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 and other countries in the early 21st century?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!The easy explanation is: we can afford to be obese.
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
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
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
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 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.
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"
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".
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."
Bev & Mike
Bev & Mike
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
Bev & Mike
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
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.
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
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
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
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
SAM MOORE CHAIRS
PO Box 339, Bedford, VA 24523
703.586.8253, Fax 703.586.8497
For over 50 years, Sam Moore has been producing affordable, comfortable upholstery for the home and office. I've never met anyone who didn't like this company. They seen to have hit a niche of tremendous styling, dependable consistent quality and all at an affordable price. Quite a combination. They offer traditional to contemporary styling, hundreds of fabric choices and plenty of optional wood finishes on exposed pieces. Choose from: wing chairs, dining chairs, 18th Century exposed wood chairs, French exposed wood chairs, a great Mission/Arts & Crafts collection, home office and executive seating, fully upholstered chairs & ottomans, sofas and loveseats, chaises, benches and settees. Choose from leather and fabric.
SHERRILL
2405 Highland Ave NE, PO Drawer 189
Hickory, NC 28603. (828) 322-2640, (828) 324-8207 fax
Sherrill is one of the best values in upholstered furniture you'll find. They are also the parent company for several other well known brands:
• Whittemore-Sherrill (Leather Upholstery)
• Precedent (Transitional Upholstery
• Hickory-White (Case Goods & upholstery)
• CTH-Sherrill Occasional (Wood & metal occasional & dining)
• Motioncraft (Recliners, motion sofas, sectionals & home theater seating)
• Theodore Alexander (Wood / metal / other case goods & accessories)
Bev & Mike
FURNITUREToday has a section that gives you the most recent information: eBay & Furniture|Today: What Consumers Are Buying Online. Not only does it break it down into specific catagories, but there is a link to
Top 10 Hot Categories
Top 10 Buyer Searches
Top 10 Individual Items Sold (based on price).
Here is a breakdown of the most recent list of catagories:
Bath - May 2005
Bedding - May 2005
Dining & Bar - April 2005
Furniture - April 2005
Gardening & Plants - April 2005
Home Decor - April 2005
Lighting - April 2005
Rugs & Carpets - April 2005
Decorative Collectibles - April 2005
Pottery & Glass - April 2005
Bev & Mike
This week I present you with a shocking proposition: The merchandise in our retail stores is not as important as the experience of shopping our stores.He says a Starbucks store is a good illustration:
My reader said that consumers flock to Starbucks for the sense of community: “Starbucks is the new Main Street, the town square. It’s welcoming. It’s warm. The music is playing. People are encouraged to work, study or pay bills – any of a number of activities usually done at home, in the office, or even a library – places that don’t promote social interaction and a sense of belonging to a larger community. Consumers are hungry for this experience.”At Landfair Furniture we try to offer that same experience and recently Marcie Harris, a designer in Portland said,
Bev is my favorite design source in the Portland area. I feel her place is the coffee shop at "Friends", since I always find an interesting designer to talk to there. Her complete and undivided attention to us designers really makes our lives so much easier.We think, too many times, we worry about being competitive as far as price, when it's really about what you are. Or in the words of a mentor, "Who be you?
Best blog on small business marketingWinner: Duct Tape Marketing
Honorable Mention: Small Business Trends
Editor's Note: Wow! Duct Tape Marketing won hands-down for the second-year running, gaining more votes than any other blog in any category in the entire contest. Most bloggers can only dream of such a huge and passionate fan base.
Best Blog on Niche MarketingBev & MikeWinners (tie):
Ypulse - Media for the Next Generation
WonderBranding - Marketing to Women
Honorable Mention:
Lipsticking- Smart marketing to women online
Editor's Note: All three of these blogs are not only useful for advice on their topics, but also worth watching if you plan to launch a Blog to promote yourself as a niche marketing consultant. (P.S. Whoa, get ready for neon-pink and orange when you visit Ypulse.)
We came across a web site Merely Human and the article Making Sense of the Blogging Phenomenon One Blogger At a Time
I have spent some time over the past two years researching blogging. And the longer I immerse myself the more convinced I become that blogs are merely a symptom of something much bigger happening on the web. No, let me restate that...happening TO the web.And in Breaking News: Will This Man Bring Legitimacy to the Blogosphere? Merely Human saysNobody's completely figured it out yet, but every day we are nearing closer to an approximate understanding of what their impact will be. The only thing we can conclude is that the question of what a blog IS isn’t so important as the question of what a blog CAN BE.
Today the blogosphere welcomes it's biggest marketing celebrity since Bob Bly. Jay Abraham, one of the most respected minds in marketing is officially launching his blog.If Jay abraham who wrote the book Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got : 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition is getting a blog, so should you!
Bev & Mike
PowerBlog Review: Landfair Furniture
