Celebration of Creativity

On march 2-5, 2006, come to the 28th Annual Celebration of Creativity Fine Art Exhibit & Sale.

Southminster (Presbyterian Church)'s annual "Celebration of Creativity" fine art show and sale is a reflection of our belief that artistic creativity is a manifestation of God. The show occurs the first full weekend every March and features painters, sculptors, potters, jewelry-makers, fabric designers, and photographers from the Pacific Northwest who have been invited to participate.

The event begins with a "First Look" Gala on Thursday evening from 7:00 to 9:00 ($10 at the door)

Friday an Exhibit & Sale from 10:00 to 5:00

a reception for the artists on Friday evening from 7:00 to 9:00.

Saturday the show is open all day from 10:00 to 5:00, featuring artist demonstrations

concluding Saturday night from 7:30 to 9:00 with a concert-where guests are surrounded by the art-in the evening ($8 to $10 at the door).

The Sunday worship services also occur in the midst of the art from 10:00 to 11:00.

The show closes Sunday afternoon at 4:00

Two friends of ours will be exhibiting, Darryl Ware and Kathryn Delaney.

Southminster Presbyterian Church
12250 SW Denney
Beaverton, OR 97008
503.644.2073

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

How Do You Feel About Discounts?

An article at Jim Logan got me thinking about the traditional retail industry. I noticed in the paper today that our competitors are offering special discounts and I got a flyer in the mail from Macy's (Meier and Frank) about a sale and on the radio was a sale for Gold Toe socks at Fred Meyer. I know that people wait until just before Christmas to shop because of the discounts.

What Jim Logan suggests in When You Can't Think Of Anything To Offer, Offer A Discount. Not. is don't offer a discount but an addition. He offers the opinion that if you automatically offer a discount of 20% you are saying, in effect, your product is over priced. Instead he suggests offering something free in addition to the customer purchase or savings of some percent on an additional purchase. He says

Instead of offering a discount, offer a bonus or premium to attract buyers. Offer something for free – a complimentary product or service, ticket, registration, subscription, etc. Partner with others in your or related markets and giveaway other products or services as a bonus for buying from you. People love getting things for free. Free continues to be the most compelling offer of them all.

What do you think? Assuming the offer has high value to begin with; would you rather receive a free bonus or a discount?

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

discounts economics retail

The Portland City Grill

Here's a restauranteer on the top of his game, Walt Holman at the Portland City Grill.

For those of you outside of Portland, Oregon, the Portland City Grill sits on the 30th floor of the second tallest downtown office building, affectionately known as "Big Pink" for its light pinkish color. Your dining pleasure is enhanced by the view of the city at your feet. We have had several wonderful dinners with friends at the city grill and the bar is a favorite gathering place after work or on the weekends.

Michael isn't too impressed with most restaurants. He thinks most are forgettable and can number his favorites on one hand. So it was with considerable anticipation that we made reservations for our four person Christmas party last December.

Our reservations were at 8:00 PM and we arrived early. I asked if a window table was available and was told that it would be a few minutes. We went to the bar and waited. They gave us a little plastic block that lights up and vibrates when the table is ready. A half hour goes by and I get up and check with the hostess and it is not ready. Then it's an hour. Finally, we were presented menus at 10:00 PM. I was angry and said, "Well, I guess we won't be coming here anymore!"

Last week, our friends Suzanne and Jack Gallagher were dining at the Portland City Grill and they related our story to the manager, Walt Holman. The next day Walt called me and apologized for our experience and said he would like an opportunity to make it up to us. He invited us to dine again on the house!

I asked if Valentine's day was avaiilable.
He said he would make it available and asked, "What time would you like to eat?"
I said, hesitantly, "7:30?"
"Done, he said. We'll see you at 7:30."

Walt said that with so many fine restaurants in Portland, a restaurant gets one shot to get your repeat business.

We dined last night on teriyaki chicken rice paper spring rolls and Kung Pao calamari for appetizers, followed by caesar salad for me and a mango and macadamia nut salad for Michael. We each ordered the 10 oz Petite New York strip with peppercorn bandy sauce. I had scampi with my steak. The meal was more than wonderful! It regained its status as one of Michael's top five restaurants.

If you come to Portland and have dinner out, Michael suggests you dine at Jake's, Mint, Lucy's Table, Ciao Vito and the Portland City Grill.

By the way, we arrived early and we were seated early. Thank you Walt.

Portland City Grill
30th Floor
Unico/US Bancorp Tower
111 SW Fifth Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204
503.450.0030

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Night Out at Lucy's Table

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner last night with friends at Lucy's Table on NW 21st and Kearney.

There is a nice bar inside the front door where you can sip and eat. Inside the restaurant, the space is lit in a pinkish hue, very flattering. It was busy, perhaps the tables a touch too close together, but with all the people still not overly loud. Maybe its the drapery and carpeting. The wait person was knowledgeable about the food and how it was prepared.

The whole menu is varied, something for everyone on one sheet of parchment. We chose an Arigula salad with orange slices and cashew brittle. Excellent! Our server knew we were splitting the salad and brought it on two separate plates. For the main course, I ordered Oregon Salmon served on a pureed celery and spears of asparagus. Michael ordered the grilled “Painted Hills” beef Rib-Eye on a bed of Macarpone Potatoes and a gorgonzola butter & beet-enriched demi sauce, topped with “Smoky” Onion Rings. Donya ordered braised rabbit in a Chardonnay-Dijon broth including Applewood bacon, pearl onions, green olive, and fennel served on crispy white polenta and Craig ordered a double cut pork chop stuffed with spinich and arugula. The presentation of the meals was beautiful and all meals were done perfectly to our tastes.

I said there was something for everyone on the menu. There was lavender blackened Ahi Tuna, Grouper, vegetarian “meatloaf” and wild boar ravioli. One of the specials was a rack of venison. The meal was wonderful and with drinks came to $150 for four a far cry from the $150 for two we experienced in Cabo San Lucas in January.

Would we go back? In a heartbeat! Would we change anything? Maybe the dessert menu this night seemed a little limited.

Lucy’s Table is located at 704 NW 21st Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97209 — Telephone: (503) 226-6126

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Glass Furniture

We are seeing more glass used in furniture everyday, especially in contemporary furniture.

The magazine PURE CONTEMPORARY has an article entitled Furniture of a Better Glass by Caroline Kooshoian.

The curves of Curvet's Fiocco table take a delicate design detail and make it useful: the bends double as magazine racks.

The magic of glass has been admired since its discovery in about 5,000 BC and has lived on in everything from children’s tales like Cinderella to the imaginations of architecture’s giants like Philip Johnson, who used the stuff to create his masterpiece Glass House in New Canaan, CT. But the grandiose history and ingenious applications of glass do not stunt the imaginations of newcomers to the material. Rather it inspires them to test glass for what has not yet been done, resulting in pieces as exciting and innovative as the first hand-blown vessels of 27 BC.

Kooshoian shares information about grading quality of glass in furniture.

When you’re deciding on a piece of glass furniture, notice the detailing. If it has polished edges, beveled edges, is etched, colored, textured, or tempered for added strength it will cost more. But, the extra cost is well worth it. Tempering can be expected to add about 30% to a product’s cost. A small sum compared to the expense of replacing a chipped or damaged piece that, with the treatment, might have remained intact. (If broken, tempered glass will break into pebble-like pieces that greatly reduce injury.) The thickness of glass also contributes to a higher cost that pays back the owner by hiding wear and tear.

A coffee table and dining table, both are extendable from Calligaris

The article emphasizes that glass furniture is costly, yet at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery where we recently added Calligaris to our lines, glass is used for many of the table tops. It is tempered glass and the prices are reasonable.

BTW, PURE CONTEMPORARY has a special section Ask The Experts. If you are a designer with a special interest in contemporary design, the magazine is looking for designers to help answer questions. To be considered as an industry expert, send your bio, areas of speciality and contact info to Be An Expert.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

BERMANFALK Coming to Landfair Furniture

We are adding a new line, BERMANFALK at
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery.

Located on Canada’s west coast in beautiful British Columbia, BERMANFALK has been designing and manufacturing high-quality, all-wood furniture for over 20 years.

Gary Berman and Paul Falk have assembled a team of experienced furniture makers who carefully translate their clean, distinctive designs into furniture that is both elegant and timeless.

BERMANFALK furniture is synonymous with luxurious living. Ideal for creating expressive, enduring interiors that define individual style, their furniture is characterized by the extravagant use of solid maple. Their collections add beauty and comfort to your living space.

HOM by BERMANFALK is their line of contemporary furniture. Designed for modern living, the HOM collections are akin to BERMANFALK in quality and beauty, yet deviate in style and occasion.

Exceptional workmanship and the use of durable materials are the foundation of their furniture. With an all-wood construction, drawers that have fully dovetailed joints and silky smooth undermounted slides, high solids stains that are carefully hand-rubbed, and the use of only the best conversion varnish, their dedication to quality is obvious in each BERMANFALK piece.

Catalogs are in the showroom, fabric samples are on the way and wood finish samples are here. We hope to place our opening order soon. Wanna help?

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Future Colors

In case you missed it, in todays Oregonian, in the special advertising section Autos/DriveTime, Dee-Ann Durbin writes

Auto colorists paint future in shades of blue, brown

Only a handful of people know what new vehicles will look like in 2009. But automotive paint supplier PPG Industries already has a good idea what colors those vehicles will be.

Blue will get more popular in the next four years as more dramatic shades are introduced. Yellows and oranges will get richer and warmer. Reds will glow in deep shades of cranberry and wine, and dark brown will make a comeback.

"Not everything in here is gospel, but it's a general direction," said Lorene Boettcher, PPG's manager of global design and color marketing.

Each fall, Pittsburgh-based PPG hosts a color tour for auto industry officials so they can look at upcoming trends and choose colors they can refine further in their own studios. Future colors are identified from trends in fashion, interior design, architecture and even cosmetics, Boettcher said. (Emphasis added)

As hybrid vehicles get more popular, drivers may be looking for earthy, natural tones. Luxury makers, always looking for ways to set their vehicles apart, might choose rich blends that change slightly depending on the light or paints with flecks of silver-coated glass.

PPG has 20 colorists in North America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, India and Australia. They work separately to identify trends and then bring all their ideas together for the show. This year's show features 130 new colors.

Silver is the worldwide favorite right now, making up 37 percent of vehicles produced. White is second at 14.4 percent. Blue and black are right behind, at 12.7 percent and 11 percent.

Silver will remain popular for several more years, Boettcher said, and PPG is trying to enhance it by experimenting with blends like silvery green and technology that makes paint look like liquid metal.

Boettcher said natural tones will be a hit, including leathery browns and sophisticated, muted metallics. One color she showed was inspired by cappuccino, another by burlap.

Many auto executives have steered away from brown because it was a popular color when the industry went through tough times in the 1970s, she said. But that will start to change.

"That's going to start at the high end and work its way down to the mainstream," Boettcher said. -- By DEE-ANN DURBIN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Who is Maryann Fielder?

Are you familiar with Maryann Fielder? Nancy Zieg and I have worked with Maryann on several projects. Nancy is the interior designer, we provide furniture and Maryann is commissioned for art for some of the walls. I just added her web site to our blogroll and was captivated by some of her original paintings.

Maryann Fielder asks:

What is the sum total of one's life, knowledge, observations, perceptions?

My painting continues to evolve in direct resonse to my experiences and environment. The central question of my painting is: "what does it mean to be human?"

You can reach Maryann Fielder at 503-869-9527 or maryannfldr@hotmail.com

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

CBK and Cristina

From Home Accents Today in Las Vegas, CBK expands Casa Cristina line. Casa Cristina is the line of accessories licensed by Hispanic superstar Cristina Saralegui.

CBK has expanded its Casa Cristina line by adding pieces to the most popular styles. The pieces added about 110 SKUs to the collection. Pulaski Furniture has added a new bedroom group to the Casa line, called Urbana, which is geared toward smaller, less opulent homes.

Landfair Furniture+Design Gallery has access to the complete CBK line of accessories and has many examples on its floor.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery