From the pages of a magazine

Debi Spellman, like many consumers, has been redecorating her home. Since she lives in Hawaii she went with what she called an "island elegant" theme and she did it on a budget. She did a great job. So great in fact that Hawaii Home & Remodeling magazine has been doing a before-and-after series on the work. What's so special about Debi? She's the visual merchandise manager for HomeWorld, a division of C.S. Wo, the largest home furnishings retailer in Hawaii.

Debi loves design, and she loves finding ways to do it for less, so she took her work home. HomeWorld and C.S. Wo are known for thinking out of the box when it comes to in-store events, and Debi took it a step further with her in-home project. She used her makeover — decorating her new home's kitchen, living room and master bedroom in a few weeks for under $8,000 — as the impetus for the do-it-yourself seminar series at HomeWorld.

"We were doing seminars in the store and I was in charge of one every other month," Debi said. "When I bought my house I though it would be fun to show before and after shots, and it all snowballed. The house has great bones and I've always wanted to do a before-and-after project."

The series of articles shows the transformation of Debi's home and gives how-to information on everything from window treatments and wallpaper to an itemized list of the accessories and furniture used, most of which came from the stores. Debi gives insider tips that explain how to make the most of a budget, sort of a take-off of HGTV's Design on a Dime. She shopped online for deals, did a lot of research and found creative solutions consumers can replicate in their own homes.

While the articles have been a success, the in-store seminars have surpassed all expectations.

"We had more than 150 attendees at the last seminars, and even though they're free, we've had to start taking reservations, it's standing room only," Debi said. "The before-and-after aspect really excites people. They pick up shelter magazines and want that look, but without a designer it's hard to achieve, and our seminars and these articles give people the confidence to do it and show them it doesn't have to cost a lot."

In-store seminars have covered topics like faux painting or how to accessorize the same sofa with three different looks and more. The seminars are advertised, but word-of-mouth has made a huge impact on the success.

Debi said that not only have the events garnered a loyal following, but also they've introduced HomeWorld to a new customer and gone a long way to building brand recognition.

Retailers all across the country have in-store events, though few that I've heard of have been tied to a magazine series and been so involved. If you've pulled off some great events, let me know about them at lcasinger@reedbusiness.com.

Lisa Casinger, Retail Editor