and New Construction There’s Always a Solution

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Whatever you think you can’t do to increase your home’s beauty, functionality and value, chances are you can do it; and chances are Bella Vista has done it. With today’s best-of-breed renovation techniques, there’s a solution to virtually any design challenge. Use these examples to envision the possibilities in your home:

Challenges:

Compartmentalized kitchen with too many walls and odd angles that cramped the functional space. Dim lighting, lack of functional cooking areas, and antiquated style.

Solutions:

We removed the clipped angles and walls to expand the functional space, updated the cabinetry, ventilation system, appliances and lighting. Even added windows to make this kitchen the functional and entertaining hub our clients envisioned.

Challenges:

Bathroom lacked square footage and usable oor, counter, and vanity space. Needed modern, yet classic style to complement the rest of the home.

Solutions:

We made the space more functional by reorganizing the overall layout. e new design t the home’s existing architecture while adding modern style.

Challenges:

Client needed more square footage and livable space but was concerned about creating a McMansion look that clashed with the surrounding architecture. They also didn’t want to tear up any of their landscape.

Solutions:

We are expanding the living space and beautifying the exterior – in part by building an additional story, all with architectural elements that are consistent with the surrounding community.

For more information on Remodeling or Custom Homes, read our blogs at www.bellavistacompany.com

Q&A: Amber Dietrich

Lakewood neighbor Amber Dietrich helped start Artizone, a sort of online farmers market, three years ago. Although Artizone has had to make some major changes over the years, Dietrich says the overall vision has stayed the same — to support local businesses.

I’ve heard Artizone described as an online farmers market. Is that accurate?

I don’t think that’s wrong, but I think there’s more depth to it than that. If you go to White Rock Local Market, you’re going to see a lot of the same vendors. We kind-of share vendors, and that’s why people see us as an online farmers market, but we also have other things that the farmers market doesn’t offer, like meat from a local butcher shop or fresh fish. People can get on and order stuff any day, any time. We deliver seven days a week. We deliver in three or four time slots depending on the day. Tuesday nights and Thursday nights, we also have a pick-up location in downtown Dallas. That came from customers who told us, ‘I’d like to order from y’all, but you don’t deliver to Colleyville, but I work downtown.’

The most challenging thing for us is branding. People don’t know we’re out there, or they don’t get it — how [Artizone] actually affects 100 local companies, or how convenient it is in the sense that you could get a homemade chicken pot pie delivered to the house. There’s different ways to use it. Also, we change every year.

How so?

We’re three and a half years on the market, and we started with only six vendors, and now we’re at 85. There’s 70-something vendors that are live on the site, and 15some new that we’re bringing on right now.

Obviously it has grown, but has the vision changed?

I don’t think the vision has changed. The short tale of Artizone is we want to support local business, local farmers, food shops, artisans, and we want to be an online channel for them, a way to expand their market, and that’s never going to change.

I would say what we found is that we thought we could run a profitable business doing just that, and we found that we can’t. The people who came to us with the first six vendors thought we were very specialty. Maybe if you were doing a Christmas or a birthday party, but it was like a one- or two-time-a year-purchase. After six months, I said, ‘OK, we need things that trigger every day eggs, milk, produce, homemade breads.’

The second big change was when people started saying, ‘We want to support local, but it’s hard to do it when you don’t have the basics.’ That was the change that none of us saw coming: introducing things like Heinz ketchup, mustards, buns. In a way it can be confusing because you look at the site and think, ‘Well, they have all this local artisan stuff, but they also have all this grocery stuff?’ But we found bringing in all these other items that are pantry staples actually increased sales for the artisans because it gave people a way for it to actually be convenient. That was something we spent a lot of time talking about, wondering, ‘Should we do this? How do we balance this? How do we maintain an image?’ And that’s something we still battle with a little bit.

To have things delivered, does that make things more expensive than if I were to pick them up at the store?

It’s a 5 percent difference. If someone has cottage cheese for $10, it’s going to be $10.50 on the website. The delivery fee is $5.59, and if you order $120 or more, then the delivery is free. So if you pay $100 by driving all around the stores, then you’re going to pay $105.

What area does Artizone cover?

All of Dallas, not DFW. As far north as McKinney. We just opened up Rockwall. A little bit in Mesquite, a little bit in Garland, and a little into the west. We’re in Lewisville, but we’re not in Arlington. We did Fort Worth for a little bit, but it was too challenging, so we waited and scaled back. We started in Dallas first. This is the first market, and then 14 months later we opened in Chicago.

—Brittany Nunn

What gives?

Small ways that you can make a big difference for nonprofits

Browse for used goods... at a neighborhood-wide garage sale to benefit the Lakewood Elementary Expansion Fund (LEEF). Bound roughly by Gaston and La Vista to the north and south, and East Grand and the Lakewood Country Club on the east and west, Lakewood Hills residents join forces for a garage sale starting at 8 a.m. Homes throughout these streets will participate, and some are opting to donate proceeds to the Lakewood Elementary Expansion Fund (LEEF). Go to lakewoodhills. org for more information.

Pull on your gardening gloves... volunteer at the Dallas Arboretum. What’s a better way to enjoy the spring than with the tulips? If you have a green thumb, become a garden and greenhouse worker to help plant, trim, weed and many other tasks. If you don’t have a green thumb, don’t worry; there are opportunities for everyone. Volunteer in the gift shop, office or visitor services. For more, visit dallasarboretum. org or contact Sue McCombs at 214-5156561 or smccombs@dallasarboretum.org.

Be sworn in...

as a Court Appointed Special Advocate and represent a child in court during one of the bleakest times in his or her life. Go to dallascasa.org, and click the “Become a Volunteer Advocate” page to see the dates/ times for the information sessions, or call 214.827.8961 for more information.

KNOW OF WAYS that neighbors can spend time, attend an event, or purchase or donate something to benefit a neighborhood nonprofit? Email your suggestion to launch@advocatemag.com.

Sugar and spice