Sophie the Stylish Daly's Dog!

Sophie the Dog comes in to work a couple days a week with her human Courtney. So when it was time to order spring shirts for everyone, of course she was included!
Sophie has three different Daly's outfits, so she can mix it up a bit depending upon her mood.

C2 LoVo Fun

I wast to share a couple cool C2 LoVo pix of my friend Mark Robinson's new Smartcar for Robinson's Paint & Wallpaper in Collington, Ontario.

LoVo Your Walls!

Just a few weeks ago, C2 Paint introduced LoVo - luxurious Low VOC paint.

It has all the features and benefits of the premium C2 paint; it's available in all 496 colors, it's infinitely customizable (custom colors are even available in 16 oz. Sampler pots), it has the unique color system that nobody else uses in North America, 18x24" Ultimate Paint Chips made from real paint, etc, etc, etc. - and now these colors are available in Low-VOC. How cool is that?

I am so excited to report that LoVo now constitutes 24% of our interior paint sales. And in only 10 days of sales. Who doesn't want to feel good about doing good? And look good at the same time?

I See Orange Everywhere

Orange. It must be the new 'hot' color - bright, knock-your-socks-off orange.

I stopped at the University Village this morning (I am ADDICTED to Jamba Juice smoothies, and I seem to need one for breakfast at least twice a week) (They are so good!) (I like them for lunch, too), and the display designers over at Crate and Barrel were busy painting some window walls orange.

"Hmmm...", I thought. "Who knew?"

I remember when orange was the color of change at Nordstrom a few years ago, and it kinda flopped. It's Clinique's Happy perfume, too.

Then I noticed that the outdoor umbrellas (the U-Village is a high-end outdoor shopping mall) on tables scattered about were also, guess what, orange. And, the awnings on another storefront. Thank goodness the Apple store had a display that featured a pink flower - must be a hangover from Mother's Day.

I do think orange is a color of excitement and newness. It says 'let's mix it up and be different'. No more staid, boring burgundy! Or safe navy. Or bankerly green. Nope, orange.

I like that we can communicate through color - as I've said before, it's a language we all speak. Personally, I wouldn't invest in large orange objects or even clothing that I plan to keep for long periods of time. I would use the color in changeable items, like placemats, scarves or accent pieces. Unless of course you are Jamba Juice, and you want to keep it fresh!

Earth Day Birthday: LoVo Paint!

It's official now - LoVo is on the shelves!

Quality Paint Equals Better Coverage

Today at a staff meeting we somehow got on the topic of paint coverage (if you think THAT's thrilling, you should see us get excited over dry time variances!). Anyhow - here we were discussing paint coverage - and it occured to me that I have never really shared with you a little fact: Quality paint actually goes further.

If you are using an lower grade finish, you can expect to get about 300 square feet of coverage from a gallon of paint. Better paints will give you about 400 square feet. So even if it costs a bit more - you get further.

Nice!

First Day of Spring Increase

I have heard there is power to using the correct keywords in the headline of your blog... and now I have seen it firsthand. Last year I had a post titled the First Day of Spring. Well this year I had 100 times the amount of hits I usually do - but just on that day.
Wild!

What a Nightmare!

Someone sent me this image in an email... this DID NOT happen to us! However, I couldn't help sharing!

Neither Rain, Nor Snow...

I just heard a great story about a lodge restoration going on somewhere in Idaho. Apparently Daly's BenMatte is one of the only approved wood finishing products that can be used on the structure - and because this lodge is in the middle of almost nowhere, guess how they product has to be delivered to the lodge by the retailer?
By snowmobile.
6 gallons of product strapped onto the snowmobile for a 35 mile trip, to be exact!
I think this is cool - it's a great visual, and it reminds me that not every place has been homogenized to pieces.

New Product Coming!

A few weeks ago, I was back East (remember how thrilled I was to tour a paint making facility?). I saw a line of area rugs at a friends paint store - and they really caught my eye: Company C.

Interestingly, the colors in these hand-tufted rugs coordinate beautifully with the C2 Paint palette. Not only are these all natural fiber rugs, they are hand-tufted and hand finished on the edges - plus cotton-backed. But the coolest thing is that they are primarily made in factories in India where no child labor is allowed, and the factory provides schooling for the employees kids.

So not only do the rugs feel good to your toes, you feel good knowing you are buying a product that doesn't give you a 'bargain' to the detriment of someone else.

The pricing of these rugs is very comparable to pricing I've seen in catalogs and in stores - plus the designs are not cookie-cutter, they have a very unique design perspective with their products.

As a bonus, they also make decorative pillows and bedding. Nice!!!

I'll let you know when we are up-and-running with these. The rep was showing us the samples yesterday, and we had customers ripping them out of our hands, wanting to get going. That's a good sign.

We Just Can't Post It

One of the fun things the staff has been doing lately is come up with creative headlines for the reader-board on the Seattle Daly's sign. Being a creative staff, the sayings aren't always... shall we say, 'tasteful'. The challenge is to use a C2 Paint or Daly's Products reference in the headline.

So in that spirit, here is my favorite saying that you WON'T be seeing on the Daly's sign:

We Don't Take "Shiitake" From Nobody

See what I mean?

Getting Ready for LoVo

This past weekend I had the opportunity to tour the paint factory where C2 Paint's LoVo will be made. LoVo is C2's Low-VOC offering - set to launch around Earth Day in April.

From my perspective, one indicator that I'm probably in the right business is that I was actually looking forward to watching paint being made! Yes, that's right up there with watching paint dry in some people's book, but this was cool.

This factory, located in Massachusets, was even designed with input from MIT. As I understand it, it is considered a no-waste facility - meaning they utilize, recycle and incorporate every ingredient that enters the plant into the products they produce. Truely state of the art facilities, and really- if we are going to the effort to make quality, environmentally sound product, it just stands to reason that the facility should operate under the same guiding principles.

They even have a dust collecting system, so that any particulates that aren't blended into an architectural coating are recollected and used in industrial products. They use the dust in air!

Made me feel good to know that LoVo is in good hands. And, no, you can't make any snarky comments on the 'stylish' safety glasses!

Design Drama, Act 2

Blogs are amazing. They really do work sometimes. Find a topic that means something to someone, and you get feedback.

I posted my feelings about this bill last night before going home, and already I have received feedback. I want to share this comment with you, because I think it helps further the conversation along.

If the information shared below is true, then I certainly can't find any logical objection. My objection all along has been about the work we do with our customers and the threat of not being able to provide our services wherever the need is.

Creativity and design takes on so many guises and roles. As I said earlier, I think there should be room enough for all of us.

Hi Robin,
As a board member with IDCW, and a designer focusing mostly in commercial design this type of bill would impact the type of work I do on a daily basis. We definitely understand the diverse nature of the interior design industry and realize that not everyone wants to reach the highest level of certification in our field or offer public/commercial design services. We've had quite a challenge to make sure the bill language does not intentionally put designers in our state out of business. Unfortunately to most, the bill language is confusing so let me attempt to show you that the design services your staff participates in would still be allowed under the practice act. You would not be limited to offering services within your business or office; rather you would still be able to meet customers in their homes.

Direct from the current bill language: [Sec. 10 (2)]This chapter does not apply to an employee of a retail establishment providing consultation regarding interior decoration or furnishings on the premises of the retail establishment or in the furtherance of a retail sale or prospective retail sale, providing such persons do not refer to themselves as a registered interior designer.This chapter does not apply to a person who provides decorative services or assistance in selection of surface materials, window treatments, wall coverings, paint, floor coverings, surface-mounted fixtures, and loose furnishings not subject to regulation under applicable provisions of jurisdictional codes, regulations, or the jurisdictional fire codes, providing such persons do not refer to themselves as a registered interior designer.

To sum that up, as long as the design services you offer do not need to be submitted/reviewed by the building department, you do not need to be a Registered Interior Designer or have a Registered Interior Designer on staff to perform those services.

If you have additional questions or comments, feel free to contact me directly. khanna (at) gglo (dot) com
Thanks,
Kristi Hanna
IDCW VP of Allied Organizations

Design Drama

Lately there has been a kerflap over legislation proposed here in Washington State regarding the professional licensing of Interior Designers.

To catch you up:
Designer have often battled a reputation as 'Dolly Decorators' when, in fact, the truth is quite different. The outdated image of a rich housewife who has a 'knack' for decorating is long gone.

Designers are involved in many different facets of work that affects both residential and commercial situations - which often requires years of training and experience.

Here's what's happening:
The ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) is proposing legislation to licence the profession of interior design.

They feel that other professions, like architecture, accounting, doctors, etc. all require this and that design should have professional practices and standards also that require testing and peer acceptance and continuing education.

Who can argue with that?

Unfortunately, I am. Why? Because I feel they are going much too far in their restrictions, and it affects the kind of service we offer our customers here at Daly's. There is no room for compromise the way the bill is written, and that's the problem.

For example, Daly's would no longer be able to offer in-home services. We would be able to help customers choose paint colors, window treatments, etc. only within the confines of our doors, but we wouldn't be able to meet our customers in their homes, under their own lighting conditions, to help them make appropriate choices.

And that is a problem for our customers and having the ability to give them the best service we can.

There has got to be room for us all.

I also think that there are many consumers of home and design products that do not feel comfortable hiring a 'credentialed' designer - or even need their services. Overkill, if you will. Why is the act of choosing a paint color or making some window treatment decisions requiring an accredited professional? This would most certainly cost the consumer more money and effort to hire them, as well.

I find this very upsetting, because I don't disagree with many of their viewpoints, just the sledgehammer approach - I do think professional standards are important, especially in commercial situations. And I do think that those designers who want to reach the highest level of recognition in their field should have those professional options available to them. But the argument of safety just doesn't fly with that type of design my staff participates in! That's the rub.

Well, the designer fur is sure to fly!

Interesting reading:
http://www.wa-ppdf.org/
www.idcwashington.org/

Announcing.... LoVo!

In December I had the opportunity to go to NYC on behalf of C2 (with partner Shaun Clark from Waters & Brown and PR Rock Star Jill Logiudice) to meet with magazine editors at some great design publications to introduce C2's latest paint development: LoVo.

What is LoVo? It's C2's wonderful Low-VOC paint. Being from Seattle, we get inquiries ALL THE TIME from consumers who are looking for a 'green' product (although Seattle is no longer the place of Birkenstocks and fleece - we do have a bit more fashion sense!)

LoVo will be debuting in April (on Earth Day), and I can't wait! Just like the rest of the line, it will be unlimited in color offerings - You will be able to get every single C2 color, in all typical finishes.

Not only that, but we will be offering LoVo in 16 oz Samplers, too. So you can try out the product (in any color, even custom colors) and see for yourself what a great Low-VOC paint is like.

Most of us feel better using a product we know will have less of an impact on the Earth... and I am soooo pleased that we are doing this with C2!

Here are a couple images from our NYC trip:

These are the LoVo 16 oz. Sampler pots that we shared with the design magazines. You should have seen us tromping along the streets of New York, hauling Samplers, a portfolio of UPCs and color tools. Since most magazines are located within the same geographic area, it was so much faster to go by foot than by hired car or taxi. Let's just say these boots were made for walking!

Oh, and we stayed an the Hotel QT. Your 'hipness quotient' goes up just by staying there!

I know it's rather silly, but we were so excited to be visiting these great magazines - so we simply accosted strangers and made them take our picture at these different places. Some tourists go for Times Square, were were thrilled with Conde Nast.

... and Domino magazine was cool.

This Takes Downsizing To a New Level

I couldn't help but share this...

Toronto's Smallest House is Up for Sale!
This house, located near the intersection of Dufferin Street and Rogers Road is believed to be Toronto's smallest house. Occupying what used to be a driveway, it's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom house that sits on a parcel of Land 7.25 feet (2.2 metres) wide and 113.67 feet (34.6 metres) long and has an interior area of just under 300 square feet (under 28 square metres).The asking price is $179,900.!!!!

And my thought.... Imagine how spectacular this space could look with the creative use of COLOR. Who wants to live in a white box? Color could be judiciously used to help define space and make the rooms more visually interesting. Especially the Living Room, don't you think?

Off and Running with 2008

It's been a busy time.

In the world of retail paint sales, this is definitely the slow time of year (take note: if you don't like to wait in line, now is the time to come by). But behind the scenes, we are a busy company.

Housekeeping issues are addressed - We are FINALLY getting rid of the 1980's wallpaper in the reception area of the Seattle store! Goodbye 'varicose vein' marbleized vinyl! While it was a soothing peachy thing with soft violet and green veining, we aren't gonna miss ya. At all.

Instead the walls are being painted 'Beachbum' and 'Sea Salt'. Tasty and updated.

My husband Daren officially started his new role at at Daly's last week. While we have co-owned the company for a good eight years, he is now here on a daily basis to help us grow. He comes to Daly's with a lot of experience in finance and operations, so it will be interesting to see how we will apply these skills to our own little universe.

And, yes, for those who are curious, I am THRILLED he is here. We have complimentary skills, not competing. And combined with our partner Herb's experience (about 50 years at the company) and Daren's financial acumen, I think we will be creating some fun momentum in the future.

Bellevue, where our other store is located is rapidly changing. We are looking to relocate the store in the near future. I'll keep you posted as we learn more...

I took a little trip for C2 Paint in December. NYC at Christmastime. Pretty sights and very cold!

Holidaly Fun!

It's Been a Loooong Time Since My Last Post!

My how time flies when you are crazy-busy!


We found our two Christmas trees this weekend: one for the family room with colorful kid decorations, and one for the living room with sparkly, more formal decor.


This year, the kids hung their own tree - and it looks totally great. Oh sure, there are lots of branches where my 6-year old has clustered 3 ornaments on the same low branch, in exactly the same spot - but that adds to the overall effect and charm. And nobody was able to get to the uppermost branches - so it's a touch sparse at the top. At night we've been singing carols around the tree before bedtime.


I ask you, how much more "holiday" does it get than that?


I'm getting ready to head out to New York on Sunday for a Deskside Media Tour to introduce a new C2 product to a bunch of great design and home magazines. I am so excited! NYC at Christmas-time.


So in preparation for the blitz, I needed to visit the salon to get my hair done. I've been visiting Gene Juarez for about the last year, and they just relocated the salon to a new space.


About that space...


On first blush, it's great. Contemporary, but with an approachable aesthetic that helps inform clients that modern doesn't necessarily mean "cold". However, the more I really looked at the details (and when you are getting your hair colored, you have time to look!), the more the details weren't appropriate for the function of the salon (At least from my point-of-view).


In design school you learn "Form follows function", meaning that if it looks great but doesn't work well, you have not successfully accomplished your design goals. Well, the salon looks GREAT. I LOOOVE the curtain of ball-bearing chain beads behind the front counter. You just want to play with it.


And the fireplace in the waiting area - nice touch. Especially during the months from October through March.


But the banquette-styled sofas were a bust. Not comfortable and nowhere to support myself and rest my arms. Not comfortable is not a feature I am looking for when paying a premium price in a salon. No, no, no, I want to feel LUXE (which happens to also be a great C2 color, #361, by the way).


Apparently, the row of hairdryers is a real problem. They are also situated in a row with banquette seating, instead of individual chairs. My concern was that clients personal space would feel violated because there is no real designation between drying stations. And I saw a woman try and balance her lovely cup of tea on the seat, because there was no place to set the cup.


Worse still... apparently the banquette is too high and many women cannot even rest their feet on the ground! Imagine! Sitting there feeling like a little kid. So the short-term solution has been to add some throw pillows for added back support (apparently that not working so well, either), but they are going to have to devise a foot-rest or something to accommodate. And if you are a person of size - you can't stay seated easily because of the design. Yikes. One month into the new space, and that is not fixed yet. Oh boy.


I am going to be watching how the pearlized floor tiles age. They are white with a pearlized glaze and an interesting texture that gives them a lot of surface interest. They are also getting splotches on them where hair color drips onto them. Even with quick clean-up, they are getting ghost stains if you look closely. I noticed that the stylists also have this as their flooring around the chairs - wouldn't that increase leg and foot fatigue for people who must be on their feet all day? This is where "Form follows function" is IMPERATIVE, in my book. Make the staff happy and they will make their clients happy! The traffic areas are some sort of warm wood laminate flooring.


The white walls are tasty. And yes, I can't believe I'm saying that either!

The citrus green accent shots, love 'em.


I found more of that purpley-gray I've been noticing lately. Yummy.


I think it will be interesting to see how things evolve there. Will the salon age well? What changes will need to be made now that it's real-life time rather than just a concept?

Quote of the Day

"Life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint you can on it." - Danny Kaye