Our staff of researchers, policy analysts and information technology specialists are expert at researching what goes i to the products that we are specifying for our homes, schools and offices. We often uncover surprising information. For example, we learned that natural, “unfinished” wood flooring is sometimes treated with pesticides during shipping. Although we are not ourselves designers, we value your profession so highly that we have two ASID Fellows on our Board of Directors.

For the past two years, with the support of the ASID Foundation, we have been working with the leading publisher of green building information, www.BuildingGreen.com, to create new tools that will help designers in their quest to create the healthiest possible interiors for clients. You can learn more about this work on the ASID Foundation website, and read case studies about cutting edge projects that were dedicated to creating the healthiest possible interiors.

Beginning next week, we will be presenting these case studies to the design community in a series of three webinars that will not only help you create healthier environments for your clients, but also, I believe, make your practice, and your profession healthier in every sense of the word.

Well-informed designers who can truly create healthier environments for clients will build value for themselves with the growing segment of the market that is insisting on fewer chemical emissions from interiors and furnishings. As I explained in my article in the spring issue of ASID ICON, new initiatives in the building products industry and the LEED rating system create incentives for commercial real estate owners to invest in healthier interiors, and interior designers who know the difference between green alternatives and green wash. This expertise will also help differentiate your practice to even the most traditional residential clients, who will perceive added value in services that automatically take into account healthy building practices.

Pioneering interior designers such as HBN Board members Penny Bonda, FASID, LEED Fellow and Linda Sorrento, FASID, LEED AP BD+C, have invested many years in developing green design standards that have created much healthier environments where we live, work and play. This work is on the verge of going mainstream, with the prospect of improving the overall health of the design profession as we emerge from one of the toughest down markets in history. I hope you’ll join us for our first webinar, Introduction to Sustainable Design Resources, on May 22.  Click here to register!

Visit the ASID Foundation website for more information about the full series of webinars.

Bill Walsh is Executive Director of the Healthy Building Network, a national nonprofit organization promoting healthier building products and strategies. In 2012, he was awarded the USGBC’s Leadership In Advocacy Award.

The Foundation will be hosting a live and silent auction during the June 21 gala, offering exciting products and experiences that celebrate and showcase design. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Foundation’s partnership with the 1% Program of Public Architecture.

Get your passport ready!
Beautiful, private and accessible to all of Italy, Villa Cerrone is perfectly situated for relaxing, reading, cooking and truly enjoying the Italian way of life. Located mid-way between Rome and Florence in the heart of Umbria, Villa Cerrone is perfect for those who are looking to experience the unspoiled rural life of Italy. Villa Cerrone comfortably fits up to 8 people. (Valued at $4,200. Donated by Gary Wheeler, FASID, FIIDA.) Get more details about this auction item!

Click here to see a complete list of auction items.

British footballer (that’s soccer to us) Fabio Borini says if he had to choose a new career, it’d be interior design ow.ly/ijYaG

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! Maybe try the Oreo Cookie challenge like this robot.http://ow.ly/iSSqM

The Slot Sofa, it’s like Tetris for the home! ow.ly/iT0s6

Longing for the outdoors but stuck at work? Bring the outdoors to you (or your clients!) with the Terrarium Desk. fb.me/2S1Zx8UFu

Top Retweets of April?

Mark your calendars for the ASID nat’l conference @DwellonDesign 6/21-6/23 in LA Register – Please RETWEET!

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like.#Design is how it works. -anon #truth

How many of these “top apps for Interior Designers” do you have? Other’s you’d suggest? ow.ly/ijZh7

Perfect for a Friday afternoon: View the floor plans of your fav characters’ homes ow.ly/ikciB

Spring has sprung. In honor of the buzz in the air, here are a few honeycomb inspired #design.ow.ly/jr5KA #creativity

For more daily interior design updates, subscribe to ASID Twitter.

Similarly, the AIA Billings Index improved slightly in February, at 54.9 compared to 54.1 in January, which was the strongest growth in billings at architecture firms since the downturn began in early 2008, according to the AIA. The AIA inquiries index rose to 64.8 for the month, again the strongest reading since the design recession began.

Performance Mixed Across Industry Sectors
Although overall performance was about the same, many sectors experienced improved billings in February. Gains were registered across the industry, in commercial and institutional sectors as well as residential. The AIA also reported that each of the major building sectors served by architecture firms saw growth in design activity in February.

Multihousing, which had declined to 40 in January from 49 in December, reported a15-point jump, returning to positive territory at 55, its highest level since January 2012. Single family residential also continued to regain ground, reaching 59 in February, following a 5-point increase in January (from 51 to 56).

Commercial sector performance was mixed, with modest increases in hospitality and entertainment but declines in office and retail. Hospitality continued to improve, returning to positive territory at 52, the same level as in fall of 2012. Entertainment also nosed into positive territory at 50, after two months of negative scores. Retail, which enjoyed a 17-point jump in January to 58, posted a near 20-point decline in February, dropping to 38.9 — although that fluctuation may reflect the overall low representation of retail within the Index panel. Office reported a 4-point drop, dipping just below positive territory to 49.

Both healthcare and government/institutional reported substantial gains for the month of February. Government, which had floundered through the second half of 2012, posted an index of 64 — up 17 points from January and its highest posting since the Index began tracking in November 2010. Healthcare reported a 10-point gain, moving further into positive territory at 60, its highest point since December 2010. It is too early yet to determine if these are seasonal fluctuations or an indication that these sectors may be on the path to recovery. Education, in contrast, continued its slump, dropping a point to 38; it has not posted in positive territory since January 2012.

Regional Economies Driving Growth
Billings improved, albeit modestly, in those areas of the country experiencing overall economic and demographic growth, while other regions continue to struggle through recovery. After a two-month decline into negative territory, the West rebounded in February, reaching 52.4, its first positive reading since November 2012. The South posted only a slight gain, at 60.9 compared to 60.4 in January. Both the Northeast and Midwest, which had experienced gains in January, lost ground but remained in positive territory, at 51.7 (from 60.3) and 51.5 (from 53.1), respectively.
Among those panelists who reported increased billings in February, the majority (60%) said billings increased only between 5 and 10 percent. Among those that reported a decrease in billings, half said billings decreased between 5 and 20 percent.

Long-term Outlook More Optimistic
An increase in consumer spending and consumer confidence gave designers a lift in February. The ASID “confidence” index rose to 74 in February from 66.4 in January, indicating that more designers anticipate business will improve in the months ahead. Nonetheless, designers remain cautious and concerned about their prospects for 2013, noting that the gridlock in Washington over the federal budget and uncertainty about whether the global and national economies will continue to improve, remain critical factors as to whether clients are able or willing to undertake new projects.

About the ASID Index
Launched in November 2010, The ASID Interior Design Billings Index tracks performance data for billings, inquiries and product sales specific to the interior design industry. The index is based on a monthly survey of 300 firms and provides a tailored perspective on billings, business conditions and economic outlook. The results are compiled into diffusion indexes centered on 50, with scores above 50 indicating an increase in billings, and scores below 50 indicating a decline. More information on the index can be accessed here.

In the Grand Salon, the “Max” sectional, designed by Thomas Pheasant and named after his father, has a relaxed softness about it with a modern silhouette and details like the custom brass nailhead at foot. The custom brass and glass “Link” cocktail table, also by Pheasant, is an example of luxury and organic form, with improved performance. Many owners will use it with a statement rug or flooring with unusual floor character, as the unusual low iron glass allows the flooring to play a part in the setting. This makes it an ultra-neutral cocktail table that can make a statement with any style & color.

The “Perla” floor lamp in solid brass with a silky bronze finish has murano glass pulls flecked with white gold, like beautiful jewelry! A fabulous black lacquer George III Oriental Laquer Cabinet (England, c. 1760), from Stately Homes and dramatic accent “Terrapin” lamp in bronze by Tony Duquette is cast in bronze and features a large shell, topped with unique finial and Murano glass (c. 1960). The mix of styles and periods creates a “collected” transitional look that is fresh and lovely!

Angela Gutekunst, Allied ASID, is an Atlanta native and graduate of the University of Georgia. A professional member of IDS, she now resides in Lake Mary, Fla., and is principal of Angela Gutenkust Interiors Inc., specializing in residential interior design.

While ASID regularly attends High Point, this show marked a particularly exciting event for us as we increased our involvement with a series of events and outreach.

“High Point is an incredible show, with incredible energy, so having an increased presence at the show is a natural fit for ASID,” said Randy Fiser, ASID CEO. “It’s the ideal setting to bring together our members and our Industry Partners for a week of unlimited opportunities to network and engage with the industry.”

ASID-sponsored events included the ASID Society Social, hosted by our national Industry Partner Surya in their beautiful High Point showroom, and the popular Design Viewpoint Speakers Series. Sessions from the Speakers Series included panels on mastering client relationships, defining your brand, and perhaps most importantly, pricing your services. A session titled  “What Price is Right?” was led by Decor Mentor founder Lisa Ferguson and offered expert strategies for getting paid fairly for your creativity, intellectual property and experience.  A handout of this session is available by emailing info@decormentor.com.

In addition to our sponsored events, other highlights from the show included on-the-ground coverage of a number of events including a press event with style maven Aerin Lauder, book-signing parties (not to mention amazing new product introductions) in the Currey & Co showroom, the launch of Design Camp with ASID leader Lori Dennis, and the highly anticipated unveiling of the Stanley Furniture High Point 70,000 square-foot flagship showroom – a sight to behold!

We’ll return to High Point for Fall Market October 19-24 and we hope to see you there!  Until then, for more photos and highlights of this show, read more here.

CR Laine prides itself on being all about style, comfort and color, and I certainly saw that at their showroom last Friday. Their new theme is taking a garden journey and I sure did! Instantly, I fell in love with their Claybourne sofa (shown in here in Siamese Shamrock fabric & Fruitwood finish) and can’t wait to get it into a favorite client’s living room. In addition to making some of their own fabulous fabrics and prints, the company also makes throw pillows in some major must-have fabrics from big names like Dorothy Draper, Schumacher and Kelly Wearstler.

Check out more of my “Style Spotter” selections and be sure to follow me on twitter to share your most loved picks as well!

Michelle Jennings Wiebe, ASID, is president/principal designer of the premier interior design firm Studio M Inc., based in Tampa, Fla. Studio M specializes in luxury residential design, but is also well known for their commercial interiors.

“High Point is so exciting because it draws designers and buyers from all over the world. In fact 30% of High Point attendees are from outside the U.S., so being a U.S. manufacturer, it is so rewarding for us to be able to highlight the design quality and innovation that is happening here.”  — Fine Art Lamps

“High Point is our chance to showcase our products at their best: in person! Getting to touch and experience the products gives you a wonderful sense of the scale and craftsmanship of the work.” — Currey & Co

“I love High Point because of the people – it’s so invigorating. Everyone here has at least one thing in common – we love beautiful products and beautiful design. It’s a great crowd.” — ASID member

“We haven’t seen this much energy at Market since 2007. The traffic at this year’s show has been phenomenal and is a confirmation of the positive movement we have been seeing in the economy.” — Janus et Cie

We’ll continue to update our photo gallery as we make our rounds, so check back with us soon!

ASID arrived on the scene bright and early this morning at the Designer’s Orientation with ASID leader Tim Schelfe who gave his insider’s tips and tricks for getting the most out of the world’s biggest design show. After a little coaching from Tim, we moved on to visit a few of the amazing showrooms of our Industry Partners. The prize for inspiration of the day goes to Fine Art Lamps, recipient of TEN Fine Arts Awards! And with more than 1,100 handcrafted, customizable lighting masterpieces, we understand why.

We then strolled down the street to peek in on the Taste of Design Camp with ASID member extraordinaire Lori Dennis. This engaging panel kicked off a nationwide series of workshops to teach interior designers the tips and tricks for building a brand, promoting their work and taking their businesses to the next level. Lori and her collaborator Kelli Ellis, brought together an incredible panel of “camp counselor” experts including Leslie Newsom, Helene Hollub, Katy Garrett, Lisa Mende, Ronda Carman and Bill Indursky. If today’s launch event was a hint of what’s to come, we’re excited to see what these two have in store for their upcoming workshops in a city near you!

And now the parties start! We’ll be mingling and mixing with our friends at CR Laine, Let us know where you’ll be. Give us a shout and tweet us to meet us! @ASID #ASIDHP