Archive for December, 2009

Weekly Intel: Light Reading to Carry into 2010

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

For some light reading to carry you through the New Year, check out the links below. Lots of must-read round-ups and predictions for 2010. Enjoy!

Most Influential Home Products of the Decade

5 Forecasts and 7 Predictions for 2010-2020 That Shape Innovation and Economic Growth

Cheers: Send a Virtual Toast With Waterford Crystal’s Cool New App

Builders Zero In on New Goal of Energy-Neutral Housing

5 “House Books” That Will Have You Hooked

Facebook: 5 Predictions for 2010

10 Marketing Predictions for 2010

Tags: energy-neutral housing, Facebook, facebook predictions for 2010, house books, marketing predictions for 2010, product innovations, waterford crystal app, weekly intel
Posted in Weekly Intel | 1 Comment »

Happy New Year!

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Happy New Year! On behalf of the entire Home Intel team, thank you for following us over the past year. We have enjoyed sharing our passion for interior design, home decor, marketing and eco-friendly living with you. Here’s to a successful 2010!

Tags: 2010, More Home Intel, New Year
Posted in Marketing | No Comments »

Home Intel’s New Year’s Resolutions

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

As we head into a new year, many of us are likely making resolutions to lose weight, work out more regularly or even pay down the credit card bill. Well, this year, the Home Intel team asks, what is your design/home decor resolution for 2010?

Over the past few days, we asked several of our colleagues what they resolve to do in 2010 to help inspire you. Take a look below to find out what a few IMRE employees have in mind for the new year.

Kris Welsh, Account Manager, Contributing Editor

My design-related New Year’s resolution is to reduce clutter and donate the HUGE pile of toys that my kids don’t use anymore to charity. In 2010, I am going to simple, clutter-free and easy-to-clean!

McGavock Edwards, Account Manager

This is the year that we will finally finish the dining room! While our home is usually the place for extended family gatherings, the little family that lives here (my husband, son and I) hardly ever use the dining room. I have been putting it off for a year, as I wanted to make some structural changes, but the painted wall paper, brass chandelier and paint color I can stand no longer! To really kick things into high gear, I have set a goal of having the dining room complete by summer. Hmm, I wonder if I will get this accomplished!

Kristen Jones, Account Manager

My husband and I are discussing the notion of selling our townhouse in the spring, so our New Year’s resolution is to make some easy upgrades to our home this winter so that it is ready for selling season. Some fresh paint, new light fixtures, hardware, appliances and maybe event some new carpet in the basement are all quick, easy fixes that are sure to give our house the upper hand.

Emily Rill, Account Executive, Contributing Editor

This year, I want to focus on my closet. I am all about organization, and my closet is a pretty decent size, but it could definitely use some strategic help. I want to put some shelves on the walls and really use the space I have. Its time to get out the measuring tape and get to work at my house!

Caitlin Haskins, Associate Account Executive

This year, I need to get organized! After a quick move to my home, there are still boxes left unpacked that I have neglected over the past few months. My resolution is to make time to un-do a rushed packing job so that the my entire home is more organized and efficient. Once I am more organized, the next goal is to simply enjoy my new space.

Now that you know what we will be up to in 2010, we’d love to hear from you. What are your design resolutions?

Tags: 2010 home decor, Home Decor, interior design resolutions, New Year's resolutions
Posted in Home Decor | No Comments »

Top iPhone Apps of 2009

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Most consumers have heard the phrase, “There’s an App for that,” as it relates to the variety of Apps that iPhone makes available to its owners. In the home and building industry, that statement remains true for many home improvement needs. Our experts researched iPhone Applications that relate to this industry, and came up with a list of five top home improvement Apps for the year.

Handyman Sidekick

Functions as a calculator for gardening, wallpapering, painting and flooring
Converts and saves units of measurement for easy reference
Eliminates the need for a contractor on small jobs and saves a few dollars by figuring the amount of needed materials for a project

ConsumerReports.org

Serves as a trusted resource for consumer product testing
Offers information on products for the home, and ways to get the best bang for your buck
Great to reference before starting any home improvement project

Drywall Calculator

Adds up the square footage of a room so you can quickly assess how much dry walling is needed for any room in the house

Home Sizer

Calculates the square footage of a room or your home
Can be used when designing a new home
Offers a file manager to save data
Offers a mortgage calculator to estimate monthly payments

Goal Tender

Designed to keep home improvement goals and projects on track
Allows you to write down and review your goals
Allows you to track your success rates

The Fixer Upper Blog mentions these Apps and more in a list of 20 Apps that relate to home ownership, home maintenance, energy and technology. As the iPhone App trend continues to increase, our experts have begun research to find out what new tools will be available in 2010. We imagine that no matter what the job is, eventually there will be an App for that too! Check back in 2010 for new Apps that apply to the home and building industry.

Tags: Best iPhone Apps of 2009, consumer reports, Drywall Calculator App, Fixer Upper Blog, Goal Tender App, Handyman Sidekick App, home improvement Apps, Home Sizer App, iPhone apps
Posted in Trends | No Comments »

While Magazines Suffered in 2009, Exciting Things to Come in 2010

Monday, December 28th, 2009

In 2009, the print business (like many other industries) suffered from the recession, which resulted in numerous magazine closures throughout the year. Although we may be slightly biased, it appears that the home industry took an especially hard hit as trusted household names collapsed.

Many of the ceased publications, including Domino, Country Home, Southern Accents and Metropolitan Home, had been in production for decades, so it is understandable that readers were devastated to say good-bye to the editorial teams that made interior design come to life each month. Likewise, manufacturers had a tough time coming to terms with the changing media landscape. After all, just like homeowners turned to several of these magazines for inspiration each month, manufacturers looked at these outlets as platforms for promoting new products, trends, etc.

In 2010, our experts predict that consumers and manufacturers alike will look to online outlets as a means of researching and sharing news. With the number of social online media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn on the rise, information is becoming more readily available and consumers are increasingly trusting their peers for direction when making their final purchase decisions. Additionally, companies themselves are creating accounts on Twitter and Facebook as a way to communicate news about their industry and generate product awareness for their brands.

Our experts anticipate that 2010 will present an opportunity for the home décor/design industry to get creative with their approach to the new media landscape, and reach out in new ways to their target market.

Tags: changing media landscape, Country Home, LinkedIn, Metrpolitan Home, s Facebook, Southern Accent, Twitter
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Home Design Sites to Follow in 2010

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Home Intel provides a few of the online resources we plan to watch in 2010

At Home Intel we’ve mentioned our extensive reading list of online home design and eco resources, and we’ve even highlighted a few of our favorites. Today we’re giving a list of top sites we’re keeping our eye on in 2010:

Inspired Designer – This blog is a chronicle of interior designer Kristin Boise’s discoveries, ideas and projects all related to the home. This blog features beautiful images and a variety of ideas for modern, traditional and country tastes when it comes to home décor.

Houzz – We love this online community where homeowners, professionals and all design lovers can come together to share and get ideas on home décor and design. Houzz takes what could be an overwhelming amount of information and divides it neatly for visitors to find what they’re looking for by searching by style, space and city. Houzz features new trends as well as tips on how to maximize what you have and deal with most any design dilemma imaginable.

Lorna Sass At Large – Lorna Sass is one of our new favorite citizen bloggers for 2010. Her blog has a focus on her experiences in the kitchen and cooking with strong tie to living a more sustainable lifestyle and making greener choices. Lorna provides a very real look into her everyday life and shares some great advice and lessons learned along the way

Modern Hippie Mag – Modern Hippie Mag is an overall eco-lifestyle site. It’s the perfect place to go for product reviews, tips and ideas for living more environmentally conscious at home with family, fashion and food (to name a few categories).

Kitka Design Toronto – Kitka is the blog where Juli and John of Toronto share their favorite home design related findings and share updates on their recently opened showroom – Mjölk. With a focus on Scandinavian style and innovative home products that have modern yet warm appeal, there is no shortage of beautiful images and posts to scroll through on this site.

The list of who we’re following is never ending and the above blogs are just a highlight of what we’re looking forward to in 2010. What blogs, sites and online publications are you following in the new year?

Tags: eco resources, home design, Houzz, innovative home products, Inspired Designer, Kitka Design Toronto, Lorna Sass At Large, Mjölk, Modern Hippie Mag, Scandinavian style, sustainable lifestyle
Posted in Marketing | 3 Comments »

Great Holiday (And Anytime!) Gifts for the Home

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Style, Technology and Convenience Are Key Attributes to the Best Home Gifts

The home is an extension of oneself… as one philosopher or smart marketer has surely once said. No time is that truer than during the holidays when we all look to make purchases for friends and family that are personal and meaningful. Holiday gift-giving has gotten more creative each year as online offerings have become more diverse. Holiday “gifts for the home” even take top spots on some retailer online navigation tabs, making “home gifts” a legit shopping category.

We at Home Intel have made a list of our favorite gifts for the home. These are not only cool purchases, but they are marketed on smart online sites through trusted retailers (some of whom still have free shipping! Hurry!).

We’ve given each a category of its own, to help our readers quickly view what may be a perfect gift for the people on their list…

The “It’s All About Me” Gift idea: This beautiful monogrammed doormat from Frontgate is made of coco fiber composition’s heavy weight that helps the mat retain its place outside the door. And, it lets all your guests know it’s your turf! Classy and durable.

Courtesy of Frontgate

The Photo Junkie’s Gift Idea: Digital photo frames have come a long way in the past few years. This one from Phillips has a 10.4-inch LCD screen that’s not too big for the desk or coffee table. The attractive frame enhances home décor, and cuts back on the clutter of multiple mis-matched frames.

Courtesy of Phillips

The “It’s All About The Food” Gift. Williams Sonoma can be trusted to retail beautiful cookware and home items that – regardless of function – manage to dress up the house. This is a great example… A beautifully designed All-Clad waffle maker (exclusive to WS) with advanced heat technology, a steam-release system and an overflow trough for us messy folks.

Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

The Gift of Music. Red Envelope, trusted for smart, thoughtful, useful gift lines, comes through with this attractive addition to a home sound system. The SoundDock®, designed with Bose® technology, delivers powerful performance in a small size. It also has an infrared remote that controls the system and basic functions of the iPhone or iPod from almost anywhere in the room, and lets you switch back and forth between playlists. Stylish and functional.

Courtesy of Red Envelope

The Gamers Favorite Chair Gift. Technology meets comfort in this emerging furniture trend – the gaming chair. Perfect for all ages, Target.com offers a variety of sizes and colors that will make sitting on the floor to play video games just a bit more comfortable and fun. Audio Rockers, as they’re called, are on the rise. Check it out.

Courtesy of Target

Happy shopping – not only this holiday season but all year round.

Tags: gifts holiday, Home Decor, home gifts, Philips, Red Envelope, Target, Williams Sonoma
Posted in Home Decor | No Comments »

Buying Green Beyond the Product

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

There are other options than purchasing green, efficient or recycled products for consumers trying to be more eco-minded. What’s just as important as the product a company puts on the shelves, is the brands operating standards and how that item was developed. Today we’re taking a look at products and brands with sustainable or green operating standards.

There are a lot of ways a brand can take measures to align with greener standards, such as using efficient machinery, practicing eco-philanthropy or using only natural materials to make a product. Wal-Mart took a creative approach towards being eco-minded when they developed their pizza box campaign. This program turns leftover cardboard into boxes for their own line of frozen pizza.

SC Johnson has a number of initiatives to keep their top position among the popular names of brands working to be sustainable. One of their larger goals is to reduce their emissions rate and use more clean energy.

Some eco-brands’ most commonly purchased products aren’t even marketed with green messaging. Take Unilever for example – they make items for home care, personal care and hygine and even a number of major food brands. When you’re picking up a pack of Knorr dip or a bar of Dove soap, though you may not realize it you’re supporting the eco-brand which is focused on reduced water use, efficient packaging and sustainable agricultural sourcing.

These are just three examples of companies and brands trying to make a difference by cleaning up their operating standards. As consumers learn more about the eco-lifestyle and eco-conscious shopping its important to communicate that there are options beyond a product made of completely recycled content.

Consumers are doing just as much good by buying a regular product from a brand that uses clean energy or has reduced waste in their manufacturing process. Visit this link for a list of 2009’s top sustainable brands.

Tags: eco-brand, eco-conscious shopping, green operating standards, purchasing green, recycled products, SC Johnson, top sustainable brands, Unilever, Wal-Mart
Posted in Green | No Comments »

TFF Launches New Interactive Website

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Tropical Forest Foundation Web Site

The Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) (IMRE client) just launched a renovated, state-of-the-art website. The interactive format is more accessible and educational for its current supporters, prospective participants, contributors and media. The resources and robust research contained within the site will allow TFF to support its mission to increase sustainable forest management and conservation in tropical regions across the globe.

Tropical Forest Foundation’s work often goes unknown in the US because much of the change TFF makes happens in tropical forests across the world. As demand for environmentally responsible products and services rapidly increases in the home design, organizations like TFF will become more and more vital to product manufacturers and designers across the country. Training in reduced impact logging and third-party certification such as TFF’s is critical for assuring both manufacturers and consumers that natural resources have been harvested using sound, sustainable practices. TFF’s new website takes into consideration that consumers and manufacturers need easily obtainable and reliable information, thus, it has positioned itself as the first step in forest sustainability, and with its new website, provides faster access to this information.

get-verified

The website’s updated on-site project section helps bring TFF’s work to life, with interactive tools that allow viewers to learn about projects in South America (Brazil and Guyana), the Congo Basin (Gabon), and in the Asia Pacific (Indonesia) through a multimedia format.

picture-2

“In order to play an active role in conserving one of our most precious natural resources, tropical forests, we feel it is pertinent to be, not only, a service provider but a source of knowledge for our supporters and contributors,” remarked TFF President, Keister Evans. “We are proud to unveil our new website. We encourage current supporters to re-visit the site for updates and organizations considering involvement or sponsorship opportunities to visit the site to learn about how they can play a larger role in this critical issue.”

Tags: fsc, IMRE, tropical forest foundation, wood certifications
Posted in Green | No Comments »

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