Dan Gookin. His name may not be familiar, but you absolutely know his work.     

33 years ago this month he broke down huge learning barriers, and bought a whole new aisle in bookstores.  He wrote DOS for Dummies, the very first of the ‘Dummies’ model. Did you know it almost didn’t get published?

DOS was a new and complex idea. His publisher was on-board with the simple, straightforward material, but hated the title. He felt it’d bring up all sorts of negative feelings and buyers would pass.

Dan argued the easiest way people could grasp this challenging and weighty new info would be to first free up some brain space. Ditch the judgment, even make it kind of cool to poke fun at yourself, and you can get on with the business of learning, and moving forward.

He won! The first printing was only 7500 copies, but the rest is history. Today, there are 2500 titles with this model, over 200 million books in print, and Dummies.com is a lifestyle choice.

No one is born knowing how to do long division, make a meatloaf, or set up an aquarium. But I know for sure the internal critical brain causes more impediments to learning than almost anything else external.  Knowing and owning what you don’t know is fabulously liberating, and it lets you get amazing things done.  We love working collaboratively, and our  ‘Dummies’ clients!

Some Work We Do:

• Would-be buyers: Qualified, engaged, but uncertain, and with questions. Even one hour at the house helps them frame out ideas, budgets, and priorities, to better assess if the house is a contender.
• New homeowners tend to make new space decisions based on their prior needs and old space.  Not helpful when either change.  We start with space planning: defining needs and exploring dreams, then blocking out spaces that support them. Then, what stays, what goes, and what goes where. Prioritizing, budgeting, and logistics are all in the mix.
• Sellers: Sorting through the emotional components is just as daunting as evaluating the physical contents of closets. Starting early is best. We establish goals and help each seller answer ‘what are you willing to do to get what you want?’
• Design Re-Working, Re-Inventing: The first meeting is to absorb, and see everything through the eyes of the client.
• Builders and Flippers: I’m brought in for everything from new colors, finishes, and materials like tile, lighting,  and cabinetry,  to helping right properties with larger inherent flaws. Sometimes I’ll walk thru a property with the flipper before they make an offer, other times meet them in the stone yard or tile store to advise on the selection process.

The Refreshed Home’s mushy heart is the same as its’ more steely founding principles:   

• We only work with nice people who choose to work with us, and who want to get things done.
• Bettered spaces make for more joyful, authentic, and bettered lives.
• Bettered lives can change the world.
• We admire, champion, and cherish those who want to learn and participate.
• We all can, and will do more than we think we can, and do it better than we think we can when someone takes the time to point us in the right direction.

Marie Graham has been in the people, space, and stuff business for many Presidencies. She has the best job in the world. Curious?  Just start the conversation!