working with networks and doing amazing work that just doesn’t get spoken about.
  • Cheryl talks about the freedom of not having to design for a client and why people come to her.
  • What it’s like for Manuella, to design with the challenge of people from every walk of life coming into her showroom, in the middle of Manhattan.
  • How Manuella got to where she is today.
  • LuAnn explains what a wonderful and unique person and the astute businesswoman that Barbara Viteri really is!
  • How Barbara got to where she is today.
  • Barbara explains about the hot topics and the potentials in her great, new Designerlebrity.com thing that she’s doing for the design community.
  • Being prepared to be lucky!
  • Barbara, Cheryl and Manuella’s struggles on the way up and how they’ve grown beyond them.
  • LuAnn’s encouragement for you to take time to listen to the voice inside you, which will never lead you wrong.
  • How Designers can help Celebrity Designers and grow in the industry.
  • If you’re a Designer and you have something going on, share it with Barbara and she will put it out on the Designerlebrity Platform if it’s noteworthy.
  • Cheryl answers Facebook Live questions about what was involved in her re-invention of herself and how she got started with doing staging of homes.
  • Barbara’s definition of what epitomizes a Designerlebrity.
  • What makes a ‘potential’.

 

Links:

Barbara’s email: hbic@designerlebrity.com

To be on LuAnn’s mailing list, send a text to 444 999 and put the word designbiz in the message field.

Go to LuAnn’s website: https://www.windowworks-nj.com to see The Designerlebrity Event streamed live on Facebook, through Tastefully Inspired. (Go to the To The Trade Blog and you’ll see a whole recap there.)

You can also see all the pictures on the sites and blogs of all the others – Ethan Allen, Designerlebrity, and even Tastefully Inspired has a post about it.

184: Amber Lewis – Important Business Tips to Run Your Interior Design Firm

Amber Lewis

Do you sometimes look around and wonder if there could be different, or perhaps better ways to run your business more efficiently?

If so, take heart and don’t despair. Amber Lewis is back on the show today and she knows where you’re at and what you’re going through because she’s been there. Today, Amber and LuAnn will go a bit deeper into the business side of what Amber does. They talk about how she discovered this podcast last winter and that she signed up for Kimberley Seldon’s courses, because of even Amber, with a firm as successful and as large as hers, still wonders if there could be a better way to run things more effectively. Listen in today, as Amber shares her advice and the things she’s learned along the way.

Today, Amber talks to LuAnn about:

  • Some of the things that she’s struggled with and challenges that she’s faced, in her business.
  • How she had to fake it, to make it, in the beginning, when dealing with people that were way more professional and talented than she was.
  • What it was that catapulted her into a level above her own, in the beginning.
  • Being comfortable with evolving and knowing that your style could change often.
  • Being firm in your convictions, if you trust your own style.
  • That clients will tend to focus on your weakness if you let it show.
  • Parenting and running a business.
  • Figuring out invoicing in a way that makes sense to the client- it’s everything!
  • The importance of figuring out how to create a good contract.
  • Studio Webware– Amber finds this to be an amazingly intuitive program.
  • The importance of figuring out your system and the chain of command in your firm.
  • How she really works really together with her whole team.
  • That she understands and accepts that there will always be variables with the trade.
  • That her organization takes overall responsibility for everything in a project.
  • How she works very specifically with vendors and contractors.
  • That client couldn’t care less who’s fault it is if there’s a problem- It’s your responsibility!
  • Treating your job as if it’s your business and learning as much as possible about all it’s aspects if you intend starting out on your own, one day.
  • That she’s always learning, growing and being humbled.
  • That there’s always the human factor in business.

Links:

Amber’s website:
https://amberinteriordesign.com
Amber’s Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/amberinteriors/

183: Power Talk Friday: Ranya Barrett- All About Interns for Your Interior Design Business

Ranya Barrett

Do you realize how hard it can be to create a really successful experience for an intern in your business? LuAnn certainly does and this is one of the reasons that she asked Ranya Barrett to come onto the show today, to talk about the terrific Intern Program that she’s set up at The House Of Funk. This program has both helped and developed the House Of Funk in the last year and the interns there have really benefited from the winning experience that Ranya has created for them. Listen in to find out more about Ranya’s awesome Intern Program.

For nearly a full year now, LuAnn has admired the enormous change and that Ranya, as a single individual, has brought to Sandra Funk’s business. LuAnn has watched an extreme uplevel of their message, branding, marketing and focus since Ranya joined their firm in the Spring of 2016. Prior to that, Ranya was a Content Director, Writer, Editor and a Branding Consultant, with more than thirteen years in the industry. She’s written and edited for Glamour Magazine, Glamour.com, Highlights Magazine and Scholastic Books.  Ranya has a B.FA in Theatre, from New York University Tisch School Of The Arts and before taking up her current position as the Development Director at The House Of Funk, she was the Content Director at CA Creative, a New York-based Digital Media Agency. Listen in now, to find out more about Ranya and her really creative ways with interns.

 

Today, Ranya talks to LuAnn about:

  • That her Internship Program is an unpaid program, for school credit, so they cannot hire Interns if they’re not getting school credit.
  • Some creative ways to go about looking for the right Interns.
  • Meeting the necessary criteria for the different colleges, when it comes to the credit requirements for the Interns.
  • That The House of Funk have taken it upon themselves to have a Close Out Program with their Interns, where they write a letter of recommendation, highlighting the Intern’s particular skills, of which they both keep a copy and send one to the Intern, to be used later, as a reference.
  • The kinds of things that an Interior design Intern would need to turn into their school, at the end of a semester.
  • The kinds of interns that The House Of Funk has had.
  • The kinds tasks that Ranya has the Interns do.
  • What prompted her to initiate her Internship Program in Sandra Funk’s business and how those interns are a real benefit to the business.
  • Tapping the skill sets of Graphic Design, Editorial or Video Interns, to your mutual benefit, in your business.
  • That it’s not really necessary to plan ahead, in order to have a productive workflow for the Interns in your business.
  • How she manages situations where the Intern does not quite operate to the standard of quality that is required by the business.
  • Using your instinct with Interns.
  • Although you cannot expect to necessarily hire your awesome Intern, however, you might well be able to do that.
  • How much time the Interns spend working in the business.
  • Systems that she uses for monitoring the work of the Interns.
  • The amount of time and guidance that’s necessary for the Interns.
  • That there will always be things that Interns can help you with, that will save you time and benefit them.
  • The Six Points Of Law, regarding unpaid Internships.
  • That Ranya takes in Interns for each semester.
  • The number of applicants that usually apply for Internship and Ranya’s advice for interviewing and vetting Interns, to find the right fit.
  • That there will always be someone on your team, who could benefit from the assistance of an Intern.

182: Christie Leu- Christie Leu Interiors: Creating Your Own Mini Designer Summit

Christie Leu

Isn’t it intriguing how we are sometimes lead to meeting certain people in strangely serendipitous ways?  Today’s guest, Christie Leu, met LuAnn in a really fun and unusual way. Listen in to find out what brought these two ladies together and why LuAnn wanted to have Christie on the show today.

Christie, originally from Ohio,  is the principal of Christie Leu Interiors in DC. She started out in her career as a working artist, participating in juried shows and selling her work through galleries, stores, and catalogs. However, after having completed some major renovations to a number of her own homes, she realized just how much she really loved every step involved in the Interior Design process. So she enrolled in Montgomery College when her children were in pre-school and she earned an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences in Interior Design, with a further specialization in Kitchen and Bath Design. Christie was a star student and she won the local version of the National Kitchen And Bath Design Competition and was also asked to serve on the Montgomery College Advisory Board for Interior Design. Listen in now to find out more about how Christie and her colleagues learn from each other and help one another to grow and develop their businesses.

 

Today, Christie and LuAnn talk about:

  • The hysterical story about how Christie and LuAnn met at IWCE.
  • What happened with Christie, Darcy Heather, Lisa Escabar and Jessie Cooney at a Gail Doby Design Summit Event and their fabulous Mini Summit that ensued from that.
  • How their Mini Summit really helped them to get to know one another and gave them a real understanding of the reasoning process that people have.
  • The background behind Christie Leu Interiors.
  • How Fred Berns (#174) helped her to discover that she’s probably the only Artist Triplet Mom Interior Designer in the country- and how that’s lead her to give her clients a really fabulous experience!
  • That her assistant (Hired from Craig’s List) also has triplets- the same age as hers!
  • How being the mom of triplets helped her with her design process.
  • What she really gained from the role play, during the Mini Summit.
  • Why LuAnn really has no problem in asking for the money.
  • The question of a standard markup on all products.
  • Using historical data to help to arrive at an appropriate markup on products.
  • Options for clients around flat fees and markups.
  • Having boundaries with flat fee contracts.
  • The benefits of listening to good and relevant podcasts.
  • The work they did with the ‘Energy Person’ who was brought to their Mini Summit.
  • That Christie prefers meeting with clients few times – how she keeps things efficient, in order to do that.

Christie’s website:

https://www.christieleuinteriors.com