Partnership is made in the shade

Solair and Leader's partner with couple for showcase event

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 2/27/2012 1:44:00 PM

NOKOMIS, Fla. — Solair Shade Solutions, Leader's Casual Furniture and homeowners Jansen Wood and Jessica Nichols partnered to showcase an in-home installation of Solair's retractable awnings that are marketed via an in-store retailer program to consumers.
"We've done in-store events before," said Solair Business Manager Rett Haigler, "but we've never had a party like this."
The party - essentially an open house to show off the new shade solution to friends and neighbors - was par for the course for Wood and Nichols.
"We do 75% of our entertaining right here," said Nichols, referring to the horizontal patio delineated by bar, pool and seating with each area featuring a separate Solair awning in Sunbrella Parchment. "It's just an outdoor lifestyle here in Florida and the shades make it easy to adjust to the weather."
Solair is a division of Tri Vantage that falls under the larger umbrella of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics. The company launched in September 2010 at the casual show and introduced umbrellas and a kiosk program, but that was just the beginning. "We know awnings are sold primarily through word of mouth," said Haigler, "Ashley [Newton, of Leader's Casual Furniture] and I came up with this idea and Jansen [Wood] was open to it."
Wood's 5,000-sq.-ft. home in the Enchanted Isles neighborhood of Nokomis is waterfront to Dona Bay where he keeps his two locally made Yellowfin boats. The skimmer is perfect for the bay where snapper and grouper run amok - and in deeper waters the 39, dubbed Vader, reels in wahoo, amberjack, dolphin, tuna and sailfish. "It's nice to come in after being out on the boat and have a shady spot to hang out in," said Wood, "and after we built the bar it was a no-brainer."
Wood is a stock trader but also has a boutique real estate company in Sarasota, Fla., JWood Realty. "Awnings like this add square footage to properties because this area is where people want to spend their time - but they're not going to do it if it's raining or too hot," said Wood, "and thi

s solves the

problem."

Ashley and Tim Newton of Leader's Casual Furniture had the couple's boat name embroidered on pillows to embellish the Fishtales seating that is bay-adjacent.

Jessica Nichols, Wood's longtime girlfriend, relaxes with Casual Living magazine and the couple's two goldens, Hunter and Monty.Wood's 39-foot Yellowfin is aptly named Vader.Wood and his childhood pal John Tortorella relax bar-side with a bevy of seafood appetizers.Jansen Wood talks about how the Solair awnings retract by themselves during severe weather conditions.Jessica Nichols and Jansen Wood have lived in the 5,000-sq.-ft. Nokomis, Fla. home for three years and truly live the outdoor lifestyle.Pride Family Brands sling dining from Leader's Casual Furniture on the second level of the three story home.Deep seating from Pride Family Brands allows for a tete a tete overlooking Dana Bay.Three seperate Solair awnings define the couple's bar, swim and lounge areas and allow them to retract them individually.

Linda and Ashley Newton of Leader's Casual Furniture survey the party they helped plan with Solair and the homeowners.

Clearly, Jansen Wood is a man who likes to fish.