Vignette for My Dream Client...well sort of

Sometimes I like to create vignettes just for the fun of it. I make up a fictitious client and curate a collection of objects and furniture to suit them. I look at this one and think to myself "a therapist would have a field day with this." So I'm just going to admit it. This isn't for a dream client, this is for my dream man!

Note: Book titles are In the Spirit of Las Vegas and Racing Style both by Assouline. The center title is a Diane Arbus book offered by DAP.

Three Faves from The NY Gift Fair

This week was the NY Gift Fair. It's always exciting to see what's new to market before the general public. There were a few companies that had some really exceptional products that I absolutely fell in love with.

My first love was the reclaimed pine collection by Lostine. The lines are clean and lend themselves to a Colonial feel. They have a reclaimed pine top with matching feet attached to a metal base. They come in two shades, light and dark, aka White Washed and Oxidized (shown above). Both are equally beautiful. This unique look is available as a bench, a desk, a dining table and coffee table. I love them so much, I want a console, a gueridon, a stool,...call me spoiled.

Another beauty was the Soho Lamp by Julian Chichester. It's a faithful reproduction of a mid century, French wall lamp made of solid brass. It has an extendable arm and it swings (it dances!) so you can put your light where you need it.



And last, but certainly not least, is the amazing Restoration Mirrors, a company who offers mirrors that are hand-made just a hop, skip and a jump from the Hudson Valley on Long Island. I definitely call that locally made. Restoration Mirrors is also committed to the environment by offering sustainably harvested woods.


Outside of the sustainable production, they're pretty special because there is an array of options available to allow you to create a completely custom mirror. First, you get your pick of wood species-Tigerwood, Brazilian Cherry, Peruvian Olivewood, to name a few.

Then, you have your choice of mirror finishes. Yes! You read that right, mirror finishes. From plain, old reflective glass to 10 different varieties of antiqued glass such as Gold Antique, Pink Antique (below), Heavy Cloudy Antique...and the list goes on.



I bet you thought that was it, but you can also add a leather inlay to your piece as well. Click here to check out the different patterns and of course,...colors.

So there you have it, some really great finds from the gift show and if you see any of these show up in my portfolio, you know exactly where they came from.

2010 Year in Review

Lots of great things took place in 2010, but I'm happy it's done. "Onwards and upwards" as they say. It's been a long time since I've posted any news. Here is a recap and a list of highlights for Burlock in 2010.


A Feature Article in The Poughkeepsie Journal
In July, Burlock received some great press. The Poughkeepsie Journal did an article on me--focusing on my journey as a young decorator. From architect's apprentice, to retail shop owner, until now, this story tells the tale of how chose my career. Click here to read the article.



Electric Windows 2010
Also in July, Electric Windows took place. I was one of four organizers (along with Jeff Ashey and Kalene Rivers and Daniel Weise of Open Space Gallery) for this amazing public art event. For the second time, we installed giant murals in the windows of a vacant 19th century factory building. Thousands of people attended to watch the artists paint, listen to music or shop our vendor village. The project received attention from the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal in addition to a full article in The Poughkeepsie Journal, Southern Dutchess News and tons of online press.

Quoted in an Article on Retail Design
In August Sarah Bradshaw of the Poughkeepsie Journal needed an expert opinion on designing for retail. As a designer and former shop owner, I definitely had a lot to say. It was nice to be asked to assist with this. Here's the article.

Above image by Paul O'hanlon

My First Gig with Toll Brothers
It was very exciting to work with Toll Brothers for the first time. What's even better is that Burlock connected this giant company with local artists.

Burlock was hired as their art consultant for the property known as Fishkill Woods. Toll Brothers had a weekend long event called the Luxury Home Showcase. Each of their properties in the area had a different theme. The theme for Fishkill Woods highlighted the artists of Beacon.

Burlock replaced the existing wall decor in one of their model homes with original art by local artists. There were 42 pieces of artwork by 28 different artists and 5 different galleries. We added sculpture inside and out, wall art and even hand-made glass pieces for the dining table by Hudson Beach Glass. It was a lot of work and a ton of fun!

Writing about Design
There was also a lot of writing going on in October and November. It was so great to discuss my favorite topic in a public way and the fact that it was on paper for mass distribution made it even better. Here's the three articles I wrote.


Seasonal Table Settings, October, "Hudson Valley Life". Click here to read the article.



Industrial Evolution-Industrial remnants as home decor, October, "Hudson Valley Merchantile". Click here to read the article.


Stylish Gifts for the Hudson Valley Home, November, "Hudson Valley Merchantile" Click here to read the article.

Working with Matthew Robbins
In the beginning of October, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with event planner, Matthew Robbins, on two events. One of them was a wedding at The Plaza Hotel. It was definitely a full day. I should have worn better shoes!

Above, Matthew is working on one of his favorite projects of the year, a destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas. Read all about it in his segment of The Brides Guide for "Martha Stewart Weddings".



Accountants can Be Fun
I completed an office makeover for Leona Chan, CPA. This project was so great because it was completed with a super-fast turn-around and on a really tight budget. It also proved that an accountant's office does not need to be bland!

Three (way less than a) Weekend Projects

Stencil a Table

…or a chair or lampshade, but you can go big, like REALLY BIG, with this giant zinnia stencil-it’s 36” wide!!! For a more dynamic effect put it off-center and let it cut-off or fold down the side of your table. For a large table, use more than one. For outdoor furniture, use an exterior grade paint. Too nervous to do furniture? Buy a drop cloth and create a table cloth or five. You can have as many new tables as your little heart desires.

New Countertops Overnight

Well, not really overnight. But if you have plastic laminate countertops that you can’t stand looking at anymore, you can quickly change their look with Rust Oleum’s Specialty Countertop Coating You can tint their 16 colors to coordinate with your kitchen. One quart does about 25 linear feet of countertop.

New Bathroom (or Kitchen) in a Heartbeat

Who wants to retile? The answer? Ahhh...no one. So don’t! Reface your tile with a Tile Tattoos (pictured above). Peel, stick, voila!

Ernst Haeckle

Ernst Haeckel, a contemporary of Darwin, a researcher of evolutionary theory and an illustrator whose talent has been far too obscure created this image. He named thousands of species and rendered them with this level of detail. And I just learned that he has a mountain named after him overlooking Evolution Basin in the Sierra Nevada range. This image is from www.bytsizebio.net We are completely obsessed with his work.

Same Pic Different Topic-Decorating Secrets

Staging & The Hudson Valley Realtor Convention

We recently exhibited at the Hudson Valley Real Estate Convention. We've expanded our list of services to offer home staging. For those of you who have never seen "Designed to Sell" on HGTV, home staging is preparing a home for sale. You essentially turn the home into a product that will have mass appeal. There are many reasons one should stage the home they're trying to sell, but that's not what I am going to talk about here.

Eek! What if I'm Seen in Home Goods?

You see, my background is big city, big money design. I've done staging before. I've set up model apartments for clients like Vornado and Trump. Most of you have also been inside the Burlock retail store where I sold $200 sheet sets and things that you just couldn't find anywhere else. I wasn't a snob, I just wanted to bring something different to Beacon. However, I thought to myself, what would my city colleagues think if they saw me toting around my reusable bag from Home Goods?

Great Design Shouldn't be a Luxury

My whole approach to design since I revamped my company late last year has been to offer decorating services that pretty much anyone could afford. However, once I started staging again my mindset changed drastically. The Valley is much different than the city and stagers round these parts pride themselves on inventive ways to problem solve and spend less money.

Flaunting my Secrets Instead of Hiding Them

So in this e-mail, I am sharing how I put my booth together for the convention. Not all these ideas can be used in a home, but they might inspire you to be resourceful in other ways. I had to contend with royal blue exhibition curtains and a gold and burgundy catering hall carpet. So I went with the blue and covered up the carpeting. Find out how below.

Screaming Magenta Side Table: This was picked out of the trash and was sprayed with artist spray paint (the stuff street artists use) because you just can't get a color like this at Lowe's or Home Depot. I added a glass top that I had in my inventory. And the cool hardware, I borrowed from the desk in my office.

Pair of Yellow Ceramic Foo Dogs: Target for $24.99. These just came out, but are selling like hotcakes. They are bookends, but I placed them on the table like they were talking to each other.

Lead Crystal Lamp: Found this beauty at Home Goods.

Orchid: From my mom who is the most amazing orchid raiser.

Fornasetti Vase (the item on the shelf of the side table): It's from my inventory. Don't go out and buy one of these. They're super pricey! I got mine off the floor of a trade show for a great price. I have four if anyone's interested-by the way.

Saarinen Tulip Chair: Thank GOD I had these in my inventory. They have royal blue vinyl seats which goes perfectly with my "Go With the Flow" royal blue theme.

Back Drop: A Robert Allen textile purchased at JoAnn Fabric. It's an indoor/outdoor fabric-polyester woven to look and feel like canvas. I love it! The curtains were Fabricated by the most amazing sewer in the Hudson Valley. If you need drapes or pillows or anything else sewn, please contact me, I will put you in touch. And I should also mention that I hung these using Auto Poles. This is what photographers use to support their back drop during a shoot. Those were borrowed from my ex.

Silkscreen: So this has a story behind it. This gorgeous print came from Open Space Gallery in Beacon. It is a borrowed piece. I thought it was going to be much taller than it was and I already bought the frame at Target so, I went to the paint store and begged for larger paint chips than what I had. That's what's below the image to fill the gap.

Striped Blue & White Bench: Marshalls is where I found this one. The legs used to be a cherry stain (ick!), but I didn't paint them. Nope, fooled ya! I thought I was going to return this piece after using it so I wrapped the legs in a low tack shelf liner paper. They looked amazing, especially from a distance. They looked like white lacquer. Sexy.

The Floor Covering: Finally, I will reveal how I dealt with the gold and burgundy carpeting disaster. My little trick was a 9'x12' canvas, painter's drop cloth for $19.99 from Home Depot. Ta Daa!

Tips for Realtors: How to Convince Your Seller to Stage Their Home

I recently exhibited at the Hudson Valley Realtor Convention. The number one reason I heard from realtors for not staging their listings was that they couldn’t convince their sellers it was worth it. So I began to question how agents broach the topic with their clients. I thought it might be helpful to make recommendations on how to convince sellers to stage. I firmly believe that with clear communication and a step by step approach, you can all start staging your listings and making more money for yourself and your client.

Change How You Market Yourself
The first thing I recommend is that you forget about all your amazing marketing strategies for the properties you sell…just for a moment, and change how you market yourself. I want you to bolster the source for all those great ideas and give yourself an edge over other agents.

Add a Staging Consultation to Your Listing Package
I know what your thinking “…of course she would say that, she owns a staging company,” but I’m not just feeding you lines. There are many benefits to doing this and most staging companies, including Burlock, offer industry discounts to agents they work with.

Stop Negotiating Your Commission
Just by adding the staging consultation, you’ve accomplished many things, the most important being that you are setting yourself apart from other realtors. You are providing your client with a value added service. Additionally, this gives you firmer ground to stand on when it comes to your commission. Give them something extra rather than discount your fee. Stop negotiating. By adding the staging consultation, you can proudly say “I do more, to get you more.”

Communicate About Staging Right Away
The other thing you’ve done by adding this to your listing presentation is you’ve planted the seed about staging, you’ve communicated clearly and upfront. This is tremendously important. Let’s jump into the mind of the seller for a moment.

They’re moving and if even if it’s for a good reason, moving in and of itself is a huge change that can overwhelm pretty much anyone. Then on top of it, their agent, the person that is supposed to be on their side, is asking them to shell out more money and wipe the house clean of all that makes their house a home. “Too much! Too soon! I wasn’t expecting this…” is what’s going through their mind.

By talking about the consultation right away, there are no unpleasant surprises.

A Consultation Allows the Seller to Stage Themselves
Now for those of you unfamiliar, a staging consultation educates and empowers the seller to do the staging themselves. We provide them with a detailed, written report that you will get a copy of. But before we leave, we go over everything in detail.

The Seller Can Hire us to do Further Work if They Wish
The seller can then choose to hire us further to help with as little or as much of the staging as they want. With Burlock, I can tell you that even if they choose not to hire us further, we will give them homework and check back with them to see how they are doing. We do this mainly as a service to you, the agent. Your job is to market and sell the property and we want you to be able to focus on that. Which leads me to my final recommendation...

Don’t Market the Listing Until it’s Staged
You’ve spent the money on the consultation; now use it to the fullest extent. If you market the listing before it’s staged, then your client has no motivation to stage it. You also, don’t have the best photographs you could have of your listing, do you? You’ll be happy you took this time because the sale of your listing will happen much sooner and save you money on marketing.


In Closing
Convincing your client to stage is about tweaking your approach. Set yourself apart with a value added service, communicate clearly about how you work from the beginning and lead your client through the process in steps. You’ll gain their confidence and trust right at the outset of your business relationship.