HomeTech Renovations recently became a part of an organization known by the name of soles 4 souls. This non-profit organization collects ‘gently worn’ shoes and distributes them to people in need all over the world. Below is a small excerpt from the website telling the story of this organization:

“In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that hit Southeast Asia, Wayne Elsey, the Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls® Inc., felt compelled to do something. Like many of us, he did not know what to do. He was at home one night, watching TV and he saw a picture of a single shoe washing up on the beach. That triggered a few calls to some other executives in the footwear industry and the subsequent donation of a quarter of a million shoes to victims in the devastated countries.

A year later when Katrina hit, Wayne called the same group of friends, and they sent over a million pairs of shoes down to the gulf coast communities affected by the hurricane. In all honesty, he admits that he did not expect such an immediate and successful turnout. This left him wondering, why not start a non-profit and do this all the time? One year later, Soles4Souls was formally created.

Soles4Souls receives large donations from footwear companies, retailers, churches, nonprofit ministries, civic groups, schools, and individuals and saw that this could become a full time organization. That’s why Soles4Souls was created – to facilitate the donations from these groups to the people who desperately need footwear.”

To learn more about this organization and how to participate visit their website: Soles4Souls

As an artist I feel that design is an extremely important part of everyone’s lives. Anywhere you look you see design whether it is noticeable to the eye or not. Being an artist I look at the world in a much different way. I see the beauty and design in something as simple as a water bottle to the complexity of a suspension bridge. Something as simple as a wrapper package took time to imagine, design and create or something as complex as a spaceship was carefully designed an executed. No matter what it is that you come into contact with there was a design and thought process to that object. Living organisms are even designed specific ways. Design can go as deeply rooted into living objects to the other spectrum: interior design, graphic design, industrial design, architecture, etc. Everything has an aesthetic to it, a certain beauty that draws an individual in.

There is a tremendous amount of thought and energy that go into designs. Connection to the project is extremely important. If there is no enthusiasm then there is no desire to accomplish the project. Connection to a project could start with something as small as a paint color or as big as the cabinetry. Maintaining the enthusiasm is just as vital as finding the intimacy to the project from start to finish. As a designer you want to show your clients how important it is to see and even feel their designs. There is nothing better than to have client come up and say that they were given exactly what they wanted and how amazed they were to see the amount of time and care that go into developing a project no matter how big or small. It makes you feel good that you have created a work of art for your client to not only enjoy but to interact with and experience. You see them appreciate the smaller pieces within the room. You see them touch a certain piece that really speaks to them within the space. They begin to realize that sometimes the smallest details are what really ties the room together.

During the entire design and remodel process your client begins to see the amount of work that is being done and the level of detail and they realize the value in their investment. They begin to see the complexity of what the design actually entails. The design goes further than just what is seen there is design within the plumbing infrastructure which gets hidden behind the drywall. Again there is a thought process and a design to it.

Design is in everything we touch and everywhere we look. So when you see something as simple as a candy wrapper; take the time to appreciate it…

Being a designer is in part becoming a teacher by educating and opening the eyes of people who have a difficult time visualizing a design and its details and helping them to understand and see the amount of time and thought that goes into custom projects is very important. It is hard to see the value in a project when you are staring at a dollar amount and don’t really comprehend all the work that is being achieved within the investment your client is embarking on. Whether it is a sculpture, painting, living room, computer or car; there is work and design done in order to create this piece specifically for you.

There are reasons why a Ford costs what it does and why a Bentley costs what it does. Both are cars and get you from point A to point B but how they are designed and engineered and the materials used for each of these cars are completely different. Each car is designed to target a buyer or buyers. But what makes them different from one another? Why is one so much less than the other? It is the details, quality, personalization and craftsmanship that goes into each car. You are probably asking; why are you talking about the difference between two different cars? Because, it is the same in the remodeling and design industry. Design, details, quality, personalization, professionalism and craftsmanship are all qualities that are key to a seasoned designer or remodeler and the custom design you want to achieve.

Designs go further though than just a drawling on a piece of paper. The execution, process, and the fabrication needed to achieve a specific design is just as vital as the drawling on the piece of paper. A design can look beautiful but it has to be executed and engineered correctly in order to do so; this is why certain things cost what they do. A beautifully hand-crafted and custom designed piece of furniture is going to cost significantly more than an out of the box piece from a local store; why? The amount of time, engineering and quality of materials that goes into these specialty items is incredible; there are people that are specifically trained to do what they do. Is that not why we hire them?

A designer is hired because of their specialized training and education. Seeing the value in your investment is key and sometimes it is hard to see this value until you have seen and experienced the finished product. Perhaps the biggest obstacle is getting past the cost of something and truly realizing that this particular piece or deign is unique to you and only you.