Designers Shine Re-cap

At the Designer Bath showroom with Ann Murdock and Linda Hentschel

of Renaissance Interiors, Nancy Faye Glass of Glass House Designs

and Laura Gifford of Gifford Events

Lindsey Wishart and Julia Frost of Chive Events  serving up designer cocktails 

A swag bag of goodies for each of our Shine Award Party guests

My summer has been a busy one. I am just getting caught up with posts that detail events that took place in July! The “Designers Shine with Designer Bath” award party was certainly a highlight of my one year anniversary as the marketing director at Designer Bath (officially on the calendar last week, but technically started with them around mid-July of last year on a freelance basis). This was a special opportunity to celebrate the relationships our showroom has with the interior professionals that use Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing Supply as a resource on their kitchen and bath projects. It was also a fun way for me to combine work and pleasure. How great was it to host a party at work and have so many of my design friends on the invitation list? To see more photos from the event – along with the announcement of the winning designer who will be featured in the next issue of Design New England Magazine – see my Designer Bath blog post.

photo by Cassandra Charest

Speaking of magazines, I am extremely happy to announce that part two of the summer issue of New England Finery is now online! I have a lot to say about how much this issue means to me, but before I start another long blog post, I will leave you with this photo by Cassandra Charest, a Lawrence high school student whose work really moved me while sourcing content for our follow-up to the Habitat for Humanity Home Builders Blitz that took place in early June. Along with her photo essay, there are some great tips on achieving designer style for less plus a scrapbook of photos that highlight the five days that it took to build a home from the ground up for two deserving families in Lawrence. It was an amazing process to witness – get a glimpse of it by checking out the time-lapse video on page 59. Wouldn’t it be nice if all of our home renovation projects were completed as quickly? 

Habitat for Humanity Builders Blitz Week!

This week began with gray skies, torrential rains, swirls of wind and chilly temps ... so unseasonal for the beginning of June.
But on location at the Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity Builders Blitz project, I have heard that volunteers arrived wearing sunny dispositions, and were immediately warmed by the positive energy surrounding the Market Street jobsite in Lawrence. When the planning for this type of multiple-contractor project begins almost a year in advance, the actual coming together of all the parts – in the span of one week – is a sight to behold. It is almost like a choreographed dance (don’t tell the guys I said that!) Tomorrow I am visiting the site to help out my logistics team members and snap some progress photos for New England Finery Magazine. Although truth be told, I really just want to soak up the good karma and see for myself the house that hope built.

New England Finery + Habitat for Humanity

New England Finery Issue 6: Rendering by architect Andrew Steingiser

I am really excited to announce that the spring issue of New England Finery Magazine is now online! Well at least part of it ... this issue will be covering from beginning-to-end the building of a two-family home that will take place over the course of ONE week! Across the country, over 200 homes will be built by Habitat for Humanity affiliates during a nationwide Builders Blitz this June, and two of those homes will be built just 30 minutes from where I live. The Merrimack Valley chapter of Habitat for Humanity is partnering with a team of some pretty amazing building professionals and dozens of local volunteers to ensure that the home you see in the rendering above is completed within the one week time frame. In order to achieve this goal, there is a lot to be done before the build. Click here to see where the story begins ...


Would you like to be a part of this exciting project? Click here for volunteer and sponsorship opportunities.