Chicago-based Refined Haystack is an online expediter.

“In a nutshell, it’s here to help the interior design community save time,” says founder Sabrina Vodnik. “It’s a value proposition.”

Refined Haystack takes the existing relationships between designers, showrooms, stores, and consumers – and accelerates their activities in a digital format. It’s a place to connect and to collaborate.

“Designers can showcase their work and promote themselves – it’s branding by association,” she says. “On one page, called The Gallery, designers and homeowners can view resources and see who they might want to work with.”

The site benefits all involved by aligning a designer’s brand with the store  – and the homeowner takes notice.

“It’s about building and managing that relationship,” she says. “The consumer gains insight.”

And gets educated, in a hurry. The site offers hyper-local resources that are accessible and easy to get to. Awareness of them, like The Find Antiques on Grand Avenue, might otherwise be limited. “You can’t find it unless you know about it,” she says.

If you pay attention at Refined Haystack, you’ll know about that – and much more. Fifty-two designers have signed up since the site launched in August, along with more than 85 stores and showrooms.

“Homeowners do their own research on site and educate themselves, and then link to a designer’s profile,” she says. “It makes the  interior design community attainable for the homeowner.”

And shortens that proverbial search for a needle in a haystack.

For more information, go to http://www.refinedhaystack.com/

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