Behind the Scenes with James Rixner: Christopher Guy

                                                                   

James Rixner is taking on a new show-house project: Mansionin May.  The largest room in the Blairsden Mansion, constructed in 1897-1903 in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey benefiting the Morristown Medical Center.

INTERVIEW:

1.What is the showroom’s design style and how does the furniture being used for the Mansion represent the brand?

The first word that comes to mind is "Glamor" The showroom ranges in style from Art Deco, Regency, to mid-century modern. The best way to describe the showrooms style is a contemporary mood with traditional values.

                                                       

2/3. Describe the brand and the service it provides.

Originally known for a wide range of decorative mirrors, the Christopher Guy brand grew into a collection of upscale upholstery, seating, dining tables, sofas, headboards, office furniture, lighting & a private fabric label. Christopher Guy's signature design details include the patented “Chris-X” (pronounced kris-krôs) leg design as well the “Silk Cut” upholstery & wood detail.

 Influenced by film, performing arts and the human form, the glamorous & alluring brand reflects a contemporary mood with classic values. Christopher Guy is the creator of the world’s most fabulous lifestyles. 

4. What are you most excited about for MIM?

The Grand Salon promises to be the most exciting room in the Mansion. The marriage of James Rixner’s innate talent to conjure spaces that are elegant and at the same time livable along with the sculptural qualities of the Christopher Guy items will be a feast for the eyes!

5. What happens to the products when the show ends?

All the items will be for sale. And we hope that because the public is able to view the items first hand it will encourage them to buy the items.

To visit the showroom:

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Mansion in May will be open to the public May 1st, 2014.  Restoration and decorating work at the mansion is proceeding rapidly. “With over 30,000 square feet of house and 53 interior design spaces to complete, our designers have a short time frame in which to translate their concepts into beautiful reality,” said Hofmeister. 

 

Mansion in May is the preeminent designer show-house in the New Jersey-New York area, attracting over 25,000 visitors to the event, typically held every other year. As a fundraiser for Morristown Medical Center, the event is known for presenting the area’s most unique and historic mansions, restored through the work of top interior and landscape designers.    

General Admission

Self-guided tour (approx. 1.5 - 2 hours)
Hours: 10am - 3pm, every day in May
Last ticket sold at 3pm

Ticket Pricing
$40 per person, February 1 - April 30
$50 per person, May 1 - May 31

Purchase Options
Online: February 1 - May 31
In Local Stores: April 1 - April 30
At the Door: May 1 - May 31

Sources:
www.GCTMarketing.com
www.jamesrixner.com
www.christopherguy.com
www.mansioninmay.com

Behind the Scenes, The Show-house Saga: James Rixner

"Design Showcase Houses are breathtaking homes in which every living space has been given a makeover by an interior design or landscape professional. The annual events are eagerly awaited events by design junkies nation wide, myself included." Bonnie MacCarthy

James Rixner, a five-time featured Kips Bay Showhouse participant and a three-time participant of Holiday House Showhouse, has been featured in major shelter publications including Traditional Home, New York Spaces, Interior Design and The New York Times Magazine Design Section.

James is taking on a new show-house project: Mansionin May! Mansion in May Showhouse is taking place at Blairsden- a mansion that was constructed in 1897-1903 in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey benefiting the Morristown Medical Center. 

This time James is taking on a major challenge-the biggest room he has ever done for a showhouse!

Many are debating if this may be interior designer James Rixner’s grandest show house design. (Illustrated in red in image)

“The grandeur and historic significance of BLAIRSDEN attracted particular designer interest this year,” said Mansion in May Design Co-Chair, Nancy Alfano of Bernardsville. Working with her are Design Co-Chairs Suzanne Van Fossan of New Vernon and Judie Hofmeister of Stirling. Said Van Fossan, “Over 152 design proposals were submitted from well-known designers located throughout the New Jersey-New York metropolitan area, and Pennsylvania. Mansion in May always attracts prestigious designers, but this year has been exceptional.” 

James has teamed up with top showrooms such as, Baccarat celebrating their 250^th year anniversary, Christopher Guy, Colombo Mobili, Elizabeth Sadoff Art Advisory, Alan Schatzberg  and Beacon Hill. 

This glamorous vignette is set to dazzle the crowds as designer James Rixner helps raise funds for the expansion of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit & Autism Center at the Gryed Children’s Hospital Morristown Medical Center.

Mansion in May will be open to the public May 1st, 2014.  Restoration and decorating work at the mansion is proceeding rapidly. “With over 30,000 square feet of house and 53 interior design spaces to complete, our designers have a short time frame in which to translate their concepts into beautiful reality,” said Hofmeister. 

Mansion in May is the preeminent designer show-house in the New Jersey-New York area, attracting over 25,000 visitors to the event, typically held every other year. As a fundraiser for Morristown Medical Center, the event is known for presenting the area’s most unique and historic mansions, restored through the work of top interior and landscape designers.    

General Admission

Self-guided tour (approx. 1.5 - 2 hours)
Hours: 10am - 3pm, every day in May
Last ticket sold at 3pm

Ticket Pricing
$40 per person, February 1 - April 30
$50 per person, May 1 - May 31

Purchase Options
Online: February 1 - May 31
In Local Stores: April 1 - April 30
At the Door: May 1 - May 31

Sources:
www.GCTMarketing.com
www.jamesrixner.com
www.baccarat.com
www.colombomobili.com
www.mainsioninmay.org
www.esadoff.com
www.alanschatzberg.com
www.vandenloom.com
www.beaconhill.com/

Marketing Tips: 5 Twitter Mistakes to Avoid

Social Media Objectives

• Expand brand presence
• Engage in dialogue with consumers and vendors
• Promote products and promotions
• Announce new vendors, products, etc.
• Increase awareness of business and sales

1: Auto-DM to message everyone that following you

The problem:  Using software or web apps that send everyone that begins to follow up a direct message.

Most people view this as spam and your click-through ratio on the links you post will be very low and it prevents people from building trust with your brand

The solution:  Don’t auto-send a DM to anyone on Twitter.  Build relationships with people first to find out what their needs are.  

2:  Posting Overkill

The problem:  You feel that the more post you put up the more exposure your brand will get. You are replying to tons of people and sending out lots of cool tweets that your followers find valuable. 

Stay consistent but don't over tweet. Over tweeting takes space and attention away from other Twitterers and can be bothersome to followers.

The Solution: Tweet at least once a day but limit tweets to under 5 times a day.

3:  Not Posting Enough

The problem:  Yes, not posting enough on Twitter is a Twitter sin although you might not know it.  If you aren’t posting multiple times a day, then you aren’t interacting with others and you aren’t driving traffic back to your website.

The solution:  You’re probably really busy and you don’t have time to visit Twitter multiple times a day to tweet.  I feel you.

So again, this is where a tool like Hootsuite comes into play.  Visit Hootsuite once a day and schedule multiple tweets for that day (at least 3).

4: Posting @ wrong times

The problem:  You send your tweets at times when your followers aren’t online.  As a result, your tweets don’t get clicked on and you don’t get re-tweeted.

The solution:  You need to find out when a majority of your followers are online and schedule your tweets for those times.  Luckily, there are a couple of services that can help.

5: You thank everyone & their cousin for following or re-tweeting you

The problem:  Every time you get a new follower, you send them a mention thanking them for the follow.  Every time someone re-tweets you, you thank them for the re-tweet.

The solution:  Thank people for the follows and the re-tweets sparingly.  Also, once you find out when a majority of your followers are online, schedule the thankyou’s in advance to go out during your non-peak times

Motivational Mondays: Complimentary Art of War Quotes As Backgrounds

5- Motivational quotes to help you conquer your industry. Please feel free to use these as backgrounds for your base computer, social media background, or even as a post to your friens/followers. 

 We wish you a productive and profitable week.

ART OF WAR QUOTES:
 Sun Tzu, The Art of War  

1)  “Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots.” 
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

2) “Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.” 
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

3) “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” 
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

4) “Who wishes to fight must first count the cost.” 
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

5)“The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent .” 
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

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