When looking for a new home a potential buyer wants to get a real feel of the neighborhood they are moving into. Of course, the person selling the home only has time for sales and no time to show the client the neighborhood, which when you think about it puts the purchaser at a disadvantage. What if city life isn’t what they thought it would be?
Boyd Smith of Podley Properties had an innovative idea about how to beautifully furnish a model homes at the new Milliard Place in Altadena while simultaneously getting future Altadenans acquainted with the city around them. Instead of renting pieces to outfit the model home he called on local friends. These local friends are artists and craftsman who agreed to help Boyd with this new project.
Marcia Nunnery is one of these friends. Owner of Aarnun Gallery in Pasadena, Marcia let us in on how she contributed to Boyd’s brainchild; she explains she had worked with Boyd in the past to help her buy and sell two homes. She liked how Boyd wanted to put the focus on the local vendors he worked with up front and not as an afterthought in the background.
“Whoever is helping to make this look interesting or contributing the food at the special opening, he gives P.R. credit to and really plays them up. That’s just a great relationship, he’s a great person and has a unique way of thinking about things.”
Marcia, who has pieces hanging currently in the single family model and condo model #302 goes on to discuss the homey feel this venture brings to the model units. “It’s the feeling of being in some place that’s kind of cozy and personal and that makes the environment that your customers come into, warmer and friendlier.”
Marcia also enjoys the opportunity to show off some of her more contemporary artwork and framing designs that those familiar with her shop might not associate with the usual collection: “This gives us a chance to show something that we do that’s a little different than a lot of people might have seen when they’ve been in the store.”
More than connecting future residents with local businesses, this project creates new relationships between business owners. “I figure the place you can really make a difference is right where you are, with the people that are right around you where you have some control,” says Marcia, which is what she feels results from neighbors working together.
She never intended to open up her gallery to become an active player in the community, but, “If you’re a person, you can’t help it. Over time you meet people and people call on you.”
When neighborhoods work together to achieve something, that’s when spectacular happens.
Millard Place is located at 1968 North Lake Ave., Altadena. For more information, visit www.millardplace.com.
Aarnun Gallery Fine Picture Framing is located at 603 E. Green St., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 793-4805 or visit www.aarnungallery.com.