Bridget A Otto: Chef's Touch

It's been awhile since we celebrated "Bridget Otto Thursday". In today's Homes & Gardens section of The Oregonian, Bridget covers the remodel of the kitchen in Southwest Portland of Philippe Boulot, chef at The Heathman, and his wife Susan, a graduate of The Culinary Institute in New York. They chose designers Stephanie Ness and Erin Davis of Mosaik Design after seeing their work at a neighbor's.

The story reads as a classic example of how designers work with clients to incorporate needs and desires in a kitchen renovation. The chefs had some specific needs:

The stove: Philippe liked not only the design of the Wolf range, but also its precision and rustic appearance.

The exhaust: After years of cooking with a downdraft exhaust, both Philippe and Susan wanted a stronger, more efficient hood.

The island: Because they cook and entertain a lot, the Boulots wanted the large island for folks to gather around while food is being prepped.

Slab countertops: Both Philippe and Susan wanted a smooth surface for easy cleanup.

Storage: The drawer system throughout the cabinetry is designed for easy access, with pullout shelving and deep drawers for large stockpots and appliances.

Placement: Two pullout racks, one on either side of the range, hold spices and oils. Cooking pots and roasting pans are also stored within easy reach of the range. Dishes and silverware are stored near the dishwasher. Baking utensils and ingredients are also within reach of the island.

Lighting: Improved canister lighting replaced the older models; task lighting was added under the cabinets. All lighting was put on dimmers.

The color: It was Susan's idea to bring some blue into the kitchen to complement her collection of blue and white china.

Overall: Neither Philippe nor Susan wanted a stark, sterile kitchen. They both wanted a variety of textures and surfaces and a room that was both functional and comfortable.

Check out the special section in The Oregonian for pictures of the finished project.

Are you planning a major remodel or an update?
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery can recommend an interior designer to meet your needs.

Bev & Mike

Bridget A Otto
Philippe Boulot Susan Boulot
The Heathman Mosaik Design Bev & Mike

Spice Route

Maybe all the news about Iran or Persia has inspired designers. From Home Accents Today by Tracy Bulla ,

With world or global style now a part of the design mainstream, the multicultural mélange adds up to nothing less than exquisite exoticism. Step into the souk with Persian patterning and lattice motifs or enjoy India with ornate floral designs. Streamlined accents, geometric themes and earthy hues bring out the best of this spicy hot tour.

Several companies were singled out including two that are carried at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery:

Overlapping star motifs come to life in this large-scale, statement-making mirror from Palecek, crafted of carved wood.

J.D. Chamberlain's lattice-patterned accent table mimics the ornate style of Middle Eastern gates.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

HDTV IS Coming!

The December/January issue of Metropolitan Home just arrived in the mail and includes an interesting article, HDTV Prepare for a Big Change, TV as we know it is about to change forever.

On February 17, 2009 the analog signal will end and the digital signal will take over. By March of 2007, every TV sold will come with a digital tuner that will allow you to receive digital broadcasts.

Metropolitan Home has a shopping guide and explains that HDTV comes in a variety of flat screens including LCD (up to 60 inches) and Plasma (wide viewing angle and 40 to 80 inches), rear projection, direct view and front projectors.

Then there is the audition.

Before you leave home, measure the viewing distance from your couch (sofa) to your current TV. At the store, stand the same distance from the screen. You should see a seamless picture without visible lines (or Pixels) in the image. If you want the TV to be viewable over a wide area-say from the kitchen and the family room-walk to the far sides of the screen to see if you have a good view off-angle.

Ask to see both HD and standard programming.

Consider bringing a DVD to see how it handles content that you know.

If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Picture Quality is subject to three versions:

SDTV - your least expensive option. These sets generally measure 32-inches or less and picture quality is on a par with DVD (480 scanning lines).

EDTV - better resolution than SDTV, but will not give you full benefit of HDTV

HDTV - best of the best. While more expensive, they can fully display all types of high definition (720 by 1080 lines of resolution).

Remember: 1080p

You may need new furniture to accomodate your new TV. Look for a cabinet or wall unit with a large enough opening for your new TV. You might make a cardboard template of your cabinet when shopping for a TV or vice versa. Allow 2 inches around the cut out for ventilation.

Look for furniture that has wire management solutions built in. Holes in the rear accomodate wires and provide ventilation.

Make sure the cabinet allows the TV to sit flush with the front of the shelf so it can be seen from all angles.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery features Hekman, Hammary and Nichols & Stone that have styles specifically geared to flat screen TVs. Hekman has consoles that conseal the TV until you are ready to view your program.

Bev & Mike

UPDATE: Kevin Hunt has further thoughts about HDTV in What You Should Know About HDTV, From A Guru

Tips for a Good Night's Rest

With the busy holiday season approaching, it’s easy to fall off the good sleep wagon. So to help consumers get reacquainted with a good night’s rest, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) recently released a number of tips and easy steps to improve how Americans sleep on its website: http://www.bettersleep.org.

1. Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule, including weekends.

2. Establish a regular, relaxing bed time routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music.

3. Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.

4. Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.

5. Use the bedroom only for sleep and sex. It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleep environment.

6. Finish eating at least two or three hours before your regular bedtime.

7. Exercise regularly. It is best to complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime.

8. Avoid nicotine (e.g. cigarettes, tobacco products). Used close to bedtime, it can lead to poor sleep.

9. Avoid caffeine (e.g. coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) close to bedtime. It can keep you awake.

10. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. It can lead to disrupted sleep later in the night.

Mike and I have some further suggestions:
Don't have an argument with your spouse before turning in.
Keep your work out of your head when you head to bed.
No TVs in the bedroom.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Help Wanted!

First, I was in denial about needing help to run the business. Then Allson came to work for Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery, over the summer, and I said how did I do it all without her. Now she's back in school and I am in need again. So here we are:

Wanted: Self-starter - to work in fun atmosphere - update catalogs, discontinue fabrics, work with interior designers, assist owner, unpack new product, be able to lift 50lbs.

Maybe, you are in school taking preparatory classes for a career as an Interior Designer and want to work 20+ hours. Or maybe, you have started your career as an Interior Designer and are looking for clients, an office and want to supplement your income as you are build your paractice.

I need you! Send your resume or come into the shop. I will start at $8.00 an hour. Think you deserve more to start? Convince me.

Mike says I should clone me. Are you me?

Bev Landfair
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery
(503) 245-4222
bev@landfairfurniture.com

Spineless!

Many thanks to the Happy Booker for noticing a trend in decorating that has to be stopped: white pages on bookshelves, as in books turned backwards in these Pottery Barn photos:



Even Mitchell Gold got into the act in one of their ads.

If you like the spines out design, but are unsure what books to place on those shelves, here's an answer Dummy Books.

Our faux book products have graced everything from television and movie studios to the finest homes, hotels, yachts and restaurants. ...supplied in approximately one foot sections, to any length required, the book spines are manufactured in England from resin material which is handpainted, gilded and polished to simulate in authentic detail the look of time worn handcrafted leather books.Our essence is to allow the eye to feel that it is seeing real leather bound books.

I love to see real book spines on book shelves with their differing heights and colors. Of course, I just love the smell of a new book and I'm always curious about what's under the dust jacket, always hoping there will be some great secret.

There's this wonderful book Mike and I read recently, Shadow of the Wind.

Young Daniel's father runs a used bookstore in Barcelona; his mother died when he was 4, and he misses her desperately. One afternoon in 1945 the older Sempere informs his not quite 11-year-old son that he is taking him to The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. "You mustn't tell anyone what you're about to see today." They wander through narrow winding streets, then finally stop before "a large door of carved wood, blackened by time and humidity. Before us loomed what to my eyes seemed the carcass of a palace, a place of echoes and shadows." Inside "a labyrinth of passageways and crammed bookshelves rose from base to pinnacle like a beehive woven with tunnels, steps, platforms, and bridges that presaged an immense library of seemingly impossible geometry." Daniel's father tells him that "according to tradition, the first time someone visits this place, he must choose a book, whichever he wants, and adopt it, making sure that it will never disappear, that it will always stay alive." Daniel chooses -- or perhaps is chosen by -- "The Shadow of the Wind," by Julian Carax.

Don't you just want to hug your favorite book to your chest and hope you find another as good...soon?

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Yahoo Search Marketing

Where do you put your online advertising dollars?

According to a recent comScore report focusing on Internet Yellow Pages searches, 68 million U.S. Internet users performed an Internet Yellow Page (IYP) search online in July.

This represents a 46 percent increase versus year ago. When analyzing the total share of IYP searches, which by their nature have local intent, comScore's data reveals that Yahoo! Sites and Verizon SuperPages garnered the largest share, with 23.9 percent and 20.1 percent, respectively. Google Sites ranked third in IYP searches, capturing 12.5 percent, followed by Yellowpages.com with 12.0 percent.

Landfair Furniture advertises on Google and Verizon's Superpages. When I saw that Yahoo has a 23.9% share and I don't advertise there, I immediately "Yahoo"ed Furniture Portland Oregon. I had to search many pages to find us. We now have a Yahoo account for a reasonable amount of money per month and I can find Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery.

After I signed up, Yahoo designed my ad based on our web site and then Tara Ramachandran, Inside Sales Representative for Yahoo called me and walked me through all the reports. They are there 24/7 to help me make Yahoo work for us.

Why not give Tara a call at (503)615-3784 for Yahoo Search Marketing?

Bev and Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

The Next Hot Thing In Furniture

INFURNITURE has an article about "the newest furniture and hottest style directions taking shape at the fall High Point Market Show. Landfair Furniture is proud to carry some of the furniture and accessory lines singled out.

Resort Redefined:



PALECEK has one foot in the office and the other in the sand with the Metro swivel chair in woven abaca with chrome legs.

Real Mods Have Curves:



CALLIGARIS offers the Jam dining chair that pairs a chrome base with a seat available in 18 colors.

Understated Explorer:

SHERRILL offers a tall 8 drawer chest in a variety of rich wood finishes and golden metallic detail (see the catalog in our showroom).

The Emperor's New Ohs

In this category JD CHAMBERLAIN was featured offering a tailored, but exotic new sideboard (in the style of this rattan server cabinet:

Savoir Faire Never Sleeps:

HAMMARY goes back to the scroll in a striking bed with rubbed through black finish.

Downtown Truly Brown:

BERMANFALK launches the Parisian Sleeping and Living collection by Joel Dessaule that includes this six-drawer dresser.
(hit the "zoom" link to see a larger picture)

Gotta Getaway:

LEGACY LEATHER in a new move debuts the Tack Room collection that includes a hearty credenza with leather fronts on the doors.

Stop in to Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery to see other new styles for fall, all of course Chosen by Beverly.

Bev & Mike

PALECEK CALLIGARIS SHERRILL JD CHAMBERLAIN HAMMARY BERMANFALK LEGACY LEATHER
Bev & Mike

The Pinnacle Design Achievement Awards.

Congratulations!

Stone Sculptures by Yuri Zatarain for The Phillips Collection took top honors including Capital Balcony by Jodell Clark for Global Views
in the The Pinnacle Design Achievement awards.

The Pinnacle Design Achievement awards were created in April 1995 by the Board of Directors of the American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD) to promote better design quality and encourage the recognition of furniture designers within the retail home furnishings industry. As such the awards are intended to celebrate designs that are produced in large numbers for sale to customers through retail stores.

About the Stone Sculptures, the judges praised Zatarain for the his novel use of ceramics; artistic interpretation of human form; saying it was interesting, and a delightful conversation piece.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is delighted to offer accessories from these two vendors.

Bev & Mike

Accent Chairs

From FURNITURE Today,

For consumers looking to dress up a room, accent chairs remain a viable and often affordable alternative. The style mix continues to expand as well, giving them plenty of options to choose from when selecting a piece.

Sam Moore's Grasshopper club chair is a modern-style chair, here in a raven finish. It features exposed wood arms and legs shaped like a grasshopper. The fabric shown here is a faux animal skin in a blend of polyester and acrylic fibers. It retails for $799.

Sam Moore Furniture is doing well with traditional-style leather club chairs. But it, too, is seeing the market shift more toward transitional and contemporary-style frames.

"That's a big category for us," said President Mike Moldenhauer, noting that wing chairs only represent 7% of sales, down from 19% a decade ago. "It seems like when we introduce a new style, it does well for us."

Its line of 300 chairs is mostly sold as proprietary products for various retailers, at retail price points ranging from $399 to $999 per chair.

Sam Moore still produces 80% of its line in a 400,000-square-foot factory in Bedford, Va. That domestic operation allows it to customize orders, with 500 fabrics and 100 leathers. It also has 30 custom finishes, all of which also are offered by suppliers in China and the Philippines for the remaining 20% of its line that's imported.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is pleased to carry Sam Moore.

Bev & Mike

What Not To Serve At A Dinner Party

Back in June we quoted from an article in House Beautiful by the Barefoot Contessa about Tips for Entertaining at Home. A recent issue has an article entitled What Not to Serve at a dinner party. The Contessa has read my mind.

1. Appetizers that require two hands! You know the party. You take a napkin or a little plate and help yourself to crudites with ranch dressing, some meat balls, maybe those little cocktail wienies and a fork. There you are with a drink in one hand and your napkin and the plate in the other. In order to eat or shake hands you must put your drink down.

2. Beets or red wine! We never serve red wine in our showroom. However, we do have several overturned wine glasses with acrylic red wine that makes a frightening gift for use on a light sofa or light carpet.

3. Three rich courses!

If you're serving a rich main course, start with a salad and end with some fruit and a delicious cookie. Your friends will thank you.

4. Garlic and raw onions! Mike and I always ask, Are you eating onions?

5. Spinach! No one wants to ask if they have spinach between their teeth.

6. Corn on the cob! (See Spinach.)

7. Two fish courses!

8. Offal! They always looks so good, those bacon wrapped somethings. I take a big bite and it's liver! Gag me. Contessa says same goes for "tongue, tripe and sweetbreads."

9. Nuts! Skip dishes made with nuts as ingredients. People may be allergic.

10. Blowfish!

Here are a few of our own:

1. Skip the dip that consists of a brick of cream cheese and some green or red sause poured on top.
2. Skip serving grapes with seeds or cherries.
3. Make sure any meat you serve has no gristle.
4. Avoid low quality non-alcoholic beers.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Elegance in Furniture Design

From Home Accents Today an article on Accent Furniture - The Chic Corner by Tracy Bulla

Elegance reigns with tailored, sophisticated styles that draw on both European and Asian influences. Graceful curves and flowing lines add to the impression of welcoming hospitality.

An example of graceful curves is this piece from J.D. Chamberlain with a slight scalloping that lends a sophisticated edge:


Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is proud to carry the furniture of John and Dori McKearn founders of J.D. Chamberlain.
Read "Sharing a company and a life together" on their website and experience their call to distinction and quality.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Tracy Bulla Accent Furniture J.D. Chamberlain Bev & Mike

Top Designers of 2005: Interview with Donya Wiland

Resuming our interviews of Top Designers for 2005, we are pleased to speak with Donya Wiland / Twilight Design. You know it is going to be an interesting interview when your subject arrives in a white 52 MG TD. Donya’s hair is in a kerchief like you would see on one of those bikers we saw traveling through Yellowstone in August. She’s the type of woman who could wield a wrench one day and belly dance, her hobby, the next day after a manicure.

LF+DG: Donya, thank you so much for making time to answer some questions about your design practice. Tell us something about your background and what are your credentials?
Wiland: You know, I just felt that I had a knack for interior design, but I needed training, so over six years ago I went to the Heritage School of Interior Design and graduated with an ICD.

LF+DG: You are one of the savviest marketers of your services? Tell us about how you get clients.
Wiland: The best sources of new clients are referrals. I also teach seminars at the Home & Garden Show twice a year. Topics include:
# Seven steps to interior design. Before you start spending money and the science behind it.
# Quality vs Price
# Proportion and Scale
# How designers work
# Where do you start, how to implement a design and how to finish.

I believe every one can use a designer to save time and money. My motto is: “Maximize the outcome, minimize the investment.”

LF+DG: Who or what has been an influence in your design?
Wiland: Communication is important with clients, especially when a couple have different views. I use the same communication style as Michael Payne the host of Designing for the Sexes. We share the same skills. He’s a nice guy.

LF+DG: How do you define good design?
Wiland: It’s not what you spend. It’s how you spend it

LF+DG: If I were to hire you to decorate my home, would people who visit say, "Ah, this is a Donya Wiland home?"
Wiland: No, it’s my job to pull together the look the client wants.

LF+DG: Do you come up with a presentation board?
Wiland: After the free consultation, I do a complete design book, which includes the client concept, design suggestions, color palette, color shopping card, floor plan with measurements, paint map and helpful hints.

LF+DG: How do you charge for your services?
Wiland: After the free consultation, my fee is $95 per hour. I pass on any designer discounts to my clients and will go shopping with them. Shopping is a sport for me. I love to win for my client. I believe one should never pay retail!

LF+DG: What other creative things do you do?
Wiland: I am involved in Yoga for fitness and I meet in a Mid-Eastern restaurant to belly dance with a dance troupe. I love to travel and I love cars. I am currently helping my husband Craig restore a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad. And, and, I watch Storm Large compete in Rock Star: Supernova.

LF+DG: Were you disappointed that she lost and Lukas won?
Wiland: No, I rooted for Storm, but Lukas will fit right in with Supernova. Remember, Craig and I and you and Mike have a date to see Storm perform next time she's in Portland!

LF+DG: Donya, where can people reach you?
Wiland: Bev, they can reach me at

Donya Wiland / Twilight Design
Visit my web site: www.donyatwdesign.com
or
Email me at: msmgdiva@yahoo.com
or
Call me at 480-247-2513

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Donya Wiland Twilight Design Top Designers for 2005
52 MG TD 1957 Chevrolet Nomad
Storm Large
Bev & Mike

Palicek Featured in HAT

From Home Accents Today Mirrors - Natural Instincts by Tracy Bulla

Shells, bark and bamboo update mirrors with a little sass and sophistication. The more decorative the treatment, the greater the visual pop.

Tiny iridescent squares of capiz form a chic mosaic tile accompaniment to Palecek's rectangular mirror.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is proud to offer the full line of Palicek, distinctive furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Part of Palicek's distinction for years has been their ability to mix and weave natural fibers into unique statement pieces out of materials such as wicker, rattan, abaca, seagrass, leather, wood, and bamboo.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Mirrors Palicek furniture, lighting, and accessories
Bev & Mike

Kokanee Café in Camp Sherman

Saturday night we had dinner reservations for six at Kokanee Café in Camp Sherman. Kokanee Café is a fine gourmet restaurant since 1992, and Paul and Denise Mercer have managed this rare find for the last five years. My husband told me when we were done that the food at Kokanee Café was some of the finest he has ever eaten.



Here's a map to the restaurant and be sure to take your time getting there. The speed has just recently been posted at 35 MPH and go 47 MPH and a mustachioed sheriff will ask you your opinion of the speed limit and tell you that the restaurant will wait.



What's so special about the food?
We started with a house salad - crisp romaine, mixed field greens, dried cranberries, roasted hazelnuts with bleu cheese vinaigrette or marionberry vinaigrette. We had the bleu cheese vinaigrette. The salad was not too dry or too wet and chilled. The flavors were divine.

Connie had crab cakes and said they were delicious. The chef uses fin fish, fresh ginger lemon grass and fried lotus root. The presentation was excellent.

Bev had Idaho Rainbow Trout grilled in a pouch over an open flame combined with lemon verbina, basil and citrus curry butter, candied peppers and arugula salad.

Bill, Nancy Lou and Mike had a 8 0z. beef filet laid on a hill of mashed potatoes. The beef was smoked in a bleu black truffle butter combined with a fig demi-glaze and topped with a cherry compote. All dinners had a serving of brocholini which the men promptly gave to their wives. Mike ordered his steak medium rare or slightly pink. The steak was pink to just slightly red one one side however it was so tender and flavorful that the slight red didn't detract. Mike said he could almost cut it with a fork and the cherry and the mashed potatoes set it off beautifully. City Grill's New York steak in Portland is comparable in quality and price.

The menu has changed since the web site went up and Denise said it will change for fall this Friday. I asked what one menu item can't be missed and she volunteered, The Wild Escolar, a white pacific fish. It is prociutto wrapped and pan roasted served on a bed of squash risotto and piquillo peppers.

Did I mention the salt encrusted bread served with a pepper butter? Desert was heaven: Peach and Marionberry Cobbler with a dash of whipped cream and a scoop of Bill's ice cream.

Don't expect to just walk in at 5:30 and expect to be served. One party was told it would be a four hour wait. Be smart and call ahead.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Kokanee Café Camp Sherman Oregon Paul and Denise Mercer Fine Dining Bev & Mike

Clear Lake 0131

Clear Lake 0131
Originally uploaded by gily122000.

Mike at Mover Mike has posted comments about the Clear Lake trail loop we hiked with friends on Sunday.

For other photos of Clear Lake visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11145551@N00/tags/clearlake/

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Wall Design Diva, Suzanne Gallagher, Seminar and Book Signing

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a treat for you.

Prior to her appearance on AM Northwest KATU Channel 2 on October 2nd at 9:00AM, Suzanne Gallagher, author of The Fine Art of Wall Design will be appearing at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery for her Start With Art seminar (Featuring ROMA Framed Art!) and Book Signing on Thursday, September 28th, from 5:00PM - 7:00PM. Refreshments will be served, but seating is limited.

In the words of Suzanne Gallagher:

Do you know where to start when tackling an interior decorating project? It can be a challenge. Don't design your room around the sofa... Start with Art! Art is the perfect inspiration for your décor. It reflects your personality, your style. You can determine the colors and style for your interior space from a piece of art that you love. Art is the glue that ties all of the elements in the interior space together. When the art image and color, framing design, and placement in your spaces work together, something terrific happens! It is called The Fine Art of Wall Design.

You Will Discover from the seminar and The Fine Art of Wall Design:

# How to select art images that work.
# Confidence in knowing where to find art.
# Basic understanding of art and value.
# The secrets to good classic art framing design.
# Simple design principles of placement.
# How to create PIZZAZ and "Ooh la la" in your interior spaces!

Where:
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery,
6140 A SW Macadam Avenue, Portland, OR 97201
When: Thursday, September 28th, 5:00PM - 7:00PM
Registration Fee: Free

Call 503-245-4222 or email Bev for reservations

Bev@landfairfurniture.com

Daniel Masters Of Hekman On Quality Woodwork

We see a lot of interest in Hekman Furniture via Google web searches at Landfair Furniture (Blog) and our other sites. I want to share some consumer information that will help you navigate our furniture store and others stores you may contact when you begin to shop for furniture for various rooms in your home.

Daniel Masters is the president and owner of Hekman furniture. He is a 29-year veteran of the furniture industry. As an expert, he has written many articles that will help you in your shopping. Here he is on the topic of: How can you tell quality woodwork?

I think it is really important for a consumer to stand back and look at what you are going to buy. Back up in front of the piece of furniture and touch it in the following ways. Run your hands across the top, underneath the edges, and underneath the bottom. What do you feel? The top should be smooth to the touch. When you run your hands around the edges or the sides, there shouldn't be a rough feeling. Sometimes, you feel scratchiness, almost like stubble of a beard. Those are indications that the furniture was not sanded. Now after you have looked at that and gotten a feel for it, you want to stand up to the top, come up and look at the top and inspect the top of the furniture. How or what does the top of the furniture look like? When you walk up to a piece of furniture, you look down at the top and what do you see? Well, here are some things that you should see. Is the wood on the top of the furniture? Can you see small little pieces of wood formed together with little finger joints? That's called finger joint construction and generally speaking, it allows you to use more small wood parts that make it more affordable. When you finish that wood whether it is a light finish or a dark finish, you should be able to see those little joints.

Does the top run very uniformly? Do the edges appear to run at different grain directions? In other words, are they running across and all of a sudden you look at the edge and it is running up and down. That would indicate that this has been neared top. At that particular point you could have two different constructions on the edge. It could be a wood construction that's well done. Or it could be what they call a filled edge, and that is just basically where somebody literally painted on a veneered look, almost sort of like a plastic type of feel to that look. All of those things are determining what the sale price is because there is cost in doing more work to create a piece of furniture. So when you look at that veneer top or wood top, how does it appear to you in looking down at it? Can you sort of pick the edges off? Feel the flip edges of veneers and that type of thing. So at that particular point you should have an idea of what the construction of the material is, or the tops of the furniture you are looking at which is the most important thing.

Right now each of those various constructions are fine. They are all stable. What really happens now is that as your furniture ages, it starts deteriorating. This is a real thing. A piece of wood is cut out of a tree and the tree continues to live in some vague shape or form in your home. It absorbs moisture. When your house is humid, when your house is dry, it dries. It expands and contracts even though it is not a living thing. Over time and usage, the things that are better-built are going to last longer. And so are you buying heirlooms or you are buying things that you want to just give to your kids when they move out on you?

Now, let's move on. When you see the color, does the color look uniform across the top? When you walk around the table, looking down again at the color, can you see shifting light? This would indicate flip in the veneers which is something that the salesperson should be explaining to you. Light will hit the top of the veneered table and give you a different color from different angles. But the most important thing is that when you are looking at this color on the retail floor, is the color uniform from piece to piece? In other words, do you have dark spots and light spots?

As a consumer, when you get that in your home, it is going to age differently. Over time in a home, light will come in and out and the furniture will get either richer or warmer or start to get bleached out. If you are going to start with somebody delivering furniture to your house that is not uniform in color and appearance, it is going to age just like different people age.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery always has a number of Hekman pieces on our floor and we invite you to compare the quality and the price. Do the "hands on" tests that Masters suggests. Did we mention the furniture is beautiful, to boot?

Bev & Mike

Hekman Furniture Daniel Masters Interior Designe Bev & Mike

Rowe Companies files for Chapter 11

There's good news and bad news today from Rowe Companies. In a press release Rowe said they are filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Upholstery manufacturer and retailer The Rowe Companies, reeling from declining sales, import competition and lingering problems from a faulty enterprise resource planning system, said today it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and that it plans to sell its Storehouse retail division.

We expect no disruptions in service from Rowe at Landfair Furniture and there should be no effect on special orders.

Now for the good news. I looked at the Rowe site and discovered they are running a contest for a new sofa.

So, tell us a little about yourself and we'll put your name in the hat for a drawing to win a free sofa! The drawing will be held on September 29, 2006. No salesman will call and we will not share your personal information with anyone.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is proud to carry Rowe Furniture as part of our commitment to provide a range of price points for designers, their clients and the retail public. While LF + DG specializes in working with the interior designer, we are open to the public and can provide as much design help as you may require. For those special projects ask about "referral to a designer" program.

Bev & Mike

Rowe Companies Rowe Furniture Upholstery Win a free sofa
Bev & Mike

Furnishings For Your Garage

A few years ago, Mike and I converted the detached car port into a garage that matched the style of the house. Since it was a one car garage, we wanted the space to be more than a place to park the car. We wanted a place to store used paint, gardening tools and fertilizer, the lawn mower and bikes. Like many people, we bought some of those shelving systems you can get at Costco and one of those metal tool benches. The tool bench has heavy particle board for the top and has since bowed from the moisture. The floor is the typical cement that gathers stains over time.

Designer Donya Wiland and her husband Craig have a two car garage and have three cars in it. An original Morris, a 1957 Chevy Nomad, which Craig is restoring and a red convertible Corvair. There is barely enough room to walk around the cars and Craig would love to have room for a shop.

At the dog park Helen and Joe are selling their home by Grant Park and moving to the South East part of Portland. Joe has a strong desire to have a multiple car garage with a shop. He figures if he doesn't restore the panel truck he owns, he never will.

Where am I going with this talk about the garage?

Well, there is a new company in town, Vault, led by Chad Haas that offers "An Ultra-Premium Line of Furnishings For the Dream Garage."



And you should see the color palette. In addition Vault offers flooring. To quote their web site

Every element of your home is a reflection of your lifestyle, including your garage floor. So, if you dislike coming home to an unattractive and dirty garage floor, we have the perfect solution. Our Garazzo™ flooring system will transform an ordinary concrete garage floor into a decorative statement that is difficult to stain and easy to clean.

Take comfort in coming home to the cleanest and nicest garage on the block.

Vault has broadened its product offerings to include carriage-style doors, flooring products, wall treatments and period furnishings – to put it more succinctly, everything needed to outfit the dream garage.

Now all the men I know will soon be saying, I want a bigger garage. I want a Vault garage!

Chad Haas is in Beaverton, OR and can be reached Toll Free at (866) 828-5810.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery