Archive for January, 2010

Boston Model Units

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Guest BedroomModel UnitI spent a lot of time this week working on a model unit in the South End in Boston.  Model units are usually my favorite projects.  I learn a bit about the type of people the builders are expecting to be their buyers.  I then research the styles, colors, etc that appeal to that group and get to work. 

This last project was especially fun because it was a young, very diverse group I was designing for.  Students and young doctors - male and female- in their residencies. 

I chose a lot of really current colors and patterns.  Plums, soft purples and bright apple green in the living room.  Modern art hung above the sofa and cute armless chairs in a gorgeous chocolate across from the sofa. 

The guest bedroom was a platform bed with a simple duvet folded down with an amazing lamp.  So simple and yet so pretty when it was finished.

The master bedroom was my favorite of the three rooms.  It was this beautiful bright yellowish green bedding with a white bird pattern and the duvet was trimmed in black as were the shams.  It is stunning.  I paired it with black grommet top draperies and glass lamps with black satin shades.  To quote one admirer “Julie, this looks so boutique hotel!”   What a great compliment.

The real trick with model units is making the space look homey and appealing which can be tough if you do not really know what is appealing to the buyer.

What a Week!

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Hampton Project Before

Hampton Project After

 

I thought this week was going to be relatively quiet. Boy was I wrong.

The week started out at a Staging of a 2800sq ft bachelor pad in Hampton New Hampshire. The house itself is gorgeous but just needed a few tweaks to appeal to a family. I brought 15 drapery rods, 4 window shades, and 20 window panels along with a truckload of accessories, bedding, pillows, etc. Unfortunately, I was a little off in my estimating of how long it would take to transform this space - gee just about five hours off. In the end the difference was amazing. If you want to see the before and after pics check out this link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=178470&id=66273677111&ref=mf

What I love about that staging job is that I used a lot of accessories, colors, etc that I have not used before and they turned out beautifully! Hint: red drapes are amazing! They really brighten up a dull room, especially when complimented with red pillows and other splashes of red.

Tuesday I met with Jessica Grant of Jess Foto to swap new head shots for some design help in her new studio in Winchester. What a great day! We had a blast. She is off buying gorgeous drapes and working on paint colors as I type this. I cannot wait to see the final product.

I just signed another model unit in Boston - an apartment complex in the South End. I am very excited about this project. The buyer is a young 20-something single person so I think we can have some fun with this. I am thinking West Elm and CB2 for inspiration.

I am still working on that Staging Class schedule for this year. I HOPE to have that to you soon!

Finishing my Model Unit

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

I expected yesterday to just be an easy breezy day. All I really needed to do was hang some drapes in a model unit, layer in some additional accessories, and buy some draperies for another client. Of course nothing really goes quite that smoothly with me.

I arrive onsite with draperies, accessories, and my steamer in tow to finish my model unit. I am excited, I love to see things come together. So first I find out there are residents in the model….hmmmm this should be interesting. Their apartment is being worked on so the model unit is their home for the day.

The wife is lovely and is sharing her decorating stories with me while I am clipping in drapes, hanging shower curtains, and unwrapping accessories. She leaves to go to the library and leaves her husband who is deaf and blind with me. Luckily, he is sitting in a chair listening to a walkman. (not sure how that is possible but whatever) At one point I am trying to expand a drapery rod so the drapes are on the outside of the window frame. The rod splits apart, the rings slide off with the panels and I come crashing to the ground to top off the pile. The husband has not even flinched. It is like something out of a sitcom. I could be impaled on this drapery rod and he would have noticed nothing.

The wife comes back later and I am steaming out drapes. She says she and her husband are going to lunch. At the same time a group of doctors show up to tour the model. About 10 minutes later the husband is looking for his wife. She went to lunch without him!!! So off I go to find the wife so she can come back to collect her husband. Luckily, I find her in the corridor and she has realized she forgot her husband. Yikes.

So the wife, the husband, and the team of doctors leave the unit and I am….finally….left alone with my steaming. I wrap things up and head out.

What a day

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

So yesterday went from being a slow office catch-up day with a quick trip to Home Goods in the middle to Calamity Jane all in about three minutes. The good news is that it was all good things that caused the calamity.

The Union Leader newspaper in Manchester NH is running a story tomorrow about the Home Seller’s Classes I offer in conjunction with Sue West from Space 4U Organizing. At least I think that is what the article is about. I guess I will find out for sure tomorrow. So Sue and I were emailing back and forth much of the day, I was gathering photos to be featured in the article. Which made me realize it is sooooooo time for a portfolio of before and after pictures. I really am so bad at that.

Into this mix came a client who missed a deadline for a promotional offer so I tried to go to bat for her to have the vendor still honor the discount, shopping for drapes for a client, and pulling my puppy off a bed pillow - or what was left of it and all of its stuffing off of him. Argh.

More Home Seller Class dates coming soon. We have one in February, an April one and a September one.

January 5th, 2010

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

I cannot believe it is the start of a new year and a new decade. A lot has changed at NESG over the last year; changes we are really proud of. The recession has taught us, like a lot of other business owners some tough lessons. However, we are happy to say that we are not afraid of change and the challenges have made us smarter and more determined than ever.

So what kinds of changes can you expect to see from us in the new year? First, we are going to have newly updated photos on our website that more accurately reflect the quality of work we do. Next, we are planning out our class calendar in advance this year so soon you will know when all of our staging classes are - way in advance, we have also vowed to really challenge ourselves creatively this year. We are committed to being well-informed and on the cutting edge of design trends. But at the same time we want to experiment with new textures, colors, and revisit styles of our past, kick up classic looks, and take a few risks. We know that by challenging ourselves in this way we are only going to be better designers, and that means we will continue to deliver a better service to our customers. You will also see us in some new areas in the new year. We have really been working a lot in Boston, the south shore, and now on the Seacoast of NH even more. We are thrilled to be making new friends in so many new areas. We are also going to have new contests, new classes, and a few other surprises that are way to big and too much of a secret to divulge now…..but let’s just say you will be surprised!!

Stay tuned… more funny stories, pictures from projects and reflections on our work coming soon.