i can remember standing in the middle of this little space, once the fabrics, tile, rugs, paints and pillows starting coming in, and telling pat, “i don’t care if i ever do any business back here i just love being surrounded by all these things”.

needless to say, what is going on back in that little area is far above and beyond my expectations.  i guess it goes back to doing what you love and the success will follow.

the growth in our studio has required us to take a leap and that is to purchase another building (if you can believe we don’t have enough room in this one!) and expand our studio even further.  so…we have a place under contract and if all our zoning issues are resolved you will see further expansion of the modmood studio later this year.

most of the work we do in the studio comes from those who walk into the store.  you would think that since we have a lot of contemporary, vintage and mid-century modern in the store that the design opportunities would follow those styles.  however, much of our work encompasses MANY styles.  i was recently discussing this with one of our modmood fans and he said he thinks it is because there are so may people that want to get outside their style box but are nervous about it.  they feel comfortable with you and your team because your experience is in many styles and you can bring that modern edge to the more classic looks…hence our new tag line: modmood a modern twist to the classic styles.

check out our design page and see some of the things we’re doing.  there are a few photos of some of our work posted.  we will soon have a before and after segment but in the meantime have fun browsing at some of the photographed staged units.

fortunately in those 20 years i didn’t get too far from my love and passion since part of my job was working with some of the great designers, architects and developers across the united states.  after 20 years in the corporate world, i’m back doing design work.

working with people, helping to define their space – whether it’s their home or office – is really fun!  it also has it’s challenges, as you can well imagine.  when we opened modmood i was able to take a small space in the back of the store and surround myself with fabrics, tile, textile, rugs, wallcoverings, etc.  the hope was that i would be able to once again work with people in selecting products for their space.  fortunately this segment of our business has really grown.

i find myself with not only one but multiple dream clients.  what makes a dream client for me?

one who actually listens to you suggestions: deborah and rusty are perfect examples.  i went to their home for a consult and we walked through and around their house looking at the things they had done.  as i made suggestions here and there she made her notes.  about a week later we spoke and she said she was ready to move to the next level as she had done everything on the list…i about choked.  how many times do people ask your opinion and then actually follow your advice?  this was so refreshing!

another instance – a client and i were talking about doing some things a bit outside her comfort zone.  i was listening to her as she was explaining to me why she wasn’t comfortable doing something different.  she stopped, looked at me and said “let’s do it!  why would i hire you if i’m not going to make changes?”  to which i say…if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten!

one who doesn’t breath down your neck: i’m currently working on a very large project in boulder.  this woman is very high powered, owning her own business with about 10,000 employees.  she is a dream client because she let’s me do what i do…design and decorate.  in the beginning she was more hands on, but once she felt more confident that i understood her needs and i had her best interest at heart, all she needed was a clear understanding of the concept.  ”what is the design concept?  what are the fabrics and colors?  what is the estimated cost?” then she would leave me alone to work out the details trusting in my abilities and expertise.  does it matter if the bedspread drops 14″ or 15″?  to me, yes.  to her….?

you are trusted to make it right: as much as i hate to admit it, not all jobs go perfectly.  there may be upholstery, drapery, rug, or production issues. the perfect client doesn’t go crazy and make your life a living hell.  you are given time to make it right.  have you ever heard the term “snake bit”?  it’s used when a job just seems to be destined for trouble.  no matter what you do to make sure everything is done correctly,  it just doesn’t matter – the fabrics out of stock, the manufacturers customer service entered the order incorrectly, the heartland is flooded.  a dream client understands that no one wants the installation to go more smoothly than the designer.  believe it or not, we care MORE than you. our name and reputation are on the job, not to mention our desire to please!

these are just a few characteristics of the dream design client, but i think you get the gist of it.  are you really going to do anything suggested?  do you really want something different than what you have? can you trust someone who does this day in and day out to do their job? and can you give them space to make it right when and if something goes wrong?

of course it goes without saying that all designers and decorators are not created equal.  it’s important to do your due diligence and make sure you and the designer connect, that they do in fact have integrity, and really care about your project.  once this is established, if you can say yes to at least 3 of the above questions, you can be someones dream design client!

before I get ahead of my self, my name is michelle and i am working with pat (one of the owners) handling the vintage collectibles and  also with jeanne (the other owner) and the design team in developing our “style” profile and interning in the design department.

our collectible vintage collection continues to grow. we are partnering with a very reputable company vandm.com (vintage and modern) based out of new york. v and m is an online marketplace for vintage and modern designer furnishings and other pieces. this partnership has expanded our customer base by reaching many customers outside of colorado. just recently, we shipped a laverne & estelle chair to paris- even though I haven’t been YET, I couldn’t help but get excited with the notion.   we  also shipped some fab barstools to arizona, and while working with the customer, learned her sister was a wonderful regular to the store. check us out

after majoring in psychology,  i’m having so much fun working with the style profile  (not sure if that is really the word to be used…still working on that) it’s  a great tool to help people identify their style.  we understand people can’t be easily categorized, especially if you are like me and your style  is constantly changing but we are developing a fun and unique tool that helps you understand your likes and dislikes in your living environment. We developed a formula that combines (your root )where your heart is (your mood) what mood your in right now and your own personal edge (that thing that makes you unique).

this tool will enables us to understand you and your style better so that we can work with you to create a space that reflects the uniquely wonderful you. it is still in development but should be completed by mid-month and we look forward to sharing more with you.

everyday is a new day here. the customers/clients, consignors and artists are all so intriguing and i love to listen to the dialogue, especially “my mom had one of these!” people get excited and are having fun! right now, as I type, we are being serenaded by a customer and he is spelling mississippi and many other words backwards—i love it.

i’m excited to be a part of the team and look forward to you meeting you on your next excursion to “the mood”.

since we’ve  just completed our first full year of business i want to recognize those players whose contributions made us so successful.  the nominees for our MVP AWARD are:

samantha b.– she tags/prices most of our merchandise, enters purchase orders into our cumbersome system, greets everyone who comes into our store, keeps our store clean and tidy despite every attempt by me to bring more clutter and inventory whenever and wherever i can, oversees our advertising including craig’s list postings, twitter tweets and facebook frequencies.  she makes vendors accountable for shipping issues and defective products, merchandises our vignettes, makes contributions to our future e-commerce presence and does such mundane tasks as making sure our restrooms are suitable for shoppers and our furniture is spic and span.  she is a friendly multi-tasker who balances her responsibilities at work with the demands of our 3 grandsons.  high five for samantha!!

tim tebow – if you haven’t been tebowing lately we’ll forgive you “non-believers”.  it was a storybook year in broncoland until the clock struck midnight last saturday in new england.  was it just coincidence that during the broncos great turnaround and improbable victories we were setting sales records to match?  that first play of overtime against the steelers was one of the most exciting in colorado sports history.  the tebow to d.t. catch and touchdown created more euphoria in denver than i’ve seen in years and it contributed to a supercharged , spirited and uplifted business climate as well. thank you tim!!

will bobo – transitioning from ameristar chef to our star “schlepper” was our best trade. pound for pound he is one of the strongest men I know.  he’s upbeat even when handling the most difficult tasks, he has a terrific sense of humor, is super smart, deals with my ever changing priorities, has mastered the trailer maneuvering course, shovels snow, empties trash, recycles our cardboard, balances the end of day reports in record time, fixes lamps, legs, leaks and loads.  he’s an up and coming salesperson, “no” is not in his vocabulary and he is our consignor’s best friend. he’s a wonderful dad, cook and hip-hopper and maintains a year round vigil for his beloved washington redskins. GOBoBo!!

jeanne – she is our heart and soul.  she has the gifted ability to connect with all customer types, a networker supreme, handles our IT,  she creatively merchandises our  windows and showroom (our push, pull and drag queen), heads up marketing, has outstanding personal and professional virtues, is a gifted designer who satisfies customer styles from post-modern to traditional and everything in between, she closes virtually every deal, never complains (unless she is tired or hungry), has 20/20 business vision, always prompt to our 5:00 am sales meetings, a risk taker but a methodical decision maker, she is responsible for our incredible vendor relationships, she            purchases inventory creatively and correctly, enjoys color, texture, style, her new lifestyle and fast cars. slow down GiGi!

connor g. – he is the best bookkeeper that never took an accounting course.  ambitious, diligent who can balance college curriculum and business responsibilities.  he’s easy going, a long distance commuter, art work display specialist and conscientious.  he is loyal, a math maven, dependable, flexible, tech savvy, carries a lofty GPA, keeps me abreast of the sport’s world, installed our security system and has never had a complaint from a customer.  he has a mr. universe bod and mucho karma to match.

give me a C-O-N-N-O-R!!!

…the envelope please…the winner of the modmood/RETRO Consignment MVP AWARD is (drumroll please)…OUR CUSTOMERS!!!!!!  Yeah! Yeah!

you win and it’s absolutely true.  you have made it all possible for us.  without you we could not buy great inventory, have done the outstanding remodel project just completed (for which we won a big award and now we share with you), every other improvement we made and every upgrade we did, all the groceries we purchased, our health insurance, our retirement fund contributions, the utility bills, all of our mortgage payments, the lines of credit, going out to dinner, paying the kid’s tuition, the car payments and every damn thing we have we owe to you.

so it is my honor to present this award to each of you who have and are making our business possible, successful and fun. cheers and thanks!  as a token of our appreciation and as a reward for whomever read this, my first BLOG, please take an additional 5% off any purchase without restrictions until the end of january 2012 by simply saying during the transaction “i’m the MVP!”.

2012 is here and we have all made our resolutions, right?  was one of yours to do something with the space you live in?

mine was…you would think since i do a lot of the designing and merchandising for the store that my own home would be a showplace.  but in fact the old adage, “the cobblers children have no shoes” is alive and well at my home. hopefully this year i can get a few more things done and practice what i preach.

sermon #1 – layering

it doesn’t have to happen all at once.  just as in nature, layer by layer we can build our space and environment.  we can do a few things first, live with it, then add the next, and the next, and so on.  often, when we try doing too much too fast, we can end up with an overly decorated space AND furnishings and accessories that don’t really speak to us or about us.

i had one client recently tell me that his impatience is probably due to the fact that he watches too much HGTV and wants to have it done in a weekend like all those home makeover shows.  i say, go away for a weekend, leave your credit card and we could do just that.

but, do you really want to have it decorated and done or would you rather have something that is an extension of you?

my husband and i were talking this morning about how much we enjoy working with the folks that come into our store…  our customers and clients are very connected to their homes and each piece and thing purchased is a treasure.  they aren’t just filling their homes with truckloads of furniture but are deliberately selecting and examining each piece to make sure it’s the right one.  a far cry from those who fill up there homes with pieces, designs and colors only to impress or worse just to get it done (mark it off their list).

so, let us help you jump start your resolution and come into modmood and RETRO Consignment and enjoy our

design services and design department

beautiful new and used furnishings and accessories

our vintage collectibles (also can be seen on v and m)

great collection of consignment furnishings

register on our contacts page for our monthly promotions.

and….if you keep us busy enough i won’t have to feel guilty come 2013 when i haven’t completed by home make-over!

expansion

modmood studio

modern shed

custom furniture

buy it on-line

auctions

fabulous sculpted wall panels

you’ll be hearing more about each of these in the coming months.  our goal is to  offer the friends of modmood and RETRO Consignment unique experiences and products.  we know the economy  and the stresses of our daily lives can take it’s toll and we want to make your home and businesses special, exciting and fun.

we are so appreciative to all of you who have faithfully supported our new business this year.  2011 was a very successful year for us, not only have we exceeded our overall sales goals, developed some wonderful vendor relationships, met some of colorado’s great local artists, but we have met so many new friends who have become a regular part of our lives.

it is an added bonus for all our hard work when you spread the word to your friends and it is especially exciting when you bring your out of town guests, friends and family to experience modmood and RETRO Consignment.

thanks so much for making 2011 a good year and we are wishing you and your all the very best in 2012!

the season of gift giving is here.  one of my favorite things about about gift giving and the holidays are the packages.  it’s not what is in the packages that i love so much but  the presentation.

i like it when thought has gone into the “decorating” of the package.  i love beautiful and unique paper, ribbons and bows.  if you don’t like to wrap boxes you can always use a gift bag, just be sure and use alot of tissue paper and curly ribbon.  bright colors, whites, greens, reds, golds and of course you have to love those great “kids” wrapping papers.

i remember one year wrapping all the packages in elaborate paper and wonderful bows to match the decorations on the tree.   of course this was back in the early 80′s and i was living in the south….all “gussied” up,as my grandma would say.  it did look magical.  btw, i think that was the year our little toddler (now much older with toddlers of his own) pulled the tree over and crushed all those beautifully wrapped packages.

then one christmas i used all kraft paper to wrap and green and red “curly” ribbon on everything. that year i used the natural wood carved ornaments as decorations of the tree.

my daughter in law, kotomi yoshida (btw a great clothing designer), always puts so much thought into the packaging.  her cards are hand made and she creates envelopes and special wrapping for all the gifts she gives. it’s a treat every time you receive anything from her.

things have changed now, i hardly have time to buy presents, much less wrap them creatively.  but i am learning to use what surrounds me daily.  we have so many things in our vintage section that can serve as wonderful “decoration” for gifts, and then the wrapping actually becomes another gift itself, many times costing less than wrapping paper and ribbon.

here’s a few “wrapping” ideas:

using vintage pieces to “wrap” is good but they also make excellent gifts, particularly for those people who seem to have everything.  nostalgic pieces always make good presents:

modmood has added some great gift items for children for the holidays, some new-some old:

books and puzzles are always fun during the holidays:

and of course new items work also if they are unique:

the push is on to get the store decorated for the “holidays”.  since when did the holidays mean christmas and it starts before halloween?

it’s very difficult to mix  halloween, thanksgiving and christmas decorations, don’t you think?

anyway before i get started on the holiday decorations i wanted to take a little time to talk about my favorite holiday… thanksgiving.

why have i always liked thanksgiving?

• first it is in some form or another a 4 day holiday
• there are no gifts associated with it – except maybe bringing some food to someones house
• there are relatively little or no decorations
• as a single mom it was one of the holidays that was not devastating if it wasn’t my turn to have the kids.

even though i am no longer able to enjoy the 4 day holiday (since friday is the biggest shopping day of the year and we ARE retail) it’s still a favorite.  our oldest daughter now hosts our thanksgiving celebrations, accepting and assigning contributions from all for our favorite dishes.   she enjoys having a lot of people around on the holidays so needless to say the crowd usually involves not only our immediate family (13) but various grand parents, in-laws and other friends and we’re never quite sure who “those friends” might be.  i recently overheard a conversation she was having with a visitor to our store:

customer: “are you open on thanksgiving”

samantha: “no, we take that as a holiday, won’t you be with family and or friends?”

customer: “no, i don’t have any family here”

samantha: “come and have lunch with us”

i held my breath (as i’m not as generous as she is)

customer: “no, no, no, i don’t like all that family stuff, just thought i’d like somewhere to go during the day!”

whew!!!  but i have to love her heart and intentions…right?

thanksgiving for our family is fun for all…we go bowling first thing, yep that’s right bowling on thanksgiving.  then for all who are interested there is brunch around 11:00.

"papa pat" with the 2 oldest grand children cyrus and eli, bowling!

after brunch/lunch, we lay around, watch football and/or do some planned activities (usually some form of arts and crafts). then the feeding frenzy begins!

the craft this year was making pilgrim hats, aren't we a handsome crowd??

it’s interesting how each person holds their own idea of what one should eat for thanksgiving.  there’s the turkey bunch…the ham bunch…the healthy bunch… and the vegetarians and all the side dishes that go with each.

but somehow it all comes together beautifully and we have a great dinner, watch a little  MORE football, nap and then the deserts begin – what are your favorite thanksgiving day deserts?  some of my favorites are pumpkin pie, pecan pie, hershey delight

happy thanksgiving!

before i leave the thanksgiving celebration and go take care of my decorating, i wanted to tell you one of things we are thankful for… our friends.  you have made this little retirement project absolutely delightful, thanks for being a part of our modmood family.

i’ve put together a few things in modmood and RETRO Consignment that remind me of colorado’s  beautiful fall weather and also of thanksgiving.  enjoy…and when you’re out and about on “black friday” come visit “the mood”!

we purchased the building in january of 2010 and officially opened in the fall of 2010, in the midst of an economic crisis.  probably not the smartest thing –  in most peoples minds (even flashed through ours at times), but in hindsight we were brilliant!

it has been a great experience.  the city of wheat ridge has been fabulous to work with and wheat ridge 2020 worked very closely with us and helped us receive a federal grant for the renovation of this historic piece of our little city.  i love the wheat ridge tag line, “deep roots and a short commute”, and that’s the truth.  a lot of the work we do is downtown and guess what, it’s a 10 minute shot down 38th or 44th.  so those of you holding off because you think wheat ridge is in “east egypt” come on over!

when we first looked at the building (photos below) pat asked me, “are we too old for this?”  we may be,  but it’s keeping us young and we’re learning a lot.

BEFORE…

NOW WE’RE HAVING FUN!

in case you’re wondering we are very diverse:  staging, design, retail, consignment, estate sales/liquidations…look for more in 2012 (it’s already in the works)

we stumbled across the denver neighborhood artist kirsten bingham through our “de-staging” business and sold the piece very quickly.  kirsten heard we had a piece of hers and contacted us…and are we glad she did.  her work is great and custom pieces are easily and quickly done for our customers.  here are a few of her items, you can also find her work on etsy and our pricing is the same.  we have several of her canvases (starting at $119 for a 24×24) in the store at any one time along with many of the 8×10 and 14×16 prints ($12 – $26). we’ll be happy to work with you to customize your piece.

another great art product that affords original art at a great prices is from artists guild of america, how they manage to do this is really interesting.  they find artists work they like or has been submitted to them and then have it hand painted in california using blank canvas, genuine paints and the like, each piece varies a bit as each piece is hand painted, they limit the number or pieces produced.  they pay a royalty to the original artists.

we’ve worked with the guild for a year now and have found their pieces really beautiful and affordable.  the top few rows of the below photos and scattered throughout the rest of the images are some of these great pieces.  come by and see them in person.  we’ve received a great shipment of 16 pieces and the prices range from $249 to $399. click here to see even more…