Interior Refiners Network® Newsletter
Summer 2004 * 9th Edition
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Interior Refiners Network® Newsletter
Summer 2004 * 9th Edition
From the Editor
Dear Fellow Interior Refiners,
Hats off to Mary Beth Sasso, Kathleen Dutka, Diane Haignere, and the collaborative efforts of other IRN members, the 2004 IRN Conference was a success. Thanks to Jackie Chavaneau-Gilbert for her hardwork and diligence in preparing the By-laws. Thanks to Lauri Ward for her consistent support of the network.
All credit for the format and framework of this newsletter goes to Kimberly Bauer, as she is passing the baton to me as editor. The newsletter volunteers are Ann Marie Green, Ruxandra Barb, Mary Beth Sasso and I. We have decided to correspond quarterly and keep the contents to four pages. This will keep us volunteers from getting overwhelmed and encourage future participants. The newsletter is intended to be a supplement to the great ideas and conversations we read daily on the message boards. We welcome any suggestions and submissions for topics.
Warm Regards,
Elizabeth Bennett
DEADLINE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR WEB SERVICES!!
This is a reminder-- the Interior Refiners annual dues are due July 1st.
In order for an Interior Refiner to be eligible for web services, vote for officers, and be eligible for other promotional events, one must pay the annual dues. Annual officer voting information will be emailed on July 1st to all member’s checks have been received by that day.
The Annual Dues are $150
Make check payable to; Interior Refiners Network.
Send the check : Diane Haignere
908 Mission Hills Lane
Columbus, Ohio 43235
Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions. (614) 888-9194 or
Thank you,
Diane Haignere
Ready Set ReDesign
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Interior Refiners Network® Newsletter
Summer 2004 * 9th Edition
In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.
A Buddha saying
A TIP FROM RUTH
Tips on Window Treatments
Submitted by Ruth Edmondson
When designing and specifying window treatments for construction at a workroom or by the person who is sewing it, the most valuable tool is an “elevation.” By drawing a simple elevation of the entire wall, including furnishings, the proportion of the curtain becomes very obvious. Using “trace” you can sketch and re-sketch over the elevation until you get the proportion just right. A simple way to do this is on graph paper. This helps to take the mystery out of the design process for windows.
GETTING ORGANIZED
If we sat down and counted the number of shows on HGTV, the Style Network, DIY or the countless other home improvement channels, the topic “Getting Organized” would outnumber any other. The “naturally organized” person is far and few between. He or she is also the envy of the rest of us who spend too much of our day trying to overcome a total lack of balance and order. Without some professional help, however, these efforts usually go for naught.
Therein lies another opportunity for the savvy Interior Refiner, who can add “professional organization” to a growing list of interior refinement-related client services. After all, before beginning many refining jobs, the client needs to get a handle on “straightening up” her or his home.
You can help your clients with their challenge of becoming organized and staying that way by getting them to use the S-P-A-C-E concept. This plan comes from Jennifer Donohue, a Member of the National Association of Professional Organizers
SORT – Sort every single item in a room. Put each item in categories “Stay, Go, Don’t Need, Donate or Trash”
PURGE – Ask the following questions, “Do you love it, do you need it and do you use it?”
ASSIGN A HOME – Give “stuff” a specific space in the home. Put all batteries in one place, all light bulbs in one place…you get the idea.
CONTAINERIZE – Buy clear containers, pretty boxes or baskets, but give everything a home.
EQUALIZE – Buy one pair of shoes; throw one pair of shoes out. I know that this is probably the hardest concept for a client to accept, but stick to your guns!
To be successful all the steps must be done in order. Done out of sequence, these actions are highly ineffective because you do not yet have enough information gathered to make the right decisions.
Here are some more tips to pass along to your clients. This list is courtesy of Shawn Kershaw, author and stress management counselor:
- Buy two books of stamps instead one. Better yet buy a roll of 100.
- Spend 15 minutes in the dollar store buying fifteen generic cards, scotch tape and a stock of wrapping paper.
- Put spices in order by use.
- Put extra paper grocery bags in the recycle bin. Put overflowing plastic bags in your car to be returned to the grocery store. Do the same with the hangers from your cleaners.
- Create a file or place to keep take-out menus.
- Coordinate all kids’ extracurricular activities on one calendar.
- Load or unload the dishwasher.
- Arrange your sock, underwear or jewelry drawer. Discard old or never used items.
- Thin out old recipes. Eliminate those that looked good 3 years ago that you have never tried.
- Throw away old pens. Sharpen a dozen pencils.
- Stock business cards in wallet, day planner or rolodex.
- Update address book, write new addresses in pencil. Toss the little slips of paper stuffed in the book.
- Clear paper off the refrigerator or bulletin board.
- Clean our glove compartment or truck of car.
- Collect loose change to start a college fund, go out to dinner, or start saving for a great vacation.
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Interior Refiners Network® Newsletter
Summer 2004 * 9th Edition
PRODUCT RESOURCES
STORES
Organized Living, IKEA, Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart
OfficeMax, Staples, Office Depot
Home Depot, Lowe’s
Bed Bath and Beyond, Linen-n-Things
CATALOGS – WEB SITES
Hold Everything, Lillian Vernon, Williams-Sonoma
Pottery Barn, Levenger, Exposures
RECOMMENDED READINGS
Organizing from the Inside Out – Julie Morgenstern
Organizing for the Creative Person – Dorothy Lehmkuhl and Dolores Cotter Lamping
Submitted by: Ann Marie Green
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Interior Refiners Network® Newsletter
Summer 2004 * 9th Edition
Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me, and I'll understand.
> - Chinese Proverb
THE 2004 IRN CONFERENCE REVIEW
The 2004 Interior Refiner’s Network Conference was informative and fun! For those of you who were unable to attend or those of you who wish to reminisce, the following is my recounting of the seminar.
Friday evening, April 2, 2004, was the welcome reception. Dinner and drinks were served at the Grand Concourse Restaurant. The Grand Concourse, a stunning historical building was a visual feast of hand-painted domed ceilings, magnificent walls of stained glass, marble floors, wrought-iron staircases, and hand-carved mahogany moldings. They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Our party was held in the “Ladies in Waiting Room,” but we didn’t have to wait for anything as the service and food was superb.
Saturday morning, April 3, 2004, we got down to business with a warm welcome from Lauri Ward. The lineup of seminar topics included: Branding and Growing Your Business, Selling Your Business to Real Estate Agents, Improving Your Public Speaking
Skills, Solutions for Marketing Your Business, Networking With Your Chamber of Commerce, Color and Color Trends in Paint, How to Sell Color Refinement, How to Network With Your NAWBO Chapter and What Clients Want. We were also given contacts with furniture, accessories and paint sources.
Sunday morning, April 4, 2004, we started with a roundtable discussion of IRN business, then additional seminars on Putting Personality in Your Marketing, Publicizing Your Business for Free and information on artwork and trade-show booths.
I cannot think of a better way to enhance your knowledge of a topic than a live presentation! Attending these seminars gave me insight I could never have experienced from reading a book or watching a video or television show. To quote one of our handouts, “one weekend at an IRN Conference will give you new ideas that you may not of thought of, or even heard of.” These seminars kept me focused on improving my business without family interruptions, clients calling and the distractions of my everyday life. It’s this focus that helps us all experience new concepts in the most powerful way.
The personal connection to the speakers, the “lightbulb moments,” witnessing the birth of “color refinement,” and the humor of my comrades will be remembered. I welcome and encourage you all to experience next year’s conference.
Submitted by Elizabeth Bennett
> Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together. - Vesta M. Kelly
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Interior Refiners Network® Newsletter
Summer 2004 * 9th Edition
Dear Fellow Interior Refiners,
Joe and I just returned from California where one of the homes that will be in my next book was photographed. Every time I visit, I fantasize about living there, in a cute little clapboard house with a gorgeous garden close to the beach, or in a simple modern structure with lots of glass and a great view of the San Francisco hilltops, or in a 1930s stucco cottage on a tree-lined street in Los Angeles with a big stone fireplace and great old wood floors or in. . . thank God for daydreams!
A dream about to come true for the IRN, and a real milestone, will be the first election of IRN officers. In addition, dues are being collected for operations and initiatives that will help every paid member grow her (or his) business. For the first time there will actually be active, card-carrying IRN members who will be privy to group discounts and special designer sources, who will be given a discounted rate for the annual conference and who will receive a discount on all IRN promotional items that are now being developed. These will be real "members" who will have voting rights. What a difference it will make! In addition, only these active, card-carrying Interior Refiners will be eligible to renew their Web Services for referrals on redecorate.com and InteriorRefiners.com and to have access to the private IRN message board.
I have a suggestion: Perhaps membership card numbers can be given out in the order the payments are received. That way the first people to sign up will have the lowest membership numbers. And that the Interior Refiners who join now receive special gold-colored cards stating they are charter members of the IRN. Don't you agree that some VIP treatment is in order for the trailblazers?
As you probably know, there are teams already working on several projects: the IRN's "National Love You Home Day," scheduled for October 16, 2004; new marketing and promotion for the IRN; the April 29, 2005 IRN Conference; and of course the IRNewsletter team who have brought you this information and have been trying to get you all to "share!"
It's going to be an interesting year as things get rolling with all of these new and exciting events. And on a personal note, I am glad things are coming together now, so that by the time my next book comes out (in living color! ) the network will be ready for the big push it will provide.
Have a great summer - let's get busy!
Lauri
Every new day begins with possibilities. It's up to us to fill it with the > things that move us toward progress and peace. > > - Ronald Reagan
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