September 29, 2003

Designer Interiors by Mary Olk Celebrates Three Decades of Creative Service in Award-Winning Style

Troy, Michigan – By landing top honors at this spring’s Sales & Marketing Awards, Designer Interiors by Mary Olk earned gratifying validation of its ability to create compelling residential living environments for its builder clients.

Its talents, however, are best reflected in a business base that has more than doubled over the last five years; a record of success that showcases a rising appreciation for the Troy company’s proven skills as an interior merchandiser. Founded in 1973 by Mary Olk, Designer Interiors today provides merchandising muscle for the region’s leading builders of single-family homes, condominiums and luxury apartments, producing distinctive interior ambiance for community models, sales and leasing centers and clubhouses. From floor coverings to lighting, kitchen cabinetry to bedroom furnishings, Olk and her staff paint a detailed lifestyle picture for potential residents.

“Presenting a new model is no longer just about making sure the bedspreads match the curtains,” Olk said, noting that as competition for new buyers has intensified and consumer marketing has become more sophisticated, builders depend on interior merchandisers to style model spaces that entice buyers.

“Over the years, our builder clients have come to appreciate the power of model merchandising as a way to bring their plans and creativity to life for buyers,” Olk said. “Builders are selling a lifestyle, so it’s up to us to produce an image of that lifestyle that truly complements a potential resident’s needs.”

Designer Interiors’ recent performance at the Building Industry Association of Southeast Michigan’s Sales & Marketing Awards represented the fourth consecutive year it won top honors for homes valued in excess of $600,000. In previous years, it was also awarded the top prize for homes valued over $300,000. The company’s success is more accurately measured in its sustained growth, Olk said, noting that production in the last decade has expanded from 10 new models or community clubhouses a year to more than 50 projected for this year. Recent high-profile assignments include the new 2003 Homearama model for C.R. Miller Homes at Stratford in Washington Township, and a Moceri Companies’ show home at The Oaklands, which served as a featured attraction during The Somerset Collection’s 2001 Home and Garden Show.

“We invest a great deal of time analyzing specific buyers groups to understand not only their design tastes, but to discover how they spend their time and use their homes,” Olk said. “We work closely with builders and their architects throughout the design process to ensure a space is created that can be appointed with fixtures and furnishings for maximum effect. The end results are life-functional environments designed to project livability with an up-to-date warmth and style.”

In addition to working closely with builders and architects, Olk said she researches new design trends by visiting malls and shopping centers to understand not only emerging color or fabric preferences, but to analyze consumer demographics. She also travels regularly to shop national furnishing and accessories markets in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and High Point, North Carolina.

Designer Interiors stocks its favorite pieces at its Troy warehouse, providing essential convenience, flexibility and value for clients. It also subcontracts services such as drapery or wallpaper installation through its a network of proven vendors.

“It’s pretty routine for us to be working under extremely tight deadlines so that our builders can meet their Grand Opening schedules,” Olk said. “That means having the right people and materials in place and ready for installation quickly and professionally.

“The final products are sales models that help buyers truly visualize their living environment, and feel comfortable with their buying decision.”

To learn more about Designer Interiors by Mary Olk, or to arrange a tour of one of its models, call the company at 248-649-5885. Visit its website at www.designerinteriors.com.