Tom Marquardt, SBID, Past IIDA/AMA-EC Professional’s Post

The Seven Deadly Sins of Interior Design Practice TIMIDITY - Sins of the Designer 1/3 1. Timidity and Opinions: Designers are hired to provide design direction - so, direct! And, explain WHY option A is better than option B (thereby demonstrating your knowledge and experience). When clients trust that you will speak up when it counts, they feel happy to choose when you occasionally say, ‘In this case I see the benefits of both options’. 2. Timidity and Boundaries: Most new designers are blindsided at some point by clients crashing boundaries that the designer never actually established: working hours, time taken to reply, project scope, favours. Boundaries should be set in advance - being brave enough to define ground rules actually helps everyone involved.   3. Timidity and Ugly Truths: Shying away from the negatives in a design project is a recipe for disaster: every project has boring bits and bad bits, good interior designers balance motivation and enthusiasm for future transformation alongside expectations management for the modest trials of getting there. 4. Timidity and MONEY!: Emotional issues around money could be parching your business - money is lovely and you've earned it. It’s the water that flows through and irrigates your business. Splash around in it - FFS, have a bath…submerge yourself. If you are unsure about charging, or feel awkward about money, let's have a chat...right now it's really cheap to talk! (See below). ----------------- I'm Julia, after two decades teaching and practising interior design, I now help others avoid mistakes and achieve success. SUMMER FUN: Right now you can book a 30-minute chat with me - to discuss any interior design sins, or other business challenges - for £30 only, with all proceeds going to St Michael's Hospice in Hereford. Link to book: https://lnkd.in/evM_NQGU

Absolutely! Aqdus Saleem's home decor brand is deeply committed to giving back to the community. Here are some of the ways we get involved: 1. Local Artisans Support: We collaborate with local artisans, providing them with fair wages and opportunities to showcase their craftsmanship. This not only helps preserve traditional skills but also supports the local economy. 2. **Sustainability Initiatives**: We actively participate in tree-planting drives and other environmental conservation efforts to promote sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint. 3. **Educational Programs**: We sponsor educational programs and workshops for underprivileged children, focusing on arts and crafts to nurture their creativity and provide them with valuable skills. 4. **Charity Events**: We regularly organize and participate in charity events to raise funds for various causes, including healthcare, education, and disaster relief. These initiatives reflect our commitment to making a positive impact on the community and the environment. How do you feel about these programs? Are there any other community involvement ideas you think we should consider?

I’m looking for 20 residential interior designers who want business or design practice advice on a business problem in July or August. It’s £30 for a 30 minute slot, with all money going to St Michael’s Hospice in Hereford. Smallprint: I don’t promise not to mention Bootcamp :-) but I do promise to spend almost all the time focused on your particular business or practice issue, and I will do my very best to help you. If you need help managing a client situation, thinking about your ideal client, attracting that client, planning your business, working out a fee proposal, how to integrate AI into your business, or pretty much anything else interior design related (but not how to work with layers in AutoCAD!), or if you want to chat to me about Bootcamp - with zero obligation - then book here: https://lnkd.in/evM_NQGU

If you need help with grant writing or fundraising strategy, Ben Chambers, CFRE is your guy. If you need help putting furniture together...you might want to find someone else. This week, read about Ben's misadventures in home improvement and how they relate to fundraising. #grants #nonprofit #fundraising

I'm currently reading the 2006 book, "The Architecture of Happiness" by Alain de Botton. I highly recommend it. It's a personal look at how design/architecture connects us to our emotions -- namely happiness and misery. It's particularly poignant in light of the fires in and around Los Angeles and the devastation so many have experienced. Many of the recent news reels I've watched on social media are about one's connection to the house, the home, they lost. Their home was everything to them -- memories made there, the life lived there, the photos, mementos, the windows, doors, floors, and more. Many recounted how they had renovated and remodeled the house, preserved a historic house, and, with profound grief, acknowledged that their work, real intense creative work, was reduced to rubble in a matter of hours. It reminds me of some of the passages in Botton's book. One of the sentiments from the book that sticks with me is the act of noticing how sunlight hits the walls or floors of a house's interior and the beauty that light brings to the surface -- the color of the wood, the hue of a tiled floor. This is not to say, however, that everyone loves where they live or live there because they think it's beautiful. It's not necessary to honor the play of sunlight or value interior colors or be in awe of exterior landscapes. Homes are more than their designs. They are places of shelter and refuge, examples of hard work, a necessity. Yet all those who have suffered loss from these fires were familiar with their neighborhoods, the trees that lined the streets, the vegetation at the intersections, the local retailers they frequented, the crosswalks -- everything they saw and did daily that is now gone. Community has been lost. They were drawn to the neighborhood they lived in or the neighborhood became, over time, as familiar as a friend. There are many in need of help in southern California. Here is a link to verified fundraisers assisting those impacted by the fires or by fighting the fires: https://lnkd.in/evTKDNPU

This article highlights some of the missteps that people encountered when downsizing. 1) Downsizing can be daughting and there are professionals who can assist. Better to sort everything what’s coming with you, donations, sold, trash, gifts to family and friends. 2) Try to avoid long term storage in offsite storage. The self-storage business is a $44 Billion industry with 11% of all households renting at least 1 unit per month. 3) Think about keeping an extra bedroom available for guests and family. 4) Build extra storage on site if necessary. In this article several local professionals were noted for assisting in the process. Merci Magdalena a professional organizer, whose company Great Moves sorts out a home and Lisa Tornello, an interior designer with Millroad Studio in San Anselmo, CA. #Housing #moving #realestate #downsizing #Marin #SanAnselmo #storage #SanFrancisco #WSJ

Pre-Renovation Decluttering and Organising: Transforming Two Bedrooms being used for general storage! Recently, I assisted a client with a major decluttering and organising project involving two period bedrooms. Over the course of 9 hours, we processed, streamlined, and organised all the belongings stored in these spaces. These rooms are set to undergo renovations in the New Year, transforming into a bathroom and a new bedroom for my client's eldest daughter. The Project Scope Both rooms had become default storage spaces, filled with a mix of clothing, toys, furniture, and memorabilia. The task was significant, so we approached it methodically: 1. Session One: Tackling the Largest Bedroom * We divided the room into smaller, manageable areas and addressed each section systematically. * This approach allowed us to sort through a variety of items efficiently while maintaining focus and progress. 2. Session Two: Clothing and the Second Room * We started by going through my client's clothes, deciding what to keep, donate, or relocate. * Next, we moved to the second bedroom, which was processed more quickly. This room primarily contained personal items like photo albums, artwork, and pictures, which my client chose to review further at her own pace. The Results * Rehousing Belongings: The remaining items will largely be relocated to the loft, while clothing will be organised into a new wardrobe scheduled for installation in the New Year. * Donations: I removed two carloads of clothing and toys for donation, creating more space and contributing to a good cause. This project was not just about decluttering but about creating a fresh start in preparation for the exciting changes ahead. I love helping clients implement systems that make their lives easier and their homes more functional! If you need mv help with transforming your home - please DM for a FREE 30 minute call. I'd love to hear from you, Elizabeth Let's Get Organised Together! #declutter #decluttering #junkroom #organised #declutteryourhome #roomtransformation #transformation #declutteryourlife #decluttered #prerenovation

✨ New Year Prep Pro Tip for 2025 ✨ Start the year off fresh by decluttering your home! 🏡 Whether you’re tackling one drawer or an entire room, these tips make it easy to get started: ✔️ Use the 12/12/12 Rule to organize (12 items to donate, 12 to toss, 12 to put away). ✔️ Try the 20/20 Rule—if it takes less than $20 to replace and 20 minutes to retrieve, let it go. ✔️ Create a timeline and stay on track with bite-sized goals. For more decluttering strategies, check out this guide: https://loom.ly/hADajwI Which space will you start with? Let us know! 🗓️ #NewYearPrep #Declutter2025 #FreshStart

Hyperrealistic renderings are essential for community and non-profit projects because they help people see exactly how the space will look and feel. This level of detail makes it easier for supporters and stakeholders to connect with the project, understand its impact, and feel confident in backing it. Clear, lifelike visuals are key to building trust and support. Houston Veterans Village Location: Houston, Texas Market Sector: Community/Non-Profit Rendering Service Type: Marketing Rendering Purpose of Rendering: Marketing Rendering --- #communityproject #marketing #marketingrender #marketingrendering #3drendering #3drender #nonprofitproject #interiorproject #texasarchitecture #texasrendering #interiors #interiordesign

The historic Emma Malaby Store needs your help! Through a generous donation in 2023, Historic Larimer County (HLC) acquired the historic Malaby Store at 313 N. Meldrum St. in Fort Collins, Colorado. We are working to transform the building into a center for education, research, interpretation and community events. The building will also serve as the first office and headquarters for HLC since the organization was founded. The first critical project that we are undertaking is the emergency replacement of the aging and deteriorating roof structure that we fear will not survive another big snow. It is already leaking toward the front of the building. Structural engineers have recently examined the roof structure, which dates from the early 1880s, and confirmed it needs to be replaced and strengthened. This work was done as part of an ongoing architectural and structural/mechanical evaluation of the entire building that will be completed in the next two months. HLC has applied for $150,000 in grant funding from the Colorado State Historical Fund (SHF) which, if awarded, will cover 75% of the total cost. We must raise a 25% ($50,000) cash match by the end of 2024. The board of directors is asking for your generous help with a donation that will assist us with raising the needed funds. Historic Larimer County is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that focuses on connecting people to place by promoting historic preservation through community collaboration, advocacy, education, and interpretation. Your tax-deductible donation can be made by check, cash, or credit card. Checks can be sent to Historic Larimer County, PO Box 1909, Fort Collins 80522 or donate with Paypal through our website. Just be sure to indicate that your donation is for the Malaby Store Fund. If you would like to donate through your IRA, our tax ID number is 74-2550282. We originally filed back in 1988 as the Larimer County Historic Alliance, doing business now as Historic Larimer County. (So if your IRA manager sees Larimer County Historic Alliance, let them know that's us!) We welcome any donation amount, but as further incentive we will recognize the following levels: $ 100+ We will list your name as a donor in our monthly eNewsletter. $ 500+ We will also list your name on the donor page on our website. $ 1,000+ We will also add you to a list of donors posted inside the store. $ 5,000+ We will also take you and 10 of your friends on a special walking history and architecture tour in Larimer County. Thank you for helping us reach our goal and begin the transformation of the historic Malaby Store. If you would like to tour the building and haven’t seen it yet, please reach out to meg@historiclarimercounty.org. Thank you! Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gq5eGFy9.