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

read the answer here…..

http://digital.modernluxury.com/publication/?i=77029&p=42

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!!

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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

My wife and I have been saving for two years to be able to remodel our kitchen and we believe we are ready to go.  We have several friends that have done major renovations and they all have stories of going over budget and way over their promised time lines.  I want to start interviewing contractors but how do I know what to ask and how to determine who to hire?

Thanks,

“Man with a mission”

Dear Missionary Man,

This is an important question and I feel it’s important to add the advice of a trusted contractor, Emery @ MAC Millworks.

Emery says, “I should write a book on this subject because everyone needs the answer to this question. Here are a few good questions and suggestions that will go a long way in finding the right contractor.

1) Ask people you know if they have had a good experience with a contractor and if they are satisfied. You must be realistic in getting what you pay for, Champaign for the price of beer is not realistic. And most of all “Would you hire this contractor again?”

2) When interviewing a contractor ask for references and check them.  Ask about time line, budget, quality of work.

3) If you like what you hear ask the referral if you can come by and see the work.

I recommend my clients see three projects – one in progress (they can see what a home under construction is like to live in), a recently completed job (the new and old clients can talk about time line, budget, and the whole experience), and a job at least 5 years old to quality check the work.

4) Your contractor should spend “A LOT OF TIME” planning the project.  If he wants to start on the job before you have everything decided RUN!  The key to staying within budget is having a complete plan or “Scope of work”. Every job is different and each scope must be unique, typically I write a scope of work for a kitchen remodel that is at least two pages describing each step in the construction process along with a construction calendar that details the time line of the project.”

See, told you he’s good!

Now you have a PLAN not just a Mission…

Cheers, Kelli

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The Realest Housewives of OC

As many of you watched, Jeana and I had a blast remodeling her Bedroom and Living Room into her ultimate haven. You probably “owwed and ahhed” over her stunning bedding from Beyond The Sheets, and I could hear you cheering when I removed the, now famous, Moose painting from over her fireplace!  I am here, once again, to help you recreate some of the magic you saw in Jeana’s home. Truth be told, we remodeled her home on an average budget. You can create the very same look for much less than you expect!  Although georgeous, the expensive bedding could very easily has been replicated with a quick visit to that “Beyond” store or “Home Goodies”, as I call it. When looking for that rich, elegant look, buy one expensive, colorful, accessory ie; throw, duvet or pillow, and “go faux” with the rest!  European shams and dust ruffles don’t have to be expensive, they will just be covered up. And, Wal-Mart, (I nearly passed out in the isle) sells 600 thread count sheet sets for $80!! For a huge impact, copy what we’ve done here and paint the walls with a deep solid semi-gloss, and then glaze it with a metallic bronze. In a weekend, you too can have this budget friendly, beautiful haven you always dreamed of!

“Kelli has done an amazing job on my refresh of my home, her easy style and the way she really listens to how you live in your home, I have had other designers that would tell me how much I am going to love an ancient Japanese black kimono in my guest room, I hate it is depresses me!”….. Jeana Keough

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Make it Work!

After a month of boxes, tape, and bubble wrap I can finally see the color of the beautiful carpet in my new home!  If you are anything like me, 4 am is a perfect time to find a new home for vases, hang art and fluff pillows.  My mind was spinning as I tried to find new ways to design rooms using my furniture and my fiancé’s furniture harmoniously… Alas,  I listened to my own advice, “Find one unifying color to tie everything together” and viola, a cohesive, beautiful design.  Even if you haven’t moved but need a change, you can apply the same design principal and make it all work.  Walk around the room you wish to remodel. Look at every item that will stay in the room.  What color is visible on every single item in the room? For me it was black, yes, BLACK!  As I walked around my new surroundings, I noticed the black kitchen cabinets, black iron scroll railings, and black granite on the bar.  If my accessories didn’t already have black on them, they were going to soon! I left Lowe’s looking like I was going to graffiti the house, rather than spray paint sconces, lamps and mirrors.  I painted walls and even the mantel black. The result is gorgeous with that “designer” look everybody desires.  Don’t be afraid of paint, and just make it work!

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