Weekend Reading,“North America through the eyes of a European”

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Episode 8: Whose a control freak...?

Our past experience with building concepts was around existing products.

I'd had some “bones” to work with: an existing product, a working store, distribution channels up and running, previous sales performance to compare against. So although building the design at distance concept was inside my comfort zone, starting from ground zero was going to be new experience!

One thing I'd learnt to recognize was my own limitations. I had many aspects to build, and I knew exactly which ones would challenge me the most, given my skill set and experience to date...

Weekend Reading, “North America through the eyes of a European”

Episode 7 : Confirmation of the Concept

We had a major concept on our hands.

I recognized immediately that this was a “gift” that only comes along once in a lifetime. The chance to use all the professional skills you've built up over the years is an amazing luxury. And I knew that I was going to need them all to pull this one together so it would work on a national...then an international level. Because this was definitely an “International Concept” we had here. And I needed to create it as such from day 1....

Focus on : The Timberland Company

Today's post was going to be called “Designs on Men”.

As a mother of 3 teenage sons, a number of male apparel design products have entered our home, one of which is the “Tim-boot”, the “youth-name” for Timberland Boots. And (as a mother of 3 teenage sons) I am ready to pay homage to a great product: they're warm, they're waterproof, they're made to last...and they look great! Mother's everywhere are surely breathing a sigh of relief this winter...

So what relation does a boot company have to interior design? Well, good design is just that! And this company has been steadily turning out quality designs for decades, innovating, setting an example and standing up and being counted in terms of environmental and social issues. Their products have become design icons and you know what? maybe one day we'll be using “the essence of Timberland” as inspiration for a room: natural leathers, green products and big splash of Urban Design!...

“We love....”

Fabrics! And where better to choose them but at C&M Textiles web site?

As a design at distance site partner we've already featured C&M on our facebook pages, but I love their collection so much, and find their pricing so fair, that I really wanted to bring them to your attention again. But before you whizz off and visit their site, lets talk about why we love fabrics so much.

We use fabrics in many stages of the design process. Sometimes when we are searching for a starting point for a design (that famous “inspiration”), fabrics come to our rescue...

"We love..."

Did you know that “Smartbox” is the company that founded the concept of “lifestyle services” sold in a pre-paid, Gift Boxed format?

Back in 2001 a very clever Guy, called Peirre-Edouard Stérin came up with the idea of making "the gift of experience” available to the public, in a pre-paid, Gift Boxed format, and won the Oscar of Innovation 2004 with his exciting new concept. His company “Smartbox” has since expanded into over 13 countries, and is still the world leader in the industry...

"Did you know...?"

An episode of the “Extreme Makeover” TV show inspired our charity program, Designing Smiles!

We Europeans have a saying, “Everything is bigger in America”. But as we know, sometimes bigger doesn't always mean better, and when we flip over the coin and check out the other side, the reality of life can be less than perfect...

I watched my first episode of Extreme Makeovers in Montreal (although it was originally produced by a UK based TV company) and I was amazed... by the extremes!

Not only by the speed of the build, and the size of the houses (OMG, everything really IS bigger in America) but by the stories behind each show. Now I know that misery makes great television, but Hey Guys, I challenge you to watch this show without counting your blessings....and emptying a box -full of Kleenex!