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For 2016, bathrooms get down to business
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesGray walls, shiny black tile floors and quartz countertops, paired with gleaming, sleek chrome and nickel fixtures. It's a look frequently found in high-end corporate and hospitality design, exuding a sense of order, sophistication and elegance. Recently, this look has started showing up in kitchens, and next year, say industry trend watchers, it will make its way to the bathroom as part of a growing preference for cleaner, more minimalist spaces.
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Luxury furniture industry reaches out to designers to boost sales
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesAt the height of the Great Depression in 1931, representatives of the furniture industry invited a group of notable interior decorators to a gathering to discuss how they might work together to promote design services and furniture sales. That meeting gave birth to the American Institute of Decorators, the forerunner of today's American Society of Interior Designers, and created an alliance between industry and designers that continues to this day.
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5 steps to making the right hire for your design firm
Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesOne of the more costly mistakes you can make to your design business is hiring the wrong person. Research of U.S. employers shows a bad hire can cost a company as much as much as $50,000 or more. In addition to bearing the cost of recruiting a replacement, your firm likely will suffer a loss in productivity and possibly lost revenues and damage to your brand or client relationships.
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Kitchens that cook so you don’t have to
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesThe Consumer Electronics Show is still months away, but manufacturers are already rolling out the next generation of kitchen appliances. What they have to offer takes "smart" technology to a whole new level. The latest innovations go beyond appliances that can be controlled remotely; they utilize data processing to simplify food preparation as well.
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‘Don’ts’ don’t matter when promoting your interior…
Fred Berns Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesToo many interior designer professionals dwell on their "don'ts." Don't make that mistake. Don't tell your prospects and clients about the design experience you don't have. Or the design degrees you don't have. Or the professional affiliations you don't have. Or the product lines you don't carry.
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Interior designers can no longer ignore social networking
Lloyd Princeton Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesI believe in the value of personal contact, and the interior design business is very relationship-driven. The fact is, most designers still get the majority of their new business from personal referrals. That's why when design activity was beginning to pick up last year and experts were urging designers to increase their time on social networking sites, I advised my clients to get back in touch with former clients and invite prospective clients to share a meal. It appeared to me that in the stampede to get on social media, instead of increasing their visibility, designers were getting lost in the crowd.
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What makes a space gender neutral?
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesCall it gender equality, gender parity or gender neutrality. As more and more women ascend to professional and leadership positions, businesses and organizations have striven to create cultures and provide environments that accommodate both sexes without favoritism. What often is lacking in these efforts is a clear vision of what constitutes gender equality or neutrality, especially in the design of the physical environment.
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Reports: Housing construction turns a corner
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsAfter another disappointing start to the year, housing appears to have gained traction. Second-quarter indicators point to sustained recovery in housing construction for the remainder of the year. Industry sources are reporting prerecession levels of activity. Builder and realtor confidence are up, boosted by positive signs in both the single-family and multifamily sectors.
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Learning from your losses will set you up for success
Fred Berns Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesToo many interior design professionals have committed too many business blunders, and their incomes have suffered as a result. The median income for interior design professionals is less than $49,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Men are changing the concept of the kitchen
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesThe number of men who are the principle cooks in their households has been on the rise for some time. Gradually, men have shrugged off the notion of cooking as women's work and redefined it in their own terms.
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