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| Home sweet home. Those three words can mean so much. So I shouldn’t have been surprised when a veteran of the interior design world told me that the biggest trend she’s seeing isn’t trendy at all, but rather simple: People want their home to be a place of serenity, a place to regroup, and a place to feel happy. “I’ve noticed that since 9/11 people have become more aware of their home as a cocoon,” says Marilyn Schooley Hansen, FASID, Nebraska’s Fellow of the American Society of Interior Design. “More than ever, people want a comfortable environment that feels safe. They want to be surrounded by what makes them happy, and that doesn’t have to mean luxury or lots of possessions.” Thanks to her 40 years in the industry and as owner of the Designers Furniture Gallery for the past 30 years, Marilyn speaks from experience. She adds, “The recent devastation in Haiti makes us see how undependable the world is. I think there’s a mindset to take what we have and make the most of it. It makes us stop and ask: ‘Do I need six bathrooms or a separate room for everything?’ If you live simply you don’t need as much. That’s why I believe in selling quality furniture that you will love for years.” The Designers Furniture Gallery is a retail store that offers 8,000 square feet of exclusive furniture and accessory lines, as well as a staff of interior design professionals. During my recent visit, I was impressed with the store’s wide range of styles. They extend from modern to classic, and showcase deep woods to shiny metals, rich fabrics, and timeless accents. Along with her team of award-winning designers, Marilyn says she aims to create a comfortable store that boasts great designs that are accessible to everyone. For example, you can schedule an hourly consultation at your home to discuss colors, furniture placement, or a new rug, for example. As she puts it, “Sometimes it’s as simple as moving a lamp or rearranging furniture to make you just love a room.” On the flip side, Marilyn and her staff can work with your architect to design your new home and furnish it from top to bottom. Customer Sharon Dunham worked with Marilyn to build her new home. “Luckily, Marilyn was involved with every step,” Sharon says. “Thanks to her expertise, she caught a big mistake at the beginning. Her input led us to switch a bedroom to the other side of the house so our living room looks at the golf course.” She adds, “She did a wonderful job decorating too. I asked for the house to be open, and it flows beautifully with colors, fabrics, and carpeting. She achieved a look that’s so effective yet not repetitive; she makes it look easy.” As for trends in the design world, Marilyn notes that just about everyone is adding more light. “Fifty years ago, houses weren’t lit how we like them to be lit now. More lighting can make a house more comfortable.” Sometimes, she adds, electricians are even adding more circuits for large lighting solutions. There are also more green decorating options that help preserve the environment than ever before. For example, the store carries a sofa that’s made of recycled water bottles (yes, water bottles), and its cushions are made of soybeans. “If we can all think green, we can make a big difference. However, it’s hard to be green,” Marilyn comments. For example, she explains that bamboo floors, which are often thought of as green, can take more energy to create than traditional wood floors. “It’s like a new invention in many ways: if the item costs twice as much, people probably won’t buy it. We need to keep thinking up new ways to be green.” Interestingly, Marilyn tells me that price isn’t always the guiding decision for home purchases. She says surveys show that people first want quality. Marilyn takes great pride in shopping the country for quality-made furniture pieces. “What I buy has to be functional and durable so it can stand the test of time. I have one client who’s had a sofa for 20 years. She’s finally getting tired of the fabric and will probably re-cover it.” Pam Vaughn is another customer who values Marilyn’s expertise. “I moved into a 1917 home, and began putting little pieces around the home but they didn’t look right.” After meeting with Marilyn, Pam discovered that she has a mission-era home that looks best with bold, larger pieces that feature clean lines, natural materials, and beautiful woodwork. “She helped us turn a house into a home that connects to its roots. It’s good to have another studied opinion so you can spend your money in an informed way and avoid costly mistakes.” As for other tips to make our own homes more comfortable, Marilyn tells me about one of her favorite books, The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka and Kira Obolensky. “This book makes a lot of sense. It makes us think of material things and helps us ask, ‘Do I need all these possessions?’ If you don’t, maybe you can store them or recycle them to family members.” Just as we like our homes to feel welcoming and comfortable, Marilyn and her staff are busy bringing that similar feeling to hotels. They worked with 15 of them last year alone. “People in commercial business are looking for the same warmth and comfort as home,” she says. “They want a hotel to feel like a home-away-from-home.” The demand for remodeling projects is also increasing. “Five years ago we weren’t doing the proportion of remodeling we are doing now. There is so much more of a focus on the environment we live in,” says Marilyn. She says she enjoys working on floor plans with architects and engineers to maximize how the whole space will function together. Marilyn’s signature philosophy is to help people create beautiful interiors that inspire and refresh. It makes sense that one of her favorite short stories is A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway. She says the story describes how a person wants a place to rest and feel safe. “More than ever we have to have a place that we love and where we feel protected.” If you’re interested in learning what great design can do for your home, consider a visit to the Designers Furniture Gallery to browse or to attend a free monthly event. This month, come see local artists creating works of art on Saturday, February 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 498-8777. The Designers Furniture Gallery is located at 12123 Emmet Street, and its Web site is www.designersomaha.com. The showroom is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
The Designers Furniture Gallery |
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