Nancy Zieg Competes in HGTV's Designer's Challenge

Hey gang, next Thursday at 9:30 PM EST and PST Nancy Zieg will compete in HGTV's Designer's Challenge.

Nancy Zieg was one of Landfair Furniture's Top 20 Designers for 2004, based on business done with the store. We interviewed her here at Landfair Furniture (Blog).

The show's website explains the challenge this way:

Wouldn't it be great to choose from different plans offered to you by three design experts for your real-life interior-design project? This weekly half-hour series follows one homeowner per episode through the exhilarating decision-making process of selecting from among three designers' room renovation plans, created just for the homeowner. Viewers watch as the chosen designer brings about a fabulous new look for the room. Hosted by Chris Harrison.

We wish Nancy all the best. It must be an honor to be recognized on the show and we will be watching, next Thursday at 9:30 EST and PST.

Bev & Mike

Volunteers Need for Friends of Trees

Several years ago, we decided that our parking needed a tree or trees. Bev and I worked with Friends of Trees to decide what tree to plant and through them how tall a tree was permitted, due to overhead wires. We decided on a maple that would have bright red leaves in the fall.

Planting was to take place in mid-January. Sometime prior to the planting, some group of volunteers dug a hole in the parking. Then, on the day of the planting, a number of us met at the distribution point where 8-12 groups loaded trees into pickups along with stakes. We set out in individual cars to the streets in our neighborhood to actually plant the trees. I remember it was cold and wet, but in about four hours, my group planted our maple and maybe ten others in people's yards.

Friends of Trees stayed in touch over the first year or so, monitoring the health of our trees and making sure they were watered regularly. I am proud to say that all but one of the trees we planted are alive and doing well. It is a joy to walk the Grant Park-Irvington neighborhood knowing I planted that tree!

Which brings me to

The Beaumont Wilshire Neighborhood Organization along with Friends of Trees are sponsoring a tree planting on February 11, 2006. The organizations are seeking homeowners who want trees. Volunteers are also needed to help organize and carry out the planting. If you are interested in either trees or volunteering contact Albert Kaufman at albertkaufman@yahoo.com. The deadline is November 1st.

Trees cost between $50 and $75 and range from 6 feet to 14 feet. The tree fee covers the cost of the tree, hole digging, assistance on planting day, stakes, twine, and follow-up monitoring. Both street and yard trees will be available.

Mike & Bev

"An Exploration of Portland Food and Drink" Blog

I wrote in September about a blog that gives restaurant reviews and blogs about food called An Exploration of Portland Food and Drink. If you are into the latest restaurants, you have to visit this site. Today we read this comment:

This is an amazingly busy time for new restaurants. We have Roux, Nostrana, Vindalho, and Fenouil (Jamison square in the Pearl), Siam Society on Alberta, an oyster bar on alberta, Blue Olive on Fremont, all opening about the same time. On top of that is the sudden rise (and fall?) of Olea.

In addition to the restaurant reviews there is an excellent article about cheese, What Does Cheese Mean?:

A certain euro-centrism reigns in cheese appreciation circles. When I think of good cheese (really good cheese), what immediately comes to mind is an imaginary French or Italian sheep’s milk gem crafted from the milk of herds grazing in the Alps. On some level, there’s a logic to this; European cheesemaking is a centuries-old tradition that produces some of the world’s great cheeses. But on another level, many aficionados take an us vs. them approach to cheese appreciation, as if great cheese can only be measured against European standards. I think there’s a lot more to cheese than that.

Bev & Mike

BTW the Clinton neighborhood blog says a new restaurant (is) coming to the 'hood on Powell across the street from the Fireside Coffee Lodge. Blue Dragonfly will be an a Latin American-inspired restaurant.

Decorating Trends at High Point

Kara Cox at Home Accents Today has a look at High Point and finds there is comfort with nature-inspired styles.

A soft mix of seascape hues such as sea green, sky blue and sandy beige create a simple palette for showcasing the treasures of the natural world. Wood is interpreted as a pattern in silky soft goods and cool silver-toned metal designs. Birds offer a feminine touch as sculptures and in hand-painted motifs on accent furniture. Wall decor showcases bird and egg designs featuring an antique quality offered with hand-colored prints.

[...]

With chaos becoming more evident in the world around us, consumers are looking for design and style that will create a calming environment in the home. Drawing inspiration from nature allows texture to remain organic, soft beach colors to relax and styles to merge the outdoors within.

Bev & Mike

Frederick Cooper Opens New Showroom

One of the lamp lines that Landfair Furniture carries is Frederick Cooper, a high end lamp that is almost art.

An interesting note in Home Accents Today, Frederick Cooper improves its showroom.

After entering the showroom at 200 N. Hamilton St., S-302,in Chicago, buyers move past the reception desk into an area featuring Larry Laslo licensed designs, then on toward other high-end designs in a range of materials, including lost wax bronze bases and weather-resistant Outdurables lamps featuring elephants in Thai art glaze.

Its showroom changes are a reflection of the company’s effort to move beyond its position as a premium lamp manufacturer and into the luxury lamp niche.
[...]
We spend so much time working to create great designs, we needed something to better show that we are in the illuminated art business.
[...]
The company dates to 1923 when artist Frederick Cooper’s work was so prized he was asked to illuminate his sculptures by incorporating his artwork into lamps.

“I think Frederick Cooper has always been interested in providing exquisite lamps that have an ‘Aha’ factor, an element that delights the customer

Bev & Mike

Interior Design Styles: Oriental

We have been discussing five design styles used in the interior design world: Traditional, Country, Modern, Exotic and Oriental.

From the September Home Accents Today Anniversary Issue, Kara Cox Describes Oriental design in The Big Trend.

In the world of design, Asian or Oriental style has long cast a spell over the Western world with its air of elegant exoticism and mystery. Always in fashion, this design tour de force sometimes wanes in the interior scene, only to spike in popularity yet again as the season's newest trend. Whatever the current status, this centuries-old theme continues to captivate in settings from classic to contemporary.

Heading back to January of 1987, Home Accents Today spotlighted the Orient Revisited in its market sketchbook. Japanese and Chinese influences blended with upscale flair, accented with subtle ornamentation and shape and materials like rice paper, pine and wicker. In keeping with the mood of the times, the color palette was muted and subdued with soft rose shades and mint green. Later that year, Oriental looks were in the spotlight again with a focus on ornate influences (such as gilding and lacquering) mixed with subtle contempory statements.

The next year, Japanese and Chinese styling was show-cased in deeper, richer palette with stylized patterning, such as flowers, pagodas, birds and kimonos.

Asian styling continued to dominate on the home front until 1990, when it dropped off the scene until 1996. At this time, the overall style took a contemporary turn, focusing on Japanese-inspired designs steadily for the next few years. At the close of the century, the emphasis was firmly planted on the Zen approach to decorating. Serenity and tranquility were key words, a reactive counterpoint to the chaos and upheaval of modern civilization.

By the year 2000, the overwhelmingly Oriental imagery and rice paper looks were gone, replaced by gentle, and even romantic approaches. The calm simplicity and purity of Asian gardens created an understated aesthetic of airiness for the home.

Stepping into the 21st century, Asian looks maintained a low profile for the next few years only to return with a fresh new twist. Albeit uptown, urban, or loft, the Orient underwent a cultural transformation, blending with cosmopolitan designs for a look that could be almost be European or American in its derivation. Whispers of the Orient ratcheted up the sophistication level; these clean-lined designs could be at home in any big city around the world. Following the tone set by the contemporary trend, Japanese designs were more naturally dominant in this time period.

Now with the pendulum swinging in the opposite direction toward refreshed, updated classic design (combined with a strong undercurrent of exoticism) expect to see a movement for 2006 toward Chinese-based styles and embellished, as opposed to Zen, Japanese looks.

Spiffed up and polished down versions of Chippendale chairs and elaborate fretwork motifs are on the horizion, as are lavish, opulent Chinoiserie-style bird and botanical prints, provided they translate into the decadent, yet restrained sensibility that today is calling for.

Given the resiliance of Asian design over the years, there is no doubt the Oriental approach will continue to reinvent itself with style to spare.

This concludes our tour of five design themes that Kara Cox gave us permission to reproduce.

Bev & Mike

Chinese Gardens

Preparing for the Oriental review of themes and designs, I was reminded of our beautiful Chines Garden in the heart of Portland, Oregon, wonderful on a crisp fall day.

Bev & MIke

Chinese Gardens

Chinese Gardens31

Preparing for the Oriental review of themes and designs, I was reminded of our beautiful Chines Garden in the heart of Portland, Oregon, wonderful on a crisp fall day.

Bev & MIke

Interior Design Styles: Exotic

We have been discussing five design styles used in the interior design world: Traditional, Country, Modern, Exotic and Oriental.

From the September Home Accents Today Anniversary Issue, Kara Cox Describes Exotic design in The Big Trend.

Over the years. the definition of exotic has broadened to include a host of looks outside the borders of conventionally defined design. Webster's sums up exotic as "from another part of the world: foreign." Strictly speaking, this tidy definition covers a whole lot of design territory, encompassing everything from tropical and bohemian to safari and primitive. Each of these looks originally referenced a specific place, although these inspirations have merged and mutated in myriad ways. Other style categories join the exotic roundup including vintage, ethnic, flea market, eclectic and organic as the modern descendents of these exotic foreigners.

The latter part of the '80s was marked by a distinct safari or jungle influence, very African in feel, highlighted by animal prints, rough, textured materials, exotic woods and fibers, and bold, ethnic geometric prints. A mix of exotic cultures - India and Middle East - also were prevalent in home accent designs, showcased in ornately carved wood, highly decorated ceramics, rich colorations and burnished gold and bronze tones.

Heading into the early '90s, safari influences morphed into primitive, still African, but with an excavation-style, archaeological twist. Worn finishes, weathered and hammered metallics, crude forms, rough edges and an earthern palette mimicked the look of found treasures. A recurring theme of eco-consciousness (with an emphasis on natural materials) accentuated the first glimmerings of organic style.

By the mid1990s West Indies-inspired designs were at the forefront of exotic accents, showcasing a blend of Colonial tradition with casual island style. Tropical materials like wicker, rattan and teak were at their peak.

A major style shift occurred in 1996, leading far away from India, Africa and Morocco (although these continue to be viable styles). In this case, all roads do not lead to Rome either, but to Grandma's attic. The March 1996 edition of Home Accents Today predicted the top emerging home furnishing style through the rest of the '90s would be Romantic Vintage. The April sketchbook introduction that year described a new eclectic and informal viewpoint pervading the market, an irreverent blending of traditional, time-worn furnishings with modern and offbeat, funky touches.

Nearing the end of the millennium, vintage felt right in step with the times as a knee-jerk reaction to modernism: anti-cyberspace, anti-high tech, anti-futuristic. Vintage, as defined by Home Accents Today in June 1996, was divided into four distinct looks: nostalgic American Attic; rugged and exotic World Traveler; relaxed and elegant European Memories; and faded Rustic Remnants.

The millennium set the stage for global discourse, emphasizing the new internationalism of our world. Blending, or blurring the lines, between cultures was of primary importance, resulting in eclectic interiors designed to showcase multiple cultures, 21st century-style.

Inspired by the famed Les Puces de Paris Saint-Quen flea market in Paris, Home Accents Today showcased Paris Flea Market style as the cover in April 2002. Celebrating indiviuality and experimentation, Paris Flea Market encapsulated the present-day metamorphosis of vintage bohemian, mix-and-natch style, a look that smacked resoundingly accross the home accents market for several seasons.

Eclecticism at its best, the idea of "scavenging" for style gradually crept across to the consumer as mainstream, in large part due to design shows that advocated breaking all of the established rules of period design.

In the last few seasons, a renewed emphsis on organic and primitive design have emerged. The look has been handcrafted with an overriding artisan approach focusing on making the mass-produced feel one-of-a-kind.

Tuesday, the final installment of Kara Cox's article The Big Trend, focusing on the five major deign themes and style, will feature Oriental.

Bev & Mike

Ralph in the Fall

Ralph in the Fall
Originally uploaded by gily122000.

This is the best picture I have ever taken of a dog. It shows his sweetness on a beautiful day and fall is in the air.
Bev & Mike

Interior Design Styles: Modern

We have been discussing five design styles used in the interior design world: Traditional, Country, Modern, Exotic and Oriental.

From the September Home Accents Today Anniversary Issue, Kara Cox Describes Modern design in The Big Trend.

Contemporary style's birth can be dated back to the late 19th century with its popularity growing through the two world wars. Dutch De Stijl, Bauhaus, Wierner Werkstatte's ground-breaking designs still are evident in today's modern pieces. Contemporary design strives to combine current fashion and cultural highlights with art, architecture and furniture.

While modern design stresses simple shapes, minimal decoration and high function, bright colors and abstract forms help create new art for a new time. Modern design often builds on retro sensibilities and recalls the past while offering breakthrough materials and functions for a fresh, high design look.

Twenty years ago, contemporary design was pulling from the Art Deco period inspired by the architecture and culture of the '30s and '40s. Sleek lines, arching curves and jazzy colors blended with industrial materials like acrylic, glass and metal. Brass combined with stone and acrylic in lighting designs while black and white marble and jazz-era motifs spruced up wall decor and tabletop. Lacquer surfaces and high-gloss ceramics lent a fashionable touch to abstract and geometric shapes. Black and gold were popular color combinations with touches of red for drama.

In the late 1980s, Post Modern gained popularity with cold, gray metals in matte and satin finishes mixing with stone and marble. Tapered column floor lamps and cylinder shapes appeared. In July 1998, glamour seeped into contemporary with shimmery silver, glittery gold and frosted glass setting off dramatic black and white and colorful glass sculptures. Watercolor abstracts provided a little pattern available in deep hues like black, graphite and plum or emerald.

Contemporary took a wild turn in 1989 with dramatic angles, neon brights and abstract patterns in black splashed with cobalt, magenta, emerald and teal. Elemental geometry tied together the look with jagged triangles, spheres and arches. Halogen ceiling pendants and torchiere floor lamps spoke to technological advances as well.

The early '90s popularized metals and metallic finishes from cool gray shades in pewter and chrome as well as black and gold pairings. Rough texture, weathered tones and updated steel were popular in sculptural looks and primitive craft pieces with comtemporary metal wall art simulating twisted metal. Color began to move into contemporary in 1992 with splashes and swirls of bold, vibrant color in graphic and abstract patterns for tabletop, wall decor and soft goods. Inspired by astrology, star and moon designs appeared with heavy black toning down for navy and gold. Black was no longer a background color but moved toward widespread acceptance as a neutral in wood tones and metal finishes.

The mid '90s softened contemporary a bit with the arrival of natural materials in modern design. Eco-friendly wood, paper, wool, stone, pottery and metal provided texture and interest to otherwise unadorned, unfinished media. Bold pop art styles made a statement drawing inspiration from Andy Warhol imagery of the 1960s in vibrant shades of blue, yellow, orange, green and black. Art Deco reappeared in 1995 and 1996 spicing up contemporary with swirls, curves and architechtural detailing.

Retro designs appeared with a throwback to 1950s kitsch and nostalgia in the late'90s. This time around, retro took a natural approach in apparel-inspired colors like gray, camel, tan and black offering a solid color scheme rather than mixing patterns. Primitive basics were updated for modern function as stone, iron and pottery showed off little ornamentation. An urban eclectic look emerged as modern, Asian and casual styles merged with artistic impact from simple solids, minimalist pencil sketches for wall decor and modern sculpture.

In contrast, with the dawning of a new century comes a return to '79s beatnik style with retro prints, colorful abstract patterns decorating everything from lava lamps to beanbag chairs. The last few years have shown a blend of contemporary designs with exotic motifs, clean Asian Zen styling, and artistic, stylized shapes. Today style and comfort updates soften lines, add curves and meld international influence with once stark contemporary elements.

We continue the discussion tomorrow with Kara Cox on Exotic.

Bev & Mike

Interior Design Styles: Country

We were discussing yesterday and for the next few days, five design styles used in the interior design world: Traditional, Country, Modern, Exotic and Oriental.

From the September Home Accents Today Anniversary Issue, Kara Cox Describes Country design in The Big Trend.

The April 1986 issue opened its style pages with the statement, "Country is unquestionably the most popular of all decors today." While much has changed in the last 20 years, Country remains popular and has evolved to encompass a host of informal styles from Southwestern to Folk, Lodge to Beach.

The mid 1980s held country styling in high esteem with the most popular Southwestern Chic featuring lightly colored, heavily grained wood, hand-carved and hand-painted effects, and imagery evoking American Indian motifs in warm desert palettes. Style details included rough textures, folk craft inspiration, leather, pottery, kilm rug and soft goods patterns.

As the 1990s approached, English country and Victorian influences brought a sweet, feminine slant to country styling. Flowers, lace, ribbons and heart motifs mixed with wicker, topiary designs and hand-painted wood. Wall decor depicted English countryside scenes and rich tapestries, fringed lampshades and deep Victorian hues.

At the same time Victorian romance was influencing casual style, primitive folk styling appeared with handmade looks, aged leather, rusty metals, raw wood and natural earthy colors. The pieces were used together for an eclectic collected feel rather than store-bought appeal.

In April 1991, Lodge debuted with rustic accents highlighting the American spirit in red, white and blue combinations, historical American scenes in wall decor, and hand-painted wood figures. Floral designs took on a country, wild flower look in wicker basket containers.

By spring of the next year, Western looks were strong in pine, walnut and oak finishes complementing soft tones of brown, beige and terra cotta that warm up rough surfaces and natural materials. Building on the success of the Bob Timberlake collection from Lexington Furniture, the home accessories market debuted rough-hewn, homespun textures and deep earth tone palettes throughout 1992. Tribal patterns appeared in rugs, textiles and ceramics while wall decor focused on Western animals like moose, deer and cattle. Pottery and iron became popular combinations for lighting, while rattan, hickory branches and jute appeared as natural materials.

Late 1994 saw the first move away from lodge to primitive Americana style with simple Pennsylvania Dutch influences in whimsical accents, darker wood finishes, embroidery and needlepoint soft goods designs. Graphic images of fruits and vegetables appeared as primitive expressions of rural style.

In 1996 country began traveling to places like the French countryside, with fleur de lis motifs, French storefront images in wall decor, light woods and painted furniture adding a casual European feel. Weathered vintage looks became popular with faded color palettes, floral patterns and Tuscan vineyard grape motifs dominating lighting designs from table lamps to chandeliers.

As Americans rushed to invest in a second or vacation home, furnishing designers in the mid-'90s introduced a relaxed coastal style with painted wood finishes, brightening whimsical ceramic and wall decor designs.

By the late'90s, several country themes coexisted with handcrafted cottage looks remaining true to American roots, French country blending European themes into casual style and coastal looks popular for second homes and regional decor.

Western made a quick comeback in the early 21st centuery with softened features as modern shapes and contemporary interpretations of Native American patterns adding an updated edge. True country went minimalist with white finishes, wrought iron beds and soft pastel florals.

Saturday, Kara Cox writes about Modern.

Bev & Mike

Interior Design Styles: Traditional

For the next few days we will describe five design styles used in the interior design world: Traditional, Country, Modern, Exotic and Oriental.

From the September Home Accents Today Anniversary Issue, Kara Cox Describes Tradtional design in The Big Trend.Traditional design borrows on themes and styles from centuries past, updating the elements with fresh color, finishes and motifs. For the past 20 years, traditional home furnishings have changed little in some aspects and greatly in others. The design style has encompassed everything from Neo-classic to English manor house and antique French.

Two decades ago, traditional design centered on two major looks. Historic reproductions of 18th century English antiques, specifically Georgian and Louis XV styles, offered formal and elegant designs. Especially popular were ancient Greek and Roman elements such as marble, pottery and classic urn shapes featuring medallion and eagle motifs, obelisk-shaped lamps and classic architectual lines.

Worldly influences continued with European inspiration found in richly colored porcelain, fringed lamp shades, damask upholstery, colorful majolica and rich jewel tones with vendors showing renewed interest in historic licensing programs.

The 1990s brought about a resurgence in garden florals with hand-painted European country motifs found on everything from upholstery to chandeliers and pillows. Baroque styling offered an ornamental, opulent touch to wood carvings, iron accents, gilt finishes and sculptured elements. Classic motifs remained popular with mythical, archeological figures spotted on wall decor, table-top and lighting designs. Romantic sentiments carried a Victorian vibe into casual traditional looks of the early '90s with bows, ribbons, delicate patterns and floral designs.

Black took on traditional with a beaux arts feel in 1993, alive with drama and grandeur when contrasting formal marble, gold leaf and antiqued brass. Gold resurfaced in sophisticated tradition on gilded mirrors and accented tables.

The mid-1990s revisited classic English style with swag motifs, weathered finishes, topiary styles and brass and crystal combinations. Faceted gems appeared everywhere, offering a romantic touch to classic style. As grunge music gained popularity in America, Gothic detailing emerged in home furnishings with medieval images of harlwquin patterns, pointed arches, gargoyles, arrows and fleur de lis in black and gold with spots of red.

In the mid-'90s, relaxed European style battled over-the-top tradition on a grand scale. French Country and Tuscan influence lent a casual feel to traditional with painted finishes, terra cotta and vineyard motifs. Large scale, gold leaf, and heavily carved detailing added a formal touch to classic illusions. Old World Mediterranean style was strong on sun drenched finishes, leather looks and scrolled iron.

With the 21st century, formality returned in English manor looks with lion's head imagery, gilding, silk tassels, embellishments and a simple gold, red and black color scheme.

Recently, traditional design has turned toward updated classics offering clean, modern lines, less ornamentation and bright, colorful hues.

Friday, Kara Cox writes about Country.

Bev & Mike

Goodbye Neighbor!

Two furniture retailers in trouble!

Two weeks ago Martin Scott Ltd. on Macadam avenue, in Portland, announced a "going out of business" sale. I don't know what happened to them. They were good neighbors and we will miss their competition. Rumors are that they may reopen in The Pearl under another name.

FURNITUREToday brings news of Levitz filing for Chapter 11. Mike remembers when they went public many years ago.

The 121-store Top 100 company filed in the Southern District of New York and said it has arranged for $90 million in debtor-in-possession financing. The financing package is led by GE Commercial Financing and includes an incremental credit line of $25 million from Prentice Capital Management.

[...]

While the company didn’t refer to store closings in its press release, J.B. Davis, president and CEO of key suppler Klaussner said he believes the plan is to eventually close 60 to 65 stores as part of the reorganization process.

That's the sad part in these closings; the harm to the employees and all of the people dependent on these businesses.

Operating a business is not easy. There are a lot of decisions to be made when you run your own business and good business guidelines to follow. I am humbled by the trust people have shown in me and grateful for the help of bookkeeper Helen Pilgrim, and our CPA Kim Wilcox.

Bev & Mike

Who's Riding Shotgun?

Delivering furniture can be hazardous. We have heard of drivers suffering back and elbow injuries, but this injury to a driver was new.

We were supposed to get a shipment to fill a special order last Tuesday the 4th. The driver called and said he would be late. He arrived yesterday the 11th and apologized a number of times. I told him everything was ok and asked what had happened. He said he had spent two days in the hospital. Seems somewhere in Utah, two men in their 30's jumped him in a truck stop, kicked him in the head and robbed him of his wallet, pictures of his kids, and $4!

The memory of his close call brought tears to his eyes and he apologized again. He said they kicked him in the head so hard both eyes were bleeding. I asked how he felt visiting a truck stop now and he said it scared him.

"Will you "pack" from now on?"
"It's against the law", he said, "to carry a weapon in a commercial vehicle."
I looked at the size of the lug nuts on the semi and suggested he carry a lug wrench with him. You can always say you were just checking the lug nuts.

Turns out the police caught the bandits with his wallet. That gets them 10 years. If there had been no robbery, just bodily injury, they might get 30 days.

Why am I spending so much time on this trucker you ask? I was struck by his tearing up, almost like post-traumatic stress syndrom. We have come a long way from the stage coach and men riding "shotgun".

Bev & Mike

Duralee introduces Pavilion Fabric

From Casual Living, Duralee introduces Pavilion Fabric

Duralee Fabrics introduced the Pavilion Collection, a line of indoor/outdoor fabrics with color-coordinated prints, weaves and trimmings in a seven-book set.

Created from a variety of fibers, including Sunbrella, Weatherwise and Teflon, Pavilion fabrics are engineered for outdoor durability.

durable outdoor

Bev & Mike

Beaumont Trees

I love trees and I love the trees in Grant Park that harbor squirrels that Ralph loves to chase. Having gone to the park for over nine years, I have seen a lot of changes. Old trees have gotten sick and had to be cut down. New trees, usually deciduous, planted and now showing their red fall clothes.

I came across Ron Franscell posting at Under the News. He writes about his love for trees and how in the rigorous Wyoming climate, trees were more fragile than here and grew only about three months a year, between the last frost in May to the first frost in Mid-September.

Portions of Montana, the Dakotas and Wyoming were hit by a slow-moving snowstorm that knocked out power, closed roads and dumped up to 13 inches by Wednesday.

Franscell now lives in Beaumont, Texas and you know Beaumont took a direct hit from Hurricane Rita. He writes

When I came to Southeast Texas 18 months ago, the landscape was festooned with trees. They grew like weeds in a tropical climate, and some people removed them helter-skelter, the way some people change the furniture in their living rooms. My front yard had three majestic trees, and the back had even more. I took comfort in these eight trees' maturity and shade. They were home to birds and squirrels that made the whole place seem more like a home than a house. These were my trees and I wouldn't have dreamed of cutting them down.

But Hurricane Rita took them all. A sturdy cedar was literally ripped out by its roots. The storm sheared off the tops of three tall pines, and stripped huge branches from all the rest. The hurricane-force gusts shaved off most of the leaves, split the crotches of the trunk, shoved them perilously toward the tipping point and slashed fences across their bark. It's the same story all over this region, where grand old trees bore the greatest brunt of non-human damage. In Beaumont, the storm even claimed the old tree in the city, a historic oak that was older than America itself; it was so large that when it came down, it damaged three different homes.

All but two will be gone when I go home tonight. The tree-cutters were expected today to chop them down and haul them away. I'll plant more, and maybe for a while, I'll measure their growth, just to be sure. An old habit from a short season.

I remember the Columbus Day Storm and can imagine what Beaumont must look like.

Bev & Mike

How to walk through a museum

Found this while surfin', How to walk through a museum at Marginal Revolution. I especially liked this bit of advice:

Go with a variety of people (but not all at once). It forces you to see the art through their eyes.

There's more advice here plus loads of comments. Have fun!

Bev & Mike

Fall Maple in Dolph Park

DSCN0025(2)
Originally uploaded by gily122000.

Fall is here and we are looking forward to this tree putting on its annual show.

Frank Gehry and Brad Pitt, Team Mates!

The residents of The small English seaside town of Brighton and Hove

agreed “in principle” to a plan for "starchitect" Frank Gehry to build a £290 million landmark that should do for Brighton and Hove what the Guggenheim did for Bilbao, Spain, which is transform it from "off the grid" to tourist hot-spot.

Gehry's inspiration for the project came from this image of Edwardian ladies.

The big news is that Brad Pitt is a friend of Gehry and will have a hand in the design and development!

Frank Gehry is the architect for software billionaire Paul G. Allen's Experience Music Project

Frank Gehry Brad Pitt architecture

Bev & Mike

Bloggin Around

I have added some new links to the Blogroll and I invite you to check these blogs out:

An Exploration of Portland Food and Drink - THROWING MYSELF ON THE GRENADE OF BAD FOOD TO SAVE YOU

Beaumont-Hollywood - Just north of the corner of NE42nd and Fremont is Beaumont Village's newest coffee cafe, Ristretto Roasters. From CoffeegGeek is a definition of Ristretto

The standard I teach is a 1 oz shot of espresso, not including crema. Unless otherwise requested I believe that this should be the default volume served in all espresso based drinks. I have served this to people asking for a ristretto shot and have only had positive feedback in return. To serve a true ristretto shot (.75 oz of liquid in 25 seconds) an adjustment to the grinder is required and is not realistic or recommended (NOTE: The preparation of a ristretto shot is highly debated with no definitive answers. The above is one of only many “right” ways to prepare a ristretto shot). A lazy man’s ristretto shot is as simple as pulling the cup out from under the pour when only .75 oz of liquid has run through.

Brooklyn - A lot of questions about Condo Conversions

...what happens to funky Hawthorne when the funky people can't find a place to rent and move elsewhere?

Buckman - Community gardening and some little pink wiggly things

Clinton - Hau Hagedorn celebrates one year blogging.

Some juicy bit of rumor that I've latched onto recently is inquiries by developers into the current occupied space on Seven Corners where the Domino's and Seven Days Market reside.

ExtremeMSG - Culinary Blog and Portland Food Guide

I Will Survive - Sandee, a courageous woman blogging her way through breast cancer.

Is It Art? - So how do you really feel about Brushstrokes, the new art piece at the Portland Art Museum?

Jen's Page - Jen has some thoughts about Julie Powell

who decides to cook through every recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in one year. And, this being the 21st century and all, she writes a blog about her experiences.

Kenilworth-Abernethy - Driving 39th!

Northwest Portland - praise for Ken's Pizza

So Ken's Pizza rocks. The crust is extra crispy and the sauce is very flavorful with garlic, basil and fennel seeds. Ken is a gracious host and I'll certainly be back for more.

Old Town - complaints about lack of Community Policing

Community policing means working with the neighborhoods - a partnership - in the true sense where each is expected to contribute and there is a welcoming of resident participation by the police. A resident ride along is not community policing - it is marketing.

Pearl Blog - What's new in the Pearl

Piedmont - Piedmont Neighborhood Association Meeting, Wednesday, Sept. 28

Portland Real Estate Blog - Two articles, What Will Kartina do to Portland's Real Estate Market and Who Buys New Construction Condos?

QPDX - the gay news blog

Sellwood - while you are organizing to keep Walmart out, stop in at the new to the 'hood, Lili Patisserie Cafe which serves espressos and pastries.

Stumptown Confidential - documenting disturbing motels.

I got mildly depressed just looking at these. I can practically smell the cigarette smoke embedded into the carpet and curtains and the bleach in the bathroom hiding the faint smell of old urine.

Time Goes By - What it's really like to get older

Bev & Mike

Macy's Changes Names

From PDXHistory.com

If you said “meet me under the clock”, all Portlanders knew that meant the clock in the middle of the main floor at Meier & Frank. For nearly 150 years, Style and Tradition have been synonymous with the name Meier & Frank in Portland, which was founded in 1857 by Aaron Meier.

Now the name will be gone. The name will now be changed to Macy's!
(see also Jack Bog's Blog)

FURNITUREToday announces Federated to drop Marshall Field's name

Federated Department Stores said it will drop the Marshall Field's name from all 62 of the stores by next fall and replace it with Macy's.

Federated, which picked up Marshall Field’s as part of its acquisition of May Department Stores (which owned Meier & Frank) this year, also said it will eliminate 1,700 jobs at May headquarters in St. Louis and another 4,500 as it phases out May divisional operations in Boston, Houston, Los Angeles and Arlington, Va.

It's sad to see brands disappear. Meier & Frank not only was the place to meet friends, but at Christmas, almost all packages were wrapped in Murphy & Finegan paper, as we affectionately called Meier & Frank.

Bev & Mike

What's New in Casual Design?

Interesting article in Casual Living: Designers shaping casual industry By Cinde W. Ingram and Courtney Mueller.

As consumers' needs change for space, storage and styles change, designers lead the casual industry's evolution.

Marshall Mullins - Mosaic tabletops fit Mullins' design needs. He designs mosaic tables with wrought iron bases, a kind of old world Tuscany look.

We have had several tables with this look in our store. One made by Hammary:
Hermosa Square Cocktail Table W40.75 D40.75 H19

Carl Muller - Muller finds rewards solving design puzzles. His Wellinton chair won a
Design Excellence Award.

John Caldwell - "I've had such a lucky design life"

"The casual industry used to be for rich people," he said. "The expectation level now is so different that the average person expects to have a backyard and outdoor furniture in it

Frederic C. Doughty - Doughty designs to meet sophisticated tastes

Doughty finds his architectural training plays into his furniture designs because furniture does not set alone in nature.

Scott Coogan - Coogan follows his creative passions. Traveling mostly to Costa Rica, tropical ingredients
provided inspirations for 2006's furniture designs.

Shaun Sweeney - "I'm always up for a challenge"

He designed Woodard's new stepping stone tabletop from a path he saw while watching "Lord of the Rings." A chair was inspired from a wrought iron fence he saw while taking a walk in Cincinnati over Thanksgiving

Philip Behrens - "I'm an inside-out designer, not a stylist.

"I like all my designs to be natural, true to themselves," he said. "I don't like ornamentation for ornamentation's sake. I operate more on a level on what kind of identity are we trying to make. I'm an inside-out designer, not a stylist. I enjoy the hunt for the experience of the idea we are trying to do. That is above and beyond everything else — that is very thrilling and totally unpredictable."

Richard Frinier - Frinier brings home styles of far-off destinations"

For the last 25 years I have only worked with materials that are weather resistant," Frinier said. "While this creates a challenge in and of itself, I enjoy altering the materials with unique textures and colorations to enhance my designs.

One of his clients is Sunbrella by Glen Raven. We carry Sherrill fabrics which have licensed Sunbrella. What is so great about Sunbrella? It is a "performance fabric".

Inside your living room or in the kitchen, Sunbrella fabrics make you question all the old rules. Like twirling pasta on the love seat. And if a meatball happens to roll off your plate and across the furniture, just wipe it off. Because Sunbrella fabrics are worry free. So go ahead and sip red wine on the cream-colored sofa or let the kids eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches in the family room. And when your pets jump on the couch after playing in the rain, just sit back and relax. All the qualities that make Sunbrella stand up to the elements outdoors make it impervious to life indoors.

This a very good article and it is like high fashion. What you see on the runway soon shows up in the showroom. In some cases at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery, it already has!

Bev & Mike

Silver Plume to Shutter Operations!

We are sorry to see them go!

Cheryl Jackson, founder and president of Silver Plume, said the Portland, Ore.-based importer and marketer of fine home furnishings will close on or before Oct. 1.

I met Jackson at market and her store has a great reputation.

"Over the 20 years we have in been in business, immense satisfaction has come from providing uniquely creative and well-made products for our customers," she said. "I greatly appreciate the years of service we have had from our vendors, suppliers, sales reps, and most of all our employees."

Bev & Mike

Katrina Slows Deliveries

We don't know what effect Katrina will have on the economy. However, FURNITURE Today has an interesting article that says

Fuel shortages in the wake of Hurricane Katrina are affecting furniture suppliers’ ability to deliver product.

With gas and oil production in the Gulf of Mexico at a standstill and pipelines from the Mississippi Delta region to the Eastern Seaboard idled, truckers sometimes are finding dry diesel pumps.

Deliveries could be slowed by a couple of weeks for furniture coming from the east coast.

Bev & Mike

Donate to the American Red Cross Through KINK FM 102

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery has made a monetary contribution through KINK FM 102 to the American Red Cross to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. We urge you to do the same. Here's the Kink announcement:

Here's how it works: Click here to donate to the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. When you do, you'll get back an e-mail confirmation of your donation. Then, forward the confirmation e-mail to relief@kink.fm (or fax it to 503-517-6100), along with your name and phone number by midnight Thursday night.

All day Thursday, KINK FM 102 will play new songs from The Rolling Stones each hour from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. We will enter listeners who donate to the Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross into a drawing for Rolling Stones prize packages, each including a pair of tickets to the Rolling Stones concert November 1 at the Rose Garden Arena as well as a copy of their upcoming release A Bigger Bang, which will be released next Tuesday.

Donate to the American Red Cross through KINK FM 102. You may win two tickets to see the Rolling Stones. You can also sell the tickets and donate the proceeds. Get creative! Have an auction to raise money for hurricane relief. Let's make sure we take care of our own.

Bev & Mike

KATRINA: You Can Help

You Can Help Storm Victims

American Red Cross: 1-800-HELP-NOW | FEMA | Catholic Charities | Salvation Army | Cash Donations Sought for Katrina Victims |

Bev & Mike

Kathia Emery in Portland Monthly

Just received in the mail the September issue of Portland Monthly with an article Mayberry USA by Camela Raymond.

John Mayberry came home from work, looked at his living room and said to his wife Jennifer, "This just doesn't feel like home."

...snip...

The 3,000 square-foot home's awkward floor plan had stymied the Mayberry' attempts to buy furniture. A few austere Craftsman pieces dotted the downstairs, leaving the living room to function as a glorified repository for children's toys. And the contractor-specified gray interior paint and beige living room carpet did not exactly radiate warmth.

Compounding these problems was the fact that the Mayberrys balked at making decorating decisions. "I've always liked cheerful colors and lots of patterns," Jennifer says, "but I don't have an eye for putting them together."

...snip...

So they placed a call to interior designer Kathia Emery

The magazine has three pages of before and after pictures. The results are beautiful. Emery did a great job and in the article she discusses why she made the choices she did and how she solved the various problems.

Are the Mayberrys happy?

Jennifer recalls, "My girlfriend looked at the living room and said, Oh, it looks like something from Southern Living magazine."

Good job, Kathia!

Bev & Mike

12 Decorating Strategies

Earlier I posted about Gens X and Y. One group wanted to reduce stress and the other group wanted fun and fantasy. I came across an October, 2004 issue of Family Circle magazine while waiting in the dentist's office, with an article Rules of Arrangement, 12 Decorating Strategies. I thought it had some very good information that reminded me of some of the points being made in that article.

1. Count on color to dramatize a small area. A splash of vibrance can transform an entry from boring to beckoning.

2. Think outside the bedroom box. Instead of a bench at the foot of your bed, borrow a concept from the living room and offer a cozy little sitting area. Possibly a little shelter from the storm for a quiet moment to relax.

3. Set up your living room for conversation and comfort.

4. Hang favorite art in harmonious multiples. A series of your photos or prints changes any wall into a stunning mini-gallery.

5. Choose an anchor for a mantel and all else will fall into place. Decide on one major piece for the wall, then build out from that.

6. Show off cherished photos or your family and friends in a cohesive grouping. Pick the same frame material for most frames.

7. Create impact with big bold accessories in the same mood or color.

8. Mix and match pillows galore for easy add-in warmth.

9. Turn a bookcase into an attractive all-around hold-all. Mingling books with odds and ends produces a more casual and homey atmosphere.

3 no-fail ways to make a room bloom:

10. Keep flowers simple, identical flowers in same hue.

11. Say it with texture: assorted flowers in a single palette.

12. Have fun with one: same blossom but different sizes and shades.

The important thing is have fun. If you make a mistake with a color, it can be repainted without a lot of effort. For the big stuff like choosing a sofa or fabric come see us at Landfair Furniture. We have a whole list of top designers featured in our many interviews that can give you a hand.

Bev & Mike

Are You Appealing to Gens X and Y?

From FURNITUREToday, we learn that marketers have had to learn new ways to sell to Generation X and Generation Y.

Gen Y is the 17 to 29 age group, sometimes known as "The Twisters" because they're between adolescence and adulthood. Since they grew up during the technology bubble of the '90s, they expect great wealth, and some plan to be company CEOs by 25. Thus, they're a generation that has a hard time facing reality.

They are susceptible to celebrity-endorsed products, and because of so many reality based shows, think they could be celebrities. They are interested in products that put them in the spotlight. They are "brand" conscious and they want a fun shopping experience. They also want to be able to "see" themselves in a particular piece of furniture, for example.

Gen X, the 30- to 40-something age group, could be subtitled the "anxious" crowd. They've been through economic expansions and contractions, have the highest divorce rate ever, and are the first wave born after the women's liberation movement. "Latchkey children" is a term linked to this group.

Because of their roller-coaster ride, they wait longer to marry, and some never do — about 30% of Gen Xers are single. Kennedy said businesses need to recognize and serve the growing singles market.

Because they are anxious, education for their children, to compete, is very important. For them home offices would be important. Furniture that reduces stress is important as are items that move them from alienation to community, like game tables or wine racks.

At Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery we try to make the experience fun, with animal cookies and color and interesting pieces, and pieces that do tricks. We have added the new Italian line, Calligaris, whose tables expand easily or sofa tables that convert to dining tables. We also offer Duralee Furniture that is completely customizable. We also know that a substantial part of our clientele are Boomers who want quality at a great price and a variety of styles from traditional, transitional, and contemporary.

What is your market, Boomers, Gen X or Gen Y or all of the above? Are you appealing correctly to your target market for the best results?

Bev & Mike

Judy Sturm, A Year in the Guest House

The special advertising section Ultimate Homes & Estates arrived today with the morning Oregonian and I was surprised to see an article A year in the guest house by Connie Potter. The article is about how

Judy Sturm created a little piece of Italy when she remodeled a 1950s-era clapboard house in the heart of Portland Heights

...snip...

the house is a typical Sturm design, tailored and simple, with exquisite detail and richly appointed spaces throughout

The Sturms lived in the 786 square foot guest house for a year while construction was taking place.

I've known Judy of Judy Sturm Design Studio, since the days I was working at Designer's Resource, some 13 years ago. It's great to see you have done well and you look absolutely fabulous! Come in and catch up!

Bev & Mike

Trompe L'Oeil Seminar, In Paris

I just received this email and thought it was so unique, I thought I would share it with you.

Students will learn how to sketch and paint this beautiful Trompe L'Oeil window using many trade secrets passed down by European painters throughout the ages.

Taught by Yves Lanthier, the price to attend the conference is US$3,495.00 (airplane, hotel and food not included).

What a way to end the year and begin the next, in Paris for 3 1/2 days learning a new skill.

The Art of Trompe L'Oeil Online Seminar Registration Form

Landfair Furniture has no affiliation nor any financial interest in Yves Lanthier or the Trompe L'Oeil seminar.

Bev & Mike

Update 01/27/08 The server for the Trompe L'Oeil window has changed and registration has closed. To view current workshops visit http://www.yvesart.com/

Pause by Jory Des Jardine.

Mike and I have been doing research on the BlogHer conference that started on July 30th in Santa Clara. We were not able to attend this year, but we may make an extra-special to go next year. We have been reviewing blogs and their postings about the conference and came across Pause written by Jory Des Jardine. She wrote a four piece episode titled The Power of the X Chromosome in the Workplace and this caught our eye:

Unflinching women’s advocate Tom Peters says, “Tomorrow belongs to women.” In his book Re-Imagine, he lists the reasons why a women’s model of leadership will prevail if business is to prevail. My first instinct upon reading this chapter was, “What’s in this for him?” In the past efforts to hire women into leadership positions have been more about quota-filling than deep appreciation of what we inherently bring to the table. This list wasn’t surprising, but it was a good reminder: I’d almost forgotten these qualities, tossed them aside in favor of others that I thought would better serve my resume. According to Peters:

* Women practice improvisation better than men

* Women are more self-determined and more trust sensitive than men

* Women appreciate and depend upon their intuition more than men do

* Women focus naturally on empowerment, rather than on hierarchical “power”

* Women understand and develop relationships with greater facility than men

Des Jardins goes on to say

You can drill down my argument for women’s innate ability to teambuild to biological levels, to Deborah Tannen’s work, which shows that from a very early age women seek to relate while men seek to dominate. Better put, men relate by dominating.

Mike and I wondered what it would be like to have corporations and government led more by women than by men. I think in many ways women can learn from men and vice versa. I know Mike can have a phone conversation with his best male friend. When he hangs up I'll ask him how his wife is doing? He won't know. And yet he admires that quality in me and my friends. It seems a shame that societies can cut themselves off from half of their resources.

Bev & Mike

PowerBlog Reviews Landfair Furniture

We have been away enjoying Oregon. We visited Crater Lake and a restaurant out in the middle of the desert, The Cowboy Dining Tree. (See Mike's blog for a description of their menu and the experience.) We got back and discovered that Anita Campbell's Small Business Trends had posted the interview of Mike and I about using our blog for promotion of our business, designers and local businesses. You can read that interview, PowerBlog Review: Landfair Furniture, conducted by Lynne Meyer on the Small Business Trends site.

Thank you for the asking us for the interview!

Bev & Mike

Are Women Accumulating the Wealth?

From China Daily, Women getting rich faster than men in UK

Research published last month by Investec Private Bank showed that there are now an estimated 360,000 women in Britain who are worth half a million pounds (US$ 900,000) or more each.

Women are now living longer, inheriting valuable properties and other assets from their spouses and receiving generous divorce settlements. They own assets worth almost 300 billion pounds (US$ 540 billion) and their numbers are expected to increase rapidly. It is estimated that by 2025, women will own 60 per cent of the nation's personal wealth.

Is this trend taking place in the US? We may soon have a woman elected President. There are a number considering a run or actually running;

Hillary and Condoleeza come to mind.

Bev & Mike

The Business of Weightloss

Is it a coincidence that after writing two posts about obesity in America, that I start getting spam about MiracleBurn , the weightloss pill and an invitation to link to a website that prescribes Phentermine online, a prescription weight loss medication, used as a personal appetite suppressant?

I expect, next, I will hear from the fitness clubs, the sellers of exercise machines, and makers of cookbooks.

Bev & Mike

Landfair Furniture Adds Duralee Furniture

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery has carried Duralee Fabrics since we opened in 2001. In 2003, Duralee added furniture, and in 2005, Duralee purchased a huge plant in North Carolina to manufacturer all its furniture, some 550 items, under one roof.

Duralee offers unique Design, fine Quality, value Pricing, and fast Delivery. The materials used, the methods of construction and the finishes are among the finest available in the industry. The ease and simplicity of their catalog presentation makes choosing from their collection an enjoyable and profitable process. If you are a designer you can feel confident when specifying Duralee Fine Furniture that your client will always be pleased with the end result.

As a consumer or a designer, you have a single source for frames and fabrics that is more than just upholstered furniture, but includes dining tables and chairs, beds, benches, storage ottomans, cocktail tables, consoles and more. From traditional to contemporary, from transitional to retro, the collection was created so that you and your designer, have at your fingertips, a wealth of furniture products unlike any other. There are hundreds of standard items and an endless ability to customize them that can meet any design requirements, and limited only by one's creativity.

Duralee stands behind their products and their customer service is unsurpassed. We invite you to review their line in our showroom and see for yourself the strength of their collection and the merits of selecting Duralee Fine Furniture for your home or next design project.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

The Other Side of Obesity-- A Follow-Up

Ruben Bailey of Your Average Horseplayer has opened a whole new world for Mike. Yesterday, in a note to my post about obesity, Why has obesity become such a problem in America? Bailey said...

You should check out this blog:
http://www.bigfatblog.com/

And also read this article from the cover of The Portland Business Journal about a local company on this subject: A man with big ideas (Portland Business Journal)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8538586/

It's interesting for everyone to be able to step back for a moment (or two) and look at issues/ideas/topics from the "other side," then we can truly begin to develop educated, informed, rational decisions.

At Big Fat Blog, you can register, only after you read and agree to these rules:

Big Fat Blog is a site devoted to fat acceptance. BFB provides a strong, supportive environment for those interested in issues related to fat people. But it is important to note that BFB is not a weight loss site of any kind; in fact, weight loss talk here is prohibited. Promoting weight loss and weight loss surgery is prohibited!

On July 12th, BFB posted about The Fat Business saying

It's always seemed so simple to me: there are a lot of fat people in this country, and we need the same goods and services that everyone else has. Yet the perpetual Forum threads on how x is so hard to find attests to the difficulties that we still face.

Which leads me to the Portland Business Journal Article and picked up by MSNBC. After Timothy Barry ballooned to 365 pounds,

"At every turn we are bombarded with news about how people are getting bigger, but nobody is accommodating the needs of these people."

Barry started SuperSizeWorld.com. SuperSizeWorld carries an amazing amount of merchandise that Mike or I hadn't given any thought about.
Things like:

Mega sized watch bands
headgear and bicycle helmets
bicycle seats and toilet seats
Mike liked Hangerzilla™

- this big hanger is special. With its 100 pound capacity, 23" width and 5" depth it can hold heavy leather coats, fur coats, full length lined top coats, diver wet suits or pretty much anything else that you can hang up on a hanger (the average hanger is 15-16 inches).

Even the funeral industry is recognizing that Americans are getting larger and the old caskets do not accomodate our sizes, so they came out with "double-wides".

I think the main thing that Mike takes away from Ruben Bailey, Big Fat Blog, and Timothy Barry is that there is a whole other world out there many are running from, and others are embracing. BFB really rants against the promotion of thin-ness that leads to unhealthy behavior, especially by young girls, who can't see their true selves when looking in a mirror.
Bev & Mike

Top Designers of 2004:Interview with Sue Ziehler

Resuming our interviews of Top Designers for 2004, we are pleased to speak with Sue Ziehler of En Vogue Interiors

LF+DG: Sue, thank you so much for making time to answer some questions about your design practice. What is your background and what are your credentials?
Ziehler: Interior Design has always been instinctual for me. Since childhood, I have been designing all my living spaces with great effect. Five years ago my position as a corporate vice president was downsized. I took this opportunity to define interior design as a new career. I attended Heritage School of Interior Design in Beaverton and started Sue Ziehler, Inc., Interior Design. I had been blessed with several years of experience with a startup company so I understood the importance of business plans, marketing, execution and maintenance of client loyalty. My clients are impressed with my professionalism and ability to communicate their style into their living spaces. In July, I joined the design team at En Vogue Interiors in Beaverton. It is a vibrant design environment guaranteed to produce some remarkable things.

LF+DG: Who or what has been an influence in your design?
Ziehler: As a young woman, I had the privilege to work for a few old-world wealthy families. I also had the fortune to live in Europe for a time. These experiences fostered my appreciation for architectural detail, art and fine furniture. Don't get me wrong, I do not like stuffy old things. But I appreciate classicism and believe all spaces should have at least one piece of antiquity, something with a past. I am influenced by quality materials and craftsmanship. My favorite designer is Naomi Leff (member of the Interior Design Hall of Fame and responsible for the Ralph Lauren store image). She can make an apartment look like an ocean liner.

LF+DG: How do you define good design?
Ziehler: All the principles of design notwithstanding, good design works like a magnet to the homeowner, moving them to desire to be in their living spaces more than anywhere else. I am a true believer in the adage that "form follows function". Get the function down and the feeling right and you have a winner.

LF+DG: If I were to hire you to decorate my home, would people who visit say, "Ah, this is a Sue Ziehler home?"
Ziehler: Doubtful. But there are definite similarities. "Ease of care" is important to me. Therefore my designs tend to be uncluttered. This gives my clients the opportunity to easily keep their spaces the way they always want them to be, whether they are a slob or not.

LF+DG: Do you come up with a presentation board?
Ziehler: Not in the traditional sense. I use computerized tools to help sell a concept, both two dimensional and three dimensional. Accompanied by samples or photographs, I use these tools to build a project binder.

LF+DG: How do you charge for your services?
Ziehler: After considerble self-debate, I choose to charge a design fee based on square footage. Clients are often skeptial of open-ended hourly charges and clients do not understand how much time it takes to consider a design. My flat rate covers room layouts and choice of any hard surfaces. In addition, I take a standard mark-up on all purchases and I surcharge anything that is purchased at retail.

LF+DG: What other creative things do you do?
Ziehler: Creative? Not sure that describes what I like to do. I am an avid sports fan. (Thank God for TiVo.) I love to cook, garden, collect art and read.

But most of all, I love a pop opera quartet called IL DIVO.

LF+DG: Sue, where can people reach you?

Ziehler: Bev, they can reach me at En Vogue Interiors, 503-504-9175 or www.ziehler.com/sue@ziehler.com

Bev & Mike

Sue Ziehler Top Designers of 2004 Bev & Mike

Landfair Furniture Adds Calligaris

You've seen their ads in Metropolitan Home and Elle Decor! Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is proud to announce a new line: Calligaris. Calligaris firmly believes in its mission: to offer contemporary and functional furniture with Italian design, great prices and good service.

We have posted here and here about Green Design. Calligaris works in tune with the environment.

• they select the wood through ecologically aware replanting processes;

• they monitor industrial emissions;

• they recycle processing waste;

• they minimize scrap

Here are some examples of the style of Calligaris:

Bev & Mike

Why has obesity become such a problem in America?

Michael Higgins at Chocolate and Gold Coins has an interesting take on obesity with this question:

Why has obesity become such a problem in America and other countries in the early 21st century?

The easy explanation is: we can afford to be obese.

We might think differently about our food choices if each calorie cost us 10 cents. At that rate 2000 calories is $200 per day. You sure might think twice about buying a big Mac and fries for $160, leaving you only $40 for the rest of the day!

Higgins asks a second question:

So why haven’t markets emerged to help pace people to lose weight?

In order to be sucessful at weight loss, people need to have a long-term goal broken down into many short-term goals. The long term goal is to lose the weight and maintain that weight for a long period of time. Too many of us yo-yo.

The key is to develop an easy to use inexpensive technology that measures fat content and not just weight.

Bev & Mike

What's New in Fabrics at Summer Showtime

One of the purposes of these posts is to provide you with the latest news out of High Point, NC. FURNITUREToday is a good source for that kind of information. At Summer Showtime in High Point, much of the textile industry has changed radically in the past five years.

Some fabric sources that sold entirely U.S.-made lines just five years ago, for example, now source exclusively from offshore, and familiar domestic mills are moving steadily toward a business model in which they serve more as marketing and sales agencies than producers.

Some favorites emerged with buyers; in fabric design strong black-and-white presentations accented with brights, menswear patterns like houndstooth and argyle in all sizes from mini to enormous, and performance fabrics.

In color, orange tones are still important, as are the soft spa blues with chocolate brown, interesting greens, including an emerald at LaFrance Inds. and a clear kelly as well, which was also important in prints at Duralee and Richloom.

One straw in the wind: Although prints still haven’t returned in force to upholstered furniture, there was some movement in the category.

Brian Gallagher, a partner at fabric supplier HomCraft, said, “Our Magnolia print line did better than ever before, so maybe that’s a sign prints are starting to come back. They make an inexpensive way to get color on the floor — and this market was all about color and performance.”

Bev & Mike

Upholstery prices may climb!

FURNITUREToday, has an article Upholstery prices may climb, in which it is revealed that retailers may see rising wholesale upholstery prices of $15 to $20 per sofa due to rising prices to manufacturers. Most have absorbed higher costs in the past, but are now being forced into price increases.

Passing on extra costs is, for most factory execs, like cutting off their own legs. They say increases are likely to bring static from customers and, in some cases, force vendors off retail floors where stores don't want to carry higher price points.

In the past six months, costs have increased 18% for foam, 12% for steel, 10% for chalk used in marking fabrics.

Greg Hefner, president of Friendship Upholstery, a midpriced upholstery maker in North Carolina, said the hikes are the worst he's seen in 35 years, with steel taking an especially big chunk of his margins.

Bev & Mike

Can Your Accent Tables Do Tricks?

Today’s bigger homes demand bigger living room tables to match the large rooms and large upholstery pieces. Height has stabilized at 20 to 21 inches, but the length and width are broader. A rectangular cocktail table at 50 by 72 inches or a 60-inch round table are examples of the needs in a larger home.

Hammary created this Prairie collection in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. With white oak veneers and leaded glass, this cocktail table and other pieces take their design cues from the Mission-style homes that are part of the National Trust’s historic sites.

At the same time more condo living and baby boomers' downsizing demand smaller occasional tables. A sofa in the 70 to low 80 inches demands a smaller cocktail table or ottoman.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery carries all sizes, but more than that, we like our tables to do "tricks". How about a coctail table with hidden drawers for those remotes or games? How about a leather ottoman that doubles as a cocktail table and an extra seat?

Remember, too, that accent tables can change the feel of the room without the cost of changing the more-expensive upholstered items.

Bev & Mike

Rowe: Change Can Be Painful!

From FURNITUREToday, Rowe chips away at backlog

Rowe Furniture, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of custom upholstered furniture in the United States. Established in 1946, Rowe Furniture offers a wide range of styling in sofas, sectionals, chairs and ottomans with over six hundred fabric selections.

The bad news: Rowe was operating with a number of proprietary and home-grown computer systems. Their deliveries to retail customers swelled to 8 to 10 weeks from order date. Backlog jumped to $23.5 Million and an inability, developed, to get internally produced frame parts to the right place at the right time for assembly.

The good news: They recently switched to SAP AG Enterprise Resource Planning software designed to make it competitive with overseas production.
They were having a problem with fabrics, but the company has made progress in bunching large batches for more efficient cutting schedules.

The upshot: with the changeover they will be able to provide delivery to retail customers within 10 days. "I feel we've come a long way," Gerald Birnbach, chairman and president of The Rowe Companies said. "We should have most things pretty much under control this quarter. As far as manufacturing the product, selling the product, and delivering the product, we're there

Change can be painful. Here at Landfair Furniture we are proud to carry Rowe. Our clients have experienced the frustration of longer than normal delivery times. We thank you for your patience and are excited to be able to offer short delivery times at the completion of the software changeover.

"More" from Decker Marketing

Mike and I like to visit sites that visit us. We are curious about what brings someone to our site and can we learn something from what the visitor is doing?

Today we were visited by Decker Marketing and we found a number of interesting marketing ideas. What really caught Mike's eye was this piece written on February 06, 2005. It reminded Mike of his stockbroker days when after a great year the managing partner visited their office and announced they were awesome! "Just wait until you reach your potential." The next year business was up 100%, he visited again and announced, "You guys are awesome! Just wait until you reach your potential."

From Decker Marketing Defining "More"

Is your mission statement "More"? There is always more you can do in work, and there's always more you can do in life. How to balance? Consider this perspective...

An American consultant was at a pier in a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied only a little while.

The consultant then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The fisherman said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.

The American then asked the Mexican how he spent the rest of his time.

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor."

The American consultant scoffed, "I am a business consultant and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution.

"You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"

To which the American consultant replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then, senor?" asked the fisherman.

The consultant laughed, and said, "That's the best part! When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public. You'll become very rich, you would make millions!"

"Millions, senor?" replied the Mexican. "Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

It is easy to get caught up in "more". When Mike and I go to dinner we tend to talk about business and marketing and how to deal with problems. So we say enough, after awhile, and talk about family, health, the dog, plans for vacation, books we are reading, and how much we care about each other. It is too hard to relax when all you want is "more".

Bev & Mike

Carnival of the Capitalists 7-11-05

Carnival of the Capitalists is up and Landfair Furniture is proud to be included. It is hosted by Multiple Mentality.

Bev & Mike

Christopher Bates of fauxcade

Was it really April that we introduced you to the artist Darryl Ware in Interior Design Event with Darryl Ware? Yes!

Now meet Christopher Bates of Lake Oswego. Sometimes we are just amazed at art and the subjects that artists choose. While in Napa Valley early in our marriage, Mike and I came across an artist that made miniture bricks and then formed those bricks into large vases. In places the sides were broken to reveal the unique brick structure underneath. Truly exceptional work. What does this have to do with Christopher Bates?

Chris came into our shop and showed us his portfolio of sculptures. His work at fauxcade is a result of the fusion of his interests in art, architecture and the manual crafts. From one who is fascinated by architecture, these scuptures are unique. Rrom his website, fauxcade

"We are creating large-scale architectural sculptures in a way that pays homage to great architectural styles from the past, but at the same time plays with classic color and texture formats."

"It's a synthesis of the way an artist may have made an architectural model, by hand, 400 years ago, with modern concepts of art and decoration." The result is a beautiful sculptural object that is absorbing and visually dramatic in a way that is unique to our artform.

The molds for each sculpture are hand-formed using traditional methods, then cast with architectural grade plaster. Finally, each sculpture is colorized individually, so each is unique

The pieces range in size from a foot high to 7 1/2 feet tall, in the case of a full facade. Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery may be offering these sculptures in our store in the near future.

Bev & Mike

16 Master Bedroom Mistakes to Avoid!

The July-August Oregon Home is on the newstands. This highly readable magazine has an article by Ken Logan titled 16 Master Bedroom Mistakes to Avoid.

Ken was gracious enough to allow me to quote from the article. If you want to read the complete article, you can go to their website to see where it is sold.

Here are the 16 Mistakes:

1. Not springing for a mattress that's going to maximize your chances of getting a great night's rest.

2. Not considering the size of your bedroom when choosing furnishings.

3. Letting your master bedroom drift off to the bottom of your building or remodeling budget. It's too easy to focus on the public spaces and neglect the area where you may spend a third of your day.

4. Assuming that knocking out the wall between two small bedrooms is the best way to create a master bedroom during a remodel. Don't rip out the thing you are paying for.

5. Not keeping a consistent design between the master bedroom and the bath. Work for "visual coherence".

6. Not making the most of storage options. Clutter is not restful.

7. Underestimating the effect lighting has on your bedroom. The spectrum of natural light that comes from the sun is best.

8. Skimping on finishes or decor in the bedroom because "no one's going to see it." You deserve a beautiful, restful space.

9. Letting a large space tempt you into using the master bedroom for functions that are better suited to other parts of the house. Mike and I do not have a TV in the bedroom.

10. Assuming you can't add a master bedroom just because you don't have-or can't create-a big plush space.

11. Passing up the chance to have your morning cup of coffee waiting for you when you step out of bed.

12. Neglecting what's outside when planning your restful retreat.

13. Forgetting to allow for lifestyle changes in your sweet design. We are all getting older.

14. Working so hard on the look of your bedroom that you forget that quiet is also crucial.

15. Opting for flooring that's too cold and hard.

16. Minimizing how huge a factor color is in the feel you're trying to create in a master bedroom.

In each of the 16 mistakes, Ken Logan has consulted local resources to offer solutions and has those suggestions in the article.

Also, remember Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery has an onsite color expert in Carol Cornwell and can recommend a number of interior designers we work with that are knowledgeable in helping you avoid these mistakes or providing solutions.

Bev & Mike

What's "Room in a Bag"?

From FURNITUREToday, out of High Point comes news of "Room in a Bag"

The “room-in-a-bag” concept, with seating, occasional, rugs, lamps and other decorative items merchandised as a package, is gaining steam with upholstery and multi-line manufacturers, especially those offering branded collections.
The underlying premise: Such packages will increase a store’s ability to attract customers, relieve consumer anxieties about making decorating mistakes, and thus boost sales.

One company featured at High Point, was Rowe, which linked up with pottery maven and hip designer Jonathan Adler, the first venture into a collection backed by a well-known name.

One reason companies are offering "room in a bag", it is a way for higher-end companies to distinguish themselves and maintain their identities. In other words, packaged concepts are harder to duplicate (or knockoff by competitors or foreign manufacturers).
Another reason, consumers are looking for help in decorating. Some want the confidence that their purchases work well together.
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery proudly carries Rowe.

Rowe Furniture is a leading manufacturer of custom upholstered furniture in the United States. Established in 1946, Rowe Furniture offers a wide range of styling in sofas, sectionals, chairs and ottomans with over six hundred fabric selections. The Rowe Furniture collections include Rowe, Robin Bruce, Jami L and Earth & Elements. Rowe Furniture is available at major home furnishings retailers and better independent home furnishings retailers across the United States and around the world.

In addition, we offer onsite design help and can refer you to a number of interior designers that are familiar with the many offerings of furniture and accessories in the Portland area.Bev & Mike

More About "Green Design"

In May when we interviewed interior designer Marcie Harris, she talked about "Green Design", a concept Mike didn't know about.

My (Marcie's) interpretation of Green Design is that designers and architects need to be educated about the 'lifecycle" of the products they specify. This is not only the recycling capability of products, but thinking about what it took to make the product in the first place.

Today in Interiors Quarterly, there is a broader discussion of Green Design as it pertains to leaving a better planet for our kids.

The interior designer and the architect play a special role...with the power to create, the designer has responsibilities beyond others. We are obligated to practice sustainable design, in other words, to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We must recognize that the things we do and the choices we make have long-term effects, from choosing woods that are not in danger of extinction to assuring that the materials we specify don't contribute to exacerbating a sick child's asthma.

Bev & Mike

The Phillips Collection at Highpoint

From Highpoint, last week, Lisa Casinger, Home Accents Today retail editor says The Phillips Collection kicked butt!

From their contemporary:

to Yuri Zatarain who created some magnificent pieces and the displays were powerful.

Retailers she talked to at market were "excited about fresh looks they were seeing. Some said it was like there’d been nothing exciting for a while and they came to the April market and found it."

The Phillips Collection is carried at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery.

Bev & Mike

What are Performance Fabrics?

According to FURNITUREToday, the new buzz is about "performance fabrics". What are performance fabrics? In the Police department think Kevlar, a fabric that stops bullets. In the furniture arena think fabrics that protect from stains and spills, think durability for motion furniture, think light-fastness for outdoor furniture, think anti-microbial for damp regions of the country.

For upholstery manufacturers then, performance can fall anywhere on a continuum from a simple durability story to a highly engineered product that is touted as impervious to liquid, bacteria, mold, mildew, stains, sunlight and bleach.

We have had Scotchguard and Teflon for fabrics that can be applied at the factory or in our warehouse before delivery to our clients. It protects against dirt and stains.

And if spills are an ongoing cause of concern, then just knowing that water- and oil-based liquids will bead up on the surface while you grab a napkin can make a consumer feel better about a fabric choice.

We have a dog that lays on the sofa with us at night when we watch television. Ralph, doesn't mean to forget to wipe his feet or doesn't intentionally drool at Baconbits, but Scotchguard has added life to this piece of furniture. At Landfair Furniture, for an added charge, Sherrill, one of the best values in upholstered furniture, will teflon coat (their name for a protective sealer) pre-production. Sherrill will be offering new fabrics that are geared to the clients demands for performance fabrics.

Two points to remember about about a protective spray. First, make sure the company applying the product is a professional. We use Ray-Burt's Inc., a company that has been in business for 25 years! Second, applying a protective product may cause you to lose any warranty on the fabric, especially if applied after it left the factory.

Bev & Mike