ASID Texas Winter Newsletter 2018-2019 by DSA Publishing

design Texas Texas ISSUE 4 | 2018/2019

TEXAS

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design Texas

DEPARTMENTS

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

NEW MEMBERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DESIGN COMMUNITIES

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COVER:

The Institute for Women’s Health

Designer: Abode Interior Design

Photography by Jennifer Siu-Rivera ASID Texas Chapter Office Dallas Design Center 1025 North Stemmons Freeway Suite 605A Dallas, TX 75207-3700 T: 214-748-1541 9am-3:30pm Mon-Fri 12-1pm closed for lunch administrator@tx.asid.org www.tx.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

Publishing Staff Art Director • Dawn Lyon

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DESIGNING YOUR STRATEGY By Julia Molloy

SEO for Interior Designers Separating Fact from Fiction By Deb Mitchell TIME BILLING

By Marc A. Molinsky

EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN | Historic Preservation

By Melissa D. Haberstroh, Associate ASID and Principal of Melissa Jeffrey Design

EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN | Healthcare By Gina Roth, Allied ASID and Principal of Abode Interior Design

Advertising Sales Jamie Williams • 352.448.5873 jwilliams@dsapubs.com Design Texas magazine is published quarterly for the Texas Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers by DSA Publishing & Design, Inc. Editorial content and Design Texas magazine are controlled and owned by the Texas Chapter of ASID. Reproduction of this publication in whole, in part, in any form is strictly prohibited without the written permission of the Texas Chapter of ASID.

ASID TEXAS CHAPTER | ISSUE 4 2018/2019 - 9 -

from our president

ast week someone asked me “What do I get out of ASID membership?” Maybe I should have answered with “How ASID membership has changed my life!” I answered the usual things that I immediately thought of…the networking, the long-time friends that I can call up to ask about business and client questions. AND the pleasure of belonging to a group of like-minded creatives. But I did not take enough time to create the listing in my mind of the ASID members who have changed my life course. The long-time ASID friend who kept urging me to take the Q and to go for Professional membership. Since that encouragement, it has become important to urge others to take the big step to meet the feared exam and pass the NCIDQ. We elevate each other. Even those who do not pass the exam have

the benefit of the Body of Knowledge that it tests. A person can take the test for personal satisfaction and/or for obtaining the title of Registered Interior Designer in Texas. So, the WHY statement really does mean what is says.

THE ASID WHY STATEMENT: ASID advances the profession and communicates the impact of interior design to enhance the human experience. The impact of interior design is real. Listening to the students when I have been invited to speak to classes and to student organizations is very comforting. The next generation of ASID Professional and Allied members who are now students are well trained in the Body of Knowledge. As a current member, your gift to them is the sharing of the actual practice of Interior Design. The PowerPoints I show are created from many photos I have taken of “highly inadequate” design and Barrier Free mistakes. I love to hear their gasps and laughter when after 15 seconds of a viewing a not-so-accessible restroom built by someone who is untrained, they discover multiple mistakes that do not support the various abilities of the users and they start calling them out. Many of our clients have undisclosed and unidentifiable conditions that we need to consider to be sure that the features they need are included in our designs…residential and commercial. We have to think ahead to provide a project built to accommodate future needs. ASID designers of interiors do just that.

CORE VALUES AND STRATEGIC GUIDEPOSTS: ASID leads collaboration with those working to promote the value of interior design. (ASID meets with USGBC, NKBA, WELL, LEED and many other organizations to assure that the value message of Interior Design is heard throughout the allied professional organizations as well as Government at the Federal and State levels.) ASID prepares its members to excel in a dynamic and evolving profession competing in a global marketplace. (ASID members work in all fields of interior design. See the banner on the txasid.org website.) ASID advances the profession by generating, collecting and disseminating applied knowledge. (The ASID Foundation’s research makes sure we have the latest knowledge to apply to our projects. We have moved from CRAFT to PROBLEM SOLVING as a profession. Today’s ASID Interior Designer is not focused only on How it Looks but How the home functions with the major advent of technology. We need to speak the technical language with others who will be implementing the project.) Moving to Texas Chapter topics from the National ASID thoughts, the Texas Chapter is the overarching umbrella and legal entity under which the 6 Design Communities operate. The Texas Chapter is a Not-for-Profit organization and our mission is to support the members. The Chapter mission is to support the Chapter office in Dallas. There are four events that the Chapter is required to do annually: 1. The Annual Meeting which in more recent years has been combined with the Legacy of Design awards ceremony. The Annual Meeting is the time when the members may hear reports of the events that have occurred in the Chapter. This year we are redesigning the Annual Meeting format and will announce it when we know the amount of support we have to fund the Competition. Stay tuned and read about it in the next Design Texas Magazine.

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2. The Student Symposium is the annual gathering of Interior Design Students from Texas and beyond. For the past 3 years, it has been held in Austin and drawing attendance of over 100 current ID students from CIDA universities and colleges. In 2018, students from El Centro and El Paso Junior Colleges also attended. They can take their AA degrees and continue at 4 year schools. The Student Symposium has cost the Chapter between $8000 to twice that depending on the number of students and the speakers and tour site costs. The IP trade show is now back as a part of SSTX19….location to be confirmed soon. 3. Scholarships for Students who apply with their online portfolios to show the quality of their work win big!!. They must also have recommendations which support the request for financial support. Just over $7000 were awarded in 2018. Student scholarships are an important part of the work of the Texas Chapter in advancing the profession into the next generation. The meaning of a Not-for-Profit organization is to support the goals of the association of like-minded members. Profit is not the reason for the organization, but we do have to gather the funds to support the above programs for the benefit of the members. The members’ dues support the group’s objectives for being an organization. Texas Chapter operates on the dues that are returned from National as well as some of the IP’s dues. Based on this information, we are now in our Sponsorship engagement period to gain operating funds for the Texas Chapter. Although, the Design Communities plan and implement their own programs, it is necessary to plan to support the Chapter operations. Industry Partner business can come from all parts of the State of Texas, not just the closest geographic area. No one knows this better than the reps who travel the more distant parts of Texas. Just think that from El Paso to the Arkansas border is as far as from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean. Think Statewide sponsorship and being able to visit all 6 design communities. One never knows where the next project will be located. The Lone Star sponsorship for the Texas Chapter is available for $25,000 and three Bluebonnet sponsorships are available for $12,500 each. The sponsorship packages can be viewed at www.txasid.org for the details and perks for IPs. Your investment in the ASID Texas Chapter will provide returns to your business. The Texas Chapter Board is committed to making the most of your financial support by being fiscally responsible. Julie Reynolds, ASID, RID, NCIDQ Texas Chapter of ASID President 2017-2018

ASID TEXAS CHAPTER | ISSUE 4 2018/2019 - 11 -

Meet your Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT-ELECT

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE BOARD

Julie Reynolds, ASID, RID president@tx.asid.org

Lisa Barron, ASID, RID president-elect@tx.asid.org

Kimberly Barrow, ASID IP Rep finance@tx.asid.org

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR AT LARGE

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Jessica Wilhelm Mason, Allied ASID professionaldevelopment@tx.asid.org

Sheryl Beck, Allied ASID at-large@tx.asid.org

Teresa McKinney Morgan, ASID communications@tx.asid.org

Joyce Bryant, Allied ASID membership@tx.asid.org

Lauren Aleman, Student ASID studentrep@tx.asid.org

2018-2019 Board of Volunteers / Design Communities Austin- Chair 2018/2019

Fort Worth - Chair 2018/2019

Austin- Financial Officer

Fort Worth - Financial Officer

Dallas Chair- 2018/2019

San Antonio – Chair 2018/2019

Dallas - Financial Officer

San Antonio – Financial Officer

El Paso - Chair 2018/2019

West Texas Chair 2017/2018

El Paso - Financial Officer

West Texas - Financial Officer

Cody Rackley, Allied ASID

Stephanie Chavez, Allied ASID Lisa Floyd, Allied ASID Kathy Tomkins

Karen Leah Rivera, ASID Fran Timbrook, ASID

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Lisa Teakell, ASID

Megan Kranz, Associate ASID Cerissa Douglas, Allied ASID

Heather Nunez, Associate ASID J D Carter, ASID

Julie Ballard, Allied ASID

Industry Partner Liaison TBD

METROCON Expo & Conference-Chair Kenda Draper, ASID

Chapter Newsletter Chair Gina Roth, Allied ASID

Chapter Awards Chair Cecilia Gutierrez

Chapter Roster Chair

Jennifer Mueller, Allied ASID Scholarship Committee Chair

Heather Sutherland, Allied ASID E-Newsletter Editor Cindi Cagle, ASID

Legacy of Design Chair

Elliot Fischer, Industry Partner Chapter Website Chair

Laura McDonald Stewart, FASID Emerging Professional Affairs Chair Corey Davey, ASID

Student Affairs Committee Chair Kelly Mann, ASID

Student Symposium â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Chair TBD

Inclusion Chair

Courtney Siebold, Allied ASID Chapter NCIDQ Program Chair Vaishali Soni, Allied ASID

Chapter Sponsorship Chair Christine Eustice, ASID Social Media Chair

Taylor Mahnke, Student ASID Government Affairs Chair Pat McLaughlin, ASID

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ASID TEXAS CHAPTER | ISSUE 4 2018/2019 - 13 -

DESIGNING your STRATEGY By Julia Molloy

Hi everyone! Welcome to the new year! This is a big one for a lot of you out there and I'm truly looking forward to it. So how do we begin? Well, we all hear about goal setting and resolutions for the New Year and I am all for it. But, I think there is something that comes first and I'll share with you what I recommend... A STRATEGY SESSION!

List out items for discussion including challenges, problems and areas for growth.

3. Have an agenda or list of objectives

Invite those you respect and trust to help you navigate your firm forward.

Like any meeting, put together a list of objectives or an agenda of items you'd like to discuss and resolve during the meeting. Often the first one will be to review all products and services as well as areas of concern or need for refinement. Pull them together and brainstorm about what is possible and what fits with your firm's mission and values. Don't focus too much on logistics, as you'll have a separate meeting for that. This is all about ideation, vision and overarching direction for your company's growth and development as well as innovative ideas for solving issues you've been challenged by.

Before you can prioritize and set goals, you need an overarching strategy! I recommend having 2 per year, one at the beginning of January and one during the 3rd quarter if possible. There are a few prerequisites and components involved with strategy sessions.

1. You need your company's key

characteristics clearly defined and updated Those of you that know me well, know that I constantly refer to the key characteristics. Simply put, this is a list of a dozen or so adjectives or short phases that describe your firm's values. The bottom line is, you need guiding principles and a mission statement to help you navigate through all the ideas and options that will come up in your strategy meeting.

2. Put together an advisory board Who are the few people that you absolutely trust and respect for their savvy, expertise in their field, sage experience and mindset? Find them and invite them to be an adviser for your firm. You just need two people to start. They can be a senior member of your firm if you're fortunate enough to have someone of that caliber on your team. All that is required on their part is to join your 2 strategy sessions each year. It is helpful if most of them are in completely different fields and bring to the table strengths that you do not possess.

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To effectively implement, establish clear tasks, who is responsible and when it is to be done.

4. Hold the meeting out of your office, in a new environment

Studies have shown that you cannot think 'outside of the box' very effectively when you are physically sitting 'inside your box'. So have the meeting out of your normal environment. Preferably somewhere uplifting, non-distracting and open feeling. Changing the scene will disrupt your normal thinking patterns and make new ideas come to you more easily.

Have lunch brought in and run from morning through the end of the day. You may need to have a 2 day intensive, especially as you run yours for the first time, or as massive growth or changes are occurring in your interior design business.

5. Follow it up with plan of action meeting to

discuss implementation and timing

Once you are clear about what you want to create or the solutions to implement, it is all about execution. Have a secondary meeting a couple days later with the team members or advisory board members that are logistically oriented and get a firm plan of action on the books. Include tasks, timing and the persons accountable so that it really does get done. Add all tasks to your Master Task List and if needed, hold a few follow up meetings at set intervals to discuss progress on assigned projects. Your objective is to come up with an overarching approach and direction for your interior design business. You'll want to emerge with a crystal clear understanding of what your firm does and, more importantly, what it does NOT do and who it does it for. Be clear on your 'packaging' or how you present or bundle your services, along with your various modalities for charging for them. You will be empowered by the clarity this session will provide. Once your strategy is clear, you are ready to set goals, milestones, and plan for the needed resources to accomplish your goals. I hope you all have a great start to this most tremendous New Year! Send me a note and find lots of great info and resources for your business

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at my website www.JuliaMolloy.com. I am looking forward to hearing about your ambitious and brilliant plans for this year!

Julia Molloy is the leading operations specialist for the interior design industry. She has over 2 decades of operations experience, 12 of 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 education 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.

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SEOfor Interior Designers By Deb Mitchell

SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION

Let's be clear - I don't consider myself an SEO expert. But as a copywriter, it's vital that I maintain a working knowledge of SEO basics and that I stay on top of current best practices. Besides, I love software and apps that help me do my job better, and working with my clients' SEO gives me an excuse to geek out on all the cool tech tools out there for SEO keyword research. It's true that - even when it's explained in the simplest possible terms - SEO is complex and confusing. As a business owner, you may not really understand the ins and outs of SEO, but you certainly feel its effects when you lose business to your competition because they show up in your prospects' Google searches and you don't.

SEO is the only form marketing that really works these days FACT

While that may be true for online businesses whose sales of products and services happen exclusively online, you're actually a local service provider. You serve your clientele mostly in person within your local area (excepting e-design services and selling products in an online shop). Take it as good news that a lot of the deeper complexities and usages of SEO are meant to apply to businesses competing for sales online in a sea of competition from all over the world. For those businesses it's highly likely the only way prospects will ever even know they exist is if they're effective with SEO.

But don't worry - you don't have to be an SEO expert to help get your business in front of your prospects online. To help you take the first step toward understanding and using SEO, I've pinpointed a few of the more commonly held ideas and fact-checked them for accuracy in light of what they mean to you and your business. By separating fact from fiction, you can avoid wasting time and/or money on SEO efforts that ultimately won't help you grow your bottom line.

SEO is complicated and highly technical FACT

SEO truly is something of a bottomless pit of information. Most of us who aren't tech gurus who work with it full-time are hard-pressed to devote enough time and energy into understanding it and putting it into practice in full measure. In addition, SEO is also a moving target. As businesses find ways (both honest and nefarious) to beat Google's algorithm in order to rank at the top of a search, they up the stakes on how hard the rest of us have to work to rank highly too. When search results that have little or nothing to do with what searchers are actually looking for get thrown into the mix, Google is compelled to react by changing their algorithm to filter out those bad search results. That all said you actually don't need to understand SEO or Google's algorithm completely to be able to put it to work for your design business. Read on! - 18 - ISSUE 4 2018/2019 | ASID TEXAS CHAPTER

You, on the other hand, have the advantage of being a needle in a little pile of hay - not a global haystack. When someone searches online for, say, an interior designer in Portland, Oregon, Google only needs to sift through a fairly small handful of potentially relevant search results. Compare that to a search for something like "online business coach" and it's easy to see how your SEO needs are relatively small and simple. What that means is that SEO is important for you, but it should only be one slice of your marketing pie. Ranking higher in online searches may play a role in getting you in front of the right clients, but so does doing great work that gets you awesome client reviews, putting your project images out on social media, and going where your prospects are (both online and off ) and building genuine relationships with them. If you're already doing all of that but you're still not getting all the clients you want and need, giving your SEO more attention could make a difference. But conversely, I can promise you that focusing all of your resources on SEO at the expense of the quality of your work or in lieu of connecting personally with prospects in your area will put your business on shaky ground in the long run.

Keywords are the key to effective SEO FACT

The whole concept of SEO is based on the notion that people use certain words and phrases to search online for specific information. Keywords are the force behind Google's algorithm, a complex decision tree - IF a searcher enters a certain keyword or phrase THEN Google quickly

returns a set of results it deems relevant to those search terms. From another angle, IF you use the keywords your prospects are searching for THEN you'll land in their results (ideally, at or near the top). Businesses' increasing need to earn high search rankings has prompted the development of apps and software that help them determine the keywords their prospects are using. And while, as mentioned earlier, I love playing around with those tools and I'm always quick to test out new ones, I actually find that the two most effective tools for finding the right keywords to use in my clients' marketing are about as non-tech as you can get - empathy and imagination. Knowing your prospects well and having a deep understanding of how they think is crucial for anticipating the search terms they'll use when looking for interior design help. For example, you may want to be known for delivering a highly professional level of service to your clients because you know they value solid processes and great communication. But if you truly understand your prospects, you'll realize that when they sit down to look online for an interior designer to help them renovate their kitchen, their minds won't be on an "interior designer who's a great communicator" - which also means that's not what they'll be typing into Google's search bar. What will be on their minds and in their search bars, however, is an interior designer in their area who's well qualified and experienced in kitchen renovations. Knowing that, you can then use your imagination to come up with a handful of search terms they're likely to use, such as "interior designer Your City kitchen design renovation," "professional kitchen design Your City," and even "interior design help with kitchen cabinets, lighting, and flooring in Your City." It's not that your commitment to delivering the help they're looking for with professional service and great communication skills isn't relevant to them. It's just that they're looking for all of that when they talk with you on the phone and in person, as well as when they review what your processes look like - not when they're searching online to figure out who to call in the first place.

SEO is a one-time project that involves getting the right keywords on your website

FICTION

While determining a set of relevant keywords for your business and putting them on your website is part of the picture, no SEO strategy is "set it and forget it" - something placed deep in the recesses of your site that works automatically and indefinitely to get you better Google rankings. In fact, the top experts agree that SEO should be approached by any business as an ongoing activity. How your website is or isn't being found by your prospects is ever changing. Monitoring that and changing your SEO efforts accordingly on a regular basis is just part of the deal.

So what should that kind of maintenance look like in a basic, DIY-able form? • Do some keyword research to find what terminology your prospects use to search online for interior designers. Here's a great article on how to get started with keyword research: How to do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner's Guide by Rachel Leist • Local SEO is important to get you in front of your prospects, so opt for keywords like "Your City, your state interior designer" over general terms like "polished, timeless interior design." • Because SEO is a process that ebbs and flows, it's ideal to look at it over the course of a 3-month period of time so you can get a complete picture of what's happening overall. Every 3 months or so, review your target keywords and how you're ranking for them. • To do that, search each of the keywords you're using in an incognito browser window to see where you rank in the search results (if you don't go incognito, your computer might remember that you look at your own site often and react by pulling it to the top of your keyword search to personalize the results to you, as opposed to showing how you actually rank when others search that keyword) • If you're ranking well for certain keywords, capitalize on them by increasing their use in your web copy, blog posts, design project descriptions, etc. • If you're not ranking well for others, increase their use as well, or if you think they're simply not good target keywords for you, retire them and replace them with new ones. • When creating new content, be sure to optimize it by placing your keywords whenever possible in blog post headlines, subheadings, copy, image alt tags, and meta descriptions. As much as I sometimes wish there was a tech tool I could just plug into my website that would automatically do it all for me, at the end of the day, SEO is more about understanding the thoughts and needs of our prospects than it is about technology. And as business owners and high-touch service providers who truly care about our clients and prospects, those human factors can't (and shouldn't) be left to automation anyway. By approaching your SEO strategy and all of your marketing efforts as vital parts of learning how to better serve your clients, your business can't help but grow - no matter how Google ranks you!

Previously a freelance features writer for lifestyle and shelter publications, Deb Mitchell now works with interior designers and other creative professionals through one-on-one copywriting, ghostblogging services, and online courses in content creation and marketing. With nearly a decade of experience in and around the interior design industry, Deb has a deep understanding of designers' unique marketing needs. She's currently undergoing a full rebrand and getting a new website for her own business, so she knows the struggle is real! For more of Deb's website tips, visit http://bit.ly/sneaky-website-mistakes .

TIME BILLING By Marc A. Molinsky

As the leading provider of bookkeeping and expediting services to interior designers in the United States, we have seen first-hand how the interior design industry has been changed dramatically over the past 20 years. No change in the industry has impacted design businesses more than the way designers charge fees for their services. Pre-1990, the interior design business model was originally designed to build in all or most of a designers’ fees directly into the price of the product. This technique, called “charging retail” allowed interior designers to receive a “built in” 40% profit margin (which also equates to a 67% “markup” on the designer net price). For example, if a designer were to sell a sofa to a client with a $10,000 suggested retail price, they would achieve a profit of $4,000 because their net designer price would typically be 40% “off retail” or $6,000. This “built in” profit margin of 40% was precisely what a design business needs to achieve a reasonable bottom line. This “retail” model was quickly blown up by the internet when consumers for the first time had gained transparency into designers’ profit margins. Consumers were quick to condemn this model because they could not imagine how and why a design business would need to make some much money on product to sustain their businesses. Consequently, designers were forced over to reduce their markups on product from 67% down to 35-40% despite the fact that the cost to run their businesses had not changed and if anything went up. Given the financial reality that a design business cannot run their businesses on simply a 35% markup, designers slowly over time began charging hourly for their time. The evolution of the time billing model for interior designers has overall been a positive change for the industry but it is a model that has some challenges that must be overcome for a designer to achieve a healthy profit margin. Based upon our years of experience and research, the following is a list of the top 5 challenges that designers are currently facing with time billing along with our recommendation for how to solve them: Keep Description of Time on Invoice Short – It is very common for interior designers to use very lengthy descriptions of their work in their time billing invoices with the intention of “answering all of the clients questions up front”. Our experience has shown us that lengthy descriptions make the billing process far more tedious and cumbersome and though not intuitive, it actually results in more client grumbling, not less. We recommend that you group and present your time in general categories such as: sourcing, client communication, vendor communication, on site meetings, project management, project administration, travel and construction management. This approach will speed up the time billing editing process and reduce the amount of painful client feedback. Negative Client Feedback – It is very common for interior designers to receive negative feedback from their clients about their time billing invoices because

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clients do not have a clear understanding of how much time and effort is required behind the scenes to bring a design to reality. This negative feedback can significantly impair a designer’s confidence and consequently cause them to invoice far less time than what their contractual arrangement allows. We recommend that you carefully consider what type of client is giving you negative feedback before making any changes to your time billing process. We recommend that you classify each of your clients as either A, B or C. A & B clients are reasonable people that value what you do for them and they are interested in you making a profit on your work. C clients do not value your time or your design, regardless of their net worth, and therefore you should not take their criticisms to heart because they are not reasonable in nature. Find the Right Time Tracking System – There are countless systems currently being used by interior designers to track and invoice time (ie. Microsoft Excel, Google docs, Quickbooks, Studiodesigner, Harvest and DesignerLinkapp.com). Finding the right system for your firm can be challenging due prodigious number of options. We recommend that you try and use the same system for both of your time billing and accounting – so if you use Quickbooks for accounting, it is best to use Quickbooks for your time billing (the same holds true for Studiodesigner). Our experience shows that Harvest and Designerlinkapp.com are the most user friendly and popular time billing software other than Quickbooks and Studiodesigner. Managing Client Expectations – Due to the tremendous amount of time that goes into a design project, it is imperative to manage the clients’ expectations of your time billing from the very beginning of a project. Although it must be explained to the client that it is impossible to give them an exact estimate of your time before the project starts, you can tell them that time billing usually represents 20-30% of the total project spend (which includes the sum of hourly billings, cost of product of labor and markup). You can also explain that where they fall in that range will depend on how custom and how decisive they are during the sourcing process. Are Your Billing Rates in Line with the Market? Interior designers generally do not have access to the time billing rates of other firms in their region so it is a very common problem for firms to be charging far less for their time (or more) than the market rates. We recommend that you try to join a network of designers in your area that are comfortable in exchanging information about their own firms in a “non-threatening” way. These designer groups are growing in popularity and likely to present in your city.

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.

S E N D Y O U R D E S I G N S T O T H E 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8 S U B - Z E R O , W O L F, A N D C O V E

K I T C H E N D E S I G N C O N T E S T A N D T H E U LT I M AT E T R I U M P H C O U L D B E Y O U R S .

Participating in the Kitchen Design Contest is one of the best ways to build your business. Your entries will be judged by a distinguished panel of designers and architects. Finalists will attend the Best of the Best Summit and Gala â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a rare opportunity to network and share ideas with your talented peers and the esteemed judges. The recognition and the additional promotional value youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll receive may create exciting new business opportunities, elevating your career.

Submit your entries at subzero-wolf.com/contest. Contact Brianne Bowers (Brianne.Bowers@subzero.com | 972-213-3005) with any questions.

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Design Excellence in Lighting

Two Hills Studio offers excellent craftsmanship, design, collaboration and customer service Scott Gross, president of Two Hills Studio, discusses how working collaboratively can make designers the heroes.

What products and services does Two Hills Studio provide the design industry?

We design and manufacture fine lighting and decorative metalwork for commercial and residential projects, locally and nationally. We produce made-to-order and custom lighting fixtures, vent hoods, mirrors, mailboxes, address lights, and fireplace THS Owner and President, screens. Lately we have been Scott Gross, with a couple of doing a lot metal cladding with darkened copper wall fixtures. copper and brass (countertops, cabinets, chimney caps, drop ceilings, etc.). We provide design services, including help with fixture scale and mounting heights/locations using their CAD, Revit, or pdf files, or just plain dimensions. We also do prototypes and onsite consultations for a truly comprehensive service.

Custom chandeliers for Viejas Casino in San Diego, California.

While our prices are competitive with mass-produced products, we provide a level of customization and support that conventional online or brick-and-mortar retailers just can’t touch. We can customize any of our products; we can design complimentary or matching fixtures; we can incorporate client- or site-specific elements like logos or motifs in beautiful and tasteful ways; and we can design/collaborate on something totally new and unique. We love to help designers realize a vision! Another great service we offer is the ability to work directly with a designer’s client, architect and/or builder. Whether it’s finishes, mounting details or delivery timelines, a designer’s clients and collaborators are just like clients to us.

where it’s going, we’ll prepare a proposal and drawing(s) for review and approval. Before that, we may follow-up with questions or recommendations as to finish or glazing that can be too difficult or specific to include online. We don’t make widgets and won’t treat designers like widget-buyers. That said, we are replacing our website and will soon include basic retail pricing information, which should help designers budget more quickly (we do offer a trade discount!).

Can you describe the experience designers should expect when they work with your team?

Why should designers come to Two Hills Studio vs. purchase what they need online?

In one word, “smooth.” Designers deal directly with me as their project manager, from design, through production, to delivery or shipping (we don’t do installations). Prior to Two Hills Studio, I was a civil engineer for more than 20 years and managed multi-million-dollar projects with large multi-disciplinary teams of employees and contractors, so no job is too large (and, of course, none too small). We also have nine other experienced office and production folks with an average tenure of over 10 years who know our craft exceptionally well.

Designers come to us for control over the design, service during ordering and production, and long-term support for our products. With Two Hills Studio, designers get what they want without scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. They work directly with the studio owner/primary designer (I manage production too!) and not some CSR or a bot.

We take the time and effort to understand designers’ needs, constraints, and opportunities so that we can tailor our services to them. We want them to be the heroes!

We’re local and have been long-time supporters of the design community in Texas.

Designers come to Two Hills Studio for inspiration – we have hundreds of our products on display. They come to see us practice our craft. They also come with their clients to get them excited and engaged. We’re also a one-stop-shop that can provide a complete suite of fixtures for an entire project. And, because we make everything on-site in South Austin, we can even help with LEED certification.

What is the process if a designer wants to order your products?

Here at Two Hills Studio, we prefer a “personal” ordering process. If a designer gets in touch with us to let us know what he or she likes and - 22 - ISSUE 4 2018/2019 | ASID TEXAS CHAPTER

About us Two Hills Studio produces made-to-order and custom lighting and metalwork. Visit their website, www.TwoHillsStudio.com, their showroom at 2706 South Lamar Boulevard, Austin, or call (512) 707-7571, to learn more about their products and services.

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ASID TEXAS CHAPTER | ISSUE 4 2018/2019 - 23 -

LOVING HOW YOU LIVE. You dream it. We design and build it. Make every space your own.

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DESIGN

Excellence in

historical preservation

THE KIEHNE HOMESTEAD By Melissa D. Haberstroh, Associate ASID and Principal of Melissa Jeffrey Design Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been an admirer of historical architecture for years, both as a novice photographer documenting the thatch roofs of rural Botswana and the hand-carved stone facades of Belgium and later as a design professional in the Texas Hill Country. My experiences in preservation design have ranged from complete restorations of residential and commercial buildings to renovations and the adaptive reuse of vintage residences for commercial use as well as the new construction of historically accurate structures. I believe that quality preservation design is born from the respect for the tradition and the story of the building. My process is both scholastic and narrative in approach. I begin all my preservation design projects by researching the structureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s written and photographical history. If a structure is a designated or a registered historic structure, the physical and historical documentation used in the vetting process provides easy-to-obtain, valuable information. In many cases, the building or structure is considered unremarkable or its history not readily known. A simple farm house, for example, might not be a pillar of historical significance but represents the heritage and tradition of an area and its people. - 26 - ISSUE 4 2018/2019 | ASID TEXAS CHAPTER

FABRICS | TRIMMINGS | HARDWARE | WALLCOVERINGS | FINISHED PRODUCTS | FURNITURE DALLAS 1025 N Stemmons Fwy Suite 739 214.651.0440 HOUSTON 5120 Woodway Drive Suite 3022 713.840.9241 AUSTIN Stockton, Hicks, Laffey 7301 Burnet Rd Suite 200 512.302.1116 SAN ANTONIO KBK Enterprises 121 Interpark Blvd Suite 1204 210.490.8383

Site specific research can be conducted via local historical archives (written and photographic) found at public libraries. I have found it useful to create a personal library of books published on local building and community histories for the areas for which I work. These publications become very valuable in area-specific research where I concentrate on the regional history: its building materials, pockets of architectural history (a grouping of bungalows within a city, for example), trade and business history, and the valuable oral histories of its residents. Technical documentation of each project is a critical part of the design process and involves three main components: measurements, inventory, and materials forensics. The measurement of rooms, doors, and windows is an obvious first step in the creation of an existing floor plan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an important reference document, especially in the development of a demolition plan and proposals to governing bodies. An inventory of the existing fixtures and trim, especially plumbing, lighting and hardware is useful in the specification of period appropriate fittings. In many cases, fixtures can be reused in the project without much modification or repair which preserves the historic integrity of the building.

the scope and budget. They can be the difference between locating a trade with a special skillset and the creative license to modify aspects in a way that minimizes cost and/or timeline.

Finally, the analysis of materials such as molding profiles; glass types and locations; and paint colors will be critical to design decisions as the project moves forward. I have a documentation kit that includes plastic zip-top bags, manual and digital tape measures, screw gun and utility knives. I collect paint scrapings or fragments of painted wood from various areas of the structure and catalogue them for paint matching. I also like to photograph any door and shutter hardware that has been removed for cataloguing and storage. While I use my tablet and phone to photograph projects on the fly, I use my digital camera for photo-documentation of the site. My assortment of lenses, flash and tripod allow me to photograph details at a distance and in low light situations.

I had the unique and distinct pleasure of being the designer on an awardwining project that was both that of historic restoration and rehabilitation. The project involved two structures on the same property â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Kiehne Homestead â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both of which are examples of vernacular architecture of German settlers in the Hill Country.

Research and documentation aids in the development of the appropriate approach or preservation priorities. These preservation priorities should be drafted early on and referred to frequently as they are critical in developing

The main structure was once home to Fredericksburg's elusive Peter Berg, a talented stone mason, allowed to permanently live on the land by the new owner William Kiehne. The task was to return the grand "main haus" to its 1906 roots; stabilize the native limestone structure; and provide modern efficiencies and conveniences. Inauthentic details from previous renovations (Beaverboard covered much of the ceilings throughout the first floor) were removed to allow the historic details to shine through. Layers of glossy paints and sealants were stripped from ceilings and moldings to reveal the original long leaf pine beneath it. The parlor and living area were redesigned to provide an open concept great room. By focusing on period-correct light fixtures, finishes and millwork modern-day conveniences were added to the kitchen with little disruption to the historic nature of the building. The rear porch, which housed a small laundry room,

Historic restoration projects that return a structure back to its original form are rare projects for many designers. Budget constraints may lead to decision by the end user to pursue rehabilitation or renovation instead of a pure restoration. In many cases, however, the end user simply desires historic preservation but prefers to live with modern conveniences more befitting of their lifestyle.

After being vacated by their aging parents, the clients wanted their former childhood home to become a weekend respite for their large extended family. The challenge for the design team was to navigate through the preservation project while remaining sensitive to the siblings' personal memories of growing up on the property.

ASID TEXAS CHAPTER | ISSUE 4 2018/2019 - 29 -

unchanged and soap stone countertops are consistent with what would have been used in a cabin such as this one. An original log cabin remains largely unchanged with an exception of the removal of antiquated stairs to a small loft. This change created a more open living room for the family. The existing bathroom received a much-needed update. A mechanical closet and a water closet are both cleverly concealed behind traditionally styled doors while the addition of a glass enclosed shower, reuse of the original clawfoot tub, and a furniturebased vanity maintains a historical feel while injecting modern day comforts. was opened to reveal the original stone and provide entry to the newly expanded dining room. Upstairs, the existing bathroom was redesigned for efficiency and adjoining closets were converted to a second bathroom. Both showcase period-appropriate fixtures, trim and tile. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;cabinsâ&#x20AC;? are a grouping of small structures that predate the main house on the property. Originally used as a vacation rental, the cabins later served as the adolescent bedrooms for the three boys once the couple permanently located their family to the Hill Country from Houston. The task for the design team was to restore the buildings as well as provide an additional bathroom and laundry facilities for the property. It was in this instance that it was critical to find balance between historic authenticity and the practical needs of the end user family. As opportunities presented themselves, the project became a mix of restoration and renovation. A siding-clad structure that surrounded an original cabin, stone smokehouse, stone storage cellar and small wooden home was removed and each of the historic structures was restored. The historic doors and their hardware were removed and carefully catalogued on site for later reuse. The kitchen was modernized in a way that only created more efficiency. The layout remains

A new laundry and bath were built as a stucco structure and situated near the smokehouse. Careful attention was paid to the scale and finishes of the new structure so that the addition was compatible yet differentiated from the authentically historic ones. The existing stone floor and fireplace that once defined the living and dining rooms remain and are now enclosed by a modern metal window system that links each of the individual structures together. This approach creates a single structure and makes the new dining and living area appear to look as though we carefully constructed a glass wall around the patio. Preservation design is like a great detective story in that the structure as it exists today provides clues of its story through layers of paint; a material that is foreign to the era, but time-stamps the alterations; and a search for the story of the person who carved the date into the timeworn fireplace mantle. Rather it a full-blown restoration or a new structure that inserts a carefully crafted history, it is my hope that the techniques and concepts that I have shared will encourage my fellow designers to seek opportunities to preserve the architectural history and culture of the community around them for future generations to enjoy.

Photography by Siggi Ragnar of SRagnar Fotografi - 30 - ISSUE 4 2018/2019 | ASID TEXAS CHAPTER

DESIGN

Excellence in

healthcare

ABODE INTERIOR DESIGN By Gina Roth, Allied ASID and Principal of Abode Interior Design Abode Interior Design is a small boutique interior design company in San Antonio, TX. We specialize primarily in furniture and finish selections for residential interiors. When we were approached by one of our residential clients to help with the design of a new office for an established OB-GYN clinic, we were excited...and a little nervous! This isn’t a typical project for our company. Their current office was in an older building and the decor was stuck in the 90's “Texas Tuscan” trend. It was time for a whole new look and feel for their light-filled office being constructed in a new, contemporary building. The Institute for Women's Health branding has a pop of hot pink which inspired us to present a design concept that pulls pink in key design elements. The natural light really flatters the two shades of pale blue-gray selected for the wall color and accent trim. We were hired to collaborate with the architects already on the project to finalize hard finish selections then create a furniture and decor plan that was fresh, clean, modern and decidedly feminine.

- 32 - ISSUE 4 2018/2019 | ASID TEXAS CHAPTER

The original plans for the waiting area presented a challenge for furniture layout, so we recommended deleting a pony wall and creating a "Tech Bar" with a quartz waterfall edge and privacy glass. We were told that wait times can get extended at times, so this gives patients and their guests a place to plug in and stay connected while they wait. This is now a favorite space for patients and their guests waiting to be seen.

Finding durable, functional, easy to clean materials that are not too trendy, within budget, and pretty proved to be a challenge. Extensive product research brought us to quartz countertops, wood look luxury vinyl planks, frosted metallic privacy glass, and silvery textured laminate cabinetry. Once we finalized a seating plan, we researched fabrics appropriate for a healthcare setting. We chose linen-look vinyl for the seating and a taupe leather-look vinyl for the sofas for easy cleaning. The vinyl for the benches and accent pillows has a hot pink and gray striated pattern to pull the color palette. The hot pink vinyl barstools for the Tech bar really stand out amongst the neutral backdrop. We chose interesting marble and metal console tables to anchor the televisions and display patient information. Finally, what to do with the walls? With a neutral backdrop, long hallways and a minimal decor budget, filling the walls became a challenge. On the left side of the waiting room, we went BOLD and had a large orchid wall mural custom made for the Tech bar. On the right side of the waiting room, we selected 3-D metal

ASID TEXAS CHAPTER | ISSUE 4 2018/2019 - 33 -

abstract floral pieces to create a unique arrangement down the 20' wall for interest and movement. We commissioned a local artist to create the striking art installation down the 75' long hallway between exam rooms and pull the hot pink through the space. We fell in love with an abstract art piece and had custom wallpaper made to accent the back wall of the waiting area in the ultrasound suites. We wanted the coffee bars to be pretty and inviting, so they have more of a residential vibe, while the classic millwork in the reception areas and nurses' stations give it a clean, classy look. Taking a little risk reaped big rewards and our project won 1st place in the ASID San Antonio Pinnacle of Design Awards in the Commercial Healthcare category.

Photography by Jennifer Siu-Rivera Artwork by LAN Art & Design

- 34 - ISSUE 4 2018/2019 | ASID TEXAS CHAPTER

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