Press Releases
Be sure to check back soon
for an updated list of press releases. Here are some of our
latest press releases.
_________________________________
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Marcia Smart
May 2007
Smart Interior
Styling
805-241-7997
www.smartredesign.com
info@smartredesign.com
THIS SMART DECORATING BOOK DARES TO BE DIFFERENT!
(THOUSAND OAKS, CA.) Erma Bombeck was known for her
quick wit and ingenious style of writing. What if Erma Bombeck
had written a decorating book? She might have called it “Decorating
by Instinct!”
Many women and men, who are
passionate about decorating their home, are ready to trade
in those books filled with pictures of unattainable high-end
designer rooms for an enjoyable, interactive reading and learning
experience. Decorating by Instinct, a shrewdly crafted book
written in an engaging, witty and down to earth tone, by author
and popular interior redesign expert, Marcia Smart, owner
of Smart Interior Styling in Thousand Oaks, CA. does just
that.
DIY decorators who have been
craving a practical, “how to” guide on decorating
their homes, welcome Decorating by Instinct like breath of
fresh air. “Most of the people I deal with love to decorate
their own home in their own style, but struggle when it comes
to planning and executing their project”, says Smart,
who decided to write this book based on input from the clients
and students she has helped over the years. “We get
a lot accomplished when I am helping others in a one-on-one
setting, so I knew if I wrote an easy to read, user-friendly
book,
I would be able to reach out and help more people facing the
same challenges”.
In Decorating by Instinct,
Smart offers up a simple, S.M.A.R.T. five step plan to tackle
anyone’s most fearsome decorating challenge. A proponent
of the theory that decorating should be fun, not frustrating,
Marcia’s irreverent and insightful writing style also
includes decorating case studies narrated by M. Smart, Decorating
Detective, the quick-witted and oh-so-clever decorator with
edge. “I love the M. Smart character”, says Marcia,
“she allows me to flex my creative writing muscles while
offering solutions to the most typical decorating challenges
I see in homes every day.” The fact that she is a self-taught,
successful decorator herself helps Smart relate to her readers
on a more personal level. “I am living proof that anyone
can find that hidden decorator deep inside of them, just screaming
to get out”, Smart adds. “By teaching people how
to use instinct to unleash their inner decorator, my book
enables the reader to ultimately create a room in their individual
style, which will make them proud to say, “Hey, I did
that!”.
From Timely to Timeless
For many, the idea of decorating
one’s home can transition from a promising idea and
dream to a frustrating experience rather quickly. From the
outset of decorating, expectations are exceedingly high, usually
because of the award winning examples and high-end furnishings
in today’s popular decorating magazines, books and top-rated
home improvement shows.
The average do-it-yourself
decorators usually do not have a big enough budget to throw
everything out and start all over again and so they find themselves
defeated before they even begin. Yet, despite the high expectations,
limited budgets, and lack of any formal design training, millions
of people each year embark on that right of passage known
as home decorating.
Smart takes the reader on an
eye-opening journey into the world of permission-based decorating.
A fun and interactive read, at the conclusion of each chapter
there is a brief summary and set of action items that allows
the reader to immediately put to use the techniques they just
read about.
This book is timely because
it comes along at a moment when interest in home decorating
is skyrocketing. From DIY decorators who just want to learn
new and cost saving ways to decorate their home, to those
who are looking to make a second career out of decorating,
the interest in this subject is only broadening. While Decorating
by Instinct is timely in nature, the steps, principles and
practical approaches provided are timeless.
###
Marcia Smart, of Smart Interior
Styling, is a founding member and past Director of the Interior
Redesign Industry Specialists (I.R.I.S.), an international
organization of Interior Redesign and Home Staging professionals.
Marcia has appeared on the popular HGTV program, “Decorating
Cents” and acted as spokesperson for Linens ‘N
Things national “Get Inspired” campaign. As a
leading interior redesign expert, Marcia has been quoted in
numerous periodicals, been a featured guest on Martha Stewart
Living Radio SIRIUS 112, KRLA radio and ABC News Channel 7.
Her work has also been highlighted in Sunset, the Magazine
of Western Living, Entrepreneur Startups and Decorating Spaces
magazine. Marcia conducts workshops and training seminars
throughout the country. Visit her website at www.smartredesign.com
###
_________________________________
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Marcia Smart
May 2007
Smart Interior
Styling
805-241-7997
www.smartredesign.com
info@smartredesign.com
NOTHING
TO BUY, NOTHING TO LOSE: THE APPEAL OF REDESIGN
National Trainer Teaches No-Cost Room Make-Overs
(THOUSAND OAKS,
CA) Forget about knocking out a wall or forking over cash
for a bunch of trendy knickknacks that might not match your
taste. With redesign, a lot of change can be accomplished
without a lot of funds, and the results always match your
personal style, because it starts with the belongings that
already make your house a home.
“Redesign
isn’t remodeling. It’s a fast, simple way to give
your home or office a bold new look and enhanced functionality
by using the furniture and decorative objects you already
own, and that’s why it has such a strong appeal,”
explains Marcia Smart owner of Smart Interior Styling, Thousand
Oaks California. And as one of the country’s leading
interior re-design and real estate staging experts and training
instructors, she should know. “The awareness of redesign
and home staging is growing because of the home and design
channel programs on TV. It’s an exciting and lucrative
field for anyone with a passion for home decorating, who enjoys
diversity and using their creative skills.”
Marcia Smart is a founding
member, and former Executive Director of Interior Redesign
Industry Specialist (IRIS), the premier professional redesign/home
staging organization whose members, like Marcia, have been
featured on popular HGTV shows, such as Decorating Cents.
And like many I.R.I.S. members, she’s thrilled with
the awareness the shows have created, even if they have caused
a little confusion in the process.
“One of our jobs is to
help clients understand what redesign is — and what
it isn’t — which can be a difficult task, given
the diverse decorating programs on TV today”. Every
show develops its own twist on the theme. And with each twist,
it gets a little harder for the main idea to get through.
“Sometimes people expect us to show up with a painter,
an electrician, a plumber — everything short of lights
and a camera crew — because that’s what they’ve
seen on TV. But redesign is really much simpler than that,”
Smart explains. “It’s basically a skilled redesign
professional working with the homeowner to determine the best
usage of each room and arranging various elements to achieve
that goal.”
And while the process is amazingly
quick and affordable, it can help homeowners solve a wide
range of practical needs, providing what Smart likes to call
“a designer look without the designer price tag”.
From No Room to Showroom.
Everyone wants that indescribable
“Wow!” factor of the final reveal they see on
TV. Redesign clients get just that. Overgrown collections
are regrouped for maximum impact. Prized family heirlooms
move into the spotlight. And lesser pieces are highlighted
in new and exciting ways. Redesign can add the perfect punch
to one room or transform an entire house. “You’d
be amazed how a little re-arranging can open a room,”
says Marcia. Reducing clutter, moving furniture to improve
floor traffic and focusing the room’s function can achieve
wonders. “A spare room becomes an office. And a dining
room becomes a relaxing place were families want to meet.
People start using rooms they completely avoided before.”
Often Redesigners face the
challenge of combing his & hers styles. Whether it’s
a young couple starting out or two large families coming together,
merging households can be a difficult challenge. In those
situations, a redesigner can be invaluable, blending the photos,
furniture and unique pieces belonging to multiple people to
create a single household where everyone feels at home.
Sometimes you don’t need
a reason for a room make-over. And that’s where the
true value of redesign pays off. “When you’re
just tired of waking up to the same stuff in the same old
place, a redesign is your best bet for freshening up your
home without a huge investment of time and resources,”
adds Smart, who says a redesigner can give your home a dramatic
new look in just a few hours.
“The important thing
that people need to know is that redesign is affordable, practical
and personal,” Smart explains “If you want a new
way to do more with what you have, it’s the simplest
way to get there.”
###
Marcia Smart is the author of “Decorating by Instinct”.
Her expertise has been featured on TV, radio, in Entrepreneur
Start-Ups and Decorating Spaces Magazines and as a spokesperson
for Linens ‘N Things national "Get Inspired"
campaign. For information or interviews contact Marcia at
805-241-7997 or www.smartredesign.com
###
_________________________________
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Marcia Smart
May 2007
Smart Interior
Styling
805-241-7997
www.smartredesign.com
info@smartredesign.com
OVARIAN
CANCER SURVIVORS RECEIVE “HAVEN FOR HEALING” FROM
EXPERT REDESIGNERS
TO POSITIVELY ENHANCE THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
National
Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) and the Interior Redesign
Industry Specialists (IRIS) Work Together to Create Healing
Environments for Survivors Nationwide
(Thousand Oaks, CA 2007) –
IRIS has partnered with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
(NOCC) to “Break the Silence” about ovarian cancer
with public awareness and education. To ensure that women
currently in treatment for ovarian cancer have comfortable
and harmonious rooms in their home in which to focus on rest
and wellness, redesigners across the US are volunteering their
time, talents and skills to create such "havens".
“We are pleased to help
bring this service to survivors across the country,”
said Marcia Smart, former Executive Director of I.R.I.S. and
local redesigner in Thousand Oaks. “Environment has
such a great impact on psyche and it’s an important,
but often forgotten, aspect of the healing process. We are
lending our expertise and services to women coping with ovarian
cancer by creating a healing environment they can enjoy in
their own homes.”
The “havens for healing”
program includes a complimentary consultation with a re-design
specialist, as well as furniture placement, the re-hanging
of art and accessorizing with existing possessions. Emphasis
is on transforming a room into a healing environment that
is balanced, harmonious and individualized to each woman’s
preferences.
“The health community continues to advance the understanding
of the wellness benefits of healing environments. Research
indicates that an improved quality of day-to-day life achieved
through a healing environment has positive effects on patients
that contribute favorably to overall health and recovery,”
said Marcia. “We are thrilled to be working with NOCC
to make a positive impact in this way for hundreds of women
fighting the most deadly reproductive cancer.”
If you are, or know of, a woman undergoing treatment,
contact Marcia Smart at 805-241-7997 or info@smartredesign.com
for details.
#
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About Ovarian Cancer
If caught in the early stages, the five-year survival rate
for ovarian cancer is 90 percent, yet 75 percent of women
are still diagnosed in the advanced stages when the prognosis
is poor. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are subtle and hard
to pinpoint because they often mimic more prevalent digestive
and gastrointestinal disorders. Common symptoms include persistent
swelling, bloating, pressure or pain in the abdomen, gastrointestinal
upset and/or frequent urination in the absence of an infection.
Typically, two or more symptoms occur simultaneously and increase
in severity over time. For more information about ovarian
cancer, contact NOCC at 888-OVARIAN or on the web at www.ovarian.org.
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About
IRIS
Created in 1999 as a not-for-profit membership organization
to help encourage, enlighten and educate the profession of
Interior Redesign and Real Estate Staging Professionals, IRIS
(Interior Redesign Industry Specialists) is committed to building
a professional and collaborative network for men and women
who are part of this exciting and fast-growing industry. IRIS
is now ONE of the WORLD’S largest not-for-profit interior
redesign and home staging professional organizations. Visit
IRIS on the Internet at http://www.WeRedesign.com.
About
Marcia Smart
Marcia Smart, owner of Smart Interior Styling, is the author
of “Decorating by Instinct”. She is a founding
member and past Director of I.R.I.S. the Interior Redesign
Industry Specialists, an international organization of Redesign
and Home Staging professionals. She had been featured on the
HGTV program "Decorating Cents", in Entrepreneur
Start-Ups and Decorating Spaces Magazines and as a spokesperson
for Linens ‘N Things national "Get Inspired"
campaign. In addition, she is a certified seminar leader,
speaker and instructor of professional interior redesign &
home staging. Marcia conducts workshops and training seminars
throughout the country.
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