I laughed more than once at last year's Annual Conference when the assembled group was addressed as "ladies". As in "Ladies, it's time to move on!" or "May I have your attention, ladies?" Even this year in Phoenix, the "L" word was bantered around with some levity. Try sitting in Conference for two years running as the only man. Quite certain that all of my male parts are still intact; I get a kick out of being lumped in with the "ladies". Terri Bowersock even autographed my book "the Ladies and Jeff". Ala Martha, it's a "good thing" I've spent the better part of the last 20 years working with mostly women in my other "job". Or, I might have major insecurity issues! Frankly though, I can't imagine being "lumped in" with a more talented, dedicated and professional group of people than those in the SDP.

Unforgettable, that’s what you are
Unforgettable though near or far
Like a song of love that clings to me
How the thought of you does things to me…

-Nat King Cole

Ahh, the sultry sounds of the smooth balladeer Nat King Cole. He was before my time, but I get it. Risking the subtle scorn of lovers everywhere, I will confess however that I’m not talking about a person... I’m talking about my home. You might think that I’m a decorator who has totally gone over the edge, but if you give it some thought, you’ll likely agree that you have similar feelings. If you’ve ever been away for business or pleasure and after several days began to miss not only your loved ones, but the beauty and privacy of your own space, then you’ve felt it too! Just thinking about being able to curl up in my favorite chair or stretch out on my comfy sofa with a good book and a cup of herbal lemon tea makes my heart sing (with emphasis on the sw), Home Sw-eet Home!

Making a room unforgettable is a decorator’s joy. One way to transform a room to unforgettable status is with unforgettable wall color! It is a great way to make a room immediately and emotionally ignite your senses, displaying your confident sense of style. Here’s a decorators tip with a twist; for large rooms with plenty of natural light go for the lighter shades of the colors that you love and bring in accessories to pump up the personal color volume. For small rooms with less light, go for the darker shades of your favorite color, enveloping yourself in its embracing intensity. If you truly love white walls, make the room white with reckless abandon. To add interest to this monochromatic scheme, use varying shades of white and multiple textures for the other decorative elements in the space. Check out Sherwin Williams’ Color Palette and order 8x11 paint color samples of the colors that appeal to you; .

There are countless decorator rules about choosing paint colors based upon the size of the room. This tip is based upon your unique sense of style. If your goal is to make YOUR room UNFORGETTABLE to YOU, remember this “to thine own self be true." Any color will work well and look amazing if it’s what you LOVE!

Soulfully & Decoratively,
Cheryl Cousins

Going green is more than just changing out a few incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or recycling your empty, aluminum cans. Wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy? Certainly, those small steps, done collectively, make a significant difference. But let's face it, even if every light bulb on the planet were changed or every aluminum can recycled, we'd still be in a world of hurt when it comes to climate change. Ecologists and other environmental experts continue to sound the warning that we are entering a period of devastating consequences as a result of the last 100 years of industrialization and waste. If it took us that long to dig ourselves into this hole, we're not going to dig ourselves out overnight!

The SDP monthly Lunch and Learn - September 15th

11:45 am - 1:00 pm EDT

"I would have never thought of that!


Space is Limited

Join JoAnne Lenart-Weary and Lisa Sherman as they shares tips to great accessorizing each and every time with her "Decorating in the Zone" System. JoAnne & Lisa will also share photos of imaginative and creative ideas submitted by talented members of The SDP. This is a "don't miss" event!

The 3 R's of Marketing Your Business
by DesAnn

With our great Society of Decorating Professional’s conference of “learning” upon us, I thought that I would share my thoughts on Marketing. To me the 3 R’s are the Marketing foundation of my business. If you are just starting out and feel overwhelmed perhaps these 3 R’s can help you to build your Marketing. For those of you who are “seasoned” share with us your foundation principles. I am ALWAYS looking for new ways to improve my business and eager to learn new strategies. In the Interior Redesign, Decorating and Home Staging business world I believe that we are “plowing the field”. I believe that The Society of Decorating Professionals are setting the pace, laying the foundation.
Resourcefulness- I for one started my company, Design By DesAnn, with ZERO start-up monies…I HAD to be resourceful. My time and creativity were all that I had. I knew that I needed to capture the Realtors and publics attention, I didn’t have the resources to advertise to the public or the Realtors. I had an opportunity to speak with Realtors for their annual Education Conference held in October of 2006. This was it! A chance to be in front of 100 Realtors! How was I going to make sure they remembered me?! My husband and I were sitting on our patio discussing what Staging really was. We were talking about how Staging is “Theatre”. My hubby, Tom, said to me as he was eating a bowl of Popcorn….”POPCORN!” We go to the movie theatre and we eat popcorn. Now understand, I love him dearly but thinking “creatively” is usually NOT his strong point…..BUT sometimes he is BRILLIANT! That was it! I was able to find Red & White Popcorn boxes and so I stuffed them with my Media Kit info and a microwaveable Popcorn package. Boy Scouts sell Popcorn like Girl Scouts sell cookies. My son, now an Eagle Scout, was thrilled that I purchased 100 packs of Micro-wave Popcorn from him. The Realtors were really impressed. My Mom always said, “Necessity is the Mother of invention”. I feel now that having ZERO start-up was actually a blessing in disguise. I still see that original box sitting in many Real Estate offices on their office shelves. They say it reminds them how important Staging is to their livelihood! (Please visit for the nearest Scout troop if you need popcorn).
Referrals-At least 35% of my business comes from Referrals. How much comes from yours?? Whether it is past clients, Realtors, TV, Radio or print in Newspapers or magazines….Referrals are my highway. I belong to a Realtor Association and The Women’s Business Owners Network ( ). Network, Network, Network! Consider paying a Referral fee. I pay a Referral fee to my Industry friends such as Builders, Painters, Remodelers, Carpet Cleaning, Furniture stores and others. I ALWAYS send a “Gift Card” such as Starbucks to my Realtors who refer my company. Have referral fees helped or hurt any of you??
Recognition- TV, News, Papers and magazines have given my company “credibility”. The SDP has also propelled me into the “Lime-light”. When I say, “Next week I’m going to Arizona to speak and learn new things at The SDP’s annual conference”….THAT gets attention. Recently I received a phone call from The LeBron James Family Foundation. They were in need of a 6 hour furniture rental for 6 Sofas & Chairs for a private, invitation only, charity event. WOW! All I could think was “Pinch me, I MUST be dreaming”. I asked how they came about calling me. They said they saw on my web site how I have been on show, WKYC TV, and all the other articles and “liked” my credibility. WOW did my son ever owe me! Collin helped with the furniture and he and I also set up 6 NBA live games for the event. We were asked to also stay for the Fund Raising event and join in the fun. Being recognized by one of Cleveland’s “ROYAL” athletes has opened up more doors then I can say. Being recognized by people that others respect is a powerful Marketing tool. I make a point to Press Release all recognitions that I receive, that in turn leads to more recognition, and so the wheel starts turning.
What works for you? Please share your nuggets of wisdom. What do you see as your foundations? What resources do you have? How are you trying to be, or succeeding at being recognized?
Until next time, DesAnn

Sometimes the most difficult part of decorating is knowing what you truly like. The more you look, the more confused you may become. Here is a fun quiz we created for you to help you gain a better sense of your decorating style.

1. What colors are you drawn to?
A. Soft Pastels
B. Earth tones
C. Strong vivid colors
D. Neutrals
E. A little of each

2. You are building a new home and the builder needs your wall colors in the family room.
A. Light Blue
B. Sage Green
C. Lipstick Red
D. Beige
E. White

3. What would your flooring choices be?
A. Laminate
B. Solid Wood
C. Black and white tile
D. Plush carpet
E. Couldn’t care less as long as someone comes into clean it.

4. When cooking breakfast in the morning do you tend to wear
A. An apron with your makeup on and hair done
B. Sweats and T-shirt
C. Yoga pants from Neiman-Marcus
D. Matching nightgown and robe
E. Whatever last fell to the floor

5. When purchasing furniture what matters most to you?
A. Sofa with lots of pillows
B. Feels comfortable but trendy
C. Clean linefunky styling
D. Fabrics with texture is most important feature
E. Has a fold down 6-pack holder in center.

6. What is the atmosphere you are looking for in your room?
A. Room setting from a furniture store
B. Under the Tuscan Sun
C. Hip erFriend’s living room
D. Frasier’s living room without Dad’s chair
E. Dad’s chair and big screen TV in Frasier’s living room



Mostly A’s – Traditiionalist/Conservative
Sticks to Traditional looks and tends to avoid trendy looks. Afraid to make mistakes.

Mostly B’s- Transitional-
Likes the Pottery Barn look with their own stamp applied

Mostly C-s- Contemporary
Likes clean lines with touches of drama in the room.

Mostly D-s Traditionalist/Sophisticate
Loves to implement old with the new. Classic lines, rooms filled with mixture of textures.

Mostly E’s- Decorating Misfits
Most important feature in room is the big screen TV. “It looks okay the way it is!”

If you are like me and have always dreamed of owning your own decorating business you should check out The Society of Decorating Professionals also known as, The SDP. For many years I dreamed about owning a decorating business, and when the opportunity came knocking to switch careers, I took it. After investigating a lot of different schools, the realization sat in -rather quickly- I didn’t want a design degree. What I really needed was some quick hands-on training with an expert in decorating/redesign to get me going in the right direction. I found all of this through The SDP.

Above is a recently completed project that without The SDP I would not known what direction to go. This bedroom was completed with the confidence I got from being a Certified Member of The SDP.

The Society of Decorating Professionals (The SDP) has become certified as an Authorized Provider of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from the . The SDP is now certified to offer IACET approved CEUs for all current training programs as well as any created during the time of certification.

The SDP is now linked to the IACET web site and is recognized as offering the highest quality continuing education and training programs.

classes in the hands-on experience style, to provide both education and credentials to those who have talent and passion for decorating, redesigning, and staging homes. It’s easy to find a Certified Trainer.

Each instructor offers her own style of teaching within The SDP's core learning outcomes. Upon successfully completing each course, you will be eligible to sit for The SDP certification test in that particular specialty. Several instructors offer a combined Redesign and Staging class to enable you to sit for both Redesign Certification and Staging Certification test.

One more thing… you need just one week of your time. That’s right, one intense week of exhilarating learning about how to take your passion and turn it into a business. Then you can become a member of The SDP and learn even more. I hope to hear from you. Better yet, how about seeing your name on our new members list, see you there.

Check out In the News for the latest Press Releases.

Beth Batke,

A quote that is very powerful for me is one by Thomas Jefferson: "That which we surround ourselves with becomes the musuem of our soul and the archive of our experiences". From that era to this era and for all of time, creating a warm and inviting home reflective of the owner has been of utmost importance in society. I am continually honored and grateful to help create warm and personal spaces for my clients.

Many clients already have the elements they need to create a beautiful, designer look. An added bonus of redesign is that, by reusing, repurposing and restyling existing items, we help clients reduce their carbon footprint, one room at a time. I love the fact that Redesign is fundamentally Green!