John Galliano and Haute Couture fashion show in Paris

Mike and I saw The Devil Wears Prada this weekend and it was a hoot, with some gorgeous clothes. You want to go shopping after this show, and if you take your significant other, he will gladly foot the bill if you look like some of the models in the show, although my husband does not want me to wear a size zero or a two.

This is the week of the Autumn/Winter 2006-2007 Haute Couture fashion show in Paris and couldn't help notice the fashion from British designer John Galliano for French fashion house Dior:

A model presents a creation by British designer John Galliano for French fashion house Dior as part of their Autumn/Winter 2006-2007 Haute Couture fashion show in Paris July 5, 2006. (REUTERS)


A model presents a creation by British designer John Galliano for French fashion house Dior as part of their Autumn/Winter 2006-2007 Haute Couture fashion show in Paris July 5, 2006. (REUTERS)

On second thought, Mike says I have enough clothes.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

The "New" Hekman Furniture Company

Last week, we sat down with Tim DeLauder, manufacturer's rep for Hekman Furniture, to preview the new lines and go over the offerings for Las Vegas Furniture show coming up in July. Mike had searched the Hekman web site for dealers in the state of Oregon and besides Landfair Furniture, which wasn't listed (and Tim says that will soon be corrected), we found only Kuhnhausen's in the Portland area. We seem to be selling more and more Hekman and Mike asked what has changed with the company.

Seems Hekman was very much an East Coast company in the past, meaning it's styles primarily appealed to that section of the country, and also it was known mostly as a desk company. About 2 1/2 years ago, new management came in and the company has become broader and more hip. Quality and design are now equal to Drexal Heritage.

Recently two collections, Metropolis

and Repertory

have been strong on major cities. Repertory even won the first annual Advancing Design and Innovation Award (ADI).

(Repertory) is a collection of 18 pieces inspired bu the Neoclassical and Empire styles. Using the classic forms of this period as a foundation, pieces are wrapped in leafy heart cherry veneers with rich walnut burl borders and treated to satiny silver hardware.

Now Hekman has introduced the Castillian collection:

The Castillian collection is oversized and lightly distressed featuring a finish that is soft and slightly tobacco colored. It is perfect for large rooms.

Another feature of the Hekman line are two new kinds of desks: Laptop Desks, built especially for laptops and the gear needed for laptops and "Sit to Stand" Desks, that convert from a desk at which you sit, to a desk that has a feature that moves and allows you to work while you stand.
One other kind of furniture is popping up and that is a piece that works with flat screen TVs. The piece looks like a credenza until the TV appears on top from inside. Or it may look like a bookcase sitting on a credenza. Interesting ways that fiurniture companies are responding to the new technologies.

BTW, you can see the Repertory Console pictured here at The Neighborhood.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Hekman Repertory Metropolis Castillian Furniture

Paul Klee Exhibit

Are you going to be in Washington D.C. sometime before September 10th? You might look in on the Paul Klee exhibit at The Phillips Collection.

...the Swiss-born artist's fame came easily enough in Europe -- where his career flowered in the decades before his death in 1940 from scleroderma.

[...]

When Klee worked in abstraction, as he did in "Gradation, Red-Green (Vermilion)," a 1921 watercolor on view at the Phillips, he never approached Kandinsky's bravado of color and scale. Klee's exercise in color and composition is much more intimate and subdued than any Kandinsky. Most of the Klees here are the size of postcards or notebook paper. (A few get larger as he approaches his final years. Most suffer a little for it.)

Klee and America at The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW, Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m., through Sept. 10. $12 adults, $10 age 62 and older and students. Free to those 18 and younger and museum members. Call 202-387-2151.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Pauk Klee The Phillips Collection Washington D.C.

Tips for Entertaining at Home

In a column called Ask the Barefoot Contessa in House Beautiful, author Ina Garten answers questions about entertaining at home.

What's the best size table for a dinner party?
I like small parties. With 6 people, you can really get a conversation going. The ideal table for 6 or 7 is a 48-inch round, because everyone is equally engaged in the conversation.

Do I need to make place cards?
I don't think it's necessary to make place cards for a small party, but I do think it's important to have a seating plan. While we're having cocktails, I'll decide who are the two most talkative guests that evening and seat them opposite each other, which keeps the conversation flowing.

I have too many people to seat them at a table. Is it all right to have them eat dinner on their laps?
If you need to invite more people than you can seat at tables, and you just can't afford to rent them, serving dinner on your lap isn't ideal, but it's just fine. However, you'll want to plan the menu carefully.

I'm having 30 people for a fund-raiser at my house and no one will know each other. How can I be sure it'll be fun?
...the key is getting people engaged with each other as quickly as possible.

What if people ask to bring their children to a party?
Except for holidays, I don't think children belong at an adult party — and I'll bet the children agree! I don't know any 6-year-old who wants to sit through a conversation about Iraq.

It doesn't show much imagination to bring flowers or wine when you're invited to dinner. What's more interesting?
There's nothing wrong with bringing flowers or wine, but it's how you deliver them that can make a difference.

There's much more in the article than I've given a hint of. Check out Ask the Barefoot Contessa. She has some great ideas for your next dinner party or large event that you are planning. After all, we want people to have a good time. We would like them to want to come back again.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

House Beautiful Ina Garten Ask the Barefoot Contessa Entertaining

What is Synaesthesia?

Synaesthesia, a harmless condition that allows a person to appreciate sounds, colours or words with two or more senses simultaneously.


Murnau - Castle Courtyard I, 1908 by Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky is believed to have had synaesthesia.

In his case, colours and painted marks triggered particular sounds or musical notes and vice versa. The involuntary ability to hear colour, see music or even taste words results from an accidental cross-wiring in the brain that is found in one in 2,000 people, and in many more women than men.

Composition VII, 1913 by Kandinsky

Despite the lack of medical proof for Kandinsky's synaesthesia, the correlation between sound and colour was a lifelong preoccupation for the artist. He recalled hearing a strange hissing noise when mixing colours in his paintbox as a child, and later became an accomplished cello player, which he said represented one of the deepest blues of all instruments. Sean Rainbird, curator of Tate's forthcoming Kandinsky exhibition, says, "My feeling is that he was quite a natural at it. To have painted the largest work he ever made, Composition VII, in just three days, shows that this language was quite internalised."

'Kandinsky: The Path to Abstraction, 1908-1922' is at
Tate Modern, London SE1 (020 7887 8888),
June 22-Oct 1.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Wassily Kandinsky Synaesthesia

The Neighborhood

The Neighborhood started June 10th and will run to July 2nd from July 2 - 11 am - 9 pm and is closed Mondays & Tuesdays. The Neighborhood was formerly the RE/MAX Street of New Beginnings.www.the

This year Suzie Buchanan of Buchanan Associates and Michelle Barnes of Timeless Interiors gave their time with the Wysteria. built by Homes with Style. Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is proud to showcase some of our furniture that fits with the overall design.

The Wysteria


An English country cottage with established landscaping and modern appointments, the 2,850 square-foot Wysteria envelops visitors in warm, rich color and lots of light. The open floor plan extends to the home’s large, airy bedrooms, which quietly beckon you to sneak in a quick afternoon nap or a few chapters of your favorite book.

“The Neighborhood is more than a home show; it’s a gathering place where people can pull together fresh ideas for updating their homes, learn about construction and design trends, and while they’re at it, have a great time.,” said Dave Nielsen, CEO of the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland. “Every home is unique and each showcases the true craftsmanship of Oregon home builders. This is our first such development in Clackamas County and we couldn’t have picked a better time to build in this vibrant, growing area.”

The Neighborhood is all about:

* Inspired Homes. Eight earth-friendly, fully appointed and landscaped homes by Sequoia Custom Homes, El Dorado Custom Homes, Buena Vista Custom Homes, Homes with Style, Teal Point Homes and Development, Schumacher Custom Homes Inc, and DreamHouse Construction.

* Ideas. The show presents creative yet realistic ideas that visitors can implement in their own homes. People looking to redecorate, re-landscape or redesign a home will find lots of inspiration and advice at The Neighborhood.

* Family. The Neighborhood is a fantastic event for all ages. Kids Weekend June 10-11 kicks off the show; ENERGY STAR weekend helps ring in Father’s Day June 17-18; and Outdoor Weekend June 23-24 highlights terrific outdoor living and entertaining ideas.

* Energy efficiency. Homes at The Neighborhood feature ENERGY STAR® qualified products exclusively. This reflects the growing interest among both homebuilders and homebuyers for new homes that build in energy efficiency measures such as increased insulation and ventilation, high-performance windows, state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems, gas appliances and more.

* Charity. The place will be rockin’ on June 19, when The Neighborhood hosts Rock the House, a charity event to raise money for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Sequoia Custom Homes will auction its Doernbecher House of Hope live at the event, which also will feature a silent auction, great entertainment, and food and drink. Tickets cost $35 and can be purchased through Tickets West (www.ticketswest.com) or www.neighborhoodpdx.com.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is proud to be involved in this event. We will offer special show pricing and will make a donation to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital for each piece sold.

Bev & Mike

Portland Condominiums

There's a new web site called
Discuss and Find Portland Condominiums.
It's advertised as:

"Your most important resource to find anything about Portland Condos and PDX lofts."

The site has information available about the new projects:

McCormick Pier
The Meriwether
The John Ross
The Strand at RiverPlace
Waterfront Pearl
McKenzie Lofts
North Park Lofts
Pearl District
Riverscape Townhomes
Old Town Lofts
Orenco Station Town Center Lofts Hillsboro
Portland Downtown Condos
Cascade View

Check out the site. In addition there is a news section. I would like to see the site have much more content, but they are doing it right by setting up useful links in the Portland area.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Portland Condos Lofts Portland Condominiums

McMahan’s to Close two Oregon Stores

FURNITUREToday reports that Top 100 chain McMahan’s will close a 16,000-square-foot store in Astoria and a 30,000-square-foot store in Salem.

“We’re going to be liquidating our inventory in an orderly fashion,” said Taylor Ganz, vice president of the Los Angeles-based retailer, which will have 17 stores in California and Oregon when the closings are completed.

He would not elaborate on the sales, except to say all three stores would be closed before the end of the year.

Ganz said the three closing stores were no longer profitable. “We’ve decided to put our resources in more profitable markets,” he said.

That will leave them with stores in Albany, Bend, Coos Bay, Klamath Falls, Medford, and Roseburg.

Of course, Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery will be happy to help residents of Astoria and Salem with their furniture and accessory needs.

Bev & Mike

New Uttermost Website

From Home Accents Today, Uttermost, a leading accessory and lighting manufacturer, unveiled an easy-to-navigate virtual showroom on its new Web site at http://www.uttermost.com/.

The new Uttermost virtual showroom is a great example of where art and technology have come together to create the ultimate shopping tool that meets the business needs of today's retailers.

The site has sophisticated yet easy-to-navigate search functionality to enable the user to quickly narrow down and access specific accessory categories and/or product information. They can access specific information such as product sizes or specific finishes and styles.

[...]

The Web site also caters to consumers and the company's internal sales force. Consumers can visit the virtual showroom to find out information on the newest home accessory products, and get tips from designers.

Speaking about Tips from Designers, The Uttermost Website has an informative piece about Designer Tips for Lighting and Lighting Fixtures. Some of the topics covered:

My room seems too big/small…. how can lighting help?

How can I use lighting to show off the beautiful decorative objects in my home?

What general rules should I follow to light the master bedroom?

I have a home office… how should I light it?

We carry the Uttermost products in the Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery. Take a look at the virtual Uttermost website. We can drop ship any style lamp or accessory to your home or office.

Bev & Mike

Uttermost Lamps Home Decor Landfair Furniture

BermanFALK Acquires LDC Design Studio

From FURNITUREToday comes news that BermanFALK has acquired the rights to produce the furniture designs of California-based LDC Design Studio.

LDC, a 10-year-old contemporary bedroom, dining and occasional furniture producer based in Palm Springs, will stay in business, and owner Joel Bessaules will continue to provide input on design, but its collections will be made at the Bermanfalk plant in Langley, British Columbia, said Gary Berman, vice president of marketing and sales for Bermanfalk.

He described LDC as a niche-oriented manufacturer with a regional presence in the U.S. Southwest, whose looks complement Bermanfalk designs.

The company hopes to expose LDC to an international customer base, Berman said. He said Bermanfalk also wants to develop relationships with what he described as LDC’s loyal customer base among designers.

“They’ve obviously got some terrific product. It’s very well styled and works along with our product well,” Berman said.

He said the purchase was completed in late February, and did not disclose a price.

Last year, Bermanfalk acquired Vancouver-based HOM Furniture & Design, a high-end company targeted to metropolitan markets. Berman said the goal eventually is to market the three companies under one brand name.

The LDC Design Studio bed in Espresso finish pictured above is part of the Chandler collection and comes in Classic Finishes of Amber Rift Oak, Chestnut Rift Oak, Dark Walnut Rift Oak, Espresso Rift Oak, and Ebony Rift Oak. In addition, there are Premium Finishes of Birdseye Maple, Zebrawood, Macassar Ebony amd Wenge.

With the loss of Dinec' bedroom furniture line, a result of the discontinuation as a result of Dinec's reorganization from Chapter 11, Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery will be pleased to offer LDC Design Studio as part of the BermanFALK quality furniture offerings.

Bev & Mike

BermanFALK LDC Design Studio Contempory Furniture

Palecek Outdoor Furniture

From Copley News Service,
Indoor-outdoor furniture should be weatherproof, stackable,
by Christine Brun.

If your place is small and has little space for storage, look for furniture pieces that work as well inside as out. That way, you expand your entertaining capability for every season.

Shopping for such indoor-outdoor furniture requires patience and restraint because some beautiful garden furniture would look out of place indoors. And the ubiquitous white plastic chairs available at discount and home-improvement stores definitely would not work.

Still, some of the features found in both of those options are worth trying. You need seating that is weatherproof and pet-friendly. Stackability is an added plus.

Palecek's Patio Stacking Chair is one handsome possibility. The body of the cafe chair is woven with high-quality UV-resistant plastic. A special coloring technique is used to create the wickerlike appearance over a frame of bent black rattan.

Investigate your finds carefully so you aren't in for a surprise when they are exposed to the elements. Although the Palecek chair is constructed partly of natural rattan, which gives the chair its genuine look, you might not want to leave it outdoors year-round. This chair would do fine for the season, and you'll get extra use if you buy plastic covers for all of your outdoor furniture.

Alfresco dining is also pleasurable in another Palecek offering, an aluminum-framed chair covered in an all-weather woven synthetic material that mimics the look of natural rattan peel. Aptly named Al Fresco Metro Chair, it is also conveniently stackable and has a more contemporary feel.

Shop with your pets in mind, too. Puppies chew on just about anything, so a metal model might be better for the household with pets.

Try to locate outdoor chairs that will be compatible with your existing indoor pieces. For example, if you already have wicker indoor dining chairs in a natural color, the Patio Stacking Chair would have the woven element in common.

Your eye will read the texture and color first before the differences in design detail hit your brain. In this way, whether you are inside looking out or outside looking in, if the colors and styles are compatible, the visual impression will be that the space is contiguous.

Another way to achieve this connection is to continue the type of flooring from inside to out.

The same rule also applies to your tables. A wood dining surface won't endure the weather, but make sure other finishes are visually similar enough to allow for design flow.

Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer, member of ASID and author of Big Ideas for Small Spaces. cbaintdes@aol.com or to Copley News Service, P.O. Box 120190, San Diego, CA 92112.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery carries Palecek indoor and outdoor furniture and accessories. We carry some items on our showroom floor have many more in catalogs that can be ordered, some in a variety of fabrics and leathers.

Bev & Mike

Decorating Dead Zones

It's Bridget Otto Thursday and her column today in The Oregonian's Homes & Garden section, concerns those hard to decorate little areas, she calls "Dead Zones".

Every house has one or two. Sometimes there are more.

We're talking dead spots, those puzzling areas that are often not furniture-friendly but look vacant without something. It can be a small landing on a staircase or a transition spot from one room to the next.

Mine's in the entryway. First off, there's no electrical outlet nearby, so a quick fix of adding light is out. Secondly, there is already a table off to the other side of the entry, so an additional table looks redundant and not very clever.

I've had a chair there for some time. Granted, no one sits in the chair, but it fills the void and acts as a catchall for coats and purses -- sometimes a good thing, sometimes not. I've lobbied for a decorative coat rack, but my husband thinks it, too, will become an eyesore filled with coats and umbrellas and purses. He may be right, but I'm not convinced.

A chair with some architectural flair and a tall back might fit the bill, but I haven't found it yet.

"You want something interesting, something different or edgy," says designer Beverly Landfair of Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery in Southwest Portland. Landfair, like many designers, sees these dead areas as great challenges and places to accessorize the home.

She suggests adding mirrors to make the area appear larger or brighter. She's also a fan of chests, available now in every style from traditional to contemporary. The end of a hallway is a great place for a tall chest, which can do double duty as storage as well as pull the eye down the hall, creating a focal point.

Like Landfair, designer Diane Keaton, of Diane Keaton Interiors in Beaverton, likes dead-space challenges.

"These are my favorite areas to deal with," she says.

To bring life to a dull spot, Keaton often adds artwork, from sculptures to paintings to photo groupings. For one client who had moved into a condo, Keaton punched up wall space above the kitchen sink with a large photograph that both harmonized with the Asian-inspired decor and provided an outdoor scene for an otherwise visual dead end.

In the hallway of her own home, Keaton filled a drab spot with two framed photographs and set a small stool with an upholstered seat under them. She balanced that at the opposite end with more framed photographs and a plant in a pretty pot on the floor.

In another client's home, she filled a vacant ledge with a grouping of three large, matching vases.

"It's a wow," she says.

Groupings of little things bore Keaton a bit. She operates on the less-is-more design philosophy -- fewer items, but big ones. "You want something to look at."

If the dead spot can be isolated, go for it and treat it differently from the space around it, says designer Kimberlee Jaynes. Make it pop with paint and/or bright objects or shiny surfaces. If it's possible, paint the ceiling in that area with a bronze metallic paint to reflect light.

If the space is dark and you'd like to hang artwork, Jaynes suggests frames that come with battery-powered lights, available at some Portland-area frame shops.

Jaynes, who owns Kimberlee Jaynes Interior Designs in Northwest Portland, thinks in terms of paint, texture and artwork when faced with "any dingy hole." All good ways to get ideas flowing.

Me? For starters, I'm going to beg my sweet husband to put in an electrical outlet to bring that dead spot to life.

Bridget A. Otto: 503-221-9527; bridgetotto@news.oregonian.com

Bev & Mike

Bridget A. Otto Beverly Landfair Diane Keaton Interiors Kimberlee Jaynes Interior Designs Home Decor Interior Design

Synthetic or Wood, How's Your Deck?

It's Bridget Otto Thursday and today Bridget writes about outside decking in a two part article. In the first part, she writes about choosing decking, wood or synthetic?

Synthetic decking, once the ugly stepchild that looked like the plastic used to make it, has grown up and is becoming a popular deck-building material.

One big advantage of synthetic over wood is maintainance

Although not zero maintenance, synthetic decking is very low maintenance -- especially when compared with a cedar deck that needs to be stripped and sealed yearly.

The second part of the article concerns inspecting your existing deck for safety.

Properly built and maintained, a deck will provide years of enjoyment. But as the years go by, weather and use can erode the deck's structural integrity.

Then Bridget goes on to tell us some things to look for that may tell us if we need to replace our deck or make repairs.

Clear debris. Debris acts like a sponge.... Be especially sure that there is no debris buildup where the deck meets the house.

Check for dry rot. Test wood for softness by poking it with a nail or a screwdriver.

Check the ledger board where the deck is bolted to the frame of the house. Bolts should be staggered one up and one down.

Make sure all fasteners are secure by giving railings and balusters a good shake.

Check that support posts are secure in their footings.

Bridget A. Otto can be reached at bridgetotto@news.oregonian.com

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Bridget Otto Wood Decks Home Decor

10 Tips: Carpet Colors

From House Beautiful, 10 Tips: Carpet Colors By carpet and textile designer Christine Van Der Hurd.

1. Go with your gut feeling when choosing a carpet. I think color is more important than design; if you don't love the hue, the pattern, however pretty, won't matter.

2. Consider whether you want your carpet to be a focal point of the room or to blend in unobtrusively. Highly patterned, brightly colored carpets obviously belong in the former category.

3. If possible, choose your carpet before deciding upon paint, upholstery and curtains. The colors in your carpet can provide inspiration for the color scheme of an entire room.

4. Before making a decision about carpets, think about whether dirt is a factor. Do you have small children or dogs? Do you entertain a lot? More pattern can help to hide daily wear and tear.

5. In rooms with lots of pattern and texture, it's generally best to choose a single-color floor covering ‑- but it doesn't have to be beige. Pick out a color you like from the curtains or cushions.

6. If you're trying to find a carpet that will work with fabric and colors already in place, consider custom design. It's not necessarily much more expensive than off-the-rack, and you will have a unique, perfectly matched piece.

7. Runners on stairs can introduce color and texture to the bland environment of a hall or staircase. A cotton dhurrie runner, for example, could be perfect for a beach house.

8. Offices don't have to have wall-to-wall industrial carpeting. An interesting rug that you like to look at can make the workplace far more inviting.

9. Children love color, so don't be afraid of using it in their rooms. Choose a carpet that is soft and comfortable to sit on, as they tend to really use the floor while playing. Sometimes the design on a carpet can even feed into activities and games.

10. If you don't want a pattern, but like a textured look, consider a natural yarn that takes dye unevenly. Another option is to look for carpets that leave the fabric knots looped, or uncut, which can add wonderful luster and texture.

We have many friends in the carpet business at Macadam Carpets, Trinity Carpets and custom carpet designers, to name a few. We would be happy to make introductions for you to insure you get the best service.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Christine Van Der Hurd Carpet Home Decor

BermanFALK Dining Table with Classic Lines

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery recently added BermanFALK and I was searching for a way to show the stunning dining room table with a four legged curved pedastal.


(Click on Image for larger picture)

You can see the BermanFALK table tends towards the traditional, has classic lines, but is “still modern”. The chairs have contrasting horizontal slats an interesting architectural feature. In this case they have chosen a striped mix of two shades of cream and mocha.

Bev & Mike

BermanFALK Dining Room Furniture

Dining Room Furniture Guide

Furniture WORLD has an informative article about Dining Room Furniture. While it is product knowledge for salespeople, it gives a good insight into how to spot quality.

Dining Chair Quality
Quality dining chairs feel heavy, substantial and rigid. Chair quality is easy to see and demonstrate since every rail, post and joint is exposed and easily examined.
Chair comfort is one of the most important indicators of good design. You should demonstrate how the design of the seat, back and arms contribute to seating comfort. Make sure your customers sit in each chair they consider purchasing.

Chair strength is extremely important, since dining chairs often take more abuse than any other piece of household furniture. They get knocked over, stood on, spilled on and balanced on their back legs. Poor construction integrity resulting in loose joints will certainly cause customer dissatisfaction, or injury.

Fortunately, most dining chairs are very well made. Box seat wooden chairs often have mortise and tenon joints or dowel joints joining leg posts, stretchers, back posts and rails. Corner blocks are used at stress points to strengthen the seat and the joint, especially where stretchers are not used. All joints should be rigid and the chair should not wobble.

Sloppy joinery and the use of filler to smooth out joints is an indicator of poor quality, as is the excessive use of nails and screws to stabilize a wooden joint.

Different wood species do not expand and contract at the same rates. This may cause problems at joints where two species are joined - but not necessarily. There are many fine windsor chairs, for example, dating from the mid 18th century which combine Pine, Hickory, Oak, Ash and others in the same piece.

Steam bent parts will generally be stronger than shaped parts or those made from several components joined by finger and laminated joints.
Finish quality can be judged by examining places near joints or carvings that are hard to reach and so require hand sanding - especially on chairs with posts, pierced splats, slats or turned parts. These areas should be smooth, evenly stained and free from excess glue.

Those seeking knowledge about dining room furniture should know that there is a fine glossary at the end of the article. The entire dining room furniture guide contains 16 pages of information on construction, styles and terms. The guide sells for $1.95 and can be purchased by calling FURNITURE WORLD Magazine at 914-235-3095 or email education@furninfo.com.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Dining Room Furniture Home Decor

Feng Shui Made Simple

House Beautiful has an interesting section in their magazine entitled Feng Shui Made Simple Feng shui (pronounced "fung shway") is the Chinese discipline that teaches us how to attract and enhance our life energy (called chi) according to how our homes are arranged. Do you know how to attract or enhance the Chi in your home and life?

1. What is a bagua and how do I use it?

A bagua is a feng shui road map. It divides your home into nine sections (called guas) that correspond to the nine main areas of your life. The graphic below is a representation of a bagua. Your front door opens up into the skills & knowledge, career or helpful people gua. From there, you can divide your space up into nine parts and find each of your other guas. Learn more about the bagua here.

2. What part of my life would I like to change?

This is the easy part: Just click on the area you need help with below.

So I clicked on the Prosperity gua and I was amazed at some possibilities of prosperity ch'i zappers:

Clutter: Michael's office is especially cluttered. Get rid of it and the dust that has collected.

Leaks and peeling paint: If the ceiling is leaky and peeling away, so is your money.

Toilets: Toilets pull energy down and away. Be sure to keep the lid down as much as possible.

Broken stuff: If it's broke, you probably are too.

Dead or withering plants: Anything obviously decomposing is not holding the energy you want in this area.

Trash can: Like the toilet, takes energy away.

Improper prosperity symbols: Art that depicts items in a withering or decomposing state (old rusty chairs, sad or poor people) or reminders of your college days when you were flat broke should not be displayed here.

Now let's look at chi enhancers:

Purple, red and green:

Symbols of wealth: Actual money, gold or stock certificates all play well in this corner of the house.

Jewels:

Symbols of "having it all": Pictures of the kids or pets if they make you feel like you have it all work well here. Collages or photos of items that you would like to have do as well -- just place them here and pretend that you have placed your order for them. When the order is up, you will receive them. Just remember ... be careful what you wish for!

Healthy plants: Grow money in your accounts by growing a plant here.

Moving water: Get money moving by creating a flow in this zone.

This feng shui thinking just feels right to me. Check out the guas of your life and let me know if the chi zappers and enhancers seem right to you.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Feng Shui Home Decor Self help

StyleCraft adding Terry Redlin line

From Home Accents Today,

Well-known artist Terry Redlin is adding lamps and accessories to his furniture line at this High Point market. The new lighting and accessories program is debuting with StyleCraft Home Collections. Redlin’s furniture is with Austin Gray.

(Terry Redlin Amber Waves of Grain)

For more than 45 years, Redlin has captured the American spirit on canvas through his nostalgic scenes of rural America and wildlife. He was voted “America’s Most Popular Artist” for eight consecutive years by U.S. Art magazine. Redlin relies on the same look in his home furnishings designs.

“We’re excited to be launching the Terry Redlin program since Americana-inspired looks are not currently a major part of our product portfolio,” said Mike Kennedy, StyleCraft president.

Lighting and accessory groups to be introduced include themes directly inspired by Redlin’s paintings including the American pioneer, the outdoors and wildlife, and the West. Rich patinas and a variety of materials including wrought iron and faux leathers provide a look of rustic elegance that will help bring Redlin’s vision of Americana into consumer’s homes.

Hernando, Miss.-based StyleCraft Home Collection is combining all its High Point showrooms under one roof at 130 S. Main St. where the Redlin collection can be seen.

This spring, Austin Gray will introduce a fourth Terry Redlin bedroom group called Golden Retreat. This new group is constructed with blends of mappa burl and prima vera veneers over alder solids and features traditional styling with a golden finish like the vivid sunset over a country lake featured in Redlin’s painting. Line extensions for the Boulder Ridge collection include dining room, home office, and home entertainment furniture. The American Portrait collection is being expanded to include a bar and bar stools. Austin Gray also offers Terry Redlin leather upholstery and accent chairs.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery carries Stylecraft lamps and now will have access to Terry Redlin's influences.

Bev & Mike

Terry Redlin Stylecraft Lamps

Pull a fast one by Bridget Otto

Cabinet knobs change out in a snap

It's Bridget Otto Thursday in the Homes & Garden section of The Oregonian. Bridget writes about the simple idea of changing your cabinet knobs in the kitchen or bath, changes the style of the room or freshens the look.

Oodles of options line the aisles of home improvement stores, while some artsy boutiques carry limited one-of-a-kind creations. Pages of Web sites with names such as coolknobsandpulls.com, interknobs.com and myknobs.com pop up on a search. Chown Hardware alone offers 3,200 varieties. Prices range dramatically.

Gerry Worrell, who works in the hardware department at Lowe's in Tigard, says silvery satin nickel and blackened antique bronze are the two finishes most popular now. You'll want to complement -- but not necessarily match -- the other hardware in the room, from faucets to doorknobs.

Bridget offers some tips for selecting pulls:

Save yourself some trips to the store and time by carefully measuring or even taking a drawer to the hardware store.

In making your selection, consider the size and style of the cabinet.

But don't be hemmed in by convention. Consider what it is you're trying to achieve.

Now that you've chosen the perfect pulls and knobs, make sure that you don't go home without the right screws.

If you are redrilling to accommodate a new pull, buy a drawer-pull template.

Bridget ends by saying

And, because the change is so simple, you don't have to live with this look forever. The possibilities are endless.

In our kitchen we are only limited by our creativity and...our budget. These knobs aren't cheap. Bridget offers a number of websites catering to cabinet pulls that can help you work out a budget.
Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Bridget Otto Interior Design Knobs Cabinet Pulls Home Decor

Interior Designer: Kathia Emery

There is a very nice article by Cathy Lamb in the Homes & Gardens section of The Oregonian entitled delicate Merger. It features local interior designer Kathia Emery. Emery describes her decorating style as "traditional, with a strong emphasis on country French and English-with a romantic overlay. She recently combined households with ex husband of 2 1/2 years James Kahan. They had divorced, she remarried for 32 years until her husband died in 2004. In 2005 they hooked up again after Reed College invited Kahan to speak. They plan on remarrying on December 15th.

Kathia Emery has some tips for Combining Households Gracefully:

Buy a Home together - Then it's not one person moving in on the other, and there are no "ghosts" of the ex or deceased spouse.

Let the style of the home dictate what to keep - If you live in a Colonial, toss the retro stuff.

Sort, toss, give away, sell - Then look at your stuff and do it again. Two households morphing into one equals clutter.

Compare the "weight of importance" - If one person feels strongly about something - a painting, for instance - let that person win.

If there are duplicates, give one away - keep the pieces that are timeless and will stay in style forever.

As for photos - Children will need photos of the family, including the parent who is no longer in the home. Family photos from both sides can be hung together, although Kahan recommends separate family photo walls. Otherwise, "It's like you're trying to make a melting pot that won't melt.

Buy a new bed and bedding - Absolutely.

Accomodate, compromise and give in - Don't come to blows over a coffee table.

Hire a professional - designer or organizer to act as intermediary

Before Michael and I were married, he had been married twice before. (Third time's the charm) He wrote this poem about his experiences:

Moving Day

I travel light
when I move in with a lady
I don’t disturb her décor.
only problem…you don’t know I live there.

I am a new male model American
my ex-wives are housekeepers.
I move out they keep the house.
What I own fits in your standard four door sedan.

It’s moving day back to the same apartment complex
with the same floor plan…
that way I know from past experience
where to put my hairdryer.


As we baby boomers age, there will probably be more circumstances where households are combined. Kathia has some great advice.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery