Designing with color can be scary. Adding magenta, chartreuse, or cobalt blue to a space can seem so bold. And loud. That’s why many opt for safter, quieter neutrals like black, white, and cream.
Others, however, embrace color like a kid in a candy store. Meet Lucy Jones of Marketing & Design with Color who not only loves color but helps her clients see the beauty in it as well. During a recent remodel in Columbus, Georgia, Lucy worked with the homeowner to add playful color both inside and out.
“This was an extensive remodel as the house is 20 years old,” Lucy says. “We wanted the entry to be as fun as the interior space which is full of life and happiness!” When looking for front porch lighting, Lucy turned to Barn Light Electric for its extensive collection of styles and colors.
She chose the Canal SoHo Sconce and customized it with a brilliant Magenta finish and Galvanized mount for an industrial touch.
“It’s the perfect pink with blue undertones!” she explains. “The house is full of pink — my favorite color — and it looks great with the Benjamin Moore Kelly Green door.” Lucy, who also owns a property management company with her husband Bruce, have purchased Barn Light fixtures in the past for several projects but always wanted to find a spot to use pink. They finally found it, and Tucker, the mini golden doodle, obviously approves!
The Canal SoHo Sconce features a handspun, 10″ flared shade that is wet rated for installations both indoors and out. The heavy-duty pipe mounting is rugged enough for residential or commercial locations, and 30 finish colors are available including Buttery Yellow, Watermelon, and Teal. For traditionalists, more subdued colors, such as Black, Dark Green, and Bronze are also offered.
“We do love American-made lights and the great service from Barn Light Electric,” Lucy says. “You can customize anything to fit your space with ease. The color is so happy!”
With spring season in full bloom, you’ve likely noticed your nose being stimulated by blooming flowers and fresh cut grass. As I walked outside this morning to the much welcomed 70-degree weather, the scent of fresh, warm air, moisture from the dew on my lawn, and the buds of my magnolia tree instantly caught my attention. It’s amazing how with just a sniff, we can be transported to a certain place, season, and even moment. Believe it or not, there’s an actual science behind this!
Nobody ever asked you to stop and hear the roses. There is a reason for that. Our sense of smell is the most powerful of our five senses when it comes to emotion and memory. Different smells will tell us more clearly and directly when it is time to slow down, enjoy, and feel good about an experience.
It all begins with how we experience the world outside ourselves. The five senses are our pathway to connection with the outside world: sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Our sense of smell is deeply connected to the emotional and memory centers in the brain.
Up to 75% of our daily emotions can be generated by our sense of smell.
We remember what we see for about 30 days with about 40% accuracy, whereas we remember what we smell with 60% accuracy for more than a year.
Businesses have put the sense of smell to work for years. ScentAir helps businesses engage their consumers’ strongest sense to create tangible, positive results. ScentAir works with multi-family living brands and communities across the country to create deeper experiences for future residents, increase tour conversion rates, and boost efforts to differentiate themselves. Additionally, the company also helps put focus on value perception for existing residents to promote retention and support pricing justification.
How Scent Impacts Resident Experiences:
Connects and impacts both customer segments – Future and Existing Residents
Creates Meaningful Differentiation
Higher value perception of resident experience
Impact first impression and tour experience
Increased Word of Mouth
Additional touch point to convey a sense of home
When we think about a resident experience, apartment communities often overlook the sense that is most likely to improve a resident’s mood and allow them to more vividly recall that experience. As a top priority, customers in the apartment industry are generally looking to improve tour conversion along with their retention efforts. To do so, there are certain critical elements of the experience, including scent, that help make a first-time customer more likely to feel good about the experience and then to positively remember the experience which creates a standout experience and increased word of mouth.
When I was house shopping for my first home, we saw dozens of houses. There was one, however, that I still remember so vividly. The owner had baked cookies and when we walked in, the aroma of dark chocolate, melted butter, and warm dough filled the home. To this day, I can describe the way I felt when I entered that house. It was cozy, inviting, and reminded me of the exact ambiance I wanted my home to embody.
We all have a scent memory: grandma’s hot apple pie, sweet honeysuckle hanging from the vine, that cute boy’s cologne from middle school. Whatever it might be, it’s a memory and one that sticks with us forever.
When creating the resident experience, you consider the paint on the walls, the mood that music sets, the comfortable chairs and delicious coffee in the lobby, so why not incorporate the one sense that has the power to make the most memorable first impression: SCENT!
I attended a great workshop featuring Tim Elmore, a nationally recognized thought leader on how to understand the next generation and prepare tomorrow’s leaders today. Tim is a best-selling author, international speaker, and president of Growing Leaders, a non-profit that creates innovative events and resources to equip the next generation for leadership.
A few takeaways I want to share that might be useful as we work each day alongside the 80 million millennials!
26 is now the new 18
This generation is self absorbed yet generous
Narcissistic (selfie, anyone?) yet very giving
Social yet isolated by technology (Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, etc.)
Adventuresome yet fearful
Team oriented yet diverse
Savvy yet naïve
High achievers yet high maintenance
Achievers yet need hand-holding
Visionary yet vacillating, they don’t lack a vision, the problem is that they have 17 visions and don’t know what to do with them or how to begin working on one of them to achieve a goal. It is our responsibility as parents to guide them without overpowering.
Think about it and you’ll see. It’s very interesting how both can exist within one person.
We are experiencing our kids and future leaders growing up too fast and too slow simultaneously: our culture fosters artificial maturity. Kids are overexposed to information far earlier than they are ready.
Most of this information is not traumatic or evil, but they are under-exposed to real life experiences far later than they are ready.
Virtual reality experiences surround them, unlike real life experiences; these create a lack of hands-on learning, situational awareness and problem solving skills.
Internet presence knows no boundaries when it comes to data. The average millennial consumes over 1000 messages daily, which means they don’t need adults for answers or information. The majority of preschool kids are online!
Adults today have more fear of risk; we prevent them from failing or getting hurt. We are safety-obsessed, protecting them from mistakes or consequences. We basically structure their childhood days.
Not too long ago, 4 year-olds were doing age-appropriate chores, 7 year-olds working on the farm, 14 year-olds were learning to drive cars, 17 year-olds were fighting wars, 19 year-olds were getting married. We know that times have changed, and so have we, but are we being extremists? Today we do the chores for them, we don’t make them get a job, and they live at home late into their 20’s.
Our culture has created an artificial world: this allows millennials to enjoy virtual reality through video games and explore virtual relationships through social media.
WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA FOSTERS:
A Personal Platform – drives a narcissistic culture, self-absorbed life, “everything-revolves-around-me” mentality, when reality is; it doesn’t.
Reactionary Opinions – creates an obsession with judgments, children 12-18 are consumed in what others think of them, roller coaster of living for the approval of others, which is exhausting and takes away from productivity.
Instant Updates – impulsive behavior often creates problems with friends and co-workers.
Constant Information – causes anxiety and depression, creating a new class of at-risk kids.
External Stimulation – addictive lifestyles again, reducing productivity and focus.
So now that we have a better understanding of the issue, how can we improve?
An idea to help children/employees: inspire them to find 6 mentors in their lives to help, inspire and drive them personally and professionally.
Don’t be an over or under functioning parent/employer. Guide, but allow them to grow up themselves, make mistakes, try new things and experiment. Success and failure will come, but that means a learning experience and personal growth.
Mediocre parents/employers treat all their children/employees alike. Awesome parents/employers treat all their children/employees differently.
Allow your children/employees to connect with you. Recognize their strengths and their differences. Everyone is wired differently, and by tailoring our leadership strategies for each individual personality type we can help them achieve amazing results
PERSONALITY TYPES:
The driver: strong-willed, stubborn, large-and-in-charge, get their way, they have a lot on their mind and don’t often hear what you say. When facing this personality, as an adult or figure in charge you need to take over, be very clear and very direct with them: no “hinting or implying”. Be direct, but never rude. The Drivers are born leaders that need guidance and to be in control of their will.
The diplomat: loves harmony, they are peacemakers, “whatever it’s ok” mindset. The Diplomats are seeking cooperation, so a better way to lead them is by saying: “You know what would really help me? If you cleaned your room/office, it would help our family/company” instead of demanding that they complete a task.
The dreamer: they have a very big imagination, very creative, appear to be in Lala-land. The Dreamers are lead best by providing options such as: “Use your creativity to how you clean up your room; you can do some today, some tomorrow, some Friday, or do it all today, or half today half tomorrow, etc.” The Dreamers need choices and to be held accountable for the choice they make.
*People can be a combo of these three types. Analyze, understand and apply!
Parents and leaders, we are driving an EPIC generation: E – Experience P – Participatory I – Image Rich C – Connected
We need to encourage this generation to go for it! Support and create the experiences they want to have, they need to own the experience; allow them to plan it and try it! It may be risky to watch them try without offering assistance, but it is always a risk worth taking in situations like a school project, a trip, etc.
A great way to practice this methodology is by allowing them do it their way, and afterwards discuss how it could improve, what was just right, what they learned and what they want to try next.
Good leadership gives grace and tough love at the same time. Tender-and-tough is often hard to do, but necessary to get results with this generation that has so many distractions.
This generation needs two types of leaders:
– Leaders who are responsive, who display acceptance to support and believe in them.
– Leaders who are demanding, to establish standards and to hold them accountable.
Be clear on your messages when they are young or new in the position: you are loved, you are safe, you are valuable, you have gifts, you are unique, etc.
As they mature into their teens or within your company, the messages they need to hear also mature, they are true facts; life is difficult, you are not in control, you are not always the most important, you are going to die, your life is not about you. (I know, tough love!)
Then, guide them. Allow them to find out how and what to think. They need a compass to navigate and find their own values, faith, upbringing and street smarts. This generation doesn’t need a GPS to tell them their every move.
A handmade gift from Lulie to me, her “helicopter mom”
I guess I am not called “helicopter mom” for nothing, and I have lots of room to improve, but we are all a work in progress everyday!! I would love to hear your thoughts, comments or ideas on this, and hope you got as much out of this as I did!
Spring is here and so is the time to declutter!! But who has time to go through all that? We do!!
No job is too big or too small. We are experts in cleaning, organizing, decluttering and decorating spaces. Desks, kitchens, storage, entire houses or mini models!
We can use what you have and move it all around, we take any space from drab to fab!
Whether your space needs a small nip tuck or a full face lift, we got you covered. Indoor or outdoor, we can do it! Grow Landscaping provides the best service for all of your landscaping needs.
Location: Scarborough Farms, landscaping by Grow Landscaping
With spring in the air and summer around the corner, we will have your indoor and outdoor spaces ready to entertain!
I have three girls as you may have noticed and beginning the moment the second one was born the competition began. And it continues everyday all day. Each child is precious, sweet, smart and different from the other! I realized the need for individual time with each one and when was this going to happen. They get so jealous if I do something with one that I don’t do with the other. I invite one to the store they all pile in. So the week before Christmas in 2007 I had an idea. I will give Laurie Clare and Liza a mother daughter day. I can up with a set of rules so to speak even though I hate rules, but we needed some parameters!
Lulie ready to go!
The note was on the christmas tree one for Liza (4 yrs old) and one for Laurie Clare (5 yrs old). It said I invite you to your first annual mother daughter day!
They were excited! And did not even know what they were excited about, but the thought of spending just a day with me all alone sounded good to them!
I explained that on New Years Day or any day after that during 2008 they could plan a day we would spend together just they way they wanted to. I would not work, I would have my cell phone, but only for emergencies. That made the day sound even better. No distractions, all my attention just on them!
Liza and I at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta
LC loved Boston from the moment we landed!
I went on to further explain the “real deal”. Until you are 10 it is a day anything you want to do in 24 hours, when you are 10 you get to spend the night somewhere anywhere you can drive to. When you are 12 you get to spend two nights anywhere and you can fly or drive. 14 three nights and 16 a week!
As I type I am teary because the times we have already shared have been magical memorable moments#rondafriend
In 2009, our third child arrived and the competition got even crazier and mother daughter days even more important.
It has been fun to watch the girls each plan their days and nights. The itineraries diverse, the ideas unique and the memories unforgettable!
Liza loves makeup and Sephora!
Good fun and great food!
New York City, Boston, Chicago, Serenbe, Atlanta (a few times) and even good old Columbus, GA!
The days always start with #Starbucks that is synonymous among the three! A gift from me is always expected along with some cash! What started with a one hundred dollar bill has now grown for the older two as their taste are in #FreePeople and #ToryBurch!
Lulie loves Mother Daughter Day gifts!
I am always amazed they think of the ones left at home and spend their money on something special for each other family member including the dogs!
When in Boston…
…you go to Fenway Park and watch a baseball game!! #greatseats
I love Mother Daughter Day trips with my girls, inspiration is everywhere!! #Boston #PinkChalk
I’d love to hear how you celebrate Mother’s Day, or any adventures you’ve had during a trip with family! They’re always full of fun surprises!!
And as promised, here is your invitation to the Vintage Market Days of Nashville, where my dear Ronda Friend will be signing books!
May 12-14 1. Wear comfy shoes, they have 2 buildings and a mid-way! 2. No fur babies allowed unless licensed service animal 3. Tickets Friday $11, Saturday and Sunday $6 re-entry all weekend 4. Tickets available at the gate all weekend.
5. Bring a canned good, support the community!
6. Bring both cash and cards, some vendors do not accept cards
7. Located at 945 Baddour Parkway Lebanon, TN. Wilson County Fairgrounds.
Happy Thursday y ’all! LETS TACO BOUT A PARTY!!! We made it to the end of the week and that deserves a FIESTA, I would say it deserves one! After all tomorrow is CINCO DE MAYO!
Here are 5 easy tips to throw a super easy and fun Cinco De Mayo Celebration tomorrow that your residents will love!!
Make it NACHO AVERAGE PARTY || a taco bar is the way to anyone’s heart & it doesn’t cost a lot!
FEELIN’ LOCO || Grab some tunes and crank ‘em up, clean versions of course!
MI CASA ES TU CASA || Invite residents, prospects, anyone and everyone’s!! Events are a great way to get your name out to the public!
FIESTA LIKE THERE’S NO MANANA || LET’S PARTY! Think fun, hats, & maracas!!
HOLY GUACAMOLE || this is the best party ever
FORGET YOUR SIESTA, IT’S TIME TO FIESTA!
Submit your SpecTACOlar Cinco De Mayo party pics to us today!! We would love to see what you have planned.
Our family of 5 has grown. We recently added 11 chicks and 6000 bees!
Say chiiiiiiicks!!
6,000 honey bees loaded on the back of our truck
When my husband recovered from a major health scare,we decided to pursue our dream of a small farm: fresh multi-colored eggs, raw local honey, simpler times, and unplugged kids.
Our own fresh eggs!
We are currently on the hunt!
So, Southern Living does not mean sacrificing style. Mama likes clean design and modern amenities. I love on-trend 12×24 tiles, quartz counters, tuxedo cabinets, herringbone back splashes, farmhouse sinks and of course beautiful, low-maintenance family friendly floors.
Farmhouse dreaming – talk about inspiration!
Barn doors.. yes!
My dream farmhouse tub
Nothing screams farmhouse more than a light-washed wood in hickory or white oak. The high color variation. The graining and character. The mineral streaks. The knot holes.
I’m currently crushing on Shaw’s Memorial Hickory and Kingston Oak hardwood for my farm dream home due to their longer and wider boards. Shaw Floors has so many looks from transitional to modern to my fave rustic…Yee-haw!
My current crush
So how are you chasing your dream? What are you waiting for? Go for it! Giddy up!
Thanks so much,
Tracy
Tracy is the Director of Design & Marketing for Shaw Floors- East Coast Division. For more ideas on farmhouse decor and development check out this blog post and visit Shaw Floors
I love this gorgeous pink painting in my room by Kate Merritt Davis. I found it on a recent trip to St. George Island with friends and family, and a rainy day lead us to Apalachicola to shop. I was head over heels over this find! I wanted to put it in a special place, where I would get to see it all the time, so as of today, it hangs above my bed!! My bed is topped with Pine Cone Hill linens, Trina Turk and Lilly Pulitzer pillows, and I think the piece matches perfectly!
This artwork is s a non-representational form of rich color and graphite lines captured on panels of wood. Kate Merritt Davis currently works out of her studio in Irondale, Alabama, while tending a rambling garden in the company of her husband and their three dogs.
We were hired by Willow Point Apartments in Jackson, Mississippi. Willow Point is an affordable housing development that we turned from drab to fab in under 24 hours!
The Marketing and Design With Color team showed up with upbeat attitudes and ready to work. We were ready to tackle the task and arrived on site revved up!
Trip and Mallory meeting up with the Willow Point team
We worked with a divide and conquer mindset.
Our team dynamic is contagious, and aside from re-styling a mini model, we shared with the leasing consultants our experiences, training material and how to have fun in life and at work!
Our team spread out through the property and Mallory took care of marketing, training, motivating and brand development. Trip took care of the photoshoot, casting, videography, staging, and sign setup. Lucy and Katina took care of all the shopping, measuring, styling and behind the scenes work. Talk about a dream team!
Our goal is to create an environment where employees and residents alike are able to leave all their worries at the door and show up and get ready to work with a go-getter attitude!! What we call “ready for company”!!
No matter the budget, we can transform your space from the mundane to the dynamic! We love what we do and we do what we love.
Check out our style guide, before and afters and hire us to design your space!
I was so excited recently to visit with the Marketing and Design With Color group and discuss color, trends, and Shaw Floors. We clicked instantly! Why?
Lucy and Tracy at the International Builder Show, long time working relationship and friendship!
I’m a little obsessed, you could say, with style and design. I want spaces to feel cozy and pretty.
I believe floors can do all of the above because flooring is in every room of your dwelling space. So why not design from the ground up and start your inspiration there.
Are you vibing with the grey trend? (I hate to even call it a trend because it is the most talked about color in the past 25 years!) It freshens and modernizes every color on the spectrum. It can be silver, cool, warm, light, dark, or even metallic. Shut up. So versatile! So how are you using grey?
Your world Pebble Hill
And white. Don’t get me started on how clean and cool it is. Mama likes: white cabinets, white counters, white oak floors, subway tiles, a crisp white t-shirt with jeans. I could go on and on. A classic. Infuse white in your decor for a fresh look. Every color pops with it.
White Hot 2015
And my new obsession, Shaw Floors 2017 color of the year… Lush! Sustainable, healing, environmental, richly saturated, serene, happy (Kate Spade-esque) bringing-the-outside-in, natural green. What a fun accent of color for a rug, a bath bomb, your next pedicure, a new coat, or a Joanna Gaines inspired simple wreath on a mantle. Can you see it? Can you feel it? I’m all in!
Thanks so much,
Tracy
Tracy Daves is the Director of Design and Marketing for Shaw Floors for the East Coast. She is a time juggling wife and mom that travels extensively chatting up designers on trends in home decor and flooring. You may have seen her showcasing Shaw Floors on HGTV’s Smart and Green Homes or on Lifetime’s Designing Spaces.
