Notes from Natasha
Happy New Year! Don't you just love a fresh start, a new beginning, a clean slate? This year can be whatever you want it to be, so set your goals and go for it! One idea might be to learn something new to offer your clients - Feng Shui ReDesign.
The School of Graceful Lifestyles (TM) is offering a five day certificate course in Feng Shui ReDesign especially for members of Designer Society of America. This program uniquely integrates the principles of Feng Shui and green design with interior decorating and home staging.
Your new Feng Shui design skills will add confidence and generate additional revenue streams for your business. This program is ideal for the Feng Shui professional and interior designers looking to enhance their business. The program will provide the tools to enhance and support a new career opportunity in the interior decorating industry. Realtors can benefit by introducing the home staging tips to their clients. Simply use the basic Feng Shui intentional designs and decorating skills acquired in this course to craft a sophisticated and elegant home for your clients.
Patterned after the many popular makeover classes, you will be taught how to blend what's already in the space with new design elements. The focus is on maximum impact with minimum cost. Incorporated in this five day program is a template that can be used again and again. Acquire basic skills such as palette selection, floor plan designs, furniture styles, vendor alliances, portfolio assembly and successful business procedures.
This course differs from other designing and decorating programs in that Graceful Lifestylesâ„¢ looks beyond the surface, decorating into the very soul of the space. Feng Shui ReDesign addresses the harmony and balance unique to each dwelling, as it supports the person/place connection. You will create sacred spaces.
Included in Tuition:
• Student binders containing all PowerPoint slides, as well as original handouts and article reprints
• Fun afternoon snacks
• Free listing as a Certified Consultant on our website
You will be certified as a Graceful Lifestylesâ„¢ Consultant upon completion of this five day program. Special DSA member tuition rates available during the month of January. This early bird gift for sign up will save you $300!
Hotel is not included. Special rates are available with early sign up.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. And it gets even better! For all you 
snowbirds, the certification class will be held in sunny Orlando, Florida, March 24-29. To register, call (321) 939-2774 or click here for more information.
Limited seats available so don't delay!
Natasha Lima-Younts
Founder
Designer Society of America
Psychology of Color
Wade Robins
Do you believe that different colors, when used in interior design, have effects on us of which we are sometimes unaware?
We do know that certain colors soothe while others provoke aggressive emotions in us. However, the psychology of color for interior design has only been recently introduced and applied in business, advertising and personal home design.
In business, colors are used to come up with eye-catching logos and advertisements. In the psychology of color for interior design, colors are carefully analyzed to determine which of them increase workers' productivity and which ones tend to have a detrimental effect to production.
The psychology of color for interior design is also used for restaurants, salons, hospitals, schools and - believe it or not - even prison cells! Psychologists know that subtle qualities, such as a room's color, can have a great impact on its occupants. This is why the psychology of color for interior design should not be taken for granted.
They say that the color red - bold and provocative - awakens the senses, stimulates the appetite, and raises the blood pressure. Restaurateurs take advantage of this concept in the psychology of color for interior design by using colors that tend to attract customers and keep them coming back for more.
Muted colors such as sky blue, on the other hand, evoke feelings of calmness and peace. Researchers studying the psychology of color for interior design several years ago have even gone to the extent of painting prison cells blue to alter a person's moods and temperaments.
In consideration of residences, the psychology of color for interior design is used to determine which colors to use, depending on the homeowner's needs and objectives. For instance, a person who wants his bedroom to become a sort of haven or refuge after a hard day's work would appreciate cool and calming colors such as celadon or sky blue.
Different Colors for Different Tastes
The wonderful thing about planning your own room design is being able to choose your own colors. The psychology of color for interior design also depends on how colors have been used in the past and the person's knowledge of these facts.
Dark green, for example, is associated with money and is the color of choice for offices, dens and game rooms. Dark purple, on the other hand, is the color of royalty. Those who are believers of the psychology of color for interior design know that the interiors of a room play a large part in shaping a person's lifestyle and behavior.
Lavender is preferred by tweeners because of its cool aura. You could also complement the room's color by using scented candles that match the room's dominant shade. In this case, you could use lavender-scented aromatherapy candles to establish a prevalent theme.
In the psychology of color for interior design, gray is known to be a color that is anti-productive. It tends to make a person withdraw instead of move forward and is therefore not recommended for use in offices where action and a lot of energy is desired.
Black is too strong for stand-alone use and is thus only appropriate for accents, according to the psychology of color for interior design. Yellow, too, should be used with caution as it tends to provoke different feelings in various individuals.
Although yellow is used to bring in a bit of sunshine into children's rooms or kitchens, the psychology of color for interior design has also found that it may tend to make people give in to anger quickly.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wade_Robins
Business Building Blocks: The Difference Between Success and Failure is Asking
© www.melissagalt.com
Too often the difference between and success and failure is simply in the asking. You neglect to ask for the raise, you fail to ask for the sale, you forget to ask for referrals. It is all about asking, both in business and in life. There are five ways to Ask Your Way to Success:
Ask for Business
We all know sales people that fail to ask for the sale. I hope you aren't one of them! It isn't enough to educate, inform and even entertain the prospect; you've got to ask for the sale. Whether you are offering a service or a product doesn't matter, you must ask for the sale. Simply pausing when you are finished doesn't mysteriously invite the prospect to buy. You have to ask "When are you available to schedule that first appointment?" or "Would you like this in red?" or whatever question will get you the sale.
Ask for Testimonials
Way too many people neglect asking their customers and clients for testimonials or rave reviews. Are you one who neglects this too? It is easy. 
When you have completed delivery or an installation simply invite them to write a short note on a card you provide and be sure you have their permission to quote them. If you wait until a later date, this becomes much more challenging as they are no longer in the moment and feeling the elation and immediate benefit of the service or product provided.
Ask for Referrals
Yes, you can ask for referrals simply and easily. Be sure first that the person you are asking fits your ideal client profile, as they are likely to know more people like themselves. If you didn't enjoy working with them, don't ask! When you do, simply say "I've so enjoyed working with you and would truly appreciate the opportunity to be of service to your (friends, colleagues, family - whatever is most appropriate)." Invite them to fill in a note card with the names and contacts of 2-3 friends or associates. Always follow up a referral with a thank you gift, such as a restaurant gift card, a bouquet of flowers or a gift basket, with a personal note attached.
Ask for Information
This is like asking for directions, and you know how tough that is for many! If you don't know something, ask someone else. You could be asking about a job opening, compensation, a trip, a resource, a restaurant, someone's feelings. If you don't know, don't guess - ask, ask, ask!
Ask for Feedback
You have a choice: do you want to guess or ask? Often we spend our lives second guessing others when all we need to do is ask. When you want feedback on something, on anything, simply ask. It could be about a service you provided, a product you ordered, a communication you sent, clothing you wore, food you made, an event you planned. Whatever it is, if you want to know more, ask others. This is as simple as saying "I'd like your feedback on . . . . ."
Asking doesn't have to be complicated or scary. What is scary is operating in ignorance, selfishness and stupidity because you didn't ask. Your world will expand exponentially when you learn to ASK, ASK, ASK!
Do you want more great tips for growing your creative business? Check out www.todaybydesign.com for timesaving shortcuts, easy tips and simple tools to take your business higher. When you are ready for a FREE strategy session, head over to www.sixfigureprofessionals.com and register for a private call guaranteed to mean more profit in your pocket.
Do you want more great tips for growing your creative business? Check out www.todaybydesign.com for timesaving shortcuts, easy tips and simple tools to take your business higher. When you are ready for a FREE strategy session, head over to www.sixfigureprofessionals.com and register for a private call guaranteed to mean more profit in your pocket.
For interior designers who haven't embraced sustainability in their practices, doing so would be a great New Year's resolution. That is if it's an ongoing goal and not one of those resolutions that begins fading by mid March and becomes a distant memory by springtime.
Our simple goals for education could include committing to engaging in one sustainability related educational experience each quarter such as reading a book or article, attending a seminar or conference, participating in a webinar, attending a U.S. Green Building Council meeting or sharing our knowledge with others.
Interior designers who have already embraced sustainability can focus on education and implementation as well to boost their resolve and continue their professional growth. Maybe education would include a more in depth comparison between products or a lifecycle thinking approach to materials assessment rather than a single attribute approach. Understanding the embodied energy and toxicity of materials are two good places to begin when expanding an analysis. Implementation could include weaving sustainability into our practices on a regular basis, making it business as usual.
When questioned under oath, not a single proponent of the Florida licensing law was able to cite any benefits to consumers from licensing interior designers or harm that had occurred to the public in the 47 states that do not license interior designers.
but I definitely have to prime the pump a bit so that they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with me. In essence, I need to make them feel comfortable talking about intimate details so that they will share necessary information with me in order for me to help them.
Lloyd Princeton
Member Spotlight
