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Bev & Mike

Kathia Emery in Portland Monthly

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

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

...snip...

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

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

...snip...

So they placed a call to interior designer Kathia Emery

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

Are the Mayberrys happy?

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

Good job, Kathia!

Bev & Mike

12 Decorating Strategies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 no-fail ways to make a room bloom:

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

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

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

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

Bev & Mike

Are You Appealing to Gens X and Y?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bev & Mike

Judy Sturm, A Year in the Guest House

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

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

...snip...

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

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

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

Bev & Mike

Trompe L'Oeil Seminar, In Paris

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

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

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

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

The Art of Trompe L'Oeil Online Seminar Registration Form

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

Bev & Mike

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

Pause by Jory Des Jardine.

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

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

* Women practice improvisation better than men

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

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

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

* Women understand and develop relationships with greater facility than men

Des Jardins goes on to say

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

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

Bev & Mike