10 tips to cut the cost of your holiday

It won't be long before we're taking off for foreign climates for the holidays or to beat the winter blues that can settle on us in the Northwest. Times Online has a valuable article listed under Money Central titled 10 tips to cut the cost of your holiday. Here's a sample of the tips:

1. Knock off hidden extras online - booking your trip online allows you to strip out things like your "world care fund" contribution, which is essentially the optional carbon-offset charge. This "carbon footprint offsetting" is one to watch on many flight and holiday websites as it may be included automatically, but you can usually remove it if you wish.

2.Plan your parking - we already do this. We stay the night before we leave at The Hampton Inn near the airport. There's an easy shuttle ride to the airport and we leave our car in their protected lot for free.

3. Chop the cost of flights - The best way to ensure you are not paying over the odds is to use a website such as Skyscanner, Flightchecker or Kayak. These send your trip details to scores of airlines and flight-broker websites for a range of quotes, listing the cheapest first.

4. Use the right card - In the UK there is The Abbey Zero credit card.

It does not charge a fee, will not charge you for foreign usage, and will enable you to withdraw up to £300 a day.

Make sure if from the US that your card offers the same service.

5. Cut car hire costs - by booking online you get the cheaper cars which may not be available on arrival.

There's five of the ten. Now check out the other five and start shopping for that new bathing suit.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects Is Honored

Each year, Contract Magazine's Healthcare Environments Awards Competition, is conducted in conjunction with The Center for Health Design and the HEALTHCARE DESIGN.08 Conference. The competition puts the healthcare market under the microscope to examine today's healing environments. The goal: To recognize design innovation that enhances the delivery of healthcare.

This year Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects was honored as the Health and Fitness Winner for its University of Oregon Athletic Medicine Center.

The University of Oregon's 15,000-sq.-ft. Athletic Medicine Center (AMC) is in a league of its own. Designed to reflect a holistic approach to athlete care, the sports therapy and training facility incorporates tools that heal (massage tables, hydro-therapy tubs, exam rooms, a pharmacy, an x-ray facility) alongside tools that help make athletes stronger (bikes and treadmills), better nourished (nutrition bar), and healthier and more motivated (optometry, dental, and acupuncture offices).

Student athletes are welcomed into the center via a seating area anchored by a reception desk and nutrition bar, that is further divided into smaller sections by a zig-zagging, internally illuminated white Corian bench that references an unraveling roll of tape. Throughout the space, four pictorial screens showcase the university's athletic history and a white oak wall features a horizontal stream of the names of the university's most important coaches physically branded into its surface. Other references to the university's history is the school's “O” logo springing from 3,000 aluminum rods in a glass wall separated the nutrition bar from custom-designed taping tables; bar stools with leather covers that were laser cut to reflect numerical statistics of various sports; and acrylic finds in the exam rooms that progress from yellow to green, the university's colors.

Go ZGF! Go Ducks!

Private Cloud

TrendHunter has this unique bed. A little like a hammock, the rocking bed.

Private Cloud looks like a giant rocking bed - which it is. It takes up more space than a normal bed, but certainly would be worth it. If you aren’t in the mood to rock the night away, the bed has a mechanism to lock the bed in one position. Why be normal?

Interior Design Summit

We have been promoting the Interior Design Summit to local designers because we saw the Summit as a way to be positive about the interior design business, and help designers learn some things that would help grow their business. Nika Stewart has been spearheading the effort to bring designers together with 14 experts on everything from

Edie Marks - the #24 realtor in the country. That's number 24 out of 1.3 million! She is going to reveal the secrets of her success, including how she networks and creates relationships with affluent homeowners.

to

Kathy Peterson - host of Lifetime TV's The Balancing Act? She is going to share the best ways to get publicity as a designer, both local and national.

This email from Nika this morning illustrates how positive she is and why we teamed up with her:

Can you personally affect this economy in a positive way? Absolutely! Don't think for a moment that one person can't make a big difference. And it doesn't take a lot of hard work or time.

I have been studying what makes some designers successful - wildly successful, despite what the outside world / media / friends are saying about the economy. Many of them have doubled or tripled profits this year. They are enjoying the dream businesses that they've worked for, and feeling fulfilled and happy.

And the best part about being successful is that you actually make more people successful - just by being successful!

What do I mean?

Think about it. Designers and decorators who are complaining about the economy, talking about how they don't have enough business, and reacting to their worries and concerns are affecting the economy in a negative way. Negative talk leads to more people worrying and reacting - and spending less! Which, of course, leads to more worry, more complaining, and LESS spending. A vicious cycle.

The opposite is also true. Designers who have made the decision to think positively and focus on what is good about their businesses (okay, I know I'm sounding a bit Pollyanna here, but just go with me), are noticing that they are NOT being affected by the so-called slow economy. They are investing more time and energy into improving their businesses in creative ways, which leads to more publicity and more clients, leading to more positive energy, more profits, more improving, etc.

I have designer clients who have worked with me over the past year on improving heir businesses - starting with their mindsets - who say to me, "I don't get what everyone is saying. My business is doing better than ever."

Imagine if we could recruit more designers to start thinking more positiveley? At some point we would reach what is called "The Tipping Point."

Then:
- more people would feel positive and optimistic,
- people would relax and release their worries,
- more money would be spent,
- the economy would improve!

Can you imagine? I know I want to be a part of that! Join me, won't you? If you want to have more success, model the designers who are having wild success right now. The most important thing to do first is focus on the positive. What are you most grateful for?

Now, I am NOT saying to bury your head in the sand. No, you should not ignore what is going on in the world. You NEED to keep current with business and design trends. Which leads me to the second thing you must do... The second thing you must do is learn how to run your business in the most effective way to create prosperity in current times. Creating success in business is a learned skill. Learn a few techniques, put them into action, and you WILL see improvement.

If you know anyone who needs a boost - in their mindset or in their pocketbook, please let them know about the upcoming Interior Design Summit. This Summit is designed to help designers in both areas - attitude and profits! The more designers who attend, the quicker we will see an upswing in the economy.

You can make a difference. Let's do it together!

Join me next week, and invite everyone you know:InteriorDesignSummit

To your easy success,
Nika

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

It's A Coffee Table

This ‘pool table’ spotted at the Tent London event is designed by Freshwest Design. It’s not a game table at all, but a coffee table that looks like a swimming pool. The table top is made of an aqua colored glass, which replicates the blue color of a backyard pool.

The simple addition of a tiny acrylic diving board enhances the fun realistic effect.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

HGTV is coming to Portland!

Here we are again for all you designers seeking stardom!

Have you recently remodeled a major room of your house?

Then HGTV is looking for you!

Home & Garden Television's (HGTV) BANG FOR YOUR BUCK is gearing up for its first season and we're looking for fun and enthusiastic homeowners in the greater Portland area RIGHT NOW!

We are looking for fun and energetic people who would like to showcase their fabulous renovation on TV! The remodels must have taken place recently (no more than 3 years ago). Each episode will compare three similar remodels at similar price points to see who got the most bang for their buck. We'll also provide viewers with expert advice, answers on remodeling values, and inspiring ideas for design.

Taping will begin shortly, so if you're interested, please apply immediately!
Request an application by emailing:

Kgrogan@highnoonentertainment.com

Or by calling Keri Grogan at (303) 712-3137

Bang For Your Buck is produced for HGTV by High Noon Entertainment in Centennial, CO

Good Luck from Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

We need your feedback!

We need your feedback! Remember the conversation at Color Pulse 2010 about "authenticity"? Part of being authentic is Genesis: - Genesis is an extension of the RAW from 2009. It exposes "the parts" as they become "the sum" ...with its emphasis on honest materials and eco-inspired themes that feel like a call to action.

We came across this New York manufacturer, Platform Furniture, that makes these wonderful storage cabinets in one, two or three units in solid reclaimed fir or in solid walnut. This company's products certainly seems to fit in with what is coming in 2010, but here now. They also seem to fit in with The New Luxury. They are very unique. I can't recall seeing this quality for this price.

Storage China Cabinet 2 Units (Fir) 86 x 19 x 39 $8,500.00





Storage China Cabinet 3 Units (Walnut) 129 x 19 x 39 $14,000.00




Now here's where we need your feedback. Is this something you are demanding for your clients? How about the price point, will the price point work within your client's budget?

Email Bev & Mike at landfair3554@comcast.net with your thoughts.

Duralee Introduces Thomas Paul

Known for his bold colors, iconic patterns, and signature style, DURALEE® has harnessed the creativity of designer Thomas Paul for his first fabric collection, Thomas Paul Prints Exclusively for DURALEE®. Featuring eye-catching patterns in numerous inspiring colorways, Thomas Paul Prints Exclusively for DURALEE® focuses on distinctive design that is unpretentious and versatile.

A native New Yorker, Thomas Paul began his career in the design world in the fashion business and has developed neckwear collections for designer names including: Bill Blass, Oscar De la Renta, Calvin Klein, and DKNY. This eventually led to the creation of a neckwear collection under his own label, and then to the thomaspaul pillow collection, originally conceived of to utilize the silk prints in his tie collection for throw pillows. Since 2001, the thomaspaul brand has steadily expanded into other categories, including tabletop, rugs, stationary, lighting, bags, and wall art.

Thomas Paul Prints Exclusively for DURALEE® is a natural progression towards the goal of having Thomas Paul products covering every aspect of the home. His bright, graphic patterns are the perfect addition to the DURALEE® family of fabrics by reflecting the DURALEE® style of fun, fresh, flexible design.

Click here to view fabrics from Thomas Paul Prints Exclusively for DURALEE®.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Buy A Ceiling Fan To Save, Now!

Summer before last, we put a ceiling fan in our bedroom. We were tired of bringing up the AC for the window each summer for a few +90 degree days. When summer was over, we would have to empty the water buildup and haul the 50 pound unit back to the basement storage. The ceiling fan has worked great. It sends a nice breeze down and keeps us and the dog, cool and comfortable.

Now the fan not only has three speeds, but it can revolve clockwise or counter clockwise. I've tried it both ways and couldn't tell the difference. Well now after perusing Gregory’s Light Bulb, I know the difference. Gregory writes that now is the time to buy a ceiling fan - for the winter!

And getting a ceiling fan right now doesn’t mean that you have to put it away in the garage until next June - you can start using it right away and save on your heating bill! Simply adjust the fan motor to go counterclockwise and the fan will push rising heat from your thermostat down to where you are.

With fuel costs expected to rise over time, what a great thing to know: Counter clockwise in the winter; clockwise in the summer.

Bev & Mike
Landfair furniture + Design Gallery

Congrats! Ryan Walsh

Oregon Architect has a nice interview with Portland's Ryan Walsh.

Who's Ryan Walsh? He's the Grand Prize winner of Dwell Magazine's challenge to architects across the country with the question, How Green Are You?

Walsh renovated a 1925 Bungalow in SE Portland over eight years.

Walsh’s Recycled Aesthetic project stood out for its alternative design approach, affordable cost, and uncommon use of recycled materials. Rather than pre-determining the aesthetic, Walsh first figured out what repurposed materials he wanted to use, and let the process inform the appearance. “The reward of this design challenge was reaching the utilitarian goals” Walsh said, “while honoring the inherent beauty of the materials.”

You can reach Ryan Walsh of DRW Design Build in Portland, Oregon at info@drwdesignbuild.com - 503-577-2824

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

“Mention this blog when you visit our store, and we’ll have a token of appreciation for you.”

Visit Ken Hoyt

Here's local Portland authority, Ken Hoyt, with some appropriate actions you can take now for your drains that will save you an expensive call to Roto Rooter.

And when you visit Ken Hoyt's site check out his formulas for cleaning outdoor furniture and pads before winter storage.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

The OdeChair

In the previous post about Color Pulse 2010 part of what Doty Horn sees as a trend from now to 2010 is "authenticity." Authenticity that sheds new light on known materials and an extension of that is use of materials that exposes "the parts" as they become" the sum.

After I wrote that I remembered an email from Jolyon Yates about OdeChairs- contemporary organic chairs hand made in Northumberland.



You can see the parts of wood that make up the chair, it's authentic, and the parts are changed into a new sum. No longer a tree, or pieces of a tree, the OdeChair is a whole new way of seeing the tree...and it's right brained.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Color Pulse 2010

Wednesday, October 1, marked the return to Portland of Color Director Doty Horn of Benjamin Moore giving her fifth annual presentation on the future of color, in Color Pulse 2010.

Ms Horn and her team travel the world looking for the colors and designs that we will see in our fashions, our architecture, our automobiles, our furniture and homes. She always entertains with her comments and marvelous photos. In many cases her findings give us a look into our future politics and economics.

For 2010, the overarching theme is Authenticity. Authenticity is the new counter culture. It is "out of the box" thinking (in my words) that sheds new light on known materials and may combine the tactile with the technical. As an example:

Black Honey.MGX, designed by Arik Levy, made by Stereolithography, is inspired by the honeycomb.

Color Pulse 2010 translates Authenticity into 3 distinct influences:

Genesis: - Genesis is an extension of the RAW from 2009. It exposes "the parts" as they become "the sum." It seems more political with its emphasis on honest materials and eco-inspired themes that feel like a call to action.

Heatherwick Studio was commissioned to design a café building to replace a seafront kiosk in Littlehampton, a traditional seaside town on England's south coast. Exposed to weather and vandalism, the narrow site sits between the sea and a parade of houses.

The New Luxury: - Here it's authenticity combining with luxury. Think of remarkable one-offs; buildings, unique personal displays of wealth.



Ingenuity: - Ms Horn sees a move to "right brain" thinking, picking up on former Al Gore speech writer Daniel Pink’s book "Whole New Mind".

The era of "left brain" dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which "right brain" qualities-inventiveness, empathy, meaning-predominate.

For 2010 colors, for that's what Color Pulse 2010 is all about, take a look at Lisa Radon's description of colors in her blog, The Design District, titled Finger on the Color Pulse: Trends 2010

What occurred to me is that for the third year in a row Gold Metallic is still one of the hot colors, leading me to believe that with the combination of authenticity and gold, you have a desire for the metal, for gold is money, and an escape from fiat currencies. Currencies that have no intrinsic worth. Color Pulse, in addition, describes a move from "money" green to an "acid" green.

I think we see this movement to the authentic in our politics. Americans will decide on November 4th, which set of candidates is the most honest and empathetic. This line of thinking is not outlandish. We've known for years that art reflects the culture and culture is reflected in our art and music and poetry.

Every year Benjamin Moore publishes a book on the findings with photos, narrative and color swatches. You can look at our copy in our showroom at 15th and NW Savier.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery