Noted designer and retailer Alexander Julian made the following observation:
“We have to be creative about getting people into our homes and stores now. In deciding if what you offer turns them on, consumers look you over for an average of 15 seconds. In that time, you need to rock ‘em and sock‘em and give them something that moves them. And you can’t do that with anything but product that is visually stimulating and exciting.”

With the contraction of the economy, everyone is on a budget and there is a lot more thought and time spent on how they are going to spend every hard earned dollar. Consumers visiting an average of 30 model homes before they even begin to think about making a decision. What makes your models memorable and brings them back to your sales center/ community? One of the favorite models Lifestylist Design worked on was the Purple Cow model and campaign with Patriot Homes. Tying into Seth Godin’s Purple Cow book by building and merchandising something remarkable, we created a home and marketing campaign people still talk about, as well as winning a marketing award at the Nationals.

Making a model memorable doesn’t have to be extreme or expensive – it just needs to be well thought out. Highlighting a local non-profit can bring interest into your home. Doing a room that displays materials from the local Boy Scout troop, a gymnastics team or the aquatic center that is part of the planned community you are building in can give the buyer a memory point to make them remember your model above the rest.

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.

Shaw Carpets had a great event in Grapevine, TX yesterday. A pie fight that was the largest in the world with 1,200 pies and 434 participants took place on their Anso Nylon carpet to show how easily it could be cleaned. Shaw understands lifestyle, and this Lifestylist has seen firsthand how well their carpets not only hold up to pie, but to other challenges as well such as pets, toddlers, and wine dinners. The best part is that Shaw made donations to Dallas Animal Advocates and their volunteers got to do the throwing. Feeding America was also a benefactor, and Shaw’s donation to the organization will provide up to 70,000 meals to people in 13 Texas counties.

Thanks to Shaw for a fun event and your support of a great organization.

The countdown has begun for the International Builders Show – in two weeks we will be attending this annual event that will be held in Las Vegas, NV. USA Today had a great article today about the modular and prefab homes that will be on display. Palm Harbor Homes and Champion Homes will both have modular houses to see, and I’ll be sure to take photos to share with all of you here. Designer Anthony Lucas and Sales manager Steve Reyenga both had great careers with Patriot Homes and I loved working with them there -I know these homes will do all of the Patriot alumni proud.

If you are attending the IBS show and would like to meet with us and see what a Lifestylist can add to your homes,please contact us at: answers@lifestylist.com so we can walk the show together!

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.

Our 2010 design trends story is now online – check it out at Manufactured Home Marketing Sales Management. This is also a great source of what is going on in the factory built industry.

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.

I went to a great event the other day at Gold’s Gym in Dallas – August Dog Rescue had some beautiful rescue animals there that were looking for new homes. How could you not love these angels? I know at least one of them found a new home so it was a great day – they just need more homes so they can rescue more animals.

There are a few things that I love and live for – my family, my animals,friends, the Great State Fair of Texas and food. When the great chef Joanne Bondy – Executive Chef at the Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord Texan told us that she was being honored by being asked to do a dinner at the James Beard House we immediately booked our flights. We were able to go to the previous dinner she did a few years ago and it was one of the highlights of my culinary education. This year I’m hoping to get a peek behind the scenes and learn what goes into a special evening like this will be.
I’ll be twittering live from New York at TheLifestylist and Chef Joanne will be be live at JoanneBondy. I will also share photos on my Lifestylist Design Facebook page. Be sure to “tune in” and share a very special weekend with us!

Today was a very exciting day. One of the ways as a Lifestylist I search out trends and try to understand what today’s buyer is looking for is by being a part of the Great State Fair of Texas. Some years I enter the Creative Arts contests – especially cooking. You’d be amazed how much you can learn about people and their lifestyles by sitting with them and chatting while we wait for the judging to be over and those coveted ribbons to be handed out. This was a great day – my second red ribbon and a blue! I love giving back and sharing, so when my competitions are over I share my remaining goodies with the parking lot attendants, ticket takers and fair workers. Ribbon or not, they are always very appreciative of what I make.

This year has been more exciting than most because Oprah is taping at the State Fair and they have been doing a lot of taping in the Creative Arts Building which is where we hang out. We saw a lot of people walking around with crew passes today and I asked someone if I could take a photo of theirs – they actually let me hold it! Why was that important to me? I have so much respect and admiration for Oprah – I can’t think of anyone who gives back as much as she does, and we have the connection of rebuilding the Gulf Coast after Katrina - I worked on over 2,500 Katrina Cottages and she made a huge personal investment of getting people back into homes after the storms. If you have spent any time there you know how important that work still is.

So as we were walking out of the building getting ready to pass out my remaining entries who should be in front of us but Oprah and Company! It was so exciting, and I ran up to her car to try to get a better look – she looks AMAZING in person by the way – I saw someone in her car so asked if I could give her my blue ribbon. They said that was very sweet but I should keep it, but I gave them some of my caramels. I believe in sharing with everyone. I was honored that they were so excited about my goodies, and now can’t wait to see the show after they tape it. I didn’t get to meet her, but you just never know what tomorrow might bring.