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Perspectives
Thankfully the winter months and record snow falls are finally behind us. With the coming of spring and warmer temperatures comes news from Smarter Interiors.
 We are pleased to announce that four of our projects have been named 2010 Finalists in five categories for the Ninth Annual Real Estate Stars Awards presented by GRACRE (the Greater Richmond Association for Commercial Real Estate). This is a record for any single company submission since the awards ceremony started. We are honored to have worked on such a broad array of wonderful projects which includes Richmond CenterStage; the new GRTC headquarters and Maintenance Facility; Logistics University at Fort Lee-the largest US Army Logistics Center in the world; and the new Post Office and Distribution Center in Richmond's east end. To see all of the winners, make sure you attend the Real Estate Awards Gala at Lewis Ginter on April 21st. For more information, check out www.gracre.org.
Baseball's back! With the opening day of Richmond's new baseball team, the Richmond Flying Squirrels, this week, we are pleased to announce that Smarter Interiors was selected to outfit the Team's offices, conference rooms and Skyboxes. It has been fun to work with the Team's management, Todd "Parney" Parnell and Chuck Domino, and we hope to see all of you out at the Diamond on April 15th.
One of our top product lines, Allsteel, earned a 2009 GOOD DESIGN Award from the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Center for Architecture art Design and Urban Studies. Allsteel was honored in the furniture category for Stride, a new workplace solution designed by award winning industrial designer Mitch Bakker. If you aren't familiar with this new award-winning Cradle to Cradle line, drop by our showroom or give us a call at 804.358.7979.
With the coming of warm weather and more time spent out of doors, we are spotlighting Summer Classics, a premier line of outdoor furniture available though Smarter Interiors. This distinctive line of furniture can be found in some of the finest hotels and restaurants around the world. To the get the details, stop by our Tomlynn Street showroom.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues. If you see something of interest that you think should be in the next issue of Smarter Times, please drop us a line.
Greg Campbell
Randy Alderson
Partners, Smarter Interiors
Meet D.M. "Marty" Sparks
Commercial and Government Accounts Manager
D.M. "Marty" Sparks, one of the newest members of our Smarter Interiors' Team, brings over 20 years of commercial interiors' experience in both the public and private sectors. As our Commercial and Government Accounts Manager, Marty has a particular focus on local government projects. Over his career, Marty has held sales and sales management positions for furniture manufacturers and furniture dealers. In a previous position, Sparks was a territory manager for eight years for furniture giant Haworth, where he won the coveted Pentacle Sales Award. For several years, Sparks ran a consulting business where he specialized on the needs of small and startup businesses.
"I think being part of my customer's team and helping them succeed is very gratifying." Over the past few years Marty has concentrated on commercial, GSA, and local government business. Some of his accounts include the City of Hampton, James City County, Langley Federal Credit Union, Ft. Eustis, Langley AFB, the National Center for State Courts and the Williamsburg Regional Library-to name a few.
Marty holds a Bachelor and Masters Degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Local government is of particular interest as he is serving a second term as Chairman of the New Kent County Board of Supervisors.
Capabilities Statement
Turn-key solutions for commercial & healthcare companies.
- New Furniture
Smarter Interiors represents a number of premier furniture manufacturers and we are an authorized AllSteel dealer.
- Used/Remanufactured
For our environmentally conscious clients or companies with budget restraints, Smarter Interiors offers a wide selection of recycled and refurbished furniture to fit the bill.
- Project Management Services
We can manage your project from inception through delivery and installation to make sure it stays on time, on target, on budget.
- Installation & Service
No matter how large or small your project, our experienced installation and service team can provide worry-free move management and furniture installation services.
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From the NewsRoom:
Four Smarter Interiors' Projects Named Finalists For The Greater Richmond Association For Commercial Real Estate Real Estate Awards For 2010
Richmond CenterStage Is Named Finalist In Two Categories
When the Greater Richmond Association for Commercial Real Estate announced the field of finalists for its 2010 Annual Real Estate Stars Awards on February 22, four of Smarter Interiors' projects made the cut. The Annual Real Estate Stars Awards, which honor the best and brightest real estate projects of the previous year, have become one of the area's preeminent events. The Smarter Interior projects that were nominated and their finalists' categories are:
Richmond CenterStage–Renovated or Historic Rehabilitation
Richmond CenterStage–Recreational, Entertainment, Hospitality
Logistics University at Fort Lee–Institutional or Public
The United States Post Office on Technology Boulevard–Institutional or Public
GRTC Headquarters and Maintenance Facility–R & D, Flex, or Industrial
 "With such a volatile real estate market, we were fortunate to have worked on so many great projects in 2009," states Smarter Interiors' principal and partner, Greg Campbell.
More than 50 real estate projects in the Greater Richmond Region were nominated for various industry categories. Smarter Interiors had more projects make the finalist stage than any other company in the area. There will be one winner for each of 10 categories and one project will be named Project of the Year.
"In a highly competitive field, Greg and I are pleased to have so many of our projects not only nominated but make the finalists cut," said Randy Alderson, Smarter Interiors' principal and partner. "We are honored to be included in such an illustrious field of nominees."
The 2010 winners will be announced before an anticipated crowd of over 250 people at the Ninth Annual Real Estate Stars Gala, an evening event on Wednesday, April 21st at Richmond's Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. To find out the secret to Smarter Interiors award-winning furniture solutions, contact them at 804.358.7979.
Case Study:
Smarter Interiors Scores a Home Run with the Flying Squirrels
Richmond's New Minor League Baseball Team Selects Firm to Furnish Offices, Executive Suites and VIP Skyboxes
The Challenge
"Smarter Interiors went well above and beyond what we could have ever expected. All of the products and service that we have gotten from them have been off the charts great.
It has been a fantastic relationship all the way around."
--Todd "Parney" Parnell
VP/COO, Richmond Flying Squirrels
In September, 2009, when The Eastern League Baseball of Professional Baseball Clubs, announced that they would relocate the minor league Connecticut team, The Defenders, to Richmond, Virginia, they knew that they needed more than a new name for the baseball team. They knew that the existing stadium, The Diamond, was in sore need of renovation. The Diamond, which opened to much fanfare in 1985, was built on the site that had been used for minor league baseball since 1954 and had been home to the former Richmond Braves until 2008. The new team, named the Richmond Flying Squirrels, had plans that called for a $1.5 million renovation which included all new seating, a new store, renovated dining and entertainment areas and a complete remodeling of the old offices and the Skyboxes.
Smarter Interiors on Deck
 Chuck Domino, chief executive manager and Todd "Parney" Parnell, vice president and chief operating officer for The Richmond Flying Squirrels, knew the 10,000+ square foot office area needed a look that would express the unique personality of their team while at the same time provide functionality and accommodate their budget and growth. With an April 15th opening day, they only had six months to complete essentially 18 months of work. Based on a recommendation, they called Greg Campbell at Smarter Interiors.
"I was so impressed when I called Smarter Interiors," states Parnell. "Greg Campbell was on vacation but he took the call and within an hour, the Company's head of sales, Dennis Lambert, was at my office taking measurements."
Smarter Interiors Scores a Grand Slam with the Flying Squirrels
Making the most of their 20+ years of experience, the Smarter Interiors Team knew that when space and teamwork needed to be maximized as economically as possible without sacrificing comfort and style, the edgy yet economical Eurotech product line fit the bill. Smarter Interiors' head of design, Susan O'Kelly, selected a color scheme that was reminiscent of wooden bats for the laminate surfaces and fabric colors that conjured up images of ballpark fare. The guest chairs are sporty with upholstery fabric that has a hint of catsup and mustard. Other furniture included Cherryman laminate U-Shape desks, and remanufactured cubicles from Open Plan Systems.
For Domino and Parnell, Smarter Interiors hit a home run. "All of the product and color selections have been off the charts great," continues Parnell. "We went from having the worst offices in the Eastern League to now having one of the best. We now make a great first impression. "
 The SI team provided interior design and furniture specification services, project management, installation management and coordination. They are now designing and furnishing nine of the VIP Skyboxes in time for opening day. The Skyboxes will challenge any good looking club house with granite counters and rich wood cabinets with comfortable but modern furniture. The color scheme is hot chocolate, relish, peanuts and hotdogs which Chuck Domino selected from an array of choices provided
"From Greg Campbell to the rest of the Smarter Interiors' Team, they all went above and beyond our expectations," concludes Parnell. "Smarter Interiors is now a permanent member of our team." For more information contact Smarter Interiors at 804.358.7979.
Product Spotlight:
Summer Classics
With the coming of warm weather, our thoughts turn to a premier line of outdoor furniture available through Smarter Interiors: Summer Classics. With classic, unique yet timeless designs, Summer Classics redefines outdoor furnishings by combining traditional craftsmanship with innovative use of diverse materials. Their lines of beautifully produced products will change the way people think about furnishings.
Summer Classics has established a legacy of the highest standards using in house testing facilities for ultra-violet ray resistance, repetitive stress tests, finishing techniques and fabric abrasion. They use only the finest alloys, acrylic and polyester powder coatings, and solution dyed fabrics and they have designed and colored their exclusive Colores™ Color-fast, solution-dyed acrylic fabrics to bring the inside elegance outdoors. Summer Classics uses the finest brass and stainless fittings, self-leveling foot glides, and custom made swivel mechanisms. This stand out product line, available through Smarter Interiors, can be found in the finest stores, hotels, restaurants, and shops, in the United States and abroad.
To find out more, contact Smarter Interiors at 804.358.7979
Changes in Latitudes:
Allsteel's Stride Receives 2009 Good Design Award
 Allsteel, represented by Smarter Interiors, earned a 2009 GOOD DESIGN Award from the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Center for Architecture art Design and Urban Studies. Allsteel was honored in the furniture category for Stride, a new workplace solution designed by award winning industrial designer Mitch Bakker.
Stride is Cradle to Cradle certified, Indoor Advantage Gold Certified and compliant with the 2008 passage of BIFMA Design for the Environment. To see the new, award winning Stride product line from Allsteel, contact Smarter Interiors.
Innovations
Office Fit Out Trends and Designs: Always Changing with the Times
 The current trends in commercial interior design are reflecting a major shift away from the mundane environment that is often associated with offices and commercial areas. It seems that the latest commercial interior designs are being influence by the hospitality industry, the economy and the need for authenticity.
Whether it is the economic downfall or the move towards more authenticity, there has been a shift in commercial interior design away from flashy colors and polished veneers towards a more exposing, raw and modest design. Exposed brick walls, exposed concrete and wiring, modest wall colors and more weathered and aged looks are reflecting a turn towards modesty in the workplace but also in society. People are become less flashy and glamorous as we weather the current economic storm.
Furniture is always an important element to any commercial interior design and it's important that it also reflects the message your design is trying to emit. There are two trends in the current commercial interior design climate: well crafted unique furniture and recycled furniture. (The former trend is steering away from the recognizable classics and towards independent, design focused furniture that is new to the industry.) The recycled furniture is seeing an insurgence as people become more aware of their carbon footprint and the high quality of some recycled office furniture.
Smarter Interiors carries more than 30 lines of unique office furniture, including the award winning Allsteel line, which will work with virtually any office environment today and well into the future. We also carry refurbished furniture and a full line of recycled furniture from HMU. This means that we can assist you in not only being "green" but in providing a flexible, dynamic environment that will attract, inspire and retain the most creative and productive employees. For more information, contact Smarter Interiors by calling 804.358.7979.
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