Nobody would be foolish enough to knowingly purchase PIZZA using a third party call-center middleman.But every day, thousands of people do exactly that when they purchase flowers for delivery! That’s because a NEW TYPE of “florist” has appeared on the scene. And that means most flower buyers pay as much as 50% MORE than they should pay! Finding A Floral Supplier When a prospective flower buyer wants to buy flowers, his first stop is usually the internet. The author’s flower shop is in Charlotte, NC and the two most widely used search terms in this area are: “Charlotte flowers” and “Charlotte florist.” When the customer searches for either of these terms, he will get a list of results. Paid results (advertising) are usually shown first. Organic (website) results come after the advertisements. When a customer clicks on an advertisement, he is usually taken to a beautiful website owned by a call-center floral middleman offering beautiful flowers, hand-delivered by a LOCAL florist. And the products are sales TAX FREE. But what is not revealed is that the middle man does not actually have a flower shop in Charlotte! The Difference Between Toasters and Flowers With “durable” products like toasters and sweaters, the location of the seller isn’t terribly important. That’s because the products will be shipped from a warehousevia USPS, UPS or FedEx. But flower arrangements are *fragile* and cannot be shipped that way! Instead, they must be locally custom-hand-crafted and hand-delivered! And this means that if a customer orders from a middleman’s website, the order must – somehow – be passed from the middleman’s company to a REAL local florist in, for example, Charlotte, NC. This “order transfer” is done by one of the three florist-to-florist networks: FTD, Teleflora and Bloomnet (1-800-Flowers). Too Many FEES and COMMISSIONS Membership in these networks is not free, so the middleman always adds a “handling charge” – typically about $15 -- to the customer’s bill to help pay for hiscosts to access to the network. Please note that the $15 handling charge usually far exceedsany TAX FREE “savings!” But the “handling charge” only helps pay for *access* to the network. The florist-to-florist network also takes a 7% commission, and also credits a 20% selling commission back to the middleman! What this means is that, for a typical online floral purchase, just under HALF of the customer’s money vanishes in unnecessary FEES and COMMISSIONS. By comparison, when a customer buys a toaster from an independent business listing it on Amazon, only a few percent of the purchase price goes to fees and commissions. With this huge profit potential available to third party floral marketers, it is not surprising that these middlemen spend huge sums on advertising and sales promotion. A few years back, one even took an ad during the Super Bowl! Buy Direct For Better Value Clearly, the consumer will always get His Best Floral Value by placing his floral order DIRECT with a Real Florist n the City where the flowers will be delivered. Sometimes it may be difficult to tell whether a Flower Supplier is located “in town.”Here are three easy ways to separate a “real” florist from a floral middleman: 1. Look for the street address, city and state on the website. Often this will be found on a tab labeled “About Us” or “Contact Us.” If you cannot find an address at all, then this is almost certainly a middleman! 2. Look at the telephone number. If the only number on the website is a TOLL FREE “800” number, then the floral supplier is probably not local. 3. Look at the invoice (before you click the BUY NOW button!) for any “Handling” or “Service” charges. A REAL florist will never add these charges to your bill! For more information about Charlotte Flowers and Charlotte Florist, please visit the author’s Flower Hut website at http://flowerhut.com. BUT, if you do not want flowers delivered to Charlotte, Matthews, Mint Hill or Pineville, NC, please do NOT order from us! Take the time to find a REAL florist in the town where you need flowers delivered. You’ll be glad you did!

This project won in the 2013 Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Housing Excellence Award for Best Urban Renewal Renovation Project. The glass bowl was made in the glass studio owned by the owner which is adjacent to the residence. The mirror is a repurposed window. The door is repurposed from a boarding house. George Mendel

Our designer has achieved a stylish look by combining dark cabinets and light-colored marbles.

Description: The Eames Lounge Chair first appeared on the Arlene Francis 'Home" show on the NBC television network in the USA in 1956. Following the debut, Herman Miller launched an advertising campaign that highlighted the versatility of the chair. Print ads depicted the chair in a Victorian parlor.The Eames Lounge Chair is widely considered one of the most significant designs of the 20th century. The Eames Lounge chair and ottoman have become the consummate lounge set, timelessly blending old-fashioned comfort and visionary modernism. Upholstered in 100% full premium Aniline Leather including piping and buttons. Shells are made of a durable seven-ply,cross-grained wood veneer that prevents warping or cracking. The cast base and back braces have a high polished bright aluminum trim. Aniline Leather is the premier choice. It has no artificial top layer applied. It is soft and pliable with a texture that caresses the hand as it runs over the surface. Details: - Dimensions: 35.4" x 33.1" x 34.6" inches (Chair) / 26.8" x 21.6" x 16.5" inches (Ottoman) - Product weight: 70.55lb - Color: White - Maintenance: Using a dry towel, wipe gently and smoothly. - Upholstered in 100% full premium Aniline leather, including piping and buttons - Black Aluminum Cast base and back braces with high polished bright aluminum trim.7-ply laminated veneer in Walnut - Rubber shock mounts connect the head and back rest allowing for flex; with a fixed backward tilt of approximately 15 degrees to properly distribute a person's weight to the back of the chair for maximum comfort. Photo Credit: Lambert McOwusu

Description: The Eames Lounge Chair first appeared on the Arlene Francis 'Home" show on the NBC television network in the USA in 1956. Following the debut, Herman Miller launched an advertising campaign that highlighted the versatility of the chair. Print ads depicted the chair in a Victorian parlor.The Eames Lounge Chair is widely considered one of the most significant designs of the 20th century. The Eames Lounge chair and ottoman have become the consummate lounge set, timelessly blending old-fashioned comfort and visionary modernism. Upholstered in 100% full premium Aniline Leather including piping and buttons. Shells are made of a durable seven-ply,cross-grained wood veneer that prevents warping or cracking. The cast base and back braces have a high polished bright aluminum trim. Aniline Leather is the premier choice. It has no artificial top layer applied. It is soft and pliable with a texture that caresses the hand as it runs over the surface. Details: - Dimensions: 35.4" x 33.1" x 34.6" inches (Chair) / 26.8" x 21.6" x 16.5" inches (Ottoman) - Product weight: 70.55lb - Color: White - Maintenance: Using a dry towel, wipe gently and smoothly. - Upholstered in 100% full premium Aniline leather, including piping and buttons - Black Aluminum Cast base and back braces with high polished bright aluminum trim.7-ply laminated veneer in Walnut - Rubber shock mounts connect the head and back rest allowing for flex; with a fixed backward tilt of approximately 15 degrees to properly distribute a person's weight to the back of the chair for maximum comfort. Photo Credit: Lambert McOwusu

The Eames Lounge Chair first appeared on the Arlene Francis 'Home" show on the NBC television network in the USA in 1956. Following the debut, Herman Miller launched an advertising campaign that highlighted the versatility of the chair. Print ads depicted the chair in a Victorian parlor.The Eames Lounge Chair is widely considered one of the most significant designs of the 20th century. The Eames Lounge chair and ottoman have become the consummate lounge set, timelessly blending old-fashioned comfort and visionary modernism. Upholstered in 100% full premium Aniline Leather including piping and buttons. Shells are made of a durable seven-ply,cross-grained wood veneer that prevents warping or cracking. The cast base and back braces have a high polished bright aluminum trim. Aniline Leather is the premier choice. It has no artificial top layer applied. It is soft and pliable with a texture that caresses the hand as it runs over the surface. Details: - Dimensions: 35.4" x 33.1" x 34.6" inches (Chair) / 26.8" x 21.6" x 16.5" inches (Ottoman) - Product weight: 70.55lb - Color: White - Maintenance: Using a dry towel, wipe gently and smoothly. - Upholstered in 100% full premium Aniline leather, including piping and buttons - Black Aluminum Cast base and back braces with high polished bright aluminum trim.7-ply laminated veneer in Walnut - Rubber shock mounts connect the head and back rest allowing for flex; with a fixed backward tilt of approximately 15 degrees to properly distribute a person's weight to the back of the chair for maximum comfort. Photo Credit: Lambert McOwusu

Example of a trendy sunroom design in Ahmedabad

Description: The Eames Lounge Chair first appeared on the Arlene Francis 'Home" show on the NBC television network in the USA in 1956. Following the debut, Herman Miller launched an advertising campaign that highlighted the versatility of the chair. Print ads depicted the chair in a Victorian parlor.The Eames Lounge Chair is widely considered one of the most significant designs of the 20th century. The Eames Lounge chair and ottoman have become the consummate lounge set, timelessly blending old-fashioned comfort and visionary modernism. Upholstered in 100% full premium Aniline Leather including piping and buttons. Shells are made of a durable seven-ply,cross-grained wood veneer that prevents warping or cracking. The cast base and back braces have a high polished bright aluminum trim. Aniline Leather is the premier choice. It has no artificial top layer applied. It is soft and pliable with a texture that caresses the hand as it runs over the surface. Details: - Dimensions: 35.4" x 33.1" x 34.6" inches (Chair) / 26.8" x 21.6" x 16.5" inches (Ottoman) - Product weight: 70.55lb - Color: White - Maintenance: Using a dry towel, wipe gently and smoothly. - Upholstered in 100% full premium Aniline leather, including piping and buttons - Black Aluminum Cast base and back braces with high polished bright aluminum trim.7-ply laminated veneer in Walnut - Rubber shock mounts connect the head and back rest allowing for flex; with a fixed backward tilt of approximately 15 degrees to properly distribute a person's weight to the back of the chair for maximum comfort. Photo Credit: Lambert McOwusu

This is an organic Lime Wash done with a true lime wash product as opposed to a brick mortar or concrete that is often seen on new houses. This product can be applied as a solid coating making the surface completely white, or can be applied and "washed off" in many artistic ways, as seen here. If you hate your brick or just want something unique this is a great option! Photo credit: Jeff Murrey

Master Bedroom with Red Bed Frame and custom drapery and bedding.
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Shou sugi ban, weathered mesquite wood and white walls around found throughout this modern home, including in the stairway.
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Gorgeous master bath with dramatic retro "wave" tile. Peak Photography
Example of a 1950s bathroom design in Los Angeles

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Union Studio / Matthew Bear
Urban bedroom photo in San Francisco

Rob Karosis
Example of a classic hallway design in New York

Governor's House Entry by Lisa Tharp. 2019 Bulfinch Award - Interior Design. Photo by Michael J. Lee
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Collaboration with Canonbury Homes and Frank Neely Design Associates.
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