Designer Accents

Making interiors more efficient, and beautiful

Designer Accents opened its doors as a supplier of window treatments, but it soon began to expand into closet shelving, cubicle tracking systems, projection screens, bathroom accessories, mailboxes and a wealth of other products, believing it could serve contractors and property owners and managers best as a one-stop source for a wide variety of post-painting products and their installation. Market niches include such fast growing segments as healthcare, senior living, and multi-family, as well as banks, restaurants and offices. Educational work is also on the rise, with Designer Accents serving customers including John Carroll, Case Western Reserve, and Cleveland State universities, plus Cuyahoga Community College. “It is easier for customers to have one source for multiple items on a job,” says John Marcus, president.
Marcus took over the reins of Designer Accents, a 25-year-old firm, two years ago. His background in real estate gave him a unique opportunity to take a very successful business to the next level. He improved efficiencies with new systems, and he standardized procedures while preserving the superior relationships the company had with its customers. Updated technologies and an improved marketing strategy were used to build upon an experienced staff, while new players with requisite skills were brought on board. This has enabled Designer Accents to flourish despite a challenging economy. “Our growth is customer-based and product-based,” says Marcus. “We keep exploring what to add, out of architectural divisions 10 and 12. We are testing one product now that I expect to really take off.” And core products come at all price points to serve any particular need.

A portfolio of diversity
Today, Designer Accents specializes in commercial installations in the Northeast Ohio area, seeing this as its primary niche. At the same time, the firm is willing to follow its customers anywhere. As Northeast Ohio-based companies expand to handle jobs across the nation, Designer Accents is there to offer delivery and installation. “If the customer needs it, we follow,” says Marcus. For instance, Dayton’s Wellington senior living facility used medicine cabinets, closet shelving and mini blinds from the Douglas Company in Toledo supplied and installed by DA.
Spanning the spectrum was Marous Brothers Construction, which used DA as a source for its Park Lane Apartments in Cleveland and for its Valleyview Homes in Tremont. Commercial buildings include seven Fifth Third Banks for Legacy Construction, Snavely’s Liberty
Plaza and Neshkin & Drake office buildouts.
One major interest in this era of green construction is mechanized roller shades.
Designer Accents has a strong relationship with all of the major manufacturers and a product line that covers all price points. These popular products offer beauty and flexibility as well as LEED daylighting credits. Recent installations have included everything from Table 45 restaurant to the new Mandel Building at Case Western Reserve University. Schools work also includes work at Shaker Hts. High School for Jance Construction.
His biggest challenge? “Rising external costs,” says Marcus. “Some of the increases that we have to absorb are necessary, but hard nonetheless to explain to the customer. Combined with rising fuel costs and their impact on delivery costs, customer budgets can really be impacted.”
But Designer Accents is more than ready to stand up to any challenge. Throughout its history, it has proven itself as the premier supplier of those necessities that make a project complete. BXM