Friday, July 31, 2009

Art On The Edge


Click to enlarge


Circle the date! August 6th from 5pm to 8pm

The Pearl Design Center between Raleigh and Savier and NW 14th and 15th, will host Art On The Edge, a collection of eight the best of Oregon's Lanscape artists. They will celebrate the beauty of Oregon's in its 150th year in each storefront.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Sunday, July 26, 2009

NW Natural Street Of Dreams Is Going Urban

For the first time, the NW NATURAL STREET OF DREAMS is going urban. This year’s show will take place in the Pearl District of Portland and will feature approximately 10 high-rise condos priced between $1 million and $4 million. Most of the homes include eco-friendly construction, materials and furnishings.

DATES: Aug. 1 to 30.

LOCATION: Various condominiums in the Pearl District.

HOURS: Noon to 8 p.m., Wed., Thurs. and Fri.; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat.; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. (The tour is closed on Mon. and Tues.)

ADMISSION: $15 for adults during peak hours (4 to 8 p.m., Thurs., Fri. and Sat.; and all day Sun.); $13 for adults during off hours (all day Wed. and Thurs., and noon to 4 p.m., Fri.); $6 for children 6 to 14 years old; kids younger than 6 are admitted free.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Go to streetofdreamspdx.com.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is very pleased to have Dawn O'Shaughnessy and Debbie Melville use our furniture in the overall interior design in Block 90 PH 401.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Thursday, July 23, 2009

Up To $2,540 Credit On Tankless Water Heaters




From Oregon Home, not only was there information about Craft & Design opening in the Pearl Design Center, but there's a piece about George Morlan Plumbing. Their design center is about eight blocks away from us at 2222 NW Raleigh St. George Morlan Plumbing has been in business since 1935. I told my dad one day, who will be 89 in December, that nobody should have to go through two depressions in a lifetime. Some are calling the current economic situation another depression.

While looking at George Morlan Plumbing's website for their location, I noticed they are big on tankless water heaters (TWH) and have a coupon to save up to $2,540 on purchase and installation. I've written about the benefits of tankless water heaters before, but with credits of $2,540, I wondered at the cost. Ralph at the company was very helpful. He said TWH would run about $1,200 vs $800 for the typical gas water heater. We recently installed a new one and it is 53 inches tall and 20inches in diameter. The Rheem THW is about 2 feet high and 1foot wide.

Here's the way a THW saves money. It only heats water on demand, where as a typical water heater maintains the water temperature at a high level and that requires energy. Ralph says the THW is 30% more efficient that the old style water heater. By the time you get finished with all the credits, the initial costs are comparable.

Call Ralph like I did for answers to your questionas at 503-224-7000.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Greentea Design And Summer Sale

One of our advertisers, Greentea Design, renewed their ad for another year. I originally wrote about them in a post titled The Step Chest. I was intrigued with the design and its Japanese history.



Mike Ramsey is still my contact at the company. I'm happy to pass on this information:
The Summer Sale is on now at Greentea Design. We are offering 10-30% off all of our collection pieces. This includes popular stock items like our Big Burl Step Chest, Lattice TV Stand and Maru Coffee Table and more.

We are also taking 10% off all Antique Pieces from our latest selection. You can check out these unique, hand-picked pieces in our new Antiques Section. We update this section regularly and always consider requests from our valued customers.

Sale ends September 6th, 2009.
Greentea is a friend of the environment by using reclaimed woodfor their new pieces.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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New Cabinetry Showroom Opens in the Pearl District




Color us happy when a business mover into the Pearl Design Center. Please extend a warm welcome to Craft & Design, purveyors of fine cabinetry, recently opened a new showroom in Portland’s Pearl District.

Craft & Design uses national manufacturers and local craftsmen to create exciting spaces for the home. They feature St. Charles, Omega and KraftMaid cabinetry. Koru Cabinetry is Craft & Design’s own eco-friendly frameless bamboo cabinetry line locally manufactured in Hood River, Ore. Additionally, Craft & Design provides all types of countertops, including environmentally-friendly products; natural stone and woods; and unique, decorative details.
“We are committed to providing creative cabinetry design solutions for every room in the home,” remarks Wendy Anderson, general manager. “Utilizing environmentally responsible products with careful attention to detail, we work with clients to match their room with their vision and budget.”
The new Craft & Design Pearl District showroom is located at:

1427 N.W. Raleigh St., Portland.
503-224-5820
www.craftanddesigncabinetry.com

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Go on. And create.' With kymo!


Step back when you click to enlarge the photo.

While we are on the subject of carpet and accent rugs, take a look at kymo.
kymo is a German label for contemporary floorwear. In keeping with the brand's philosophy 'Go on. And create.' the kymo collection is characterized by a stylish, young, fresh and cutting-edge approach.

Founded in 2005, kymo is now present in ambitious high-end design and home furnishing stores in over 50 countries worldwide. Numerous well-known brands and companies such as HUGO BOSS, Mercedes-Benz, MTV, or Montblanc have all used kymo rugs for their own shop projects or product presentations
kymo's newest creation is 'SG AIRY PREMIUM'. They call it the perfect Lounge-feeling for every room! They are creating that relaxed atmosphere of a lounge, or laid-back cosiness.

Whether it's kymo or Masland, a quality, creative rug in the living room or in the den or the bedroom is a great way to update the look and feel of the room. And isn't that what we want to do in these times? Create a safe place to relax and unwind, free of the upsets outside our walls, if only for an evening before hitting it again in the morning.

I'll bet you'd like to experience a sample of kymo up close, wouldn't you?

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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An Interview with Kennedy Frierson of Masland

As you know, Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery carries some Masland rugs for placement under coffee tables or as accent pieces through out your home. You can see samples of the line we carry in this post, titled Masland Carpets Added we did about a year ago. The big supplier in our area for yardage is Contract Furniture Mart.

Recently, Kennedy Frierson of Masland Discussed New Products at Surfaces 2009 and I thought you would find the interview interesting. Not only does Frierson discuss the economy, but new developments in manyfacturing. Not only are the carpets easy on the eyes, but so is Kennedy Frierson!

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Friday, July 17, 2009

Designer Consignment

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Uttermost Botanicals



Last weekend we played 18 holes with Sei Amici, the three couples or six friends. Afterward, we all gathered at our house for a celebration of Sandi Lampella's birthday. The day before, I had Michael do some chores to make the place look presentable, like painting the railing on the front porch, and one of my tasks was to gather fresh cut flowers.

I gathered flowers from our yard and the neighbors with her permission, of course. Sometimes I buy fresh cut flowers at QFC or Fred Meyer. In the winter they are still available, but it can get spendy and they don't last long.

There is another way! Did you know that Uttermost has botanicals and they look like the real thing. Here are some examples:








Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

What's New With Landfair Furniture?


Click on ad to enlarge

The latest ad in Explore The Pearl and the lovely Beverly (in Red on middle left) talking about the Street of Dreams, this time in condos in the Pearl.


She and Dawn O'Shaughnessy and Debbie Melville decided on a contemporary interior design style in the condo on which they worked.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Thursday, July 09, 2009

"Blogging for Bliss"



Thinking of starting a blog, but somehow just never get around to it. Here's Tara Frey and she has a book out called "Blogging for Bliss."
Today’s crafting community is online, connected, and blissfully blogging about their work and ideas. Blogging is hot in this highly creative world—and here is the only how-to book aimed directly at them. Everyone from knitters and beaders to scrapbookers and altered artists will find the practical information and visual inspiration they need to create an artful online journal.
You may say crafting isn't interior design, but you would be wrong to pass. Here you will meet some of the web's most successful bloggers.

Tara Frey's blog was honored as a Typepad Favorite Blog in November 2008 and receives more than 6,000 hits a day.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Have You Missed Any Of These Articles By Mike Landfair?

Home Accents Today hosts the blog The Landfair Retail Focus written by Mike Landfair. Mike looks at a tremendous number of design blogs for information about latest trends, colors, fashions and furniture that he shares with his readers and he links to your blogs and stores. Here are a few of his latest posts with links to the articles.

His articles are flavored with his experiences of supporting his wife Beverly who owns and operates Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery in Portland, Oregon. In addition Mike posts at The Landfair Furniture (Blog) where he comments on a variety of issues of interest to interior designers and their clients. We welcome any link exchanges and encourage you to add us to you blogroll, if you like our content.


Do The Design Mags Feature Good Design? - We've had a great discussion about design or shelter magazines showing bad design.

"Sutton's Law" - Go Where The Money Is! - The article says that the affluent are on the internet more than ever:

Top 10 Activities Of Moms Online - Research reveals moms of all ages use the internet a lot. What they are seeking?

Dimethly Fumarate (DMF) May Be A Problem -Even small levels of exposure can cause serious skin sores, blisters, rashes and eye irritation.

The Resort Effect And Outdoor Lighting - The hottest trend in the home is outdoor living.

Rammed Earth Is Stunning! - Rammed earth is used to build homes and the interior walls are magical.

Who Is Eileen Kathryn Boyd? -…pictures of her design at the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse.

What Is Pyrolave? - Pyrolave, also, makes indoor/outdoor furniture and here are some examples of their work.

Women Who Blog - …eMarketer has a column about not just moms but women and their internet habits..

Contemporary Lighting for the Modern Style Apartment РWhen nighttime approaches, the lighting of your home should not only highlight the beauty of your modern furniture, but it should also encompass the overall modern theme of your room's d̩cor.

Video Tour Of Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery - Beverly gives a tour of Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery in Portland's Pearl

Sofa's Durability Depends On Fabric - How exactly is a fabric's durability measured?


Thank you for taking a moment to look and if you like what you read come back often.

Bev & Mike
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Rammed Earth Is Stunning!



I must live a sheltered life for I've never heard of Rammed Earth Walls until reading Patricia Gray's blog. Patricia Gray is an award winning Interior Designer in Vancouver BC, Canada who writes about "WHAT'S HOT" in the world of Design.

Her most recent post is about her visit to the
The Nk'Mip Winery and Resort in the Okanagan Valley. There she encountered beautiful wall that looked like marble. I was reminded by the pictures of layered rock seen from the road traveling through Utah and Arizona.

Rammed earth is used to build homes and the interior walls are magical.
Rammed earth, also known as pisé de terre or simply pisé, is a type of construction material. It is an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and natural building methods. Traditionally, rammed earth wall buildings are common in arid regions where wood is in scarce supply.

The mixture for rammed earth walls is compacted in layers between forms. Each layer of the rammed earth wall is approximately 6 inches deep. As each form is filled, another form is placed above it, and the process begins again. This is continued until the desired rammed earth wall height is achieved.



Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Who Is Eileen Kathryn Boyd?



I love color and this is a real find. Eileen Kathryn Boyd's blog has pictures of her design at the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse. Boyd, one of New York's most prominent and innovative interior designers, writes,
Every designer aspires to be invited to partake in the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse....It's definitely the Superbowl in the interior design world. When I found out in February that I was selected as one of only 30 designers, I was simultaneously thrilled and terrified. Thrilled to exercise my creativity in such a prestigious forum and terrified by the pressure to execute my vision in such a short time frame.



Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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What Is Pyrolave?



We had an interior designer come in yesterday looking for contemporary outdoor furniture. We carry many styles, but not quite what the designer was looking for. Today I was reading Decorati Access Interior Design Magazine and I came across guest blogger Susan Serra and her post about Pyrolave countertops with the following picture:



"What is Pyrolave?" I asked.
A little research and I found it was a process developed by a French company of the same name. Extracted from the Nugere crater at the heart of Auvergne's volcanoes, Volvic lava, this consistent and dense stone has exceptional qualities created by time. The extremely resistant blocks are extracted by hand from open-air quarry. They are then cut into slabs, processed and glazed. The expertise of the Pyrolave engineers allow them to select enamels not just for their beauty but for their resistance and resilience after being fired at more than 1000°C. Delicate crazing appears on the surface during cooling. Being more or less prominent – subject to the colour, these fine lines are the inimitable signature of the glazed lava stone.
This leads me to my next discovery. Pyrolave makes indoor/outdoor furniture and here are some examples of their work:







Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Oh, Those Lath Walls!




Recently, we repainted our bedroom. We have an older home, built in the late 20s and the walls were kind of a "Cafe Flesh" pink. They were a little tired looking and the lath had cracked in several places. We chose topaint the walls a dark gray and light tan for the woodwork. We kept the ceiling an off white. Prep was the hardest and took longer than painting it ourselves.

In the right kind of light I see imperfections in the repair of the cracks. I thought texturing over the cracks would do the trick, but I was wrong. Now I want to do a better job and learn how or have a professional do it, if I win the lottery.

I came across a interesting article a while back titled What's the difference between a great and not-so-great paint job? In it Jay Johnson explains the difference between a AAA paint job and a schmear job. The AAA paint job is the "Top of the Line painting, employing very professional crews, a lot of wall and trim prep before the paint is applied, and a very careful paint job."
The schmear or dab-on paint job that's done by a handyman or a day laborer to give a wall three coats of paint and pronounce the job "done." In an apartment, this is often accomplished "on the cheap" when tenants move out and you freshen up the place before the new tenants move in. We sometimes call the paint job "landlord issue" when white paint has been amateurishly applied to the walls of an apartment or new home.
The author writes about skim coating, which I see was an option for us or we could have used a taping system on the cracks.
Skim coating is a great way to make walls uniform in a room, particularly when you're mixing new drywall surfaces with existing, older walls. In skim coating, you take a fine plaster compound and you actually plaster the walls. The skim-coated wall surface feels cooler to the touch than sheetrock and it's smoother than bare sheetrock. It gets sanded between coats. It's very dusty to do this, but once the dust settles and the room is cleaned up, the paint is beautiful when applied.
If you click the link to skim coating there are a whole number of comments about whether skim coating is necessary.

I also came across a local Oregon man, Edwin Brown, who must have years of experience. He offers you the benefit of his experience on his website Plaster-Wall-Ceiling-Solutions.com . Brown has skads of information for the DIY about cracks, fixing holes and sagging ceilings and how to fix them and how to do skim coating.

I'll know how to do those walls better now!

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Monday, July 06, 2009

Outdoor Kitchen World Design Center



I've written about "The Resort Effect" how the public wants to experience the vacation resort at home, so they build a kitchen outdoors with sofas and electronics. Essentially, they create a whole new room outside with all the amenities. I've also written about staycations where a family takes their vacation at home instead of going to that resort. That means you need to feel like you are on vacation with the proper outdoor amenities.

Now the Portland area has a new business that just caters to those people called the Outdoor Kitchen World Design Center. Their remodeled building is located 10800 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road in Tualatin, Oregon 97062. They have been open since March.

I talked with Aaron and the Design Center is open to the public and the designer trade They plan on offering seminars and they have something called Outdoor IDEA System™ where you can literally create a life-size model of an outdoor kitchen and patio.

In an email newsletter I just received there's an interview with Lisa Metcalfe Murphy of Anon Interiors ( 503.709.107). Lisa has worked nine years with architects Barrentine, Bates and Lee. She answers a number of questions about outdoor kitchens.

There are good reasons to hire an expert if you are thinking of having more that a BBQ, but an outdoor kitchen:
A good outdoor kitchen designer will offer expertise on functional kitchen design, appliance selection, and suitable outdoor lighting and finish materials. They will listen to your needs and offer creative solutions resulting in an outdoor space that compliments your lifestyle. A designer will also offer invaluable knowledge regarding local code and safety requirements. For instance, an experienced designer will know to confirm that all fixtures meet UL safety standards, and that most outdoor outlet receptacles need to be specified as Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) to protect against electric shock and fires.

The trend to outdoor kitchens is a big one and seems to have reached critical mass in the Portland area.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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