DuPont Magazine: Making Seasons Shine

Making Seasons Shine: Tradition, whimsy and DuPont finishes help Design Solutions turn holiday decor into destination presentations. December 2004

In November, cherry pickers, scaffolding, and yards of black plastic adorned the lobbies of some of the best-known addresses in America. After Thanksgiving, however, the curtains lifted on exquisite seasonal tableaux that ushered in the holidays season.

Stephen Stefanou is founder, president and lead designer at Design Solutions which decorates corporate interiors for the holidays. Clients include Boston's Prudential Center and the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, where Design Solutions formed a 34-ft tree from 68 giant gold-leafed ornaments.

Stefanou also strives to increase a property's intangible value, that certain something that makes visitors choose to visit one location over another. "in today's hospitality and retail market, being a must-see attraction is a competitive advantage," he says.

Design Solutions offers no catalog , no stock items. Each project is conceived and scaled to site conditions. Stefanou works with several different artists to conceptualize treatments based on each client's marketing objectives budget as well as the aesthetic direction established by the property's original architect during design and construction.