DAConnie: Designing Woman

If you are a friend of Design Alliance and you have visited our showroom, chances are you have had an encounter with the small, but mighty Connie Bloodworth. A designing woman, she has spent over 40 years—13 of those years behind the desk at Design Alliance—helping others create beautiful environments. And at the end of May she is retiring.

Connie showed signs of a future in design as a young girl through her way with color, sparing her mother from design disasters by using her natural color-combining skills. Later, Connie’s love of interior design and her innate business sense gave her the confidence to open her own interior design studio in the 70s. After a few years, she took a break from the business to design her own life as a wife and a mother, making marriage and children her priority for a while. However, the idle brain of a problem-solver and multitasker cannot thrive when dormant, so in 2002, when a beacon of beautiful aesthetics crossed her path through a position at Design Alliance, she was ready!

She joined forces with owner Joy Solleder and co-worker Donna Erickson who had built Design Alliance over the last seven years. Connie took on the position of Fabric Showroom Manager, with wallcovering and trim, settling in to her “corner office” for the next decade. In 2013, Joy Solleder sold DA to JoEllen Collins and Joy Crowe and Connie took over the position of Furniture Manager for the next year and a half. Today, 13 years later, she longs for more time with her husband and grandchild and has decided to retire from her full time post at Design Alliance.

If you have been lucky enough to have Connie shine her light your way, you know she is your champion. Her charming smile will disarm you as she sings your praises, like your very own publicist! Having Connie on your team is always a plus. She is determined to find a solution, fearless to pursue the persons of interest, motivated by information and a directory of who’s who and what’s what in this industry.

We will miss her and her design tales from “atop her foot,” her enthusiasm for a new idea and her generous spirit with what she knows about this business of design. We know that Design Alliance is what it is today, in big part, due to the passion and participation of one DAConnie and her love of design.

We wish her well, as she is needed at home to care for her husband, John, currently on the mend.      

We also expect to see her smiling face in here from time to time as she works on her own projects and on projects for DA. After all, a designing woman can’t simply go “cold turkey!” And, if you need Connie’s help with a particular project, don’t hesitate to ask—she’ll be available for consults by appointment.

Come say "goodbye" on Thursday, May 28. We're hosting a retirement party for Connie from 11 am to 3 pm.

Think Outside the House

A few weeks ago my partner, Jo Ellen, showed me a picture of her friend’s home in Vermont covered in a blanket of snow, like a Christmas card. IT’S MAY, for snow plow’s sake! How lucky are we to be living in the perfect weather of San Diego!

When was the last time you factored in an extra 45 minutes in the morning due to weather? Uh… NEVER! Every year weather-weary Americans abandon their homes and migrate to So Cal so they, too, can wake up under blue skies at 72 degrees. It’s unacceptable for us San Diegans not to embrace, enjoy and respect our sunny coastal climate and move it outdoors.

The way we live has changed; not just inside, but outside in our yards and patios. We are now absorbing inspiration in a beautiful garden setting by soaking up the greens in a peaceful place to relax, in a shaded gathering spot for conversation, or with the alluring ambience of outside dining.

Okay Designers, you need to think outside the house! Take this newfound respect for your environment and expand your projects by helping your clients, still unaware of their outside assets, see the lifestyle waiting just outside their door. Now, if any of you have a client with a view like the one below, and they do not have an outdoor living space, feel free to use the “Shame on you!” method of selling.

Then show them the picture of Jo Ellen’s friend’s house in Vermont. For everybody else, unless your client is in a high rise without a balcony, all homes have room for at least one perch to view a beautiful day. Help them see where and how.

Use your designer’s eye to see the potential for your client’s outdoor living area. If they don’t have an ocean view, look for the “focal point” outside their home. Remember, second only to sailboats is the beautiful garden. Someone worked long and hard to create this magical nature space and it should be enjoyed!

There is also the valley view, the foothills, a pool, pond or lake, the green belt or the spotting of trees on a stretch of lawn… not long for our neighborhood!

Maybe an interesting covered area or pergola  and, lest we forget, the small space required to house the big enjoyment of an outdoor eating area!

Maybe their view is a wall… or a tiny patio. Show them where flowerbeds could be created or help them create a stylish pot garden or design a unique canvas awning! 

If all else fails, this is where the “Good Weather Guilt Trip” comes in and how the joys of the out-of-doors are many and should not be denied. Morning coffee or “happy hour” after work, candlelit dinners, Sunday brunch, an afternoon nap, a quiet reading spot, thinking spot and party spot! It’s a whole other room and X-amount of additional square footage of living space in our land of good weather!

If your clients are smart enough to have figured this out and they have outdoor furniture, maybe it needs to be refreshed. Show them the new Duralee outdoor fabric collection. Or maybe it could use some pillow accents—bring the Elaine Smith catalog over. Or they don’t have a fire pit. Tropitone does! Show them!

If the rug is faded, we have rugs.  And ceiling fans, outdoor artwork, hanging chairs, lights and lanterns and all sorts of outdoor furniture!

Let us help you help your client find their outdoor living space! There is a project waiting for you to find, Designers!

Learn all about the versatility and style offered by Sunset West outdoor furniture at our Lunch & Learn scheduled for May 21, TAKING IT OUTSIDE!

Sofa Savvy Sells

The sofa, davenport, divan, chesterfield, the couch…call it what you may, but this large upholstered lounge is the “Big Daddy,” “The Diva,” “The Patriarch” of the family room and the piece of furniture all the other furniture wants to hang around.

Sofa by Stanford Furniture.

Note: Any designer worth her weight knows the preferred industry term is “sofa;” however, the proper term for a piece of furniture on which one could sit or lie is a “couch.” A sofa is a couch with arms and back completely upholstered. Hmm, they say potato and we still say sofa!

The Ava sofa by Lazar.

Sofas are a big investment with many choices to be made and mistakes are costly. Making the right choices and asking the smart questions takes “Sofa Savvy.” Start by deciding the sofa’s role in your “approved” room design. Is it the little black dress you can wear over and over by changing the accessories? Or is it the unforgettable red dress, a statement piece that makes the room? Then, advise your client accordingly on the division of funds, between sofa style and sofa substance…

Sofa by McKinley Leather.

Sofa by Christopher Guy.

In the cycle of trends, every decade or so the sofa stylings will be spot lit  with key features defining the trend and giving a cutting edge sofa “15 minutes of fame,” plus an expiration date! Go ahead and give them that TRENDY room for a 3-4 year run…That is what “Flores” is for! When a classic, timeless sofa design is the right choice, make the investment in a good piece.

The quality sofa has a balanced, kiln-dried hardwood frame. The joints are double doweled and the corner blocks are both glued and screwed, and the legs extend from the frame. The 8-way hand-tied spring coils are “dropped” into the core of the seat cushions, then encased in foam and wrapped with a 50/50 blend of poly and ester and duck down. Remember, the cushion and frame construction are the key to the sofas comfort and longevity.

Sofa by C.R. Laine.

When a customized sofa is necessary, a checklist of choices will need to be made, starting with the frame style. Over the years, the most popular sofa styles have gone through many variations and modifications, but the vast majority of sofas have morphed out of one of three styles:

• The Camelback: a sofa with one or more humps along the back
• The Chesterfield: a sofa with the back and the arms at the same height
• The Club: any one of a variety of sofas with arms at a lower level than the back.

The Camelback sofa.

The Club sofa: Van Buren Sofa by Kravet.

The Chesterfield sofa.

These are the “bones” you build on to determine your style. All of these sofas can be traditional OR contemporary depending on the parts you pick and the proportions of the profile.

For a comfortable sit, know your clients leg room needs. Try the “40/44 Rule,” by adding a seat height of 16” to the seat depth of 24” that equals 40” for short legs and a seat height of 20 with a 24” depth equaling 44” for long legs.

Check List Choices:

Arm Style                          Cushion Placement                         Cushion Style

Leg Style                           Skirt Style/placement                     Base Style

Back Style                         Trim/nails/welt application            Throw Pillows

The arm helps define the sofa style, and if it’s low and flat it can be another perch in the room. Do confirm how the sofa will be used with your client—is it more guest seating or a place for naps. Certain arms are classic like the “rolled” arm or “Lawson” arm, but move in and out of style. Others are timeless, like the “English” arm on a tight back sofa with a serpentine base and turned front legs.

Gianna sofa by Michael Amini. The arms make a great perch.

Sofa by Kravet.

Carley sofa by Lexington.

Cushions are very important to style and sofa maintenance. For example, a “T-Cushion” on the seat and back suggest a more traditional look. The “Box Cushion” with a knife edge is more informal than a box with welted seams. Fitted back cushions can go either way; a cushionless “tight back” tends to be more traditional. Also, you want to avoid “scatter back pillows” on large pieces, like a sectional… it’s just a big mess all the time!

Sofa by Leathercraft.

The base band and leg or skirt style is another area that changes with the styles. Exposed wooden legs are timeless on many classic vintage sofas and mid-century modern pieces. Currently, exposed wooden legs are very popular with all styles, with turned legs on the more traditional pieces. The normally traditional sofa skirt is now trending on transitional pieces with the “waterfall” or “dressmaker” skirt, creating the slipcover look!

Sofa by Comfort Design.

As you know, nail heads are everywhere right now, way more than just a bottom edge or following the shape of a rolled arm. Now it’s  an 8” high nail head design on a sofa band, or covering the side or back of a sofa. Very dramatic and unforgettable, it could be the “red dress” so make sure this trend is worth it!

Bardot sofa by Classic Home.

Lastly is the fabric choice. Make sure you edit the choices before you show your client. Only bring fabric that is appropriate for the sofa style, fabric with a high thread count and 25,000-30,000 rubs. Beware of linen blends and the stretch factor, add backing to tweeds and watch the scale of big prints on small sofas. The more you know how your client will use their sofa, the better you can advise them, so lots of Q&A before you start looking.

Sofa by Stanford Furniture.

There is no denying the importance of the sofa’s role in a home. It occupies a prime location in the room and beckons you toward it with open arms. These days at Design Alliance we are loving sofas and sectionals. Have you seen all our new places to perch or nap in the showroom? All of the manufacturers seen here and more were handpicked by DA for their quality, diverse styling and custom programs in a full range of price points. Come see, sit on and feel what we have available. Finding or creating the perfect sofa that serves your clients’ needs can be a daunting task, but if you succeed, you will have a client for life!

Trend Spotting

This year the 2015 Las Vegas World Market was refined and defined. I liken it to the fashion world. At the 2014 market they presented the over the top “couture creations” and at the 2015 market we saw a refined interpretation of last year’s extreme statement in the “ready to wear collections.” Polished and integrated into a lifestyle look, and adapted for more universal wearability.

Toned down after their debut, the following 2014 trend elements bring just a hint of their previous claim to fame to a room design as part of the current trends in concept development.

The “Industrial Look” and metal laden rooms, with chairs wrapped in silver flash, a pipe and elbow joint bookcase or a whole wall of school lockers, is gone. Yet still trending in its memory is a metal representation through table bases, zinc tabletops, elaborate light fixtures, metal accent strapping and sculpture.

Something “Organic.” Not just for garden rooms and beach houses, it’s nature applied as an elegant display accessory or part of the furniture. A gnarly tree trunk table base, coconut shell finish, sea shell accents, rope-reed-bamboo-wicker, anything green. Any style room can support the organic trend, because everything goes with nature.

“Reclaimed wood”…still here, in wide plank floors, exposed beams, table top or base, maybe a chest, in natural, bleached, antiqued and washed finishes, but natural wood tones from pale pine to rich cherry are welcome, too, in 2015. Bottom line, a room designed in “50 shades of grey” is reaching its saturation point, and the beloved real wood finishes were sneaking into every showroom.

Seen below, “Island Fusion” by Tommy Bahama Home, is a stunning collection from Lexington and the main event of their 2015 showroom. Rich, natural elements like bamboo veneers, woven rattan, coco shell and lampakanai created finishes that added to the island authenticity. A nod to the visual merchandising team for the most tasteful displays at the show!

“The Mid-Century.” The cool, stylish lines of the 60s and quirk of the “Atomic Age” still show their influence in 2015, with trends still strong in the 60s silhouette for furniture and the return of the “bar cart,” as a floating accent piece. Seen in every collection and made of every material from iron to plexi, gold leaf, chrome, wood and wicker. Plus the whimsical tiered accent and cocktail tables, shown in tri-level, moving circles, pullout squares, stair step and layered surfaces, for a 50s feel and style over substance!

The importance of the “Cocktail Table” as a statement continues, with the return of the glass top! Shown in a metal frame for traditional and transitional looks and as a slab atop an arty base of any material, for contemporary rooms, the cocktail table should bring style in support of a look or a big, trendy show-off as a focal point. Whatever the material, this key player is not just for coffee anymore!

Two new trends that deserve mention and were prevalent throughout the show: one is the “Open Book Shelf,” in every shape imaginable, floating as room dividers or up a ladder on the wall. This could be the last hurrah for the bookcase, as it mourns the demise of the hard cover book, for the “Kindle.” #14 #15

The second is the “Writing Desk,” apparently all the desk we need today due to the computer and found in most furniture collections. From bamboo and rattan to glass on trestles, the horizontal writing surface, perched on long legs, is a natural floater in a room or backed up to a sofa or the foot of the bed. #16 and 17

In conclusion, the rooms at market, even in their difference, shared these similar qualities; a neutral ground and for anchor upholstery pieces, a vintage feel in the silhouette, the finish or the accessory, eclectic styling and a “look” that created an undeniable atmosphere through the illusion of design…warm, elegant, fun, cozy, cool, whimsical, bohemian, intellectual, sophisticated, modern, formal……..and so on.