Bellevue Is No Longer a Little Suburb

Last week my partner Herb and I went on a scouting mission into the great Mecca of retailing known as Bellevue. Just past the mall and over one block is where we currently have our 2nd store. But things are changing so quickly; there is a HUGE multi-condo/retail/blah-blah-blah complex being constructed where the old Arby's (and other small scale businesses) used to be. Now there is a big gaping hole, and we can see Bellevue Square right from the front doors of the shop.

So. With the growth of snazzy shopping experiences and high-end condo living, our humble paint store needs to find new digs. This is a good thing actually. It will bring us closer to our core base of customers.

In the old days, it didn't matter that we were in the heart of Bellevue, that's where everything was. But now, it can take 15 minutes just to dive in from the freeway (less than a mile), so the hassle factor is soon going to outweigh and benefits of history. We have been on the same block since the early 60's. Before the 520 floating bridge, if you can believe it!

Anyway - Herb and I went on a hunt. BINGO!! On a whim I drove him past a competitor's paint store that is ideally located just on the other side of the freeway in a small shopping center with 2 hip furniture stores, an appliance store, children's boutique furniture store and a high-end cabinet shop. Guess what? The store is moving and the space is soon available!!

How cool would that be? Not only that, but people who used to shop at the old place might automatically come to ours.

Not so good, it turns out. The rent is ASTRONOMICAL. Plus, the landlord is not too excited about negotiating price. Scratch that one off the list. Damn, woulda been pretty cool.

All is not lost, however. Another space is probably opening up in a few months, and it's soooooo much more affordable. And ample parking. And visible from the street. And easy access.

We shall see!

Being Independent Has It's Risks

One of the reasons Daly's became involved with C2 Paint was because it was created by and for independent retailers. As in other industries, we have felt the pinch of corporate consolidations, the pressure of the manufacturer to please their shareholders over the need to please their dealers, and we are very aware of the warm breath of the category-killer box stores breathing down our necks.

Today, I am looking at another pressure. And this is by a company that we don't even represent in our stores! I suppose this is nothing new. If there is one lesson I've learned from my association with my C2 partners, it's this: Whatever affects one independent dealer affects us all. No great revelation there, really. However, it's in sharp focus right now.

It makes for very interesting times.

Speaking of interesting: My partner Herb and I are going out today to start scouting places to relocate our Bellevue store. All the development that's been happening in downtown Bellevue is showing us that we need to make it easier for our customers to have access to us. I'm excited!

Oh, By the Way

The last two tiles were installed today. Can't wait to get home and see the kitchen!

Interesting Things to Ponder...

Met with some radio folks today. Their station is going BIG TIME, 50,000 watts. That's the maximum wattage allowed, apparently, by the FCC. The only other local stations at that size are KIRO and KOMO, so it's a bit of a big deal.

Christian and I have the opportunity to go with them on their wattage journey and grow. Should we do it? How can we not? Makes a girl think... and think...

When it Rains

When it's even the slightest bit overcast customers come out of the woodwork like slugs in the garden on a rainy day. Yesterday, which was gorgeous, there was nary a customer in sight... Why is that? You'd think it'd be the opposite phenomenon. Make hay while the sun shines and all that.

So, word to the wise - come in on a sunny day!

Moral Dilemma or Opportunity Knocks?

Okay. Here's the deal:

Christian and I have been approached to start a show on a local talk radio station - currently they broadcast at a low range (wattage, power, whatever...) but they are ramping it up in near future and are planning on going head to head with the reigning talk station.

Here's the issue: By talk radio, they mean CONSERVATIVE talk radio. Not NPR. Al Franken is probably their poster boy all thing wrong in the world.

Should we entertain the idea of hosting a weekend show that focuses on interior design and lifestyle? I find the idea of a live show very appealing, but is it the right home for us?

On one hand, this is the perfect place to be heard - people listen to their radios on the weekend for just this type of content when they want a break from the stresses of the week. No politics (besides recycling of resources, going green with building materials, etc) need enter the conversation.

On the other hand...

Last year Christian and I got our toes wet by hosting a short-lived show on a station that NOBODY heard. On the positive side, we found we work very well together, our content and guests were good, our banter was light and fun without being annoying - but we weren't live and it became a lot of work to fill that whole hour without the interaction from the listening audience. Oh, and the station wasn't on ANYONE'S radar. But the show itself was a good show.

The right home would make all the difference. It will be an interesting meeting on Thurdsay when we find out more about this potential show.

Mini Vacation

The floor refinishers arrived this morning to give the kitchen floor a much needed facelift. The next two nights we'll be living at the Silver Cloud Inn about a mile down the road.

I'm not sure what is more exciting to the kids - swimming pool access on a school night or the complimentary breakfast bar. Living like a tourist in our own town. Whoooeee.

San Francisco Days...

San Francisco is a pastel city. Even colors that aren't pastels, looks so amazingly rich but soft in this atmosphere.

Everywhere you look, it's so creamy and dreamy. All the Victorian embellishments you see on buildings practically everywhere make for some wonderful eye candy - and no calories!

See this house? It's the FIRST C2 house painted in San Francisco... the paint has only been available for 3 weeks, and it's already taking off. The painter was excited to be the first to buy C2 Paint, he was waiting at the doors for the store to open at 6:30am the first day it was available.

The amount of detail involved in a project like this just stuns me. This particular painter goes to great lengths on prepping the building - which insures a long life for the paint job. No small feat considering the city is perched at the edge of the ocean - never nice to paints.

And if you look closely at the detail shot, you will see these small ball accent features... the gleam in the sun comes from gold leaf - there is no way to replicate that with simple gold paint, the gold leaf makes the buildings POP.

I think I counted 9 different colors on this facade... I lost count!

I had a blast visiting paint stores in the area: G & R Paint in San Francisco, Tamalpais Paint in Corte Madeira and Gray's Paint in Burlingame... three top notch paint dealers who are rolling out the C2 brand in the SF market, all at the same time. I am so thrilled! (Hey, I can't wear the crown of Paint Princess if I don't wax poetic about my fellow INDEPENDENT paint retailers, now can I?)

The highlight of the trip was our Designer Presentation last night at the flagship Design Within Reach furniture store. About 60 designers turned out for the party, not bad considering I was hoping we'd get about 25. Food was tasty, wine was great, the designers were wonderful!

I have another house I need to show you. Philip Reno, owner of G&R Paints has his own line of complex full-spectrum colors called Phillip's Perfect Colors. These colors appear as if they have an almost pearlescent undertone built into each color. I have never seen anything like it.

Well, there is a STUNNING home which he was involved in tinting, I think in the Pacific Heights neighborhood... Look at this - delicate colorations; but strong enough to be used on a large-scale building without loosing it's integrity.

Yummy.

Although, what's with the tree pruning in this town? I saw tree after tree pruned (I'd consider it CARVED) down to stumpy branches... awkward looking. I wasn't just this house, I saw it all over the place. I don't get it.

Here's another beauty shot:

See how the gold leaf just gleams? Wow.

Over and out for now.

Two Tiles Short

My husband has come to the conclusion that contractors are an optimistic bunch. They have to be to think they can complete projects in the timeframes they give themselves!

Tile installation took two days, not one. Not only that, but we are two tiles short. Two!

Speaking of optimistic, why did I spend a whole hour watching the Dynasty reunion last night? It was soooooo bad - not even kitschy-bad, just bad bad.

Next week I am flying down to San Francisco to help some three new C2 partners get their line launched in the SF market. This is so exciting, to be able to roll out C2 to California in a very meaningful way. We are planning a designer presentation at the Design Within Reach store, and one of the designers who is attending has regular appearances on HGTV. How cool is that?

So... what am I going to wear?

Scouting for a New Location

We've been in Bellevue since 1961. Actually, we've been on the same street, in three different locations since '61. However, Bellevue is not the same town and we need to move.

In the early 60's there were 5 different paint stores within a 3 block radius. There was no Home Depot. Bellevue Square was an outdoor complex of shops. No Microsoft.

It's exciting to consider moving. The growth of that store has been very good these last few years, and if we are more conveniently situated, I imagine it only getting better.

Currently the challenge is driving through the downtown corridor to our store. There is a lot of new condo and retail being built - but we better serve single family repaints - not new construction. So the hassle factor will soon outpace the cool factor of shopping at our store. Not a good scenario.

I think we should just follow Whole Foods. Or Trader Joes. Where goes good food, goes good paint!

Earth Day and Daly's

Saturday, the 22nd was Earth Day and the Friends of Cowan Park chose that day for a park project.

In the Roosevelt neighborhood many local residents have adopted Cowan Park, trying to keep it clean and family friendly. They have even partnered with the Roosevelt Starbucks to help maintain it and have received some park grants from them.

On Saturday, a large mural was painted behind the cable swing (which many children LOVE) on a wall that has been hit numerous times with graffiti. If there is graffiti present, it encourages more of the same. If it is covered quickly it discourages the taggers. Best of all is when there is a mural in place - because they are largely left alone. Not only that, but it looks better too!

Daly's donated all the lovely bright paint colors for the project. Many people participated in painting the mural, so it was a great group effort.

Kudos to the Friends of Cowan Park! What a great community.

I'll add photos as soon as I get them.

Choosing Our Own **** Paint Color!

Oh. My. God.

I soooooo relate to people who have trouble choosing colors. We are walking proof, and we live it all the time! I should have just hired a designer for some help! :)

First we tried C2's "Radiate" - Too bright, and it blended with the cabinetry too much.

Then we explored 5 different shades of green - NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. Even my contractor was telling us he didn't like the green. Any of them. Actually, I thought if the contractor didn't like it, we were probably on the right path...

Finally, closure. We FINALLY found the color! It's C2's "Alhambra", a deep reddish-brown. Won't my mother be surprised when she comes over? She still thinks we painted the kitchen a light mossy green. And she HATED the green concept too. And let us know it.

Half the appliances were installed yesterday, the others go in tomorrow. Need to get glass for some windowed doors, tile needs to be installed and floors refinished. That's about it. But we will be able to move in the room this weekend, if all goes well. YAY!!!!

I'm getting ready to cook up a storm. And clean the house.

Colors and Classes

Next week I'm giving a lunch presentation to the Fremont Chamber of Commerce on how to use color to create a better selling environment. I think I'll talk about color trends, how "coffeehouse" colors have influenced us all and the different effects each color has on us emotionally. Should be fun!

I am going to San Francisco at the beginning of May to help our 3 new C2 partners get rolling with C2 paint in their stores. My New England partners Harry and Shaun are also going. We will give a class to the staff and an invitation-only designer presentation at the Design Within Reach Store in SanFran.

Kitchen update: Counter are installed! It's interesting to watch the process. Those rocks are heavy, no doubt.

We finally settled on the tile for the backsplash. Unfortunately, it will delay the completion by two weeks, due to the order time. Rats! But I'd rather have a slight delay now and get the right material then to live with the wrong choice for years to come.

Eating in the Basement is Getting Old

The kitchen remodel is getting into the drag-on phase. It no longer feels like we're camping out in the basement. Now cooking in the utility room and eating at the coffee table in the TV room just feels annoying.

All whining aside, the countertops are getting installed on Wednesday! So, progress is happening, it just feels so sloooooooooow.

The GREAT PAINT DEBATE is winding down as well. Apparently this Princess of Paint cannot choose her own paint colors! How ironic is that? I almost resorted to a beige, but good sense kicked in with plenty of time to spare. What will we end up using? I dunno yet! We had a change of plans with our tile backsplash which put the paint color into nowhere-ville.

Tile is back on track (almost!), and then we will settle on paint. We have probably tried 6 different paint colors, 5 of then various tints of the same green. Once the counters are in, we must commit to tile and paint. Yet another case of impending deadline being a wonderful motivator.

Over and Out until Wednesday.

April Fools Fun

Christian and I wrote a newspaper column that was axed by our dear editor (I don't blame him, he has to keep us in line now and again). It was supposed to run on April Fools Day, and we had so much fun writing it - I was laughing so hard I was crying when we wrote it. Since we couldn't run it in the paper, I sent it out as a newsletter to our Daly's email list.

Here is is:

Dear Robin and Christian -
Over the years my wife and I have developed different collections; my wife passionately collects orca whale figurines while I like to display the trophies from my hunting expeditions. How can we best display our two collections in the same family room?
- Bud and Starr (the second R is silent)

Robin: Consider a Surf and Turf theme. Think of your room in terms of the eco system. Visually divide the room to represent the different layers of the earth: start with an ocean blue shag carpet to represent the water; If you have hardwood floors, consider an area rug in the shape of a whale. There are many custom rug artisans who can make one to your specifications. The closer to life-sized, the better. This will help balance out the scale of the heads that will be mounted above, on the walls.

Christian: When choosing paint colors, paint everything from the floor to the wainscoting in blues and greens. Above this, paint the chair rail red to represent the transition from cold-blooded to warm-blooded mammals. Paint everything above the chair rail brown to represent the **** you scared out of the last deer you shot.

Robin: The ceilings should be faux painted with white fluffy clouds.

Christian: This room presents many opportunities for fun accessorizing: First and foremost, don't forget the antler chandelier. A classic touch that no trophy room should be without. This will also come in handy during the holidays when you can hang orca ornaments from the different antlers of the light fixture for a festive look.

Robin: If you are feeling crafty, have lampshades made out of camouflage fabric and glue-gun spent shell cartridges around the base of the lampshade for a homey touch.

Christian: Make sure to display her Orca figurines in the lower half of the room. Get a hold of some Greenpeace t-shirts or flags and have them made into throw pillows for the sofa. These colors will contrast nicely with the camouflage accents you've already established.

Robin: Of course we suggest large overstuffed furniture to pull the whole room together. As you can see, this room will really make a statement and allow you and your wife to enjoy each others collections for years to come.

Christian: Don't forget to vacuum the animal trophies on a regular basis. And invest in a good shag rake for the carpet!

Robin: Thanks for your question, we really love to hear from you. We take your design questions very seriously, and answer them all to the best of our ability.

Christian: Did you really think WE were serious? If haven't guessed already - this is our nod to April Fools Day. Have a great day and if you are looking at combining orca figurines and hunting trophies - quite honestly interior design should be the last thing on your list of things to be concerned about!

There must be many people who have as poor taste and judgment as I - I have gotten more positive responses to the article than most other things we have written!

Speaking of Paint

There was in interesting article in the New York Times on April 2nd about the Lead Paint Case in Rhode Island.

Some people feel this is the Next Big Thing since the tobacco suits. Others feel that it's all manufactured fear-mongering since most homes have been repainted and very little lead is exposed.

Lead-based paint was banned from being sold in the US in 1978, but for homes built earlier, especially before the 1950's, there is a pretty strong chance there is lead present. If it's painted over, then it's probably encapsulated. But if the paint chips and exposes the old surface, then lead may be a concern.

How do I feel? I think manufacturers are in a pickle. They feel extreme pressure from their customers to make products that perform, and the lead helped do that. But there is an implied brand confidence that the consumer has in the product, and they certainly don't think it will be harmful to their health. But are they willing to give up performance for better health? Not always, I've found.

The question that I keep coming back to: Did ALL paint companies use lead back then? Was that the norm of the day?

If they made the best choice they could at the time, then I think this is wrong and it's attacking them for the wrong reason. If they had better options, then I understand the lawsuit - at least a little bit.

Harebrained Idea of the Day

Okay. I just googled "Interior Design Podcast" - not much out there. Hmmmm..... Perhaps Christian and I can create some fun content... Could be kind of cool!

Cabinet update: Chuck the contractor says we were the 2nd worst installation he's had the pleasure of working on (is this an honor I should be proud of?). Apparently there is no such thing as a plumb wall in my 1920's house. He planned for the install to take about 5 hours. Well, he and his brother arrived at 8am and left a bit after 6pm. And there are still more to go. As Christian says, "Have a plan, then be flexible".

Remember a few weeks ago I was complaining about our 1st Hate Mail? Life has a way of balancing out, and we got a truly lovely letter from a reader this weekend. Ironically, it was in response to our "Do's" column which was written to counteract the "Don'ts" column. The reader is actually going to read our column aloud at her club meeting on Tuesday. Nice!

M:I 2

Going in ... how exciting (and what a mess!)

Mission:Installation

Cabinets get delivered this morning... between 7 and 9am. Chuck the contractor says he'll have all the boxes installed by this evening. Wow!

Favorite New Colors

Last week I gave a talk to Cancer Lifeline Friends Committee about color - the physical effects of color and new color trends. The most interesting phenomenon that I observed is how energized we all became when we looked at the colors. Especially since my talk was given in a hospital meeting room that was painted a bland off-white - not very healing!

Here are some of my favorite new C2 Paint colors:
"Venus Envy" (okay, let me pause here and confess that I actually was allowed to name this one!) - sizzling hot fuscia
"Diva" - classic deep red
"Vixen" and "Temptation" - two pink-based reds
"Pillow Talk" - soft peach-pink
"Cutie" - even paler peach
"Impeccable" - one of my absolute favorites; deep coppery brown
"Al Green" - impossibly fresh green
"Urban Dweller" - is it greenish, is it beigish? It's a sophisticated neutral
"Bluetonium" - it's a good blue... not too grey, not to intense
"Death by Chocolate" - yum!
"Luxe" and "Vicuna" - two perfect neutrals
"Final Straw" - might be my new living room color
"Paper Clip" - a grey that I actually like!