| Interior design buildings housing high-end fabric, furniture, | | | | homeowner have been running from one garage sale, |
| and home accessories are considered number one on | | | | flea market, swap meet, thrift shop to the other looking |
| the interior designers' shopping list of decorator-only | | | | for bargains, while designers have been discount |
| showrooms. The Decoration and Design Building in | | | | shopping in style.The fact is, some of these exclusive |
| New York City--better known as the D&D Building, and | | | | showrooms have for many years had sales open to |
| the Pacific Design Center--also known as the Blue | | | | the public at least once a year. If you've been lucky |
| Whale in Los Angeles, California have broken the | | | | enough to be on the right mailing list, you may have |
| cardinal rule of designers only admission. Despite the | | | | received an invitation. Occasionally, designers will tell |
| grumbling of a variety of interior designers--most of | | | | some of their clients about the sales. Designers and |
| whom make their money from markup commissions | | | | shopkeepers often stock up at these annual sales on |
| on the fabrics, furniture, and home accessories sold to | | | | things they frequently use. The discounts are |
| their clients--are other trade-only showrooms destined | | | | deep.Now that the secret is out, these are resources |
| to follow?The fabrics, furniture, and home accessories | | | | to you, the general public do-it-yourself decorator. |
| in these fortresses of design are expensive, | | | | There are no organizations to belong to, no degrees to |
| custom-made, and oftentimes unique, one-off pieces. | | | | obtain. In other words, you don't have to be a member |
| The showrooms are glitzy and meant to intimidate the | | | | of a private club with a secret handshake and a code |
| general public. However, they are extremely | | | | word to get in.Connie LeGendre empowers |
| designer-friendly. They are well-laid out, provide all | | | | homeowners designing their interiors through e-courses |
| manner of tips and clues for interior designers to easily | | | | and newsletters. Do-it-yourself homeowners are |
| make fabric, furniture, and home accessory selections | | | | encouraged to ask questions about their projects |
| and coordinate their clients' projects. Fabric samples | | | | when signed up for a Free, downloadable e-course "7 |
| and furniture and home accessory brochures for less | | | | New Secrets to Unleashing the Designer in You" at A |
| portable items are available for the designers' client | | | | trained architect and interior designer, fifteen years |
| presentation boards.Although the merchandise here is | | | | teaching and running her design business with high-end |
| expensive, the price you see is not what the | | | | clients demanding cost-effective and unique solutions, |
| professional designer gets. You, the client, see the retail | | | | Ms LeGendre brings that considerable background to |
| prices; while the designer pays the wholesale price and | | | | her online tips, information, solutions, and Q&A website. |
| charges the client the difference as a commission. This | | | | The mission is to help translate financially out-of-reach |
| is what could be termed "high-end discount shopping in | | | | design into affordable creations for anyone who |
| style."Yes, the secret is out. You, mr. and ms. ordinary | | | | wants to do it themselves. |