Panelist Kelli Ellis in the Influential Women of Design Forum

WithIt, World Market Center Las Vegas To Offer
Leadership-Focused Events During Las Vegas Market

Panel discussion featuring female executives and entrepreneurs, plus career mentoring session, available to all registered attendees

LAS VEGAS – (Jan. 3, 2012) – WithIt and World Market Center Las Vegas have partnered to provide exclusive leadership development programming during Las Vegas Market, Jan. 30-Feb. 3.

Both an educational event and a mentoring session are designed to benefit all home furnishings professionals, including interior designers and students pursuing careers in design, regardless of their title, rank or position.

“Our leading-edge campus and engaged communities provide a superior backdrop for WithIt’s leadership programming,” said Robert Maricich, chief executive officer of International Market Centers, parent company of World Market Center Las Vegas. “We support WithIt’s impact on shaping leaders in our industry, and our hope is to expand our partnership with this fine organization during future editions of Las Vegas Market.”

Influential Women in the Home & Design Industry will feature four female business owners who have successfully navigated mid-stream career changes, the rise of social media marketing, and the emergence of sustainability in design. Celebrity interior designer and TV host Kelli Ellis; Mod Mom Furniture owner and product designer Kiersten Hathcock; interior designer and sustainability expert Lori Dennis; and social marketing strategist and WithIt 2012 President Julia Rosien, SocialNorth.com, will engage in a topical discussion that is certain to empower attendees to become better leaders in their companies.

Monday January 30, 3:00 – 4:00pm, Building B, 16th Floor, World Forum

Enjoy…

Photos taken by Jeri Koegel

Bar/Staircase/Retreat

Formal Living/Ceiling Detail

Bar/Retreat

Master Bedroom

Master Bath/Mirror on Mirror/pendants

Retreat/Second Library

Black Kitchen/Wine light

“Kelli was the answer to a prayer. I spent many years working with different designers and each time when the project was completed I didn’t feel that the room truly reflected me or that it had the “finished” look I was seeking, regardless of what I had spent. Kelli understood that I didn’t want or need more or new furniture and helped me refurbish what I had, combine it in a new way and surround it with accessories and architectural details that when combined became beautiful, comfortable and “finished” rooms.

Kelli has the ability and willingness to meet you where you are, and understands what you are seeking. She’s very practical when you are seeking practicality and right there with you when you’re shooting for the moon. It’s not the typical cookie cutter, everything from the design center experience. Her creativity, vision and talent combine for a unique one-of-a-kind experience that is truly yours.

Janet Hamilton” 

Thank You Janet…  very, very kind of you!

After you realized this, what did you do to prepare yourself?  I took a very windy road to design…Being an only child of a Judge, I was always pointed towards Law School.. After my BA in Advertising/Marketing and 2 years in Law School…. and 10 years of designing homes “unofficially” … I went to IDI thinking people would care if I had a formal design background.

What type of training or schooling did you have to complete in order to proceed with Designing? None really…. I have NEVER been asked! I have done 4 TV shows and it NEVER came up – and since I am on a repeat and referral basis in my private career, still no one asks … Honest!  BUT I did choose to attend Interior Design Institute so I would have an answer, just in case someone asked….

How much time did it take to complete the training/schooling associated? 2 years

What do you think is the best part of your career?  Seeing people transformed by their surroundings…I LOVE IT!

If you could change anything about your career,what would it be and why? I would have started my product launches earlier, while doing TV….It helps with exposure and longevity in the career. People remember you as long as they can see you!

What suggestions could you give to a high school student who is interested with Interior Design?  If it’s your passion, pursue it! There is NOTHING better than waking and doing what you love…you cannot fail if you love your career.  Choose a school that is accredited and passionate about your education… Be wary of schools that promise too much.  Interning is a great way to gain experience, but do not get stuck in one place! Set a limit to your internship and jump out of the nest within a year.

How does a typical day for you go? Up early to review each client file. Go over each client and daily tasks needed to be accomplished with assistants. Go to all job sites necessary to keep on track with all the contractors and sub-contractors working on my jobs (gotta watch those guys) Be sure to have at least 2 new client meetings per week…Most days I am with clients shopping which is fun 70% of the time – sometimes it’s very challenging!
then pick up my kids from school, workout, cook dinner, relax with the family…Gotta have a balance!

Could you tell me about one of your most interesting memories? I have so many from the TV shows and my career…but I do have one that I think of often…. When I was about 5 my mother set the “design ball” rolling… My room was a mess (of course) and she told me to “clean it and make it look like a model home!” I worked on my room for two days (it was raining outside so I didn’t care)… I made a sofa out of boxes and pillows, a dining area, etc… It was like my studio apartment.  TO this day I think of that when I have a cool loft to remodel or a bachelor pad that’s small and challenging.

Aside from schooling/training, what does it take to do Interior Designing? (i.e. kind heart, strong stomach, etc.)
UNDERSTANDING and DIPLOMACY – there are soooo many factors involved when you are working with people and their valued possesions…. It takes a very intuitive and patient person to be a designer. You must listen more and talk less….remember to incorporate THEIR ideas into something great – NOT just your ideas.
 
 
What other jobs could you do with the skills you have gained in this field? Psychology!

What are your biggest challenges? Big personalities

Are there many opportunities in your field? Yes, if you understand how to change with the economy, and relate to your clients… referrals are the best! I coach Interior Designers on how to make money in this economy – everyone learns the tricks to making $ and a successful career.

How much job security is there in Interior Design? A ton, if you run your own business. TV is fickle…and so are other bosses.

Before you chose Interior Designing, what were a couple of your other career choices you had in mind? Geologist, Marketing, Graphic Design

I am recently divorced and want a brand new start to my whole life. The problem is I have older furniture that I’ve moved with me. I can’t really afford all new stuff, so how can I update my look on my “single girl” budget.

Thank you,
Single and Sassy

Dearest Status Updater,

There are very simple changes you can make now without dipping into the “Girls Night Out” fund!
Here is a brief list to get your started:
1. Slipcover – Go to your nearest Bed, Bath and Beyond (The Beyond section is the best!) and get an inexpensive slipcover for your sofas or chairs. Choose a darker neutral tone. It hides the most spilled food and drinks for all those parties you will be having.
2. Start Tagging! – Don’t be afraid to paint furniture pieces to update them. A Semi-Gloss Black can of paint can do wonders for a small side table or coffee table.
3. Color – Decide on your new “single color”! A color completely opposite of what you had before to symbolize your independence. Once decided buy small, inexpensive accessories in that color to jazz up table, mantels, sofas or beds.
4. Send out the Evites – It’s time to show off the new you. Cheers!!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Kelli,

I’ve lived in my beach-side home for 7 years and I’ve hated it ever since. My husband and children love the home, I am the only unhappy one. There is nothing warm about the home. I am having trouble making it “mine”. What can I do?

Sad in the Sand

Dear Crabby,
Most people would think living near the ocean with a happy family, would be heaven…but as a Design Psychology Expert I know there is much, much more to it!
Start with this exercise;

Exercise #1 Realization: I want you to walk through every room in your home, slowly and intentionally looking at each and every item in each room. Place an emotion onto every item as you do. For example; You walk into your family room and you see your coffee table bought by your husband upon marriage. It makes you happy, but longing for time with him alone, like it used to be. On top of the table is your Mom’s antique bowl you’ve always hated, full of potpouri (you never liked the smell) and old books you love. Realize that everytime you walk by those items your subconscious has those exact impressions in a split second. If the majority of your emotional responses to the stuff in your home is negative – you cannot like your home! BUT you can change how you feel by removing the things that don’t make you happy. DONT throw out others belongings without conversation, but DO surround yourself with things that make you smile and feel happy.

Exercise #2

Once you’ve determined the room that needs you attention most, call in the troops. Your next project is to reclaim your room by making it fresh and a source of happy feelings. For this example we’ll stick to the family room. Enlist your family or friends to help you completely clear out the room. Everything out! Just the walls, floors and you… Notice the “bones” of the room. Remember why you liked the room in the first place. It could be the beautiful fireplace, the large windows, the niche for art work, the flooring, etc… Now decide what you’d like to highlight in the room – your new focal point. For this example the fireplace is our new focal point. Arrange the furniture to highlight the new focus. Sometimes there is more than one focus. This may mean having to find a new home for the TV, or “repurposing” furniture from other rooms to make it work. You may decide to replace the furniture you dislike. But realize whatever changes you make, they are absolutely worth the effort and money if it means your happiness!

As always, I am here to help….
Cheers,
Kelli

• Memory Walk, Master of Ceremonies, Alzheimers Association


• Lifestyle Designers, keynote speaker, Newport Beach, CA


• MomTV, featured guest


• Remake My Life, TV Series, Design Psychology Expert


• Marketing to Millionaires Summit, celebrity appearance


• Ryan Lee Continuity Summit, celebrity appearance


• BoomJ Today talk show, DirectTV


• World Market Las Vegas, Keynote, MGM Grand


• ABC Morning News, Milwaukee, WI


• Fox Morning News, Milwaukee, WI


• NARI Home Show, Milwaukee, WI


• LA Fashion Week, celebrity appearance


• Hollywood Yard Sale/W Magazine, celebrity appearance


• CA/Boom, LA’s Top Design Showcase, celebrity appearance

NBC and Jane Pauley welcomed Kelli to their stage to discuss organization and displaying your “treasures”… And she appears monthly in her own column in the OC Gazette, “Ask Kelli”

PR…

Celebrity Designer Kelli Ellis Named Orange County’s Top Interior Designer by OC METRO Magazine

Orange County, CA (PRWEB) September 29, 2009 — OC’s own celebrity interior designer, Kelli Ellis is OC METRO’s cover girl and voted Orange County’s Top Interior Designer.

This may not be the first time you’ve seen Kelli Ellis. She has been busy beautifying homes on HGTV’s Takeover My Makeover, TLC’s Clean Sweep, and Bravo’s Real Housewives of Orange County. In addition to her residential interior design business, Kelli appears in three documentary movies, The Compass, Riches, and The Vow. Her commercial projects have put her on the design map throughout Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego. Kelli has received many accolades and rewards for her work including Luxe Magazine’s, Editor’s Top Choice, and speaking engagements across the country, discussing design and her theory of Design Psychology.

After polling OCMETRO’s fans and readers, the online vote was overwhelming. “Kelli really deserves this top honor, her eye for design and color is amazing. Not to mention all who know her, love her – she is a truly gifted, beautiful person inside and out,” OC Metro Editor.

In a recent interview Ellis was asked, what one piece of advice would you offer aspiring designers? Ellis replies, “Respectfully remember you are there to help the homeowner create their dream home, and be honored they’ve asked for your guidance.” When asked, “What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a designer?” Ellis responds with a huge smile, “We are all trying to make our homes our havens. I know I’ve succeeded when my clients say, “I live in my dream home,” or “It’s exactly what we wanted.” I must admit, I get a bit teary-eyed.”

Kelli Ellis can be contacted at http://www.kelliellis.com

Editor’s Note: Kelli Ellis is available to discuss interior design trends in Orange County and across the country. In addition, she will explain the importance of design psychology in the American home.