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