Design Style at the Summit

Interior Finishes Aim to Add Luxury in Colorado Vacation Homes

I recently attended a fun event at Decorative Materials in Edwards. I love visiting their showroom, which is conveniently located right across the street from our studio.  Not only is their staff friendly, informative and helpful, but they also have gorgeous kitchen and bath displays.

Here I am with Marilyn Smith Heaney (she's been with Slifer Designs since 1985 and is one of our top designers) and Tab Bonidy of TAB Architects. 

Barbara from Decorative Materials, who hosted the event in conjunction with Smart Shop, has helped me design many kitchens and bathrooms over the years. She is a valuable resource to my team at Slifer Designs.

Earlier this year at their showroom, I was in a more serious mode, perusing selections to consider for a client's home. There were so many beautiful choices and new products I discovered, that I couldn't go wrong with my decisions. Barb's advice was invaluable.

Many homeowners find the task of re-doing a kitchen or bathroom daunting, but by working closely with knowledgeable professionals, the end result is something you can be proud of.

We'd love to help you with your kitchen or bathroom remodel, and with resources nearby like Decorative Materials, I am confident we can design a new room that would make you proud.  

Best,

Yvonne Jacobs

yvonne@sliferdesigns.com

Quality, Comfort and Style in Hickory Chair Furniture

Since I am off-site on an install this week, I've invited my colleague  Marilyn Smith Heaney to guest blog.  Marilyn has been with Slifer Designs since 1986 and has many wonderful insights into the world of interior design. I've asked her to share her recent experience at Hickory Chair University, which just sounds amazing!

Marilyn Smith Heaney, veteran Slifer Designs Project Manager and Interior Designer

Interior designers select and place beautiful items in client's homes every day. We spend a lot of time looking at color, pattern, style,  scale, comfort and quality.  (Price is also always a factor, but I'll save that topic for another guest blog). At Slifer Designs, we have our favorite vendors, and of course Hickory Chair is at the top of our list. We like and trust them because we know they produce gorgeous furniture of excellent quality. 

Now that I've attended Hickory Chair University, I have a new appreciation for their extremely high level of quality. There is a story and amazing employees behind every piece they make. The leader of the tour was Hickory Chair's Director of Marketing Services, Laura Holland, who was very informative and engaging.  

 

(I am in the back row, third from the left. Sarah Carr, fellow Slifer Designs Project Manager is in the second row, first on the left).

 

Below is Hickory Chair President Jay Reardon holding up notes from a recent problem solving meeting with two members of his staff who worked on a particular issue. Problem solving and encouraging excellence in every employee is the driving force of the Hickory Chair culture.  This daily philosophy increases productivity and has kept them very competitive in a down-economy. 

 

I love their saying about stress (see below)...I think I'll post that in our studio!

 

This innovative employee (below) found a way to decrease the sanding time on hundreds of spooled pieces from three weeks to two days - now that's efficiency! 

 

Below, two Hickory Chair employees are hand sanding furniture pieces. The vented table allows sand dust to fall through. Not only does this create a cleaner work environment, but the saved sawdust is collected and burned for recycled on-site energy.  They won an award for this innovation.

 

This display case is home to all the important tools for specific tasks. Not only does it help avoid lost tools, but it also maximizes productivity.

 

This Hickory Chair employee is demonstrating an eight-way hand-tied spring.

 

Here's an employee applying glue to the veneer which will then be applied to a piece of wood.

 

 

And the next step in the process is to apply the freshly glued veneer to wood.

 

I'm a huge fan of nail head trim, so it was wonderful to watch this employee demonstrating the art of the nail head application. The speed at which he works is impressive.

 

And, this employee is meticulously applying welt and back fabric to a dining chair.

 

Finally, we toured some lovely finished pieces, many of which the Slifer Designs showroom carries.

 

I have a new appreciation for all of the Hickory Chair pieces I have selected over the years, and looking back over my portfolio, the rooms start to take on new meaning. One of my favorites is a desk I chose for the Gary Player Offices in The Cliffs, South Carolina (see below). This room takes on a whole new meaning of integrity in design having attended Hickory Chair University.

 

Here's another Hickory Chair piece I chose for a model I recently designed for East West Partners at Manor Vail.  It's a lovely table that I placed behind the sofa in the left of the photo below. Hickory Chair refers to it as the Country Hepplewhite sideboard from their Archive Collection.

Thank you Hickory Chair for allowing me the opportunity to learn and grow as a designer. I really enjoyed learning about your process and culture.

And, I hope to guest blog for Yvonne again soon!

I'd love to hear any "back to school" experiences you've recently had and how it's changed how you do your job.  Or, please comment on what you think about Hickory Chair.

Have a great summer--

Marilyn

marilyn@sliferdesigns.com

 

Thank you again Marilyn! 

Best,

Yvonne Jacobs

yvonne@sliferdesigns.com

Inspiring Design Inspires Social Media

Yesterday, I attended the Roth Distributing "Inspiring Design" conference in Denver.  In partnership with Colorado Homes and Lifestyles magazine, Roth gathered several notable experts in the field of interior design, real estate, publishing and marketing. Below is Roth's Culinary Room, where Elaine St. Louis, Art Director at Colorado Homes and Lifestyles, presented a seminar called "Think Like an Editor."

 

I especially enjoyed Adam Japko's seminar which was geared to helping designers embrace socia media into the day-to-day marketing mix.  It was reassuring to hear Adam's suggestions, some of which we are already doing here at Slifer Designs.   He referred to a designer who recently saw a 25% increase in business as a result of a social media campaign. That's impressive!

 

 

The Roth Distribution Center is amazing. The pull-out ironing board is genius! Our clients are going to appreciate the convenience of this design.

Love the round sinks and cabinets going all the way to the counter in the corner.  It's a great use of space. 

Sleek hood designs--

Commercial Sub Zero is a very cool industrial look. I can't wait to show some of our developer clients this new line.

Check out the handsome stainless steel cabinets with leather wrapped hardware. I really like this juxtaposition - very original!

So, while I was thinking like an editor and learning about the importance of social media, I was surrounded by Roth's beautiful kitchen displays.  

Back at home, I received great news: Vail will host the 2015 Winter Alpine Championships. Having previously hosted this event in 1989 and 1999, I can't wait for all the excitement to begin.  Hundreds of international media will attend to write about and photograph the best ski racers from all over the world, as well as our lovely valley. Now that I am thinking like an editor, thanks to Elaine, I'm looking forward to the opportunity.

 

Best,

Yvonne Jacobs

yvonne@sliferdesigns.com