DYI™ New Product Avoids Wrong Sized Furniture, Saves Time and Money

Furniture World Magazine

Meeting an obvious market need, DYI™ Life Sized Furniture Templates are taking the soaring renovation and home design scene by storm. Two entrepreneuring women designers, founders of Design Yourself Interiors, Inc., have created and copyrighted a product that takes the intimidation factor out of furniture purchasing. Consumers need never buy the wrong sized furniture again as these clever pre-printed craft paper template kits allow shoppers to arrange furniture in their rooms before they ever venture to the store. A very user-friendly alternative to traditional ¼-inch scale drawings, this product makes it easy to “place” furniture and determine its appropriate size and best location before buying it, which can save a small fortune in returns, re-stocking and re-ordering fees. Customers across the country are laying out these sturdy brown paper “footprints” on their floors in order to fit sofas with coffee tables, and accent chairs, or dining tables, chairs and china cabinets, as well as king size beds with night stands and armoires. Kathy Wagner, one of the product’s original developers explains, “The great advantage is the templates are “life size that you can touch them, feel them walk around them, put them on an angle to picture what the room will actually look like.” Melody Davidson, co-owner of DYI™ and a Kansas City interior designer herself, adds, “It also helps spouses and other family members understand what you’re trying to achieve. And you can determine whether or not something will fit through a door or up the stairs, avoiding a lot of disappointment when you get it wrong!.” Both Kathy and Melody agree that they have received a lot of attention and support from both consumers and the trade with other designers calling to thank them for saving them money. “The templates kept me from ordering the wrong furniture for a client’s new home,” said Tammy Henderson, a Grain Valley, Missouri Design Consultant. One of the first people to purchase the new product after its launch last October, Tammy took the kits and tested her design plan for a current client. In a very short time she realized her original plan was not going to work. The templates allowed her to adjust her plan and determine just the right fit for the homeowner. She is sold on the concept. There are several kits to choose from: Living Room, Dining Room, Family Room and Bedroom are the foundation of the collection with new kits and other design related products in the works. The kits sell for an affordable $39.99 each or $149.99 for a set of four. For more information email mathis@bellsouth.net. DYI will be exhibiting at the International Gift and Home Furnishings Market in Atlanta at the America’s Mart, July 15-19, 2005, Booth 3-5-2215.