Designer opens commercial division; pens book.

A pioneer of high-end, high-rise rental apartment marketing in the 1970s and 80s, who has designed model apartments for such leading developers as Zeckendorf, Lefrak, Resnick, Goodstein and Milstein, and counts among her private clients everyone from the Rolling Stones to John McEnroe, Elaine Lewis has been known as "Queen of U. S. Model Homes" for the last 20 years.

In August 1995, Viking Studio Books will release the first U.S. interior design book of its kind, Less Is More: A Practical Guide to Maximizing the Space in Your Home (240 pages, 225 full color photos, $29.95) by Lewis. "It's addressed," she says, "to the 95 percent of American households which can't afford to hire an interior designer."

Organized by room with at least 10 examples for each, the book covers living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, breakfast nooks, offices, entertainment centers, formal dining rooms, storage, and additional seating arrangements. It includes hundreds of "fool the eye" tips for the quick, easy, and beautiful interior design.

The Book of the Month Club has just announced "Less Is More" as a fourth quarter 1995 selection.

"In this time of shrinking space in both residential and commercial space, it's my job to quickly and easily make rooms appear larger, grander, more luxurious than they actually are," Lewis says.

The Brooklyn-born Lewis got her first big break in the real estate industry back in 1972 at the age of 21. The young entrepreneur had opened a small decorating and furniture shop on Second Avenue near the old Beckman Theater when developer Paul Milstein, impressed by her displays, wandered in and asked her if she'd like "to do a building." The encounter resulted in Lewis designing and furnishing an entire model floor in Milstein's One Lincoln Plaza development, which opened to rave reviews.

"That made me into what I never even thought about," recalls Lewis, who to date has designed over 3,000 model apartments in 80 buildings throughout the city and around the world. Her expertise also extended to countless public areas, lobbies, corridors and health clubs in both large and small spaces for some of the city's best known developers and buildings.

Recently, Lewis oversaw the 1994 top-to-bottom re-design of Manhattan's Friars' Club, including a full-floor addition. Today, she is the Friars' "designer in residence," occupying a corner table that seems part office, part networking circle and part showroom for her work - 90 percent of which she says is still inspired by her work with developers on model apartments.

Technology Changing Commercial Realty

Lewis says the information highway technology is changing how offices are built marketed, designed. "Employees will work split hours or split weeks at home and on corporate premises," she observes.

After specializing in turn-key model interiors for residential developers since 1974, Elaine Lewis, Ltd. established a Commercial Design Division in 1994, incorporating its space planning and volume buying experience into planning and furnishing commercial interiors.

"It was just a response to the New York market," says Lewis. "With all the move-ins and move-outs and spaces available, I talked to different people and they thought it was an excellent idea."

"Residential developers commit large budgets to creating model homes which generate millions of dollars in sales," says Lewis. "The same concept works wonders for commercial developers who must provide more in give-backs to knowledgeable commercial tenants signing long-term leases."

"In the evolving work of commercial real estate, turn-key fits perfectly with the condominium office concept," Lewis says. "Many elements of turn-key design can be integrated into the mortgage. Items affixed to the premises can usually be built into monthly mortgage payments."

"Not only does the developer have a strong marketing tool in turn-key design, it's also a self-liquidating profit center," she adds. "After initial expense of designing and installing the model interior, the developer sells the design package at a mark-up over cost to the tenant. This generates marketing clout as well as additional revenue."

Three Dimensional Interior

Commercial developers can now present three dimensional interiors in advertising/promotional materials through the use of video cassettes and computer generated tours. Furnished interior models also enable developers to display video on their property and distribute it domestically and internationally.

Elaine Lewis Ltd. has created three turnkey packages with different design schemes, each modular. As floors are leased out, modules are moved.

"Design elements of packages are executive suites, middle management offices, and different work stations for support staff," Lewis says. "Various finishes, cabinetry, soft goods, and accessories are installed in the three models."

Prospective tenants can choose from units or mix and match various elements to meet their needs and relocation budget. "The turn-key concept is an asset for real estate and facilities managers who no longer have to solve the problem of creating a new environment," says Lewis.

As for her new book, Lewis says it was over two years in the making, during a period when she was "open to new avenues."

"For years people had suggested to me to write a book for people who really can't afford to hire a designer," recalls Lewis, who says she's not afraid that such a publication may cut into the design business. "What I am afraid of is that others won't have the opportunity that I've had."

A woman who proudly reviews her achievements and states "My career is my family," Lewis may just be entering a new phase of her professional life as an author. Although it won't be published until She summer, "Less is More" has already garnered a Book-of-the-Month Club nod and Lewis is negotiating the serial rights to the book in publications throughout the world. The William Morris Agency will be handling the foreign sales of the book, which will undoubtedly be accompanied by a whirlwind of talk show appearances around the country.