We help homebuilders turn their home personalization experience into a powerhouse that:
Eliminates operational headaches
Turns customers into raving fans
Drives home sales and even more profit on every home you sell
From team training to studio creation and everything in between, our business is helping you grow yours through the strategy of design.
Where every decision about your personalization
process begins with strategy in mind. The result?
We are the industry’s leading experts in helping homebuilders find, fix and monetize the untapped potential in their design studio (or design collections) experience.
Here’s how we can help you:
Train Your Design Team
Access world-class, industry-leading online training for your design studio team and elite-level support for managers.
We make it easier than ever to upskill your team with online training that has been expertly created specifically for the design studio environment.
Training ensures your design studio consultants and managers have the skills, tools and support they need to deliver an exceptional, streamlined personalization experience that drives customer satisfaction and profit at every turn.
For ambitious managers/VPs looking to grow their impact and join Jane’s inner circle, we’ve also got a limited-availability, career-transforming, in-person event experience.
Executive Consulting
Work privately with our founder, Jane Meagher, to rethink your operations, systems, personalization process and more.
Strategy Consulting is a custom project designed around your most pressing challenges, and the way to work directly with Jane (the undisputed national leader in design studio optimization and personalization strategy).
Private consulting is for builders who want to systematize operations for greater efficiency, optimize their design process, products, and pricing — and innovate new ways to solidify their position as market leaders.
Create a Design Studio
Create a world-class design studio that sets you apart as an industry leader.
We guide you through the process of creating a strategic design studio environment, so you can deliver a remarkable customer experience and sell more options. After creating 170+ unique design studios across the US & Canada (and winning over 30 national awards), our unparalleled expertise will help you maximize your space’s revenue potential while avoiding costly mistakes.
We offer two design studio creation options, to suit your timing, needs, and budget. The result is a state-of-the-art design studio with the power to change your business.
Sell More Homes
As buyers become more discerning and slower to buy, it’s essential that builders provide a compelling case for why buyers should act now — and why they should build with you.
With strategies you can implement quickly (and with minimal friction) to help you sell more homes, BOOST!™ is the edge you’ve been looking for.
BOOST!™ is for builders who want to discover strategies to leverage their existing personalization experience as a tool to sell more homes, even in challenging market conditions.
Master the skills you need to deliver a low-stress, high-profit design studio experience that delights customers from start to finish.
“Jane provides an exponential return on investment…”
John Eilermann Jr.
Chairman and CEO, McBride and Son Homes
“I’ve learned so much from Jane about the design studio business.”
Lisa McClelland,
National VP, Design Studios, Toll Brothers
Meet Jane Meagher,
President of Success Strategies and
Founder of The National Design Studio Institute
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Success Strategies is led by Jane Meagher, nationally-recognized speaker, trainer and design studio expert.
With a 20+ year history of consulting in the homebuilding industry, we have created 200+ unique design studio environments across the US and Canada, winning over 30 National Awards for Best Design Center. We have also taught and trained thousands of design studio professionals through speaking at more than 100 homebuilding events and through our own industry-leading events and online programs.
We work at the corporate, departmental and individual levels to help you turn every aspect of your design studio into an efficient, profitable and marketable powerhouse — the kind that makes a mark on your reputation, and your bottom line.
Our history, credentials and industry experience uniquely position us to bring you an unrivaled mastery of the world of home personalization and design studio optimization.
Quite simply, there’s nothing else we do
— and nobody does it like us.
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𝗚𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 “𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹” 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵: 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟱 𝗼𝗳 𝟱 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹
Final post in my kitchen remodel story — and the final step in the design: cabinet hardware and lighting.
The gold finishes prominent over the last years lean toward brighter brushed gold, which didn’t coordinate with the softer, more elegant Bronzed Gold of my beloved 𝗦𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵 faucet – a finish that reflects an emerging design direction.
After ordering more than a dozen hardware samples (some of which leaned “ugly greenish”), I landed on 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝗯𝘀’ 𝗖𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 in the Honey Bronze finish. (Side note to some hardware suppliers: please create prettier variations of this newer gold finish).
To finalize the hardware style and finish, I actually used my own 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 product: clear plexi hangers that made it easy to compare hardware finishes and styles against my actual cabinet sample (on a sample door we had test painted in advance). I am now my own happily satisfied customer, joining the hundreds of builders around the country who are HYH fans!
The 𝗖𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 style’s cylindrical form echoes the faucet shape but because it sits on a soft rectangular pull, it tones down the modernness of a typical cylinder pull, and the dual shape adds visual interest. I used 4 pull sizes and a coordinating knob across the 69 hardware pieces.
I wanted the island lighting to provide contrast and visual strength against the sea of creamy white perimeter cabinets at eye level. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘁 pendants, with their brushed gold tone and tailored shape that’s neither dome-like nor sharply angled, was just right — and I love the circular ring detail, adding a tailored touch.
Over the table, the companion 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘁 chandelier carries the same metal finish in a different style, with plenty of glass to lighten the area above the dark wood table.
In my work with builders, we often say that cabinet hardware and lighting are the jewelry of the kitchen — the finishing touches that can give the same space an entirely different personality. For me, these soft gold finishes add just the right pop of contrast and visual interest — special enough to elevate the whole look, but still very much in harmony with the rest of the kitchen.
While this remodel was not intended to create my dream kitchen, I’m really pleased with how it turned out. It feels wonderful to feel in sync with the space I spend time in every day.
And it’s a great reminder of why helping homebuyers personalize their homes matters so much — what turns a house into a home is when a space reflects the individuality of who the owners are and who they want to become in their new home, connecting more deeply to the space they live in, and to the builder who made that possible.
To read the full story behind my kitchen remodel, click here to read the blog. www.opt4success.net/kitchen-remodel/
𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆? 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟰 𝗼𝗳 𝟱 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹
And the remodel saga continues….by now, you’ve heard all about my terracotta floor.
Because the terracotta already commanded so much visual attention, I wanted the countertop and backsplash to be subdued, and provide the calmness needed to complement the floor, not compete with it, yet I didn’t want boring.
I love zellige-inspired handcrafted artisan looks so 𝗗𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲’𝘀 3x12 subway tile in 𝗖𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘁 with a glossy finish provided visual interest through texture and the lightly contrasting grout. It’s a fabulous “supporting cast member” and the 3x12 size feels fresher than typical subway tile sizes.
𝗠𝗦𝗜’𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗼 countertop brings soft gold veining that accomplished my goal: you can enjoy it up close without creating a busy look from across the room.
Together they created a calm backdrop that lets the floor and the rest of the design shine.
Sometimes great design is less about adding more… and more about balancing the spotlight and supporting elements.
To read the full story behind my kitchen remodel and see how all the selections came together, click to read the blog. www.opt4success.net/kitchen-remodel/
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲: 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟯 𝗼𝗳 𝟱: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹
The biggest surprise of my way overdue kitchen remodel?
How much I ended up loving my existing traditional cabinet door style once it was painted.
Originally, I planned to stain the cabinets, but the refinisher could only do paint. That constraint actually led to one of my favorite design decisions. I didn’t want stark white cabinets but also didn’t want to lock myself into a strong color.
Thankfully, the incredibly talented Heather Miller from Sycamore and Heather came to the rescue. Heather knocked it out of the park with the paint colors for the cabinets: we landed on a creamy comfy warm off-white: 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗲 on the perimeter cabinets. And 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗲, a rich taupy bronze, on the island, which ties beautifully into the prominent floor grout and grounds the kitchen.
The combination is soft, elegant, warm, just what I wanted.
Shout out to Heather who was tremendous in helping set the direction for the entire design concept!
The 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗲 cabinet finish also tied in beautifully to the specialty finish of my existing Kohler farmhouse sink, called Cane Sugar.
We also used The 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗲 on the horizontal surface of our full-height cabinet hutch, so the piece -with its apothecary drawers- continues to read more like furniture. We replaced the reeded glass in the hutch with clear glass to go from Farmhouse to Refined.
And I have to admit - I’m BEYOND SHOCKED how much I love the traditional cabinet door style now that it is painted.
The only thing I really dislike is the staggered upper cabinets, but the custom-cabinet layout functions perfectly, so it wasn’t worth replacing all the cabinets.
(Side note: if you’re short like me, bringing the cabinets all the way down to the counter is a game-changer for reaching everyday plates and glassware, plus the drawers that sit on top of the counter conveniently hold serving utensils)
My NJ friends: our cabinet refinisher was one of the most professional companies I’ve ever worked with. Mikespaintingnj was a 20 out of 10. They set up a whole shop in our garage and use a special paint just for cabinets.
Keep an eye out on Thursday for counterbalancing the floor or click to read the full blog and see more photos. www.opt4success.net/kitchen-remodel/
𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿: 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟮 𝗼𝗳 𝟱 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹
One of the biggest design challenges in my kitchen remodel?
The terracotta floor was staying.
And not just any terracotta — these are Ann Sacks tiles from a reclaimed 19th century barn ceiling in France which then reflected 2 decades of life in the heart of our home, worn and marked by family, friends, and celebrations.
If floors could talk, these would tell quite a story. (And yes, this is what it looks like after being professionally cleaned, I’ve grown to love the marks, each scuff is a piece of a life well lived in this kitchen).
Beautiful, yes, but it also commands a LOT of visual attention.
Design is often about knowing when to let something lead the room, and that terracotta floor was never going to give up its role as Star of the Show.
Fortunately, terracotta is having its moment in design. If you caught this year’s Design and Product Trends presentation (the program I cofounded, and co-hosted until this year), my bestie Dawn Duhamel talked about “a spotta terracotta” making its way back into new product introductions.
Please don’t judge the “before” picture — I’ve spent years pouring my time and energy into running a business that helps builders create and operate design studios where homeowners can seamlessly design their homes… while my own kitchen impatiently waited its turn!
Stay tuned for Post 3 on Tuesday to see the full reveal. Or if you can’t wait…click to read the full kitchen remodel story including what we discovered (and ultimately had framed) when we originally unpacked the boxes of this terracotta floor. www.opt4success.net/kitchen-remodel/
Post 1 of 5: The Story Behind My Overdue Kitchen Remodel and the Faucet That Started It All.
Our extremely dated kitchen has waited quite unpatiently for me to have time to give it the much-needed facelift it so desperately deserved.
Before we get into what I changed, here’s what wasn’t changing: my Kohler farmhouse sink, the custom cabinets (to be refinished, not replaced), and the terracotta floor.
That floor turned out to be the biggest design challenge — but if you wait long enough, styles come back around, right?
After surviving the cool-white-and-gray trend for what felt like the last zillion years, during which time my home was decidedly “out of style”, I’m elated to see the Updated Classic, old-with-a-new-twist look finally having its moment…and lo and behold, terracotta is re-emerging. Halleluyah!
The very first decision in my kitchen remodel wasn’t cabinets, counters, or a star backsplash.
It was a faucet.
I was NOT kidding in our 2024 Design and Product Trends Presentation when I said 𝗠𝗼𝗲𝗻’𝘀 new 𝗦𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵 faucet was my favorite product. The elegant classic design and beautifully-shaped fluted handle (adding an awesome tactile element) feels timeless yet fresh. The newer softer Bronzed Gold finish offered the warmth I wanted without the bright shine of the Brushed Gold we’ve seen so much of lately.
Side note: I am beyond excited that 𝗦𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵 is finally available for bathrooms!
Stay tuned tomorrow for the next chapter 🙂. Or to read the full story behind the remodel — and all the details, decisions, and challenges — click to read the blog: The Story Behind My Overdue Kitchen Remodel: Design Choices, Surprises, and Lessons Learned. www.opt4success.net/kitchen-remodel/
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