The Chaise Lounge Podcast

Kim Scodro: Chicago Interior Designer

Kim Scodro is an award-winning, Chicago and Arizona-based interior designer who brings to her work a refined sense of style and appreciation for the fun and unexpected.  As a wife and mother of two, Kim has experience in creating environments that are warm and relaxed while also exciting and unique.  Her signature interiors are timeless yet current, mixing a classic aesthetic with modern and whimsical accents. Kim received her B.A. from Loyola University and is an ASID Allied Member in Illinois and Arizona.

I enjoyed my conversation with Kim, as it was nice to talk to a designer from my Chicago, where I grew up.  Kim shared how she hires designers and staff, how she keeps two offices, one in Chicago, and one in Arizona, and why it is important to say no to clients.

To get in touch with Michael , contact him through his website at Kim Scodro Interiors.

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com

Michael Habachy: Designs from GA

About Michael

Michael Habachy is an acclaimed interior and furniture designer based in Atlanta, Georgia. His Interior / Architecture design firm, Habachy Designs, Inc., creates atmospheric and luxurious interiors for a wide range of commercial and residential clients, ranging from fashionable restaurants and nightclubs to chic spas, boutiques and glamorous residences.  Michael's aesthetic is timeless and modern, yet he gives each project its own unique signature style.  He has 20+ years of experience creating custom furnishings and high-end interiors, making him a master of his craft. The combination of extreme passion for design and the ability to develop excellent working relationships with clients are the foundations of success for Habachy Designs.  Habachy Designs' interiors and custom furnishings have been published in a number of local, national and international publications. One of his standout projects made the cover of world renowned Trends Bath Magazine. Michael has appeared on TV design shows including HGTV's Design Wars, and was nominated for Southeastern Designer of the Year 2012 by Veranda Magazine. Most recently, Habachy Designs won prestigious Gold and Silver design excellence awards from the American Society of Interior Designers. Michael's work has also been featured in the Museum of Design Atlanta.

I've had the chance to talk to designers from coast to coast, but never from Atlanta, GA. With a great mix of a modern flair and southern charm, Michael has built a great interior design firm serving an impressive clientele.  Michael and his team handle everything from initial design to implementation, and residential to commercial, designing some hip and cool spaces.  They have had a lot of opportunities to work for clubs, bars, and restaurants, which has led into some interesting requests from homeowners.

Michael had an opportunity to be featured on a design show called Design Wars.  He did level with me about how things are built behind the scenes.  Not quite something he would do on a real project.  The interesting reality is that it did not get him any new clients.

We talked about the importance of being published, and what the value can be for a designer.  Michael shared how instrumental Pinterest and Houzz has been for their marketing efforts.

To get in touch with Michael , contact him through his website at Habachy Designs.

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com

Laura Birns: Interior Design and Furniture Designer

A colorful artist, tuns to interior design.  Laura Birns started into interior design, by the back door, as a fine artist turned librarian...turned interior designer.  Yep. She first received a BFA in fine art spending her time brushes in hand, but after graduating, found herself working in a large commercial design firm in California.  When she was asked to help with one of the big clients:  Marriott, she went work .  She help them design a rug, and it just progressed from there.

Due to her art background, Laura has found some success designing and building custom furniture as well.  As a sculptor, she was very familiar with form and function.

If you are not the typical designer, or have the "typical" background, Laura's story of success will be encouraging for you.  She is a successful interior designer with a colorful flair.

To get in touch with Laura Birns, contact her through her website at LauraBirnsDesign.com

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at thechaiseloungepodcast.com.

Stephanie Bryant with Organic Looms

Today we are with Slew at Studio D (Decorative Materials) in the Denver Design Center talking to Stephanie Bryan.

From India and Nepal, Organic Looms makes hand crafted rugs with natural products.  We dive into what it is like to order custom rugs, how they are manufactured, what a strike-off is, and overall, how to make sure you get what you are expecting.  Organic Looms is based in Chicago, but is in the process of opening a location in the Denver Design Center...right down the hall from Studio D. 

When most people think of hand tied rugs, they think of orientals, and very traditional rugs.  But today's trends have required manufactures to create the same quality hand-made rugs with modern designs and colors.

A little bit of rug education, we talk about:

Vintage rugs - taking old rugs, striping it, and re-dying it

What is sustainable

Natural materials

How to make

The dying process - why is this hard to make natural

How to know a fraud

If you would like to hear this episode or past episodes, please go to thechaiseloungepodcast.com or listen in on iTunes or Stitcher.

Joining us in the lounge again, Barrie Livingstone.  Barrie is an internationally known interior designer living in Malibu California.  Barrie will be coming to Denver in January to speak to designers about creating a fantastic designer firm.

If you would like to hear more episodes with more successful interior designers, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at www.thechaiseloungepodcast.com.

High end bathrooms and the products that make them.

Tim VanderWall and Rachelle Gabbard joined us from InterArchitectural Products, a rep firm that primarily deals with high end kitchen and bathroom products works with designers and showroom in a 6 state region, including Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Montana, Texas, and Nevada.   Supporting both showrooms as well as designers with specs, design, and customization is what separates their service.

Weather a client is looking for a chiseled piece of rock to be used as a central art piece in their master bath, are looking to add a sparkling water dispenser in the kitchen, or a glass vessel, Tim and Rochelle, can truly find the unique feature for your design.  Going out is granite counter tops, coming in are glass or concrete countertops. InterArchitectural Products carries the following lines:

Everpure

Aco

Phylrich

Fluid

Vola

Vitraform

Caroma

Hastings bath

THG style

Sonoma Cast Stone

Stone Forrest

Many more

 

If you would like to hear this episode or past episodes, please go to thechaiseloungepodcast.com or listen in on iTunes or Stitcher.

Fu-Tung Cheng

Based out of: Berkeley, CA

Where did you go to school:  UCLA and Univ. of CA at Berkeley

Drink preference:  Beer, wine, then a cocktail

Favorite place to work:  Puerto Rico

When did you start designing: at 38 - 17 years ago

Computer preference:  Mac

Starting as a kitchen designer, Fu-Tung owner of  Cheng Design, has become a very noted and successful designer.  He has a line of hoods that he designs for  Zephyr, he is a published author, documenting his work, was nominated into the National Kitchen and Bath Hall of Fame,  he designs homes all over California, and has a boutique line of sculptural concrete countertops — Geocrete™ .  Fu-Tung came to Denver to present on designing with concrete at an event I attended.  His story of building a unique design firm was very interesting, and I thought it would be awesome to have him on the podcast.

To get in touch with Fu-Tung, contact him through his website at Chengdesign.com

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at thechaiseloungepodcast.com.

Modern Christmas Trees

Matt Bliss started Modern Christmas Trees after remembering how much he loved the trees his grandfather, Bud, had designed and put up when he was a kid. So, in 2010, he made two trees based on his grandfather's original designs. After some great feedback, he decided that he had a wonderful concept for a business.

The trees come in a few sizes, and this year they are launching a half version that can easily be hung on the wall from a simple picture hook. The trees hang from the ceiling like a mobile and collapse flat, so they are super easy to store. Totally customized trees are not the focus, although Matt has worked on a few special trees for clients. These Christmas trees are great for anyone with a modern style and looking for something unique. They fit really well in lobbies and waiting rooms.

Marketing: Building a website for under $500

There are a lot of designers that do not have websites because they think they need to spend a ton of money.  This just simply is not the case.  You definitely can spend a lot, but until you have the resources for a fully custom, $5000 website, I suggest you follow these steps for creating a website for under $500...or even less.

Get a custom URL at GoDaddy.com

Purchase your WordPress backend

Find a WordPress template at Template Monster

Hire VA Staffer to install, and launch your website. Tell J that I sent you, and he will give you two hours free to try their service.

Kia Weatherspoon: From Dancer, to Soldier, to Interior Designer

Have you ever thought you had everything planned out just perfectly, and then came life?  Kia Weatherspoon had danced her whole life, and thought she would be able to continue to do so, until life happened.  Going into college, she thought joining the army would be a great way to pay for college, but still be able to dance.  Things did not quite line up that way, and Kia soon found herself in a foreign country, in the middle to nowhere, sleeping in a tent.  She decided to create her own space, and that was the start of something new, and beautiful.

After getting out of the military, Kia decided to go back to school, and get an interior design degree.  Today, she runs her own firm focusing on hospitality and multi-family clients in Washington DC.  Kia has an unusual story for getting involved in interior design, and she loves to share.  Kia is also on the national board of ASID, and talks about how that has helped her be successful.

To get in touch with Kia, contact her through her website at Determined by Design.

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at thechaiseloungepodcast.com.

Marketing: Building your sphere of influence

I meet a lot of designers that don't know how to connect with their perfect client.  They know that they need to build word of mouth, but when you are new in business or new to a new city, you need to expand your network, but many don't know how to do that.  Here are three ways to build your circle of influence with the right people.

Volunteer on an not-profit board or organization

Speak at events

Tap into your vendor network.

John MacKenzie: Xssentials Technology Advisor

Xssentials: A technologies services company, better know as home automation.     Lots of options to make things simple with the use of electronics and automation.  Xssentials is a company that has offices in Asen, Vail, Glenwood Springs, Denver, and Jackson, WY.   John MacKenzie is one of the technology advisers that meets with clients to explain what they can do, and help create solutions for homeowners and make them easy.

We talked about how the internet of things has impacted design community, and what could be to come.  From lighting, to appliances, to our vehicles will be able to tell us something is wrong, before it becomes a problem.

How does Xssentials work with designers:

Lighting- adjusting lighting automatically, with timers, or with an iPad.

Hiding technology like speakers and audio/video so as to not take away from the aesthetic design

Helping to design systems early to incorporate better functionality into design

Window shades

Xssentials has the Experience center in downtown Denver, where designers can see home automation in action.

If you would like to hear this episode or past episodes, please go to thechaiseloungepodcast.com or listen in on iTunes or Stitcher.