334: Deborah Pegher: Relationships with Your Area Design Center

Welcome to the show! Today we have a great opportunity to showcase another career you might consider if you're looking for a slightly different angle within the design industry. We have Debbie Pegher, a long-time listener who is also an all-around amazing cheerleader of this podcast as our guest! Debbie is the showroom manager of   Century Furniture, in the Washington Design Center and she has more than thirty years of experience as a designer working in retail, a design studio, and having her own design firm before she became the manager at Century. Listen in to find out more.

Debbie serves as the board of directors of The Washington Design Center and she regularly hosts events for the design community in the 5000 square foot Century showroom. She served as membership director of the ASID Washington Metro Chapter from 2014 to 2016. Century Furniture was awarded Best Made in America, in 2012, by  Made, a non-profit which honors excellence in American design, with Debbie's expertise. Furniture from Century was featured at the National Reagan Airport, and this honor culminated in an invitation to the US Capital, to watch the fireworks show, on 4th July. Debbie's leadership has earned her and the DC team at Century Showroom of the Year twice, most recently in 2017, with the best sales record recorded, for their showroom! Debbie credits and shares this with her co-worker, Gloria Domingez, a seasoned and talented design-oriented member of this two-person team. Listen in to find out what Debbie has to say today!

Show highlights:

• Debbie gives a detailed explanation of how being an interior designer for so many years has informed her ideas and decisions at Century Furniture.
• The wonderfully welcoming approach of the staff at the Century Furniture showroom towards designers.
• About the fantastic team at Century- including those based at the factory in North Carolina.
• The real human kind of client experience that's to be found at the Century Furniture showroom.
• The willingness of Century to customize items, if required.
• The importance of treating all designers, including the young and junior ones, really well.
• Some of the things that Debbie has instituted at the showroom to welcome, and also to teach designers.
• Although it's a trade-only showroom, they still encourage the public in to come in and browse.
• How it really pays off for designers to create great relationships with design showrooms.
• The awesome events that Debbie hosts at the showroom at the Washington Center.
• The new and exciting events that Debbie has coming up for the Summer season.
• It's all about who you know- and who knows you!
• How Century services work 'the Century way', to avoid any problems.

Previous episodes mentioned on this show:

Kristen McLaughlin #319

Links:

Century Furniture

Instagram: Century Furniture

Facebook: Century Furniture

Linkedin: Debbie Pegher

Instagram: Wash Design Ctr

Facebook: The Washington Design Center

Twitter: Wash Design Ctr

Pinterest: The Washington Design Center

Twitter: Century Furniture

Pinterest: Century Furniture