Business Moves: Moving Forward

The Magic of Design Furniture & Interior Design is having their annual sale. Lots of goodies to be had including art, accessories, lamps and furniture. We have all the in-stock inventory on 30% to 70% off. 

We are now doing eight different properties for property management, one condo that gets rented short-term, two houses that get rented long-term and the rest we care for the houses for their owners. We also are doing a lot of construction for these homes. Moises has a great contractor working with him. It is going very well.

Modloft living

We also have taken on a lot of new lines of modern furniture. Don't forget as well, we still have our upholstery shop and we have a wonderful line of blinds and shades from Gabin. Gabin also makes wonderful awnings.
Change is around the corner We can't say just yet, as we need to finalize all the details, but there are going to be some exciting new ventures for The Magic of Design. 

Mattress tips 101

Showroom at The Magic of Design May 2017

Mattress Tips 101:  Mexican size vs. USA size

Article reprinted from May 12, 2017 from Cozumel 4 You

Luh McDevitt takes us through the difference & provides base & sheeting tips…

 When I first came to Cozumel in 2000, I sent a container down with my US size king mattress and two twins that were for a trundle bed. I continued to buy sheets in the states and bring them with me, so it never occurred to me to be concerned about different size mattresses or sheets. Not until 2005, when we started importing furniture from the states.

The first US beds that arrived from Ashley, I tried shoving the Mexican mattresses in to the wood frames of the bed and they didn’t fit. The king mattresses could be turned one turn to fit, but the box springs were too wide and too short. Those can’t be turned. Even worse were the queens. I remember an especially tall man in Puerto Aventuras who was renting, screaming at me that the bed had a 4” gap at the end.  Why couldn’t I find a mattress that fit his US made frame?

Therefore, we began to sell two types of mattresses, those for Mexican beds and those for US beds. The reality is, and I am going to do this in metric, a Mexican king is 2.0 meters wide x 1.90 meters long. A US mattress is 1.93 meters wide x 2.03 meters long. For some mattresses, if they have no direction, it really doesn’t matter. But for some spring type mattresses, there is a direction to the mattress, so if you turn it one turn, it will feel different sleeping on it. For memory foam and memory foam gel, there is not a direction so I recommend you can turn them one turn to place in a Mexican frame, if it is mattress only for a platform bed. But that won’t work for box springs as they need to be placed on the bed frame perpendicular to the headboard, so they work the opposite way of the slats of the bed. The only kind of solution to this, and I don’t highly recommend it, is to place a piece of plywood between the slats of the bed and the box springs and run them parallel to the headboard. (I am sure by now this makes no sense at all. Sorry, but it much easier to explain by demonstration.) The only real problem with this solution is with all our humidity is having a solid piece of plywood under your bed is not a great solution.

For queens, there is no solution except to buy US mattresses as the ones from the states are 13 cm longer than Mexican mattresses. That’s right. A Mexican queen mattress is 1.50 meters wide x 1.90 meters long. A US queen mattress is 1.53 meters wide x 2.03 meters long. That 13 cm really is a big difference, over 4 inches. You end up with a big hole at the end of the bed.

The other problem is the sheets don’t fit either. Now if you buy Mexican sheets from Chedraui, for example, they will probably be Mexican size. If you have Mexican mattresses, they will work. Thread count is usually not good, and the sheets are scratchy. But if you are like me and want better thread count sheets, then I haul mine down from the states. For our beds that we sell are US sized, the US sheets and bedding work perfectly. Then you only need to take in to consideration the height of the mattress, which effects the width and length you need of the comforter or duvet. Maybe we can save that for another post.

We no longer buy many Mexican mattress sets, and encourage our customers to buy their Mexican size mattresses and foundations wherever they like. If you buy only headboards from us, that works too. But if you want to be able to enjoy your US bedding and sheets and sleep in style, you can get US sized mattresses from us. Our mattress, foundations and bedding are all US sizes. And if you have a question about this, feel free to stop by and I will explain it to you in person.comforter or duvet. Maybe we can save that for another post.

Modern bed at The Magic of Design May 2017

Consejos básicos sobre colchones: Tamaño mexicano vs estadounidense

Luh McDevitt nos describe las diferencias, y consejos para bases y sábanas…

Cuando llegué a Cozumel en el año 2000 envié un contenedor con mi colchón estadounidense tamaño  “king” y dos colchones individuales para una cama rodante, doble. Continué comprando mis sábanas en los Estados Unidos y trayéndolas conmigo, por lo que nunca me preocupé sobre las diferencias en los colchones o sábanas.  No fue sino hasta el año 2005 que comencé a importar muebles desde los Estados Unidos.

En las primeras camas que llegaron de Ashley de los Estados Unidos, traté de empujar los colchones mexicanos en los marcos de las camas y no cupieron.  Los colchones tamaño “king” podían ser volteados en una dirección para acoplarse, pero las bases de la cama eran demasiado anchas o demasiado estrechas.  Esas no es posible voltearlas. Es incluso peor con las camas  matrimoniales . Recuerdo particularPor lo tanto, comenzamos a vender dos tipos de colchones; aquellos hechos para camas mexicanas y aquellos de camas estadounidenses. La realidad es que, y voy a hacerlo con el sistema métrico: una cama “King” mexicana es de 2.0 metros de ancho x 1.90 metros de largo. Un colchón de los EEUU es 1.93 metros de ancho x 2.03 de largo. En el caso de algunos colchones, si no tienen dirección, en realidad no importa. Sin embargo, para algunos colchones de resortes, éstos tienen dirección, así que si usted le da una vuelta puede sentirlo distinto al dormir. Para el colchón de espuma con memoria  o de gel con memoria,  no tienen dirección por lo que recomiendo que se les de una vuelta para poder adaptarlos en un marco de cama mexicano, si es que éste es un colchón sólo para una cama con base estilo plataforma. Pero eso no funcionará para las bases de resortes ya que es necesario colocarlos en forma perpendicular a la cabecera para que funcionen de manera opuesta  a las tablillas de la cama. La única solución para esto, y francamente no la recomiendo mucho, es colocar un pedazo de triplay entre las tablillas de la cama y la base de resortes, y dirigirlo de manera paralela a la cabecera (estoy segura que esto no tiene ningún sentido. Discúlpenme, pero es más sencillo explicarlo demostrándoselos) El único problema real con esta solución, es que con toda la humedad que tenemos un pedazo de triplay bajo su cama no es realmente una gran solución.hombre alto en Puerto Aventuras que rentaba una propiedad, y gritándome que la cama tenía un espacio de 4” al final. ¿Cómo es que no podía yo conseguir un colchón que cupiera en su marco de cama traído de los EEUU?

Para camas matrimoniales no hay solución alguna salvo adquirir colchones de los EEUU ya que ésos son 13 cms más largos que los colchones mexicanos. Así es. Un colchón matrimonial es 1.50 metros de ancho x 1.90 metros de largo, Un colchón matrimonial estadounidense es 1.53 metros de ancho x 2.03 de largo. Esos 13 cms son una gran diferencia sobre las 4 pulgadas. Usted termina con un gran hueco al final de la cama.

El otro problema es que las sábanas tampoco quedan bien. Ahora, si por ejemplo adquieren sábanas mexicanas en Chedraui, es muy posible que sean tamaño mexicano. Si cuentan con un colchón mexicano, éstas se ajustarán bien; pero los hilos no son buenos y las sábanas se sienten ásperas. Y si usted es como yo y quiere sábanas con hilos de mejor calidad, entonces me traigo mis sábanas de los EEUU. Para las camas que vendemos que son tamaño estadounidense, las sábanas y ropa de cama procedente de los EEUU funciona perfectamente. Entonces, sólo es necesario que tome en cuenta la altura del colchón, ya que tiene consecuencias en el ancho y largo de la colcha o edredón.  Posiblemente dejemos el tema para una ocasión futura.

Ya no compramos juegos de colchones mexicanos y  sugerimos que nuestros clientes adquieran sus colchones tamaño mexicano y las bases donde lo deseen. Si usted compra las cabeceras con nosotros, eso también puede funcionar. Pero si desea disfrutar su ropa de cama estadounidense, sábanas y dormir con estilo, entonces puede obtener colchones estadounidenses con nosotros. Todos nuestros colchones, bases y ropa de cama son de tamaños estadounidenses. Y si tiene dudas sobre este tema, siéntase con la libertad de visitarnos y se lo explicaré personalmente.

How to Buy Furniture Online in the States

To Buy or Not to Buy... Modern Furniture Online?

reprinted from an article from Modern Furniture Review

The Internet is a place where you can purchase almost all sorts of merchandise and fulfil all your shopping desires. Luxury items are usually at a discount online than most local walk-in retail stores. Normally with furniture I would say you should walk into a store, sit on the lounger, or inspect the tables in person to really get a good feel. However I will admit having seen enough comparisons first hand and online purchases myself, the lines begin to blur when you are talking about huge price differences... seemingly the exact same lounger $2000 in store and $1000 online? Or in some cases, that item you see online actually looks nicer! All of a sudden, it seems to make more sense to take a gamble and purchase that beautiful piece of furniture you've been eyeing online. I will share with you things I have personally discovered to really take the gamble out of such an important purchase.

Rules I follow:

1. Overall feel of vendor website - Is this website professional made? Or does it look like it was put together over night in someone's basement? I'm not talking about purely aesthetics. Is the website secure and verified? Do they accept major credit cards or only paypal? 1-800 number and live chat? Someone answers you promptly by phone or email when you contact them? These are all very important feedback for myself when I look for a reliable online store.

2. Representation of Products (Pictures, Details, etc) - These details I find to be very important. Do the gallery pictures of their products look high resolution or very generic and small in size? The clearer, bigger, and more original their pictures are, the more likely it was taken from their actual inventory instead of just pasting in generic pictures. You can even go beyond this and ask them to provide you with unedited, unphotoshopped studio pictures of that item you are interested in buying. Any legit vendor of size would have done their own studio pictures to market their products properly. Small blurry pictures are likely trying to hide details of their product and count on you to believe all popular designs are made the same.Description of Products - when you read the product description and details of their products, is it something you've read somewhere else? Copied and pasted info usually means copied and pasted pictures!

A New Look for A Great Condo

Living room chair and ottoman with new fabric

At the beginning of this year, we had a great opportunity to work again with a client we hold very dear to our hearts. Back in 2005 and 2006 when we were getting started, this wonderful gentleman appeared in our old store and said he wanted to work with us. He said he would be sending us a large sum of money in a few days when he returned to Texas, after us only having a two hour meeting. I didn't hold my breath, but on Tuesday morning, as he said, the money was in our account. We did two condos together back then, and now nine years later, we are refurbishing both units.

New foam and dacron wrap to refurbish the sofas

New seat covers for the counter stools

Close up of the new counter stool fabric

Our client updated his kitchen with new stainless steel appliances and wanted to add a fresh, new look to what he had. When I inspected the sofas and sectionals, I was pleased to discover what good shape they were in. They just needed some new foam and dacron wrap added. The property manager was adding new fresh white duvet covers and shams, so we made wonderful pillows, bed scarves and cornices to finish out the bedrooms.

Close up of the new cornice

New pillows

Master Bedroom King bed with new bed scarf and pillows

We will end up refurbushing both units. One is shown here and I will take photos of the other one next week. It is very satisfying to work for someone again. And by the way, he rents so if this looks nice, you can find this unit at El Cantil on Cozumel Island.

My favorite bedroom

Ne cornice to match pillows and bed scarf

Yearly 50% Off Sale at The Magic of Design

Our yearly sale is now on us. 50% off the prices listed throughout the store. We also have the inventory listed on our Facebook page. But remember, I cannot go in every time we sell something. So there may be items sol listed here. Just check with us.

We have many more pieces from the groups shown, and also we have mattresses, box springs, import riser foundations and more. We are already out of sleepers and sofas, which always sell first! Link to the Facebook page inventory is here. Remember take 50% off and prices are for Cozumel only. The include all sales tax, delivery and set up.

Tropical Paradise: French Caribbean Design Part 1

Cozumel is not a big place, especially when you take into account the ex-pat community. Those of us that speak English (hate to say it) but we tend to stick together a bit. There is nothing like having a conversation in English after speaking Spanish all day with my employees. 


My husband is Mexican and we obviously have many Mexican friends and family, but due to the size of the community and the warmth of the island, often my American and Canadian clients become not just clients, but also friends. Sometimes the friendship lasts only the length of the job. With others, it lingers and grows. My relationship with my clients, Karen and Howard, is one that has grown in the years we have known each other - through various condo projects. 

Moises and I consider them good friends. They stayed with us in our house during Hurricane Emily, a bit of a nonevent but that is always best with hurricanes. We have helped them and they have helped us. 


This is a glimpse of their beautiful condo that we designed together - Karen was the one with the vision. I worked to help her accomplish it. In the next post, I will explain more of the design process that transpired.

Upholstered headboard and bedding made in our shop.

Sofas upholstered in our shop in a cleanable suede cream microfiber fabric.

Notice that we used accents in blue and green on a pale cream background. Walls are painted in a pale blue-green tone, even the hand blown glass lamp is in the aqua tone.

Karen wanted the living area to be a place where her children and her grandchildren could visit. She wanted elegant but we searched for durable fabrics that are washable. The suede on the living room sofas is light in color but cleans up great.

Painted chest with silver mirror from Uttermost.

Drapes and sheers made of imported Robert Allen fabrics.

Glenmary chairs from Hillsdale Furniture.

Karen taught kindergarten and still retains an innocent and childlike wonder of the beautiful things and people around her. Working with Karen was a breeze as she worked with interior designers in the past and welcomes new ideas, but she also had a vision of what their new home was to be, a second home for the entire family as it grew. I met their daughter early on and have watched as she got married, have her son and watched him become a big boy!

Entertainment unit opens up to reveal hidden TV and stereo equipment.



 

Tropical Paradise: French Caribbean Design Part 2

Part 2 in a case study in French Caribbean design

Karen had a vision from day one of what she wanted her new condo to look like and she cut out dozens of photos of designs she liked - from cabinetry to door hardware, paint selections, chairs, tables, sofas and more. We pulled out catalogs and further defined the look she wanted. As new items came in to The Magic of Design, she chose pieces that reflected her style. When the sofas did not have the fabric she wanted, we changed it to a soft cream suede that has stood the test of baby formula and red wine. We also redefined the sofa back to something more comfortable for her petite frame. We worked together on the custom draperies, duvet covers, pillows and shams. Everything was fabricated in our shop.

Blinds and drapes from our shop

Roman shade and cornice from our shop

Office with leather pull-out sofa

Desk with tropical chair & ottoman

After working with Karen on her first condo, I knew she loves curves. Kitchen counters that undulate like waves and curvy door fronts, so we searched for unique and unusual pieces like the curved door front cabinet in the master bedroom. 

Master bedroom painted curved chest

Howard loves scuba diving. Now that he gets to enjoy more time in Cozumel, he spends at least three days a week in the ocean observing all that Cozumel has to offer under the water. So Karen, Howard and I sought objects that were reminiscent of the sea. Like the blues and greens in the living room drapes and the little table that Karen placed in the master bath, decorated with shells and other sea creatures. The love of nature can also be seen in the art that Howard lovingly picked out for the condo.

Guest bedroom with rattan furniture

Grandchildren's bedroom

The overall design theme is French Caribbean but with whimsical touches of shells and turtles and other creatures. The space now exemplifies all the things that Howard and Karen love - good quality furniture and soft, vibrant fabrics, with wonderful splashes of color on the walls - that demonstrate their love of all creatures and a love of nature.

Shell and sea creature theme

It's a true tropical paradise - as comfortable for large family gatherings as it is for serene and quiet contemplation.

Facebook Updates from The Magic of Design

Chair we now have 3 in stock at 30% off

The last thing I want to make this blog is an advertisement for our business. But sometimes I think people really do want to know if there is an easier way to shop. I have found over the last few years that most clients prefer to look at stuff online. In fact, many would like to order online. Truthfully though, most or our clients really want to sit in and see the upholstery, feel the fabrics and see the wood finishes.

A beautiful oak cabinet in stock now 50% off

But it is great to get to see what we are stocking. Now we have our inventory on our Facebook page each month. I will be updating the December inventory over the next few days. We have sold so much the last week, that I have to go back and do it again. Here is a link to The Magic of Design photo albums. Just look for the current month and locate what we have in inventory. Things change fast, so once in a while something might be sold. I do my best to keep it current.

So please stop by our Facebook page and give us a like! Happy holidays Cozumel!

Luh's Line: Our New Mayan Accessories & Furniture

B'ALAM WAY spirit jaguar accessory

Our trip to the Yucatan Peninsula and the beaches proved to be super successful. We also had fun with our family. It had been a long time since I spent any time in Merida. The beach was a bust! The house we rented had no water, no hot water, ants and lots of mosquitoes. We only stayed two nights and moved on to the Hyatt.

Prototype of a new root table style

But we got to do what we set out to do, which was find new suppliers of furniture and accesorries. I wanted to start a line of more eco-friendly, green furniture that can stand the heat and humidity we have here. Where better to find it than in the jungles of the Mayan world?

Another prototype of an outdoor chair

Along with finding some wonderful things, we also got to meet some wonderful people. The small pueblos around the Yucatan Peninsula have the warmest and kindest people I have ever met. It is quite amusing for us to converse, as Spanish is a second language for me and also for them. Their first language is Maya.

Our 10 Year Anniversary: The Magic of Design

Thank you to our clients on our ten year anniversary

To all our wonderful clients,

It has been ten years since The Magic of Design opened their doors at the humble Swiss chalet home at the corner of 10 and 11. In 2007, we moved to our current location and we expanded the showroom in 2008. We have seen many changes both in our business and on Cozumel.

The Magic of Design store January 2012

We survived Hurricane Wilma and the H1N1 scare and the global economy crisis. In recent years, the biggest challenge I see for the island is the number of people who have arrived to live here full-time. Our basic services sometimes seem stretched thin. We even have "traffic" now on Cozumel. Yes, we aren't Playa del Carmen or Cancun, thankfully - but it still presents challenges.

Store April 2012

We at The Magic of Design have learned lessons over the last ten years. We have learned how to organize our truck deliveries and import orders better to save money, so that we don’t need to charge more. We also introduced a few lines of furniture this year from Mexico, including Acor Muebles and accessories from both Ajijic and Saltillo. Hopefully, over the years we have improved our service and the way we do things. Looking back over the last ten years, I am amazed at all the changes in our business. But some things remain the same, our dedication to each of our clients.

One of our favorite condo projects

We have installed thousands of homes and condos with furniture, but we remember your name. We care when you have a grandchild or get a new puppy. We answer questions about the furniture we sell. We go above and beyond the warranty offered by our manufacturers. We are here for the long haul.

Another favorite

So I would like to take this time, our ten year anniversary, to say thanks. Thanks for being our clients. Thanks for remembering us for both your furniture needs and the holiday cards we receive. Thanks for calling us up and going to dinner with us once in a while.

New accessories coming soon

Cozumel is a small, home town community and many of us know each other well. We are proud to be part of such a wonderful place. I named it Mexican Mayberry back in 1997 when I started coming here to dive. I don’t regret moving here and starting such a wonderful business. There have been challenges but great opportunities as well. So thank you to all our wonderful clients, both old and new!

To celebrate our tenth anniversary, we will have 50% off on all mattresses and box springs in-stock, 50% off of selected lamps and all decorative pillows and throws. All in-stock furniture will be 30% off for this month of May.

Best regards,
Luh, Moises and staff
The Magic of Design Furniture & Interior Design
“Creating magic in your home”

www.themagicofdesign.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themagicofdesigncozumel

Happy Birthday to The Magic of Design

Camembert cheese from Normandy, France

A post on Facebook got me walking down Memory Lane. We got to chatting about cheese, and I mentioned the best cheese I ever had was in Normandy, France. A Camembert so fresh and without preservatives, it had a 30 day expiration, not the 6 month or one year we are used to on the imported stuff. In fact I photographed it before I ate it.

Our discussion was about food stores and how we don't really have a gourmet store similar to what Moises and I had back in 2001. I shouldn't say it was gourmet, but we did carry many of the things that I missed from the states. The timing was wrong as we opened the week before 9/11 and we lost a bit of money. We had vanilla coffee and bagels with cream cheese and lox. The bagels were baked every week in Cancun. We sold sandwiches and tried to sell towels and sheets and upholstery fabrics. Almost nobody was on the island, so we enticed the dive masters with bagel sandwiches and Dr. Pepper. It was a tough way to make money, and I breathed a sigh of relief when we closed. But truly, I learned so much that helped me with my next venture, The Magic of Design Furniture & Interior Design.

Crazy accessory from our store downstairs in 2011

So it got me thinking about the history of our store. How many people remember that we opened another store downstairs for three months back in 2011? I got in a huge order of accessories from a crazy company in Guadalajara. They sent us everything but what we ordered, and one of the accessories is shown here. It was a person sized tea pitcher and serving cups. It stood 6 feet tall. I remember selling it to a very special client.

our store a few years back

Our first two years were spent in the Swiss chalet house at 10 and 11, back in 2005 to 2007. Trying to locate photos of that store are proving to be difficult, but I bet if I check some of those old disks I will find them. 

Client's new condo 2012

Here are a few more recent posts of our store over the last few years! Ten years we have been in business! Wow, time flies.