Business of Design Winter Conference

From February 10th through February 12th the Best Practices Network (BPN), gathered together for the annual BPN Winter Conference. This year the conference was held at the beautiful Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center in lovely Scottsdale, Arizona. Over 75 attendees from the nation's top Interior Design firms gathered for meetings, presentations and one on one networking sessions under the guidance of interior design business leader David Shepherd, founder of the BPN. The BPN Winter Conference is the "members only" gathering of the BPN.

 

 

Together with the Business of Design Conference (BOD11), open to all interior designers and held annually in September in New York City, the BPN is the premier organization of interior designers dedicated to excellence in the business of design.

The Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center provided a beautiful oasis for our group to gather.  It also helped that the average daily temperature was between 65 and 75!  While there I also had the great opportunity to have dinner with the National President and President Elect of The American Society of Interior Designers, ASID, Michael Thomas, FASID and Lisa Henry, FASID.  Both are friends and colleagues of mine and who I serve with on the National Board of ASID.

If you ever have a chance to visit Phoenix or the Scottsdale area please check out the Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center!

Exoti-Q #3.

Yep, we hosted our third Exoti-Q last week and the event was a huge success!  OK you ask, "What's an Exoti-Q"?  Good question! Well, it's kind of like an upscale Barbeque with a twist.  The twist is the foods being grilled are usually items you cannot easily pick up at the local Harris Teeter.  Tasty treats like Ostrich, Bison, Alligator, Pheasant, Antelope and many others are marinated and grilled to perfection and then served with tangy sauces.  Yes, we had chicken too!  Our hats are off again to Chef Dave Bowers for engaging us in all the delights! 

This event also marked a newcomer, Wines for Humanity.  They provided the wine for the evening and smartly paired all the courses of the evening with terrific wines from their select vendors.  Also wine was available for purchase and a percentage of the proceeds is donated by Wines for Humanity to prevent homelessness of families with children.

We typically have 30 to 45 people attend the "by invitation only" event which is hosted by Schelfe and Associates, Palczuk and Scarbrough and Cresa Partners.  The evening turned out to be a great night of eating great food, drinking good wine and meeting and mingling with terrific guests.

Be on the lookout for our next Exoti-Q event scheduled for early 2011!

Tim..

  











Having Fun at the Event!

Michael, Lou, Tim, Marlene and Ruth Anne!

S&A @ Market with Suzanne Kassler!

Last week we traveled to High Point, North Carolina for our bi-yearly visit to the High Point Furniture Market. This Fall market was a terrific market and an exciting time, not to mention the fact that the temperature was in the 80's. Not bad at all for fall in North Carolina!

We toured many terrific showrooms and viewed the latest and greatest in furniture, fabrics and finishes. Hickory Chair was hot on our list especially since they have moved locations at market and were unveiling their brand new showroom. Our hats are off to Jay and his team at Hickory Chair for creating a new and exciting showroom.

One of our favorite "celebrity designers" Suzanne Kassler was on hand at the Hickory Chair showroom debuting her latest pieces manufactured by Hickory Chair. Marlene and I caught up with her and shared a few stories.

Please check out her line at Hickory Chair and all the other incredible pieces from this manufacturer.  And of course it is all available through Schelfe and Associates.

Happy Trails,

Tim....

Tim, Suzanne and Marlene

Nations Next Top Model Home

OK, I know it's been way too many weeks since I last updated our S&A Blog however, I have been keeping a fairly consistent and updated Blog at the Nations Next Top Model Home. Check out http://www.nationsnexttopmodelhome.com/index.php/tmh/timschelfe/

A few months ago I was selected as a cast member of a new web based design reality competition. This competition based out of Wilmington, NC was to put 7 interior designers against each other in the design of 7 Model Homes for a new development called Compass Pointe. Well, we had $5,000 plus 28 days to complete the task. The top designer (as voted in by YOU the public) gets the title and a cool $25,000.
So check out the site, my work and PLEASE VOTE for ME!
Voting ends September 26th.

Thanks,

Tim

"Home is Where..."??

Well, if I answered this question last week, I would've said "Home is Where...The SNOW DAYS Are!! "

I don't care how old you are, you are never too old to get out and enjoy the beauty and rareity of a North Carolina snowfall-And the occassional snowball fight!

However, if you chose to stay indoors during the bought of cold, snowy weather...how was it?

If "Home is where the Heart should be", then why do too many of us answer "Home is Where...The White Walls Are"!

As a designer, I can't think of anything worse than a home that doesn't cultivate quiet moments, offer inspiration, and reflect the inhabitants' personality with it's colors and decor.

With our economy making us all cringe and the cold weather settling in, we find ourselves spending more and more time at home. So, let's make it exciting!?

Here are some ideas for overhauling that tired, blank canvas of a house from the

Lifestyle Collection: 2009 Color Forecast by Sherwin Williams ..and we'll be happy to help you with more!

Techno Color...it's not just for people with mohawks anymore! This cheery pallette will make you forget the cold weather outside!

Local Momentum...A natural pallette of color that will please any earth-loving individual (or anyone who recycles...anything!)

Conscious Luxury...These colors, with warm mineral tones, have an exotic vibe that may just be the budget friendly resort vacation you need!

Global Tapestry...Travel the world; Don't leave the sofa!

Here's a handy paint calculator to try for those DIYer's out there! http://www.dominomag.com/resources/calculators/paint

(For those of you who have painted before and prefer nails on a chalkboard...we have resources for you to get the job done too!)

And, the next time someone asks you "Home is Where..."? ?

Here's to being able to say,

"Home is Where... The FUN Is!!

ENJOY!