Decorating Den Interiors Goes Outdoors

Au g u s t 2 0 16

out d oor i n t el l i g en c e . o u tdo o r s ty l e . o u td o o r f u n .

C A SUA L L I V I N G . C O M

Spotlight on Design Excellence Designer Issue The Arrival of the 5th Room

c at e g o r y s p o t l i g h t

by Lauri e Rudd

Decorating Den Interiors

Goes Outdoor The largest interior decorating company in North America is embracing outdoor living - and loving it

The biggest trend today in interior design is, arguably, the outdoors. And Decorating Den Interiors (DDI), the largest interior decorating franchise company in North America, is recognizing the potential for tremendous success in decorating outdoor rooms.

“Outdoor has opened up a whole new market to our owners,” says Barbara Tabak, owner of a DDI franchise in Harrisburg, Pa. “It has

30

given us the opportunity to cross-market with landscapers, lawn maintenance, pool, decking and outdoor appliance firms.”

That sentiment, and the potential found in outdoor design services, echoes across the company, with nearly 300 franchisees. Decorating Den Interiors, as the name infers, has long concentrated on interior design and décor. But in recent years this focus has grown outward.

Decorating Den Interiors sponsors an annual Dream Room contest, which yields beautiful outdoor spaces like the one above.

“Over the last several years, it’s been extremely exciting to see the increase in the amount of outdoor projects created by so many of our Decorating Den Interiors designers,” says Shelley Rodner, franchise owner, Bethany Beach, Del. “We now have quite a few of these incredible projects being professionally photographed.”

August 2016

Investing in Outdoor Ross Feltz, DDI corporate public relations counsel, says franchisees’ interest in outdoor design has grown over the past five years due to the championing of the category by the company’s Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing David Haseley.

“David came in five years ago. He was formerly a fran

ca s ua l l i v i ng . c o m

c at e g o r y s p o t l i g h t Conti nued

chise owner and a regional director recruiting and managing franchises in southern Ohio,” Feltz says. “He knows the industry from both sides and has been talking about the outdoors as an additional room from the beginning.”

Through Haseley’s total home focus, along with corporate training, franchise owners are recognizing the benefit to their business found in outdoor spaces.

From the early stages of a DDI’s client association, franchise owners are encouraged to request a tour of the entire home, including the outdoor areas, to get a better idea of the homeowner’s preferences and interests.

“A house tour gives them an idea of the tastes and lifestyle of the client, as well as a picture of opportunities,” Feltz says. “The goal is to provide a design services and not just to sell furniture.”

Educational Focus The growth into outdoor design is yet another example of the company’s ability to modify and enhance its business model. Training is the core of franchise development, and outdoor design is now a part of this education process, receiving the same attention that has proven so successful for interior categories.

“Our training on outdoor furnishings focuses on two areas,” says Suzanne Price, DDI director, training and education. “The first area revolves around design considerations. Just as with designing interiors, we need to not only consider the elements and principles of design, but the functional needs of the client in the space. We need to determine how the space will be used, including dining, cooking,

32

outdoor spaces have truly become a key part of many of our client’s design goals for their homes,” she says.

Harrisburg’s Tabak, who co-hosted the session with Rodner, says the company’s investment in providing education on the outdoor space has been a valuable asset for its designers.

“As outdoor furnishings are a new addition to our line of suppliers, our owners appreciated the opportunity to learn about the fine points of selling outdoor furnishings,” Tabak says.

Donna Esposito (left) receives her Dream Room award for the outdoor category from Carol Bugg, VP and director of design. entertaining and lounging.

We also consider exterior surroundings such as architecture, colors and space available, as well as weather conditions and exposure.”

A designer and former DDI franchise owner, Price says the second area of concentration in the training is product knowledge.

“While principles and elements of design apply to outdoor spaces just as with interior design, the construction of outdoor furnishings is very different,” Price says.

“We look at frames, finishes, fabrics, cushions, lighting and accessories. We explain the features and benefits of the different types of construction, and how these can affect wearability, durability and budget for a project.”

Training for DDI owners occurs in multiple formats, such as corporate-produced videos and workshops.

“We offer free decorating workshops and prepare a number of online workshop

PowerPoints,” Feltz says. “We also utilize franchisees that are successful with outdoor spaces to present workshops at our conferences.”

Tapping successful designers within their own ranks to conduct these sessions serves as a powerful tool for providing relatable expertise and setting attainable goals.

“At our DDI Conference last year, I had the honor to co-present a workshop on outdoor furniture to attendees,” says Rodner of Bethany Beach. “We provided a PowerPoint presentation discussing many areas in this category including different types of outdoor furniture available, benefits of specific products, and applications of furnishings and accessories depending on climate and regional needs.”

Rodner also emphasized the importance of professional photography to illustrate the possibilities for outdoor spaces. “The photos were an excellent way to convey how

August 2016

Outdoor Resources To ensure their designers have the best resources available for sourcing outdoor furniture and accessories, DDI provides a host of options to assist in finding the best pieces for their clients’ outdoor rooms.

The company’s national conference, which is held each May, offers franchise owners the chance to view and learn about outdoor product lines firsthand through the DDI market.

“We have our own preferred supplier market at the conference,” says Feltz, DDI PR counsel. “We have over 80 companies represented during three afternoons of design center. They do not just bring catalogs; they bring units for the owners to see firsthand.”

In addition to this market, many franchisees also attend national furniture markets including High Point and Las Vegas. “David (Haseley) goes to High Point every other year,” Feltz says. “And we set up two days of market events for our owners.”

For those who do not attend the markets, DDI offers a full complement of home products through the

ca s ua l l i v i ng . c o m

c at e g o r y s p o t l i g h t Conti nued

company’s preferred supplier network. Although franchisees are not required to use the preferred suppliers, there are numerous advantages to working with those who have a connection with the organization.

“With Decorating Den Interiors’ supplier network, we have access to outdoor furniture, bars, area rugs, lighting, artwork, fire pits and accessories that allow us to provide our clients with a complete outdoor design,” Tabak says. “This ability frees the client from running from store to store trying to pull their outdoor room together, saving them valuable time.”

Current outdoor living manufacturers in the DDI preferred supplier network include Braxton Culler, Summer Classics, Lane Venture, Tommy Bahama/ Lexington, Pelican Reef/ Panama Jack, Windward Design, Palecek and Zuo Modern.

Franchisees also have access to all outdoor fabric offered by these suppliers.

Preferred fabric suppliers include Robert Allen, Fabricut, Duralee, Kasmir and Carole.

“Our broad selection of products is meant to satisfy design and budget needs no matter where our design professionals serve clients,” says Haseley, DDI vice president of merchandising and marketing. “We offer a ‘good/better/best’ selection of products in traditional, transitional and contemporary design schemes – we’re virtually a one-stop shop.”

The road to becoming a preferred supplier involves extensive scrutiny and multiple layers of participation.

“It is not just fill out forms and become a supplier; we are very pragmatic about

34

Braxton Culler sales representative Phil Moss discusses performance products with owners.

Our broad selection of products is meant to satisfy design and budget needs no matter where our design professionals serve clients. how we add suppliers,” Feltz says. “When an owner suggests a company to become a preferred supplier, the company and product category is reviewed to make sure there is a void that is not already being filled.”

One void that Haseley is currently working on in multiple categories – luxury options. “We are receiving more and more requests for a better selection of luxury suppliers,” Feltz says.

“DDI has always had a partnership with a variety of suppliers who offer outdoor furniture in their line,” says Rodner, a DDI franchisee.

“However, recently this network has really grown. This has been incredibly helpful to me personally. I now feel I have much greater depth, variety and price-point

options in this category to offer to my clients.”

Celebrating Outdoor DDI designers are realizing that the greater the selection of outdoor products, the more creative the outcome.

And the company celebrates that creativity each year with the Dream Room Showcase competition.

Now in its 32nd year, the contest includes an outdoor category in which one designer’s project is crowned each year. In 2016, the winning outdoor space was by Donna Esposito of Waxhaw, N.C. (Go to p. 14 to learn more about her outdoor den project.)

Esposito’s design not only included furnishings, but also structures, fire features and an outdoor kitchen. She credits her win to the educa-

August 2016

Shelley Rodner presents a workshop on outdoor spaces at the company’s conference. tion and trend inspiration gained through the DDI organization.

“Training in floor planning, color choices and choosing the correct furniture and fabric all were extremely important to this project,” Esposito says.

Her sentiment further drives home the importance of DDI championing the cause for greater opportunities in the great outdoors.

ca s ua l l i v i ng . c o m

Au g u s t 2 0 16

out d oor i n t el l i g en c e . o u tdo o r s ty l e . o u td o o r f u n .

C A SUA L L I V I N G . C O M

Spotlight on Design Excellence Designer Issue The Arrival of the 5th Room

de s i g n e r v i e w p o i n t

by Lauri e Rudd

Decorating

the Outdoor Den Donna Esposito scores with her passion for entertaining

Donna Esposito designed an awardwinning new room –­ right in her own backyard.

Owner of a Decorating Den Interiors (DDI) franchise in Waxhaw, N.C., she earned the top prize in the outdoor category of the company’s Dream Room competition.

Esposito wanted to create an area she could enjoy with her husband of 20 years.

“The concept for the space was pretty simple. We are passionate about grilling and enjoying friends and

14

family, and it was time for an outdoor living area,” Esposito says. “We moved from a small home with no outdoor space in New Jersey where my husband has grilled in the sun, rain and snow. I thought it was only appropriate that he finally have a covered outdoor kitchen to enjoy entertaining and his occasional beer.”

Using her expertise as an independent designer, Esposito planned a versatile outdoor area that uses minimum yard space. The

The Dream Room – Outdoor Category winner by Donna Esposito includes multiple opportunities for lounging and dining.

In the Decorating Den Dream Room competition, the judges recognized the project’s creativity in floor planning, color choices and furniture and fabric choices. result was not only the desired covered outdoor kitchen, but also two additional conversation areas. “It’s ideal for entertaining and just relaxing and watching sports or movies,”

August 2016

Esposito explains. “The space exceeds our expectations.”

The completed project encompassed structural as well as functional additions to the home’s outdoor space, without looking like an “add

ca s ua l l i v i ng . c o m

de s i g n e r v i e w p o i n t Conti nued

on.” To that end, Esposito kept design elements simple.

For example, she used ivory travertine throughout to create a uniform flow, and the bar and grill area incorporated brick matching the home.

“Before purchasing any furniture, I created a scale floor plan to ensure the pieces would fit,” Esposito says. “Durable outdoor furniture and fabrics were utilized to ensure they could withstand the setting sun of North Carolina.”

Summer Classics, a Decorating Den preferred supplier, was tapped for the furnishings including lounge and dining seating. Dark brown furniture finishing with orange and brown upholstery also created a desired contrast to the flooring.

“As for colors, well, I love the autumnal color palette, so

that directed my choices, as well as wanting the colors to ‘pop,’” Esposito says. “These colors flow from indoors to out and vice versa, lending this room to be an extension of our indoor space and becoming another living area.”

In the Decorating Den Dream Room competition, the judges recognized the project’s creativity in floor planning, color choices, and furniture and fabric choices ­– all part of the franchisee training that is a benefit of the organization.

Award or not, Esposito sees the entire project as a true winner. “The space is exactly what we wanted. It is about our lifestyle, love of the outdoors, cooking and enjoying time together.”

Esposito’s design features furnishing and fabric choices in a brown and orange color story for contrast and “pop.”

For the full story on Decorating Den Interiors, go to p. 30.

Using brick in the bar and fire pit that matches the home’s exterior helps bring together the entire look.

No more cooking in the rain and snow, thanks to the covered outdoor kitchen area in the new plan.

Designer Donna Esposito Firm Name Decorating Den Interiors

The “before” picture shows that the home could support the impressive outdoor area by the designer/homeowner.

ca s ua l l i v i ng . c o m

Additional Credits Contractor Carolina Outdoor Concepts

Location of Project Waxhaw, N.C.

Landscape Architect Jay Henson of Henson Foley, Inc.

Furniture Brands Summer Classics

Landscaping Benton Outdoor Living

Fabric Brands Summer Classics Outdoor

Photo Credit Accent Photography

Accessories Brands IMAX

August 2016

15