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