Mitzi Beach is a woman of many talents. She’s an author, a speaker, an educator, and an interior designer. She also is the #1 expert on #BoomerSmarts, offering smart and chic design solutions for the fastest growing (and wealthiest) demographic- the baby boomers! As part of our High Point Market “Style Spotter” series, we’re chatting with Mitzi about all things Market… PLUS getting the inside scoop on her impressive career… from the initial lightbulb moment to what she has planned next. We think you’ll be just as inspired as we are!
WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT HIGH POINT MARKET IS:
What I love most about High Point Market is the plethora of resources that I can see, all in one week, of chic, beautifully designed products that are also designed for the changing and evolving needs of homes and luxury apartment homes for those 50+.
For me, it’s not just about trends or products, but about what trends and products really function for the demographic that I reach through my blog, my speaking and CEU’s and my video channel on The Design Network: America’s 80 million baby boomers.
High Point Market is also a wonderful place for me to re-connect with my interior design peers and learn from them and I appreciate the multitude of opportunities I have to do that each market.
MUST-SEE SHOWROOMS EVERY FIRST-TIMER SHOULD VISIT:
I would never go a market without seeing Moore Councill’s showroom. I stylespotted the fabulous CARRIE wardrobe there in the Spring, that fellow StyleSpotter Gary Inman designed, and loved so much of what I saw there. They understand designing #BoomerSmarts.
AS A STYLE SPOTTER, I’M MOST LIKELY TO “SPOT”:
This is easy to answer. I’m most likely to stylespot products that are chic and beautifully designed, incorporating universal design standards and made of quality materials so they last. I also look for multi functional furniture and lighting, so that those 50+ can re-purpose what they buy, with ease, as their own needs change and evolve over time.
AS A DESIGNER, WHAT I MOST ADMIRE IN A ROOM IS:
I most admire rooms whose floor plans are well thought out for the needs of all family members and guests. For instance, does the layout of the furniture accomodate the radius of a wheelchair’s turn?
Can someone with a back problem easily reach for dishes and pots and pans in a kitchen? Are bathtubs easy to get in and out of should a family member ever be on crutches, in a wheelchair or have an illness that requires someone else to help with bathing? Does a frequent guest have trouble getting in and out of a sofa and need extra support?
When a room is designed elegantly, but also incorporates accessibility and safety, I admire the designer who had the foresight to consider all the possibilities and who educated their client that it is not just those 50+ who might need these features, but the entire family, at any time, and possibly their friends and guests -especially if they entertain frequently.
MY LIGHT BULB MOMENT:
My light bulb moment came when I realized that, after 30 years as a professional interior designer and with my Masters In Interior Design, NCIDQ certification and CAPS certification under my belt, that what I really wanted to do now, in addition to offering interior design services to those 50+, was to educate, speak and work with brands who want to use my trademarked #BoomerSmarts certification for their products.
Once I realized that, I knew I needed to re-position my brand online and I hired Leslie Carothers, CEO of The Kaleidoscope Partnership, to help me rebrand,re-design my website,and to assist me in reaching new audiences with my message.
I CAN’T START MY DAY UNTIL:
Being a woman of faith, I cannot start my day without devotional time in the sanctuary corner I have set up in my interior design studio. No matter what is happening that day, I know that I will not be fully equipped to do all that I am called to do that exact day unless I have this quiet time with God.
SUCCESS IS:
Being in harmony with those I love – meaning no lingering strife hanging out there and, of course, living in abundant health. Success is also having key friendships to share the joys…and sorrows….of life with day by day. Where would be without our friends?
Being a success in business is, to me, living a life of prosperity which means I have no debt while being blessed to be able to be a blessing to others in monetary ways.
YOU’LL NEVER SEE ME WITHOUT:
Great color on my hair! Only my hairdresser knows the real color of my hair and you won’t find me going au naturel. I’m a honey blonde with a little help from my friends and intend on staying that way straight through to my end!
MY DREAM COLLABORATION:
My dream collaboration would be to consult with a large regional or national homebuilder, where I would design accessible floor plans, choose all the products for their design center and then assist them in helping their new home community reach a regional subset of the audience I reach through my social media and video channels: America’s 80 million baby boomers. They would also be able to use my trademarked #BoomerSmarts badge within their own marketing materials, similar to having Good Housekeeping’s seal of approval.
THE ONLY PLACE BETTER THAN WICHITA IS:
Any place where I get to go and visit with my 3 children and nine grandchildren. For many years, we had a second home on Holden Beach in North Carolina, which we called BEACH DREAM, that was the place where we gathered every year for many years, and where our whole family enjoyed two weeks of sun, sand, games and laughter together.
Now, with my children in Houston and Denver and my Mother in Ohio, my husband Bob and I frequently visit them there or have them come here to our home in Wichita, which we remodeled from the ground up as a living laboratory for my #BoomerSmarts design concepts and which we have affectionately nicknamed, CYPRESS.
WHEN I FEEL UNINSPIRED, I…
take a long walk, either in and around my garden or, if I’m close to a beach, I’ll walk for miles up and down the beach to gather in my thoughts. After a long walk in nature, I always feel more centered and re-inspired to throw myself headlong into the tasks awaiting me.
ADVICE I WISH I HAD 5 YEARS AGO:
The advice I wish I had 5 years ago was to realize, even more than I do now, that *I don’t know what I don’t know* and because of this, to have researched further the process of branding my trademark:ed name: #BoomerSmarts. I made some early mistakes and lost some time and money, but it’s only through that learning process, that I now know so much more than I did then, for which I am grateful.
IN 5 YEARS FIND ME:
Empowering designers, through my CEU offerings, to become the #BoomerSmarts housing and design certified experts in their local areas, working with brands who want to use my #BoomerSmarts designation in their own marketing efforts and working with homebuilders who want to build #BoomersSmarts communities for those 50+.
ABOVE ALL ELSE:
Live Your Wisdom. Pray. Trust your gut instincts.
And … don’t retire…inspire!