design
San San Diego ISSUE 2 | 2020
SAN DIEGO
S
Feature the fabulous. ko Gec 719 6 SW
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design
design
San San Diego
San Diego
ISSUE 2 | 2020
DEPARTMENTS
SAN DIEGO
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
04
NEW MEMBERS
10
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
S
04
COVER: Robin Wilson Interior Design JPI Pacific Beach Luxury Apartments
ASID San Diego Chapter Office 233 A Street Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92101 858-566-3345 Administrator@casd.asid.org ww.casd.asid.org ASID National 1152 15th St. NW, Suite 910 Washington, DC 20005 Tel: 202.546.3480 Fax: 202.546.3240 membership@asid.org www.asid.org
06 12 13
EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN RESIDENTIAL
AMD Interiors, Inc. EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN COMMERCIAL
Robin Wilson Interior Design PETRA STONE
Industry Partner Spotlight
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DESIGNING THE NEW PARADIGM By Julia A. Molloy
UNIQUE CARPET
Industry Partner Spotlight
5 REASONS OUTSOURCING MAKES SENSE
By Mark A. Molinsky
Publishing Staff Art Director • Dawn Lyon Advertising Sales Duff Tussing • 972-562-6966 dtussing@dsapubs.com Design San Diego magazine is published quarterly for the San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers by DSA Publishing & Design, Inc. Editorial content and Design San Diego magazine are controlled and owned by the San Diego Chapter of ASID. Reproduction of this publication in whole, in part, in any form is strictly prohibited without the written permission of the San Diego Chapter of ASID.
ASID SAN DIEGO CHAPTER | ISSUE II 2020 - 3 -
President’s Message
On behalf of your ASID 2019-2020 leadership team, I would like to welcome you to the inaugural issue of ASID San Diego Magazine—the chapter trade magazine that celebrates you, our members, and everything “interior design”. It has been an absolute pleasure dreaming up new ideas, implementing them and seeing how they delight you. Our team’s mission was to answer the age-old question: “What does ASID do for me?” The goal was to answer it so definitively, that in the end, you wouldn’t have to ask it again. We started by finding ways to feature you as individuals and collectively through various media—both to our members and to the general public. You have been promoted in the chapter weekly newsletter, on our chapter Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and several of you have been featured in the UT, Coastal Magazine, Ranch & Coast Magazine, and San Diego Metro Magazine. Our latest project, the ASID Kitchens, Baths, & More Virtual Tour with media partners Mino Pro Media & Ranch & Coast Magazine is the very first interactive virtual interior design tour and was promoted all around San Diego and around the country. The participating Designers and Industry Partners received amazing coverage. To open up even more opportunities, we also created the Summer Fresh Up that was promoted everywhere as well! It was an opportunity to drum up virtual business by talking to clients online and getting the public inspired to start projects during the quarentine. It opened the door to 14 designers to be seen by the public and considered for potential projects. In addition to promoting you and your business, we also aimed to bringing you excellent speakers and content to help you stay informed, be the best option for potential clients, and thrive in your business. Here are just some: Karen Galvin: Colormix with 2020 Color Trends, Mike Hetherman from Wilis: Customer Types and how to treat them, Rony Ben-Dov, Kim Life & Austin Evans: LOAs, Contracts, & Business Costs John Bertino & Melissa Rautenberg: Websites, SEO Optimization & Social Media Our Legacy Panel: How to Overcome Obstacles and Thrive in Business Tiana Bragg of Corian Design: Infection Prevention Through Design & Innovation Bella Huele of CA Closets: Transforming Lives through Open Minds, Organization & Universal Design Dr. Drew Schwartz, EDD: Well-Being & Thriving in Your Business And, of course, our chapter is known for how we celebrate. We designed events that inspired you to come together to enjoy the party atmosphere and conversations about being in the profession. From the Holiday Party to the January Chapter Meeting at Pirch and Modernism Week in Palm Springs, I can confirm that we most definitely celebrated and even kicked up a heel or two. With true sincerity, we hoped to have inspired you, left you highly informed on what’s possible, and given you a place to learn, thrive and be noticed. We pulled all the stops—even when it seemed impossible—and opened our minds to all opportunities to meet the mission, answer that question, and leave no doubt…In the end, we want you to be able to say, “ASID San Diego does a lot for me.” Warmest regards always, Bertha Hernandez, Allied ASID, BSME, EIT, CAPS President, ASID San Diego 2019-2020
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ASID SAN DIEGO
233 A Street Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92101 858-566-3345 administrator@casd.asid.org ww.casd.asid.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT Bertha Hernandez, Allied ASID, BSME, CAPS, EIT president@casd.asid.org PRESIDENT-ELECT Suzi O'Brien, Allied ASID president-elect@casd.asid.org MSW & Green Building Professional
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Beppie Mostert communications@casd.asid.org MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Dasha Hervey, Allied ASID membership@casd.asid.org FINANCIAL DIRECTOR Robin Kelley, ASID finance@casd.asid.org PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Chelsea Metheny professsionaldevelopment@casd.asid.org DIRECTOR AT LARGE Marcia Bryan, ASID, CID, NBAID, IIDA at-large@casd.asid.org STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE BOARD Michelle Underwood, Student ASID studentrep@casd.asid.org
Design Excellence Awards
Calling all Designers, Industry Partners, and Students We invite you to submit your entries for the 2020 ASID San Diego Design Excellence Awards Competition! Entry submissions are open now until October 23, 2020.
Award winners will be announced at the Design Excellence Awards & Holiday Gala on December 4th, 2020.
Click here for more information
ASID SAN DIEGO CHAPTER | ISSUE II 2020 - 5 -
DESIGN
Excellence in
residential
PRESIDIO PARK RESIDENCE This residence is in Presidio Park and one of the ‘Three Sisters’. These three houses, have traditional style, colonial exteriors, and have looked over the park
for about a century. The owners wanted to revive the living spaces, create a
more open concept, as well as modernize the appearance of the finishes and
fixtures. This was accomplished through a carefully blending the architectural details of the home with more modern influences and materials. The style can
be described as Colonial Modern.
AMD Interiors, Inc. | 10234 Circa Valle Verde, El Cajon, CA 92021 619-933-5598 | 208-292-4603 | designer-Adrienne Perkins
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Adrienne Perkins
ASID SAN DIEGO CHAPTER | ISSUE II 2020 - 7 -
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Community Bulliten Board LOOkING FOR DESIGNERS TO SHARE OFFICE SPACE
Request to share 1640 sq,ft, of office space with visible windows for signage, (one for each designer renting). It can be great as a shared office with privacy partitions, a shared library and shared conference room. Or, just 4 separate spaces. The location is downtown at Beech and Pacific Highway. The landlord is happy to build partition walls so long as 4 of us are willing to sign a 3-5 year lease. Contact Beverly at 619-309-9203.
DO yOU HAVE A REqUEST?
If you would like to submit a request for an internship, a designer looking for an intern, an Industry Partner in San Diego looking for a entry level sales position shared office space, or other requests for our members please email our communications director, Beppie Mostert at communications@casd.asid.org to be included in our next issue of Design San Diego.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS ALLIED
Jennifer Rosenthal, Allied ASID Sarah Rothwell, Allied ASID
Gabriel Sepulveda-Villarini, Allied ASID Catherine Myhanh Tran, Allied ASID STUDENT
Kathleen Becker, Student ASID
Amanda Hope Blankenship, Student ASID Diana Sofia De la Garza, Student ASID
Mara (Bernadette) Faulkner, Student ASID
Metz PR represents companies involved in the built environment, ranging from land developers to interior designers. Barbara Metz has represented the San Diego Chapter of ASID almost continuously since 1987.
MetzPublicRelations.com metzpr@gmail.com (858) 677-0720
Volunteer Opportunities
Ruben Jara, Student ASID
Maddy Dillon Kiely, Student ASID Tamera J Macy, Student ASID
Catherine McNamara, Student ASID Jennifer Ruder, Student ASID Shari Warden, Student ASID Kelly Wilson, Student ASID Erica Yaw, Student ASID
INDUSTRY PARTNERS Livia Buteri, Petra Stone LLC Cindy Blumkin, Art n Soul
Are you interested in becoming more involved with ASID San Diego? Would you like to join in on the planning of events or be part of the communications team?
Perhaps you have another skill that would contribute to the successes of the
chapter? We are looking for volunteers and would love to hear from you! E-mail us at administrator@casd.asid.org.
DESIGN
Excellence in
commercial
JPI PACIFIC BEACH LUxURY APARTMENTS To create a contemporary boutique hotel experience for luxury apartments located in Pacific Beach.
A refreshing palette of blues and whites accented with pops of navy blue and orange create contrast for the concrete flooring and ceiling of the leasing office. Playful patterns and furnishings provide a
sense of whimsy and fun amongst the sophisticated architecture and finishes. Sculptural lighting showcases the double volume lobby meant to attract visitors. The challenge was the low concrete
ceilings of the leasing office beyond the lobby. We created a light and bright atmosphere with use of lighting, finishes including glass tile and metallic wallcovering and artful furnishings.
Robin Wilson Interior Design | 3654 Dupont St, San Diego, CA 92106 619-687-2411 | rwid.com - 10 - ISSUE II 2020 | ASID SAN DIEGO CHAPTER
Robin Wilson
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The ASID San Diego Chapter would like to give Special Recognition to Special thanks to the following Industry Parnters for all their dedication to our chapter. AJ Madison Allan Copley Designs Allermuir American Leather Antique Drapery Rod Co., Inc. Arhaus Furniture Arizona Tile, LLC Armstrong Ceiling Solutions Art n Soul on 101 Arteriors Home ASID - National Ballard Designs Bang & Olufsen America BDG Design Group Bellacor Benjamin Moore & Company Berger Hardware Inc. Between The Sheets Black Whale Lighting BLD Leading Design Blindsgalore.com Brady Architectural Photography Brown Jordan Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens BSH Home Appliances Cabinetry Design Caesarstone Cal-a-vie Antiques California Closets California Faucets Cambria Castelle CGRP, Inc. Chad of All Trades Circa Lighting Clay Leaf Building Contractor Inc. Closet Factory Colour Hive Limited Construction Specialties Control4 Cosentino USA Crate & Barrel Crossville Currey & Company Dacor - Samsung Electronics America, Inc. Daltile Corporation Delos Rugs Delta Faucet Company Design Institute of San Diego Design Within Reach Diego Delivery Discount Glass & Mirror DuChâteau - MM Dunn-Edwards Paint Corp. Edelman Leather Elkay Manufacturing Company Emser Tile emuamericas, llc Euro-Flex
Excel Dryer, Inc. Fabpro Fabricut and S. Harris Feizy Import & Export Ferguson Fiber Protector America FIBER-SEAL Systems Franke Kitchen Systems, LLC Galleher GCThomas - SpecCeramics | Atlas | Masland | Omni Gensun Haworth, Inc. Hayneedle, Inc. Hickory Chair Home Decor Fine Rugs Hooker Furniture Horchow House of Rohl Houzz, Inc. Hudson Valley Lighting Humanscale Corporation Hunter Douglas, Inc. Interior Define International Bath and Tile International Design Guild International Market Centers Jaipur Living Inc. JANUS et Cie Jeffrey Siegel Ceramic Art Karndean Design Flooring Kelly Moore Paint Co. KingsHaven Design & Development, LLC Kirsch Kohler Kitchen & Bath Americas Kravet, Inc. Le Dimora Lexington Home Brands Lightology Littrell Flooring Logison Acoustic Network Lumber liquidators Lunada Bay Tile M.A. Tile & Stone Design, Inc. Madeli-USA LLC Madico Window Films Mahogany Run Delivery, Inc. Mark Lyons & Co Marrokal Design & Remodeling Mary’s Custom Workroom MIA CUCINA Mino Pro Media Group, LLC Minted Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Monogram Appliances Moore and Giles Nativa Interiors South Cone Home Noveletti, LLC Outrageous Rugs International
Pacific Sales Patio Productions Pedini San Diego Perennials and Sutherland Petra Stone LLC Pindler & Pindler, Inc. PIRCH Porcelanosa PPG Paints Raymonde Draperies ReSource Floors Inc. RM COCO Decor LTD. Room & Board Roppe Corporation Samsung Electronics America San Diego Hardware San Diego Marble & Tile Savant Serena & Lily, Inc Sherwin-Williams Signature Kitchen Suite Smith & Noble Smith Shade, Motorization & Integration Specialist Sonance Steelcase Inc. Sub-Zero/Wolf Summer Classics | Gabby Sunbrella Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions Sunpan Superior Floor and Cabinet Design Surya Taxes by Design Tazz Lighting, Inc. The Container Store The Dixie Group The Frame Maker The Saatva Company The Shade Store The Tile Shop thirty9 TOTO USA, Inc. Triton Stone Group True Residential Tutto Marmo, Inc. Unique Carpets Ltd. Unique Stone Imports USM Modular Furniture Vesta Inc Wardell Builders Inc. Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. Wendover Art Group Wholesale Shutter Specialists Williams Sonoma, Inc. Wilsonart LLC York Wallcoverings
Designing the New Paradigm By Julia A. Molloy
We are standing on the precipice of a new world. Uncertainty
sets in as we gaze upon uncharted territory. With so many
moving reference points and unknowns, it can be a challenge
to get our bearings and move with a sure-footed stride.
So where do we, as a design community fit in to the new
paradigm? Has the designers’ role changed and how are our
business models going to adapt to the rapidly evolving needs
of the world? These are the questions our community has
been grappling with. In fact, all business sectors are evaluating
the same questions for themselves. I would argue however,
that the design industry in particular, is faced with a
newfound responsibility.
It is important to remember that our profession is actually
quite young. It was only around 1913 that the fabulous Elsie
de Wolfe carved out this role for us all. Her focus was
aesthetics and space planning. Compared to other profes-
sions like lawyer, physician, architect, grocer, barber, you
name it, it likely has a few hundred-year head start on interior
designers.
“I believe there is no greater force than design in transforming the planet, one person at a time, one family at a time and one community at a time. We create an invisible ripple effect as we impact the minds, bodies and spirits of the lives we touch.�
- Julia A. Molloy
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There are turning points in each of our lives that grow us up, seemingly overnight. We have arrived at that
turning point for the design industry. We should not look to the past for the new normal but take our place as
the key player in designing the new paradigm. Seriously, what other industry has this intrinsic multi-faceted
influence? No other I can think of. We are the ones!
So, with that as our foundation, I look to the future world we are designing. What will we see? What are the
new set of needs and demands our world will contour to? In having some foresight, we provide ourselves with
a whole host of opportunities that we can choose to participate in as business owners. This is the foundation
upon which we navigate and pivot our businesses and industry as a whole.
As an industry business expert and consultant, I’ve been breaking apart the challenge into bite size pieces so I
can help my clients and design community to make sense of the choices ahead of them. I believe we must
“Designing to match client values will be the new focus.” – Julia A. Molloy
make educated predictions to understand the possible trends so we can create some growth strategies for our
businesses. I’m going to share with you what I anticipate.
25 Predictions JULIA MOLLOY’S
I don’t have a crystal ball by any means, nor will all of the predic-
tions be perfect or complete, but these are the things I believe we
will see anew or with more prevalence in the years to come. The
speed of this evolution will largely be determined by the choices
you as designers, architects, manufacturers, builders, and product
designers make from this point forward.
1. Anti-microbial metals, coatings and fabrics will be common-
place and used not only for high touch surfaces, but in fashion,
upholstery, phones and accessories, vehicles and appliances.
They will be standard in residential products and design. They
will be mandated in commercial, government and hospitality
spaces.
2. Hardware, fixtures, door pulls, light switches, doorknobs and
high touch design elements will be rated or certified based on
their anti-microbial properties.
3. All manner of no touch solutions will be prevalent in residential design, not just airport and restaurant bathrooms.
4. Suggested by LA based Interior and Product Designer,
Christopher Grubb, Similar to LEED certification, buildings,
restaurants, home developments, workplaces will be graded
on their anti-microbial and wellness factor. Diners in California
are already used to seeing a similar rating near the front door
as they walk into a restaurant, that indicates how well it did on
its last health inspection.
5. Health and wellness certification entities and programs, similar to LEED will emerge to guide and certify on a whole host of
new metrics that will be tracked and monitored will be the
mainstream.
6. New apps will emerge to helping people to find these new health-oriented businesses, restaurants, hotels etc.
7. Most commercial and government spaces will have advanced air filtration and UV systems that filter down to .124 microns
(the size of the corona virus).
8. NYC Interior Designer, Benjamin Huntington, ASID President Elect, suggests that entry rooms or mud rooms may be
updated into what are essentially decontamination zones to
clean off, change clothing and sterilize items before coming
into the home.
9. Anti EMF technology in the home will become a thing. As 5G wifi and other electromagnetic field radiation emitting tech-
nologies bombard the modern human to ill effect, solutions to
protect or counteract the lowered immunity and DNA muta-
tion caused by ceaseless exposure, will emerge.
10. Smart home technology will take the lead in design and will
incorporate new monitoring, tracking, sterilization and filtra-
tion systems.
11. Personal bio metrics will be incorporated into many smart home designs and systems. This means that personal fit
tracker devices will sync up with smart home systems and will
adjust aspects of the environment to influence your wellness
bio markers.
a. For instance, sunlight adjustments, music, aroma therapy,
chroma light therapy solutions are automatic upon receiving
bio metrics that indicate high stress indicators, like elevated
heart rate and cortisol levels.
ASID SAN DIEGO CHAPTER | ISSUE II 2020 - 15 -
12. 3D printing for everything and new materials to print them with, many
making use of recycled, reclaimed, refuse and bio waste resources. Also
integrating nano tech and responsive materials is going to be the next level.
This is cool for many reasons. I’m pretty excited to see how we integrate
the idea of ‘seamless, ‘interlocking pattern’ and ‘responsive’ into design of
all disciplines. Seamless, responsive, smart clothing…
13. Custom everything.
15. Biophilia and bio mimicry in interior and product design will become main-
stream in residential, commercial, hospitality and public space design. Many
countries have already embraced these design principals in public buildings.
Think Zaha Hadid and the Singapore Changi Airport Jewel Terminal. The
United States with its slow to
adopt modus operandi, will begin
the shift can be equated to
economic advantages.
16. Many health gyms will adapt by
incorporating wellness into their
design and programs. Think steril-
ization, anti-microbial coatings, UV
and air filtration systems coupled
with biophilic designed spaces,
organic juice bar, wellness assess-
ments, wellness coaches and
programs.
17. Commercial office spaces will
shrink and require upgrades to
incorporate new safety, wellness
and remote team member integra-
tion. Many commercial office
spaces will be converted to
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and oxygen therapy lounges.
18. Remote working a few days a week will become much more prevalent. 4day work weeks will become commonplace. Homes will need to be
updated with remote work tech, lighting, sound, productivity and concen-
tration solutions.
14. Curated everything.
to evolve more quickly now that
biophilic design wellness focused businesses of all kinds. Think meditation
labs, sensory deprivation meditation tanks, cryotherapy, chroma therapy,
19. Outdoor spaces, both residential and commercial will be maximized for usability.
20. Remote shopping and meetings will become the norm.
21. Showrooms and design centers will add virtual shopping and virtual reality
Imagine this scenario: A commercial building with an entire floor of converted office space, now a wellness floor. It’s a part of your wellness membership, a perk that came with the new job. Picture “Nap Labs” where you can go take a 30 minute nap, have a smoothie and an oxygen dose to recharge. After work you visit the “Rant Room”. It has anger venting soundproof rooms where you put on your goggles and then scream at the top of your lungs while blasting death metal and smashing a stack of china plates against the concrete wall, specifically designed to amplify the crash. (These already exist in Asia.) Then you go to the wellness gym, have a quick shower, sit in the calming chroma therapy pod, and freshen up. Finally, you go grab dinner and a drink on the rooftop lounge with a couple friends before heading home. Forward thinking commercial property owners and companies will be looking for these kinds of integrated solutions in their remodels.
to their repertoire.
22. Community and connection will be more deeply valued. Design
will facilitate these gatherings and
personal connection while main-
taining a roomy setting. This will
include a focus on room acoustics
and minimizing high touch items.
23. Vegan and conscious product design will become the new
luxury. Designing to match client
values will be the new focus.
24. Membership and subscription models will continue to be
adopted by service centric busi-
nesses.
25. Home delivery for everything.
INDUSTRY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
UNIQUE CARPET PROVIDING EXTENSIVE COLLECTIONS OF FASHIONABLE CARPETS AND AREA RUGS TO COMPLEMENT THE FINEST INTERIORS For 35 years we have been a leader in premium carpet! We stock all of our products for immediate delivery and manufacture any style into a custom area rug. If that’s not enough we make 28 styles of Shagtastic area rugs and 6 Sisal and Seagrass styles. Still not enough? Well then how about you use our “in stock” wool yarns to create your own design in any size you want! With over 30 colors in heather and solid shades we can do just about anything. Call us today for help on your next design project.
DYNASTY: Dynasty's perfectly scaled pattern makes a sleek, sophisticated, and elegant statement on any floor. A classic woven wilton using 100% Pure New Wool, Dynasty is offered in an abbreviated collection of three subtly heathered color-ways that will compliment any interior.
CRACKED ICE: Cracked Ice is a sleek design that shows no direction, but adds a crisp geometric feel to your design. Available in all cut pile or all loop pile constructions. Each style is custom made to order using any of our 30 colors which includes your sample for approval. We can scale the pattern up or down to accommodate any size rug you wish.
WINDY RIDGE: Windy Ridge is a world class textured rug of 100% pure new wool that is aesthetically exceptional and considerably more affordable than many. It is meticulously crafted using the same materials and techniques as any of our Shagtastic offerings and is available in six standard color-ways with virtually unlimited custom flexibility.
Unique Carpet | 800-547-8266 | www.uniquecarpetsltd.com ASID SAN DIEGO CHAPTER | ISSUE II 2020 - 17 -
The Possibilities
As we adapt as business owners we leverage our own passions,
strengths, capabilities and desires and combine them with what we antic-
ipate the future needs of our clientele. If we don’t see what we like in any of
those scenarios, we shift clientele or our capabilities.
I see 3 main categories of adaptation: Materials, Purpose Driven and
Delivery Method.
Materials Used:
Evolution in Materials has been happening since
the stone age. As our technology advances and
our needs as a society evolve, we create and
adopt these materials and incorporate them into
our creations, designs, and our lives. This is no
different. We live in an incredibly exciting time as
far as materials go. Nano tech, materials that
respond, move and shapeshift in response to
changes in light, temperature, water, chemical
signatures, sound and proximity are evolving
quickly.
Purpose Driven:
Purpose driven design is already here, but it has been more
quickly adopted by technology and nutrition industries. Purpose will become
the prevalent mindset in interior design. It is all about BRAND POSITIONING. It
is a matter of shifting the narrative about design from what it is to WHY. Aging
in place and commercial design are the early adopters in this arena. As compa-
Julia Molloy is the leading operations specialist for
messaging and positioning. Now firms will base their entire focus of their busi-
decades of operations experience, 12 of
nies pivot, they will break out of the box of the standard service provider
ness on a particular need or desire, instead of providing services based on work
needed, budget and service area.
Delivery Method:
Delivery is all about HOW we provide our products and services. This category
of adaptation has been shifting rapidly for the last decade with the growth of
online product sourcing. Now, we see that in person meetings aren’t always
necessary and the actual service side of what we do is changing. E-Design has
been addressing this over the last 5 years and will continue to grow, but there
are other constraints to break and possibilities to discover in this arena.
Memberships, wrap around services, full life cycle business models will emerge
with more prevalence in the design sector and represents huge opportunity. Look at the possibilities with fresh eyes and don’t be afraid to come up with
something new. This is the essence of innovation and I expect we’ll be seeing a
lot of it as our industry and the world evolves. I see the most opportunity for
wealth development and business strategy for companies that take the lead in
integrating wellness into everyday living. This time has indeed been challenging,
but it is also an amazing time for innovation. Let’s embrace the change and
move forward without fear as we design the new paradigm!
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the interior design industry. She has over 2 them in the design field and has a wealth of knowledge from the interior design, graphic design, operations and technology sectors. She is a sought after
speaker, a Business of Design faculty
member, on the Better Practices Network
board of advisors, has been a continued educa-
tion instructor to the faculty at New York School of
Interior Design and a member of ASID. Molloy has also
chaired the ASID Student Affairs Committee and the board of advisors for the Art Institute – Interior Design program.
Julia Molloy is also the founder of the renowned BOLD Summit – Business of
Luxury Design Summit. This event focuses on the special business needs unique to firms positioned in the luxury market and is a powerful catalyst for luxury focused interior designers and architects around the world. In pursuing her
mission to advance the industry, each year she galvanizes the world’s leaders in luxury design to share their wisdom and advice. The BOLD Summit continues to be a driving force for enriching lives and propelling excellence in the design community around the globe.
5 REASONS OUTSOURCING MAKES SENSE By Marc A. Molinsky “Outsourcing” is becoming more popular with interior
design firms than ever before. In fact, our research shows
that nearly 8 out of 10 interior design firms outsource at
least one component of their business to a third party.
As labor and benefits costs continue to increase, it has
employees. This increasing demand for outsourcing has
There are the 5 primary reasons why outsourcing has become more popular in the interior design industry:
interior design industry that offer outsourcing.
reduce costs. Outsourced providers can execute tasks faster and cheaper than in house
become much riskier and expensive to hire in-house
resulted in many more businesses popping up within the
The most common task that designers outsource is book-
keeping. Bookkeeping is the ideal candidate for
outsourcing because it is not a skill that is taught in design
school and it is very expensive to hire and manage in-
house. DesignerAdvantage, Inc. has become the
leading provider of outsourced bookkeeping and
ordering services for interior designers because they
understand all of the intricacies of the design business. Other tasks that are commonly outsourced by designers are CAD drawings, purchasing/ordering, social media management and public relations.
One of the newer outsourced services within the industry is
the work typically performed by an assistant designer such
REDUCE COST - The most popular reason to outsource business functions to a third party is to
employees because they hyper focus their business and invest heavily on perfecting that one
task resulting in savings and efficiencies for their clients.
VARIABLE EXPENSE – Variable expenses are business expenses that typically increase or
decrease along with the size of sales and they can be controlled and “turned off” as needed. Examples of variable expenses are sales and marketing, office supplies and consulting.
Fixed expenses are expenses that cannot be turned off such as payroll, rent, and insurance.
Outsourced services are considered variable and therefore, are more attractive for your firm. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DO BEST – By outsourcing your firm’s “non-core competencies” you are
allowing you and your employees to focus the majority of your time on the aspects of your
business that you do best, which results in happier employees, better employee retention and most importantly, a higher level of customer service for your clients.
MORE TIME TO GROW YOUR FIRM – Your firm will function better and faster when your internal
staff are not spending a significant amount of their time the smaller, less critical tasks of the
business. Outsourcing allows you to increase the capacity of your firm to take on more
business without the expense and time needed to hire and train new employees.
BEST PRACTICES - When you outsource you are essentially hiring an “expert” in that particular
task and therefore you have access to the best practices in that particular area of the busi-
ness. Our research shows that design firms who opt to outsource non-core competencies to a
third party generally are happy with their decision and tend to commit to those resources long term.
as sourcing, budgeting, project management and installations. Coupar Consulting, a consulting firm based out
of San Francisco, is the first in the industry to offer a unique
suite of services for interior designers which includes assistant design work, public relations, website design and social media management.
Marc is currently the founder and CEO of DesignerAdvantage, Inc., the nation's first and largest provider of business services and software exclusively to the interior design trade. Prior to founding DesignerAdvantage, Marc obtained his CPA while working as an auditor at Ernst & Young, LLP. Marc obtained his B.S. in Accounting at Boston College. ASID SAN DIEGO CHAPTER | ISSUE II 2020 - 19 -
INDUSTRY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
PETRA STONE Petra Stone, a beautiful brand new boutique slab gallery and showroom, landed in San Diego by the hands of long-term stone knowledgeable couple, Livia and Marcelo Buteri. They unveil the hidden gems from the finest quarries around the world. They house exquisite quality stones, cutting edge design, in an
inspiring layout that rivals the best in San Diego, Los Angeles and all of California. Petra Stone is truly a delight for the eyes and a place to be experienced. We pride ourselves on not only the finest slabs but our customer service as well.
Petra Stone | 5950 Nancy Ridge Dr #100, San Diego, CA 92121 | 858.251.76224 | petrastonellc.com - 20 - ISSUE II 2020 | ASID SAN DIEGO CHAPTER