Modeling life
Designer Interiors crafts growing business out of making model homes feel lived in

By Jennette Smith
• December 01, 2003

Don't call Mary Olk a decorator.

While Olk, owner and CEO of Troy-based Designer Interiors, makes a business of outfitting model homes with furniture, bedding and window treatments, her craft has evolved in recent years. As buyers have become more sophisticated about tastes and design trends, Olk's business has changed, too. Builders are noticing that buyers respond not only to nicely appointed rooms but also to details in the models, such as pictures, board games, plants, exercise equipment and even luxury dish soap.

"The model looks like someone really lives there," Olk said. "People feel they can just move right in."

The field is called interior merchandising, and Olk's business is a rapidly growing practitioner, hired by builders such as GTR Builders, Singh Development Co. Ltd., Moceri Cos., S.R. Jacobson Development Corp. and Curtis Building Co. to create an extra sales advantage. The look of the individual model homes - including details - is thought out carefully depending on the demographics of the prospective buyer.

Olk's business has grown from a company with about $500,000 in sales in 1997 to $1.75 million last year. Olk said she expects to finish this year with about $2 million in revenue.

The rise in business can be attributed to changes in the industry and Olk's track record. National builders frequently invest a great deal in interior-merchandising strategy for home models, and local builders have taken notice, Olk said.

Second, clients that have used interior merchandising can see tangible sales results. And finally, prospective customers are more interested in design trends than ever, with the popularity of retailer catalogs and TV shows such as "Trading Spaces."

Comments from home buyers prove Olk's skills, said Craig Menuck, a principal of Curtis Building in Farmington Hills. There's no doubt her philosophy helps sell homes, he said.

"The models are not just like a pretty showcase," he said. "She makes it feel warm."

Curtis has hired Olk for projects such as the homes built at Cherry Hill Village in Canton Township and expects to hire her for an upcoming development in Lyon Township, Menuck said.

Olk uses warehouse space in Clawson and Novi to store her collection of everything from rugs and baskets to faux grapefruit. Her project time lines can vary from four weeks to several months. Budgets typically range from $20 to $30 a square foot.

Olk hires subcontractors for tasks such as installing wallpaper and drapes. A team of about eight typically works on a model assignment, encompassing four staff members and subcontractors, she said.

Olk started in 1973 as a custom-drapery designer and gradually added design and merchandising work. She switched to interior merchandising for model homes about 10 years ago.

She has gained insight on industry trends through formal training and by visiting furniture trade shows, such as the recent International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, N.C., in October.

A style likely to show up in her local interior merchandising next year is a nod to the 1950s, with pastel colors and less of an emphasis on earth tones. Children's furniture is another hot area with more choices, colors and manufacturers than in previous years, Olk said.

Builders increasingly are concerned with making sure model homes look fashionable and pulled together, said Shirley Maddalena, owner and principal designer of competitor Maddalena Design Ltd. in Birmingham, a residential and commercial interior designer.

Maddalena said she has made a similar priority to fill out rooms with high-quality accessories. For example, the kitchen is finished with cookware. Around the home are framed photographs of "real people."

"The mission is to make it look more realistic and people-friendly," Maddalena said.

One caveat to the accessory and interior-merchandising trend is that there is a point where a home can look cluttered and crowded, Maddalena said. So, it is important for the hired professional to keep things looking finished, yet elegant.

And attention to detail is key. For example, making sure cabinet hardware or bathroom faucets blend with the rest of the home, Maddalena said.

Olk said she has input on these details and also, in many cases, on the layout of rooms. For example, she suggested Clinton Township-based GTR Builders add a second upstairs fireplace to a home in Macomb Township, based on a flue already installed for a first-floor fireplace.

Frank Moceri, a partner in Auburn Hills-based Moceri Cos., said that by hiring an expert, the company saves the time of researching national or international design trends. It has hired Olk for many projects around Oakland Township and Northville.

Moceri said another strength that Olk brings to the table is reliability and quick turnaround.

"When it gets down to the last few weeks, there's not as much lead time for final touches," he said. "She always exceeds expectations."

Jennette Smith: (313) 446-0414, jhsmith@crain.com