Time For Outdoor Furniture

I know summer is going to be here soon and I want to get the deck outside looking good.

Heather at The Inside Store-y has some tips on cleaning the furniture that you will lie on to get that suntan and sit on to chat or eat that BBQ:


5 piece teak set in Bali design by Faraway Furniture.

Cleaning Methods

It's as simple as soap and water. It's all you need for most outdoor furniture. You may want to ...pick up a power washer.

She covers cleaning

• Acrylic Cushions
• Resin Furniture - Resin furniture is easy to clean. Spray off dirt and grime and let dry. If there are scuff marks, use a gentle abrasive to remove. To remove mildew, follow the instructions above.
• Wicker -You can use a hose or pressure washer.
• Wrought Iron, Steel Frames & Aluminum -Use mild soap and water to clean.
• Fabric
• Umbrellas
• Wooden Furniture

Faraway in About Teak has a lot on its website regarding teak care including this bit of advice:

The only maintenance we recommend for your teak furniture is occasional cleaning. This should be done with a mild soap (such as gentle hand cleaning soap) and warm water to preserve its natural elements.

There are some new ideas in outdoor furniture from The Modesto Bee, for example:

Chat tables are new this year, says Jan Booth of Patioworld in Fresno. These tabletops are higher than coffee tables but lower than dining tables. "It's high enough that you can put a cup there, but it's not like sitting at a dining table," she says.

Mesh on metal or wood pieces: Patio pieces that have mesh-type material over metal or wood frames also are popular.

"You can lay a towel on it or go without a towel, and you can lie on it. You don't stick to (the mesh), and it's very comfortable. You don't lie there and get sweat on your back and tush."

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Get Your Chi Moving

Lalainya’s Weblog caught my eye with Feng Shui for Summer! My first thought was "I didn't know we could use Feng Shui for a season." My second thought, with the cold spring we've been experiencing, "What's summer!"
Dragon devas writes

When a residence or business is blocked by clutter, emotional residue, incompletion, or actual furniture placement, a less than excellent quality of life is experienced.

The blogger Vikki Anderson writes about chi or positive energy that needs to get stirred around. Here are some of Vikki Anderson's summer tips to bring about positive energy:

• Keep a small overnight bag packed for you and your family and place it in your car’s trunk. If an unplanned getaway or you get an overnight invitation for your kids (or an emergency arises), you will have all essentials already in the car and ready to go.

With all the earthquakes in some parts of our country, this is a great idea for any time of year.

• Let the light into your home. Put up sheer curtains or pleated shades that can be opened from the top or bottom so you can maximize the sunlight and immediately feel re-energized.

• Hang beautiful chimes from your deck, trees or house gutters for a melodious sound to relax and calm you. Always have a book on hand that you’ve always wanted to read and didn’t have time. The sound of the chimes will de-stress you and you will be learning from or enjoying a good book at the same time.

We have a wonderful wind-chime on our deck outside our bedroom. Every time Mike hears the soft, gentle chime he gets a smile on his face.

• Have your home and deck power washed. Then you can seal your deck for many hours of fun without damaging it.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

domino's Top Ten Decorator Tricks

Domino, The Guide to Living With Style, is a magazine and website I visit frequently.

Domino is published by the people that publish Concierge, Epicurious, Men.Style.com, Style.com, Wired.com, Lipstick.com, NutritionData, YM, Allure, Architectural Digest, Brides, Condé Nast Portfolio, Cookie, Glamour, Golf Digest, Golf for Women, Golf World, Gourmet, Lucky, Men's Vogue, Self, Teen Vogue, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and W.

Most of us subscribe to one or more of those magazines or pick up a newstand copy from time to time.

The latest issue has an article that caught my eye: domino's Top Ten Decorator Tricks. Here are their ten tips:

1. invest in the best
Instead of filling a room quickly with things you can afford, enjoy the process and slowly add pieces you absolutely love.
2. borrow your own clothes
If you love the hue of a blouse (or anything smooth-textured), bring it to a paint store to be scanned and reproduced.
3. lighten up
Reflective, sparkly fabrics and wallpapers draw light into any space.
4. work with what you've got
Play up a room's assets. If it has high ceilings, put up really tall curtains. If it's a dark box, don't try to alter it—painting it bright white will only make it seem dingy; instead, go for cozy.
5. lights!
Even in small rooms, aim for at least three light sources—ideally a floor lamp and matching table lamps—to banish gloomy corners.
6. go antique-chic
Invest in one fabulous antique per room, to set the tone for the entire space.
7. think outside the welcome mat
Don't neglect your entryway! Think of it as an appetizer for what comes next. It should reflect your home's overall style but also contain something special, so guests want to see more.
8. collect more
Collect something that speaks to you. No matter what it is, there's impact in numbers.
9. skirt the issue
Skirted tables in offices or entryways can hide all manner of ills: shoes, kids' backpacks, mail—even filing cabinets.
10. beyond wallpaper
Upholstering, rather than papering, walls yields a layer of softness and luxury for about the same price.

I particularly like 8. collect more. We recently had dinner with Cheryl and David Leland in their beautiful condo. In every room are framed art pieces or art pieces from places they've visited. The design of the rooms reflects colors of their favorite places in Mexico.



When Mike and I visited Italy we purchased a small painting from an artist in Florence. It was titled "Door of the Supplicant". We had it framed and it hangs in our living room. Not only is it a wonderful painting and not too expensive, the framing was more, but it brings back fond memories.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Dan Carithers In Atlanta Home Tour

"You need $4.1 million for the keys, but only $20 for a tour of the Regents Park home..." The posh development in Atlanta was chosen by Southern Accents magazine

...to establish an elegant alternative for urban dwellers. Made up of 23 luxurious town homes and flats, the development has the familiar feeling of tradition with modern-day conveniences.

(The) magazine called on renowned Atlanta interior designer Dan Carithers to oversee the home's interiors. A walk through the home is a visual feast of design finery, with everything from floors to ceiling provided by vendors like Stone Age Designs and Hickory Chair. Carithers' own furniture line by Sherrill Furniture is on display throughout the home

Several things stand out in the tour and the photo tour here:

• Fabric, fabric, fabric: Carithers uses repetition of fabrics on linens, upholstery and walls.
• Seats for all sizes: Little ones like luxury, too. Throughout the home, child-size chairs were sprinkled among traditionally sized pieces.
• Button-tuft this: Carithers' use of button-tufted pieces gives the home an instant dose of comfort and glamour.

Bev & Mike
Proud to carry Sherrill at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

What’s The Difference Between Wicker And Rattan?

Over at Home Accents Today, Mike has posted an article entitled What’s The Difference Between Wicker And Rattan?



The post features pictures of Palecek wicker furniture all available at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery.

Bev & Mike

Is Your Wallpaper Running?

We don't know how it's done, but this is the latest lighting technology, wallpaper light:



Hat Tip: Engadget

KP Design And The Luxury Consumer

Over at Home Accents Today, Mike has written a two part article about the luxury consumer.

In part 1, the luxury consumer is defined, here by Relish as those with household income between $250,000 and $500,000 and the extremely affluent as those with a net worth of $10 Million or above.



In part 2, Mike interviewed Kathie Pozarich, Portland interior designer to the luxury consumer and learns what it takes to be successful in that market. She offers tips, also, to the new up and coming interior designer.

KP Design Group, Inc.
Kathie Pozarich, Interior Designer
Tel: 503.635.3400
Email: kpdesigngroup@comcast.net

Mike writes three times a week about retailing and furniture and accessories at Home Accents Today in a blog entitled The Landfair Retail Focus.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

News From Market

From FURNITURE Today,

Sam Moore is taking a dozen of Hooker’s best-selling dining and accent chairs and making them available in 25 finishes, more than 800 fabrics and 100 leathers. The program also offers contrasting seat and back fabrics, contrasting pillows, nail-head options, welts, fringes, cords and tassels.

Also new for Sam Moore this market is about 20 frames, seven benches, three upholstered headboards, and 73 fabrics targeting interior designers.

From FURNITURE Today, Hekman is making a major contemporary style statement with its Asher Benjamin collection, designed by Peter and Meg Strattner, creators of the Crate and Barrel look. The clean-lined design for Hekman features American Cherry veneers with walnut accents and a natural cherry finish.

Retailers have been requesting more modern looks, said Neil McKenzie, Hekman’s vice president of product development.

“Not to say that the traditional look is going away, it’s just that there is a niche in the marketplace that is evolving and becoming more evident as this customer gains economic power,” McKenzie said.

“I think what’s happening is we’re slowly seeing a transition to another generation of potential customers. It’s a customer who is more interested in an urban lifestyle within their home than an actual urban geographic location. It’s cleaner lines, cleaner finishes and less encumbered.”

McKenzie added that Hekman still sees lots of customers who want more traditional home office looks and scaling. But he said that creating more modern looks with a compact scale, a good functionality story and clean lines makes sense in this changing market — without compromising quality.

Like Hooker and Aspenhome with its small-scaled Kensington home office introduction, Hekman continues the push into smaller functional desks this market, offering 48-inch and 60-inch footprints.

Those sets feature classic traditional and transitional designs, but are scaled down.

“I’ve had customers saying they’ve seen a transition in customers desiring smaller desks. Is it the economy where a smaller desk is less expensive? I don’t know. We know the request is real and it’s going from coast-to-coast,” McKenzie said.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is proud to feature Sam Moore and Hekman in our showroom.

Bev & Mike

New From Jimmy Choo

American Idol is dominating the TV and now Jimmy Choo has this for you Idol fans:

Jimmy Choo's Idol shoes

WHY: Because it's high time we owned something this lethal. Not only do we adore the platform sole, the thick heel actually renders these...comfortable. Weird, we know. In true chicette fashion, these look best with tattered cutoffs or a miniscule mini. Talk about illegally chic. PRICE: $775

Back in August we posted about Mondrian Art.
Jimmy Choo has this for you:

Spring/Summer 08 sees the introduction of the new 'Mondrian' heel. This distinctive graphic heel gives an architectural boldness and a modern edge to designs from peep toe pumps to strappy platforms. PRICE: 375 Euros

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Start With Art! Seminar

Suzanne Gallagher, author of "The Fine Art of Wall Design", will inspire you on April 26th with creative tips and valuable interior design nuggets about art imagery, framing design and placement!



Begin your design project poised for success. You will learn how art can be the catalyst for the design of your interior spaces. It can also be the focal point that pulls your existing design elements together.

Saturday April 26th 10:00am to 11:30am

Door Prizes and Refreshments!

$10 Space is limited REGISTER SOON!

www.walldesigndiva.com 503-579-2787

Special added incentive: Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery offers 20% off purchases the day of the seminar.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Coffee Tables From Calligaris

Searching the internet as much as I do, I come across a lot of interesting sites. For example, here's one I found today, Freshome. It had pictures of a coffee table from one of our favorite contemporary vendors, Calligaris



Freshome writes

The Retro contemporary coffee table by Calligaris is both stylish and practical having a central open compartment under the top and two side drawers that open by a rotating pivot pin. The Calligaris retro table features a wenge finish that will easily match any home decor. The clean lines and smooth elegant curves make this a collection of pure design classics. This is Italian furniture design at its most architectural. New ideas in materials, techniques and shape combine to make a clarity and purity of form that is fresh and truly modern.

We like furniture pieces that can serve several functions.



Calligaris also offers Kobe, a contemporary coffee table in wenge, or rovere, with translucent glass



Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery