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Report: More design jobs added in 2014
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesEmployers hired 1,300 more interior designers between May 2013 and May 2014, bringing the total number of employed designers to 45,010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While far from peak employment — which reached 53,290 in 2008 — the number of employed designers is the highest since 2010.
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12 truths about your best interior design prospects
Fred Berns Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesYou work hard to get your best interior design prospects to know you, but do you know them? Perhaps not, if you're unaware that ...
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Lifestyle changes propel remodeling activity
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesRemodeling and renovation activity continues to lead the residential building sector, as the market for new home construction struggles to gain momentum. Some of this activity can be attributed to homeowners making needed repairs and upgrades to increase the value of their home for resale.
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Steamed up: Bathrooms get romantic
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesCandlelight, soft music, a bottle of wine, roses. A romantic dinner for two? These days it could just as likely be a romantic bath for two. For some time now homeowners have been transforming their bathrooms into refuges — a place for privacy, relaxation and reflection. Now there is a growing trend toward turning the bathroom into a romantic hideaway where couples can spend some quality time in luxurious surroundings.
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Homeowners are getting ready for outdoor entertaining
Bambi Majumdar Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesSpring is in the air, and summer is knocking on the door. As one season blends into another, Americans are motivated to give their outdoor spaces a good bit of spring cleaning and maybe a makeover. With plans being made for outdoor entertaining, stores like Lowe's and Home Depot are witnessing a healthy rise in sales. Along with intensive cleaning, tidying and decluttering to make the outdoor space an attractive one, there is also a surge in demand for garden furniture and other garden-design items. All in all, a busy season ahead for homeowners and outdoor retailers alike.
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Interior designers should hunt eagles, not turkeys
Fred Berns Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesEagles, not turkeys. Follow that client strategy, and you'll fly high from this point onward. Looking to take your design business to the next level? Reach that by remembering this: Work with good clients. Don't work with bad ones. Resolve to bond with the best, and avoid the rest.
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Tips to starting a successful renovation business
Bambi Majumdar Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesIf you love design and décor, and you absolutely love the challenge of renovating homes, then this is a great time to start thinking about owning a business. There is more demand for a good renovator today than ever before.
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Retirees look forward to ‘best home of their lives’
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesWith greater freedom to choose where and how they want to live, retirees are focusing on making their last home their best home. Modifying their homes to be more age-friendly is important to some, but most have or plan to undertake projects to make their homes more aesthetically appealing, comfortable and functional. All this activity is helping to propel the home renovation industry, and likely will continue to do so for the rest of the decade.
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Affordable interior design pushes the remodeling industry forward
Bambi Majumdar Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesThere is a bright sun on the horizon for interior designers. The improving economy and a steadily growing housing market have contributed to the growth of the interior design industry, helping old businesses consolidate their finances and new ones to sprout up as well.
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Value of major remodels slips as home prices soften
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesThe cost of undertaking a major remodeling project increased last year, but the added value of those projects declined. That finding, from Remodeling magazine's 2015 Cost vs. Value Report, reflects a substantial drop in the overall rise of home prices last year (from 10.8 percent in 2013 to 4.8 percent in 2014).
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