I moved to Punta Gorda with my husband, Mark, in December of 2012. Wrelocated from Connecticut to escape the fury of the northeast winters and, ifact, we landed in southwest Florida because the more northern areas of Florida were still too cold! We were seeking a new town to call home. 

 

Home is where your spirit lives. Home is your sanctuary. Home is where one can close the door and recharge from the woes that the world throws daily. Home is important.  

 

Olena at a SandStar Seminar

 

In the many seminars that my SandStar colleagues and I have hosted over the years, the emphasis was solely on the home. We shared our expertise on how the elements of good design (color, texture, proportion, material selection and placement) will influence the outcome of any installation. We shared photos from our travels to High Point Market where our vendors display their new home furnishing product introductions annually.

 

 

In the seminars we also pointed out the trends, across all product categories, so that our customers in Punta Gorda would be well informed and could update their environments. We spoke to you about grey as the “New Neutral” as early as 2014 and it is still influencing our design selections todayWe’ve also given seminars on specific topics, providing you with detailed information, such as: How to select and properly size a rug; How to properly size and hang art; How to choose color; How to choose bedding; and so on. This information was designed to assist you in creating your havens  

 

 

 

 

In our seminars we have emphasized more than anything else how important it is for you to surround yourself with all the elements that will make you happy. Why have anything in your home that doesn’t bring you joy? Whether it be a piece of furniture or a color or music, if it isn’t filling a need or promoting your happiness then don’t have it in your home.   

 

We change. Piano lessons, braces, and paying for colleges are generally behind us now. Surround yourselves with elements that reflect who you are today, not who you were 30 years ago. This concept seems to be most important currently since we are now spending more time at home than anywhere else.  

 

If you haven’t guessed it, Mark and I are retiring. Going fishing! 

 

I thank our previous customers for allowing me into your homes over the last 6 ½ years. It has been a joy and an honor working with you all. I am grateful to hold you now as friends rather than clients.  

 

I thank, too, all my colleagues who have become like family members. Working in an environment where respect and delight governs our conduct and interactions cannot me measured.  It is with the highest admiration that I speak of my associates and coworkers.  

 

 

 

Allison Fenn

 

Enter Allison Fenn! I am passing the baton to our new SandStar team member who will head the interiors division of SandStar Homes. I have worked with Allison for the last 8 weeks since she joined our team. You will get to know her as a highly skilled, organized, and experienced design professional, well versed in all aspects of interior design. She is focused, has her finger on the pulse, and is fun to work with. Allison is a good listener and quickly embraces the requirements of smallor largescale projects. You are in very good hands, indeed. 

To schedule an appointment with Allison, please call 941.205.2957 or send a note to allisonf@sandstarhomes.com  

 

 

See you around town!  

With Best Regards, Olena