Grenzgänger Folge 5: Showhouses in the USA

Artists come in many styles, shapes, and forms. Interior designers seek to make beautiful spaces that both reflect our own personal styles and serve as an extension of our lives – a sanctuary where we harbor our most valued sentiments – through the objects we possess and the people we share our lives with. Whether it’s creating something from scratch or reimagining history’s most poignant moments, it’s the people behind these industries that, individually, bring the impressions left behind by the world around them to life. However, not one of these artists began a genius, even more so, do it alone. The other half of the creative process is the sense of community. Like gears, when these circles meet they form the moving parts necessary to create a new-age artistic movement via each one’s specialization.

Opportunities for journalists

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Elizabeth Ralls[/caption]In the world of interiors, showhouses provide the blank canvas for designers to live out their most expressive urges via colors, fabrics, furnishings, art and anything needed to create their own little corner of happiness. Showhouses afford all participants to become involved with world renowned brands, designers, architects, and design enthusiasts to help one another and do it for a greater cause. Elizabeth Ralls, Editor-in-Chief of Atlanta's premier magazine showcasing interiors, gardens, remodeling, travel, food and wine, comments, “Bringing a magazine brand to life has never been more important in today's digital age, and our Showhouses bring the designers and products we feature on the pages of our magazine to our audience through an authentic extension of our brand. In addition to providing the magazine with trend-worthy, cutting-edge content (many of our showhouse designers incorporate first-to-market launches in their spaces), it's also a chance for us to engage with the Atlanta community.” Moreover, the magazine’s bi-annual showhouses are for a good cause, too. They help Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a healthcare provider for children in need.

Opportunities for design PR

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Andrew Joseph[/caption]"At Andrew Joseph PR we’ve seen the process as an opportunity for growth for our clients, from a branding perspective, but also for our own professional developments and involvement in the industry we’ve loved to work (and play) in since inception in the early 2000’s. There's a lot of different feelings about showhouses," our principal Andrew Joseph begins. "What I find is that it’s truly an amazing opportunity to work out your creative muscle. Every time we participate, I’m astonished by the kind of client/designer relationship that emerges from this experience. Because there's a vetting process it also places all participants in a higher caliber of design."[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="172"]

Jana Weill[/caption]Jana Weill, marketing director of a retail chain offering home decorating, soft furnishings, and designer services, states, “we have had a great experience here with showhouses. Some of the benefits have been getting to work with the designers that we may have not been able work with or haven’t worked with in a while. It’s a great opportunity to show them our new collections and introduce them to our brands. We’ve developed so many special relationships with the charities and organizations that produce the showhouses that have gone well beyond the length of the showhouse.”

Designers Talk

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Michael Mitchell (l.)[/caption]Michael Mitchell, principal of a gallery space and design firm:“On a macro level, showhouses help strengthen your brand, period. When the opportunity arises to design in a showhouse where that might not be the region you normally work with, it causes your brand to grow outside of your usual audience and allow others to become familiar with your work. On a micro level, there are some clients who have a set vision for their home, and while they are led by your design guidance, there are moments where, as a designer, you can’t venture too far into your own personal style, in order to keep the client happy – the ultimate goal – and showhouses afford that creative opportunity.”[caption id="attachment_4322" align="alignleft" width="127"]

Chad James[/caption]Chad James, principle of an architectural consulting and design firm:"The vast numbers of showhouse attendees allows for significant exposure, networking with industry influencers, and the ability to build stronger relationships with my favorite brands."

Byron Cordero ist Mitarbeiter unserer New Yorker Partneragentur ANDREW JOSEPH PR. Die 2012 gegründete Full-Service-Kommunikationsagentur ist spezialisiert auf die Themen Wohnen, Einrichtung, Design und Lifestyle. Gründer Andrew Joseph ist ehemaliger Journalist der Vanity Fair und mit seiner Agentur Mitglied des internationalen Netzwerks PRBI.Dieser Beitrag ist der fünfte Teil unserer internationalen Gastbeitragsserie Grenzgänger, in der Autoren aus unserem Netzwerk Einblicke in die Besonderheiten der PR in anderen Ländern geben.