Outside Views
Marcia Blake is President / Creative Director of Outdoor Interiors® a design firm specializing in creating outdoor living spaces. She also provides design and consulting services for outdoor furniture manufacturers and has launched a new collection of soft goods and accessories she designed called Outdoor Couture®, she is an active member of the Color Marketing Group, ASID and ICFA.
Defining design
Our homes should be a place where we can be ourselves. Where what we value and appreciate in this world matters and takes precedence. We are all so driven to give in to the demands and expectations of our society as soon as we walk out our front doors that we have a tendency to forget what is important to us. It's when society becomes a bit muddled that we finally can take a step back and look inw... Read More
Comments (5)Outdoor luxe – for the long haul
In the past few years, the perspectives of consumers, manufacturers and retailers alike have changed in response to an increasingly unstable market. Money is now being spent differently and on different things. There is a demand for longevity and timelessness within the home, largely including the outdoor room. People are investing both time and money into their home because there is an understand... Read More
Comments (6)The Joys of a Poolside Retreat
As a child, I longed for a pool in my very own backyard. Neighbor kids would boast about their easy swimming access and days filled with water fun. To me, the ability of being able to swim as long as I wanted was a dream. Now, as an adult, I still want that backyard fun-filled pool, though maybe not for the same reasons. I understand and yearn for the unique design and entertaining opportunity... Read More
Comments (3)In Life…In Design…It’s One in the Same
Design, in all aspects, can be extremely complex. It's what makes it beautiful, and potentially frustrating. The start can be daunting. Where do you begin? And perhaps more importantly, what is it that you want to create?We all want to skip the dirty parts and look at the big picture. As if we could see ahead into the future and behold what our creation will entail. But let's start at the begin... Read More
Comments (2)Heat Elements Ensure Use Of Outdoor Space All Year Round
The best strategy to assure that you use your outdoor space all year round is to add a heat element. Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits will keep you warm and invite people to stay. This feature induces people to stay outdoors and communicate, as they enjoy each other's company or merely contemplate the dancing flames in peace. Outdoor fire pits and fireplaces are a genuine welcoming feat... Read More
Comments (5)New Frontiers
Is the new frontier of strategic marketing for the Casual Living industry pointing towards Sensory Marketing? Sensory marketing engages the consumers' senses and affects their behaviors. These marketing techniques aim to seduce the consumer by using their senses to influence their feelings and behavior. The strategy is based on the idea that a customer whose senses are fully engaged will stay lon... Read More
Comments (7)Create Beautiful Settings
There is diversity between specialty retail stores across this country that offer a range of casual living products as well as high quality service to their customers. This difference is displayed in the store's product selection, color palette, merchandising mix, and retail artistry. A very important step that you can engage in, as a specialty retailer is to differentiate your store from your n... Read More
Comments (4)Outdoor Living Trends Direct From High Point Market
There are a number of trends resonating from the High Point Market this season. One of the most prominent is a "Comforting Trend". Who doesn't want to be comforted, feel safe and secure? We are all trying to keep it simple, spending time in our very own backyard, instead of traveling we are staycationing in the luxury of the outdoor rooms that we have created. It is getting easier and e... Read More
Comments (4)Transform Your Store Displays
The Kolo CollectionWhen you plan out how you are going to set up your store each year, it is important to acknowledge that you will be moving the floor displays numerous times throughout the season. Imagine a customer coming into your store on numerous occasions only to see the exact same furniture arrangements in the precise locations. Fischel's How often do certain spots in your store... Read More
Comments (5)Tropitone Helps You Create Seamless Transitions From Inside To Outside
This weekend we extend our daylight, just as the temperatures are gradually beginning to climb. Before you know it spring will emerge. As we eagerly anticipate this change of weather we yearn for soft warm breezes and a place to unwind after a long day of work. The best way to accomplish this is to create an outdoor retreat. Bringing the indoors outside is effortl... Read More
Comments (2)Joe Ruggiero Mixes It Up Inside & Out!
I had the pleasure of attending a Sunbrella/Miles Talbott Designer Special Event in Newport Beach on Wednesday. It was an exceptional day, blue skies, ocean views and a majestic hotel, Pelican Hill. Designers from Southern California and even Atlanta were present along with representatives from Sunbrella and Miles Talbott. The world-renowned designer Joe Ruggiero was one of the most inspira... Read More
Comments (0)Benefits of the ICFA
The Benefits of getting involved in the ICFA are enormous. This past week I attended my third board of directors meeting of the ICFA in Hollywood, Florida. This two-day meeting is open to all members and we were fortunate to have some new faces in the group. We spent the first day attending to board business; we received a report from MMPI the company that runs the Casual Show in Chicago for... Read More
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