News From TODL

TODL has announced the upcoming November launch of the Trade Only Design Library Generation 6.0 after 18 months of development. TODL is an exclusive online research library where 51,728 trade members and manufacturers meet to share information and do business. The 6.0 release is the most significant launch in the company's 13-year history, utilizing new technology that will transition the industry's most comprehensive product research library into a fully integrated vertical market platform offering more functionality and new services.

TODL 6.0 is the result of more than a decade of market research, interaction, and service to design and architectural professionals, and the manufacturers and service providers that market to them. "It is incredibly exciting to watch TODL 6.0 come to fruition," says Stacey Tiveron, Trade Only Design Library founder and CEO. "6.0 not only advances product research and specification to an entirely new level, it facilitates business interaction and connection at all levels and between all players in our industry."

TODL's membership of design and architecture professionals can look forward to all new designs and navigation, more intuitive product organization, advanced project management tools, regional event alerts, industry networking, RFI tracking, and more.

In addition to TODL's current product galleries of residential, contract/commercial, hospitality, and green, members will have access to new galleries including luxury, healthcare, education, retail, architecture/building, and art. Content partnerships with leading publications and associations will bring TODL members exciting project and industry news specific to the type of project they are specifying. Meanwhile, Trade Only Design Library 6.0 listed manufacturers will have access to in-depth activity and flow-through analytics, superior lead generation tools, and advanced marketing options enabling manufacturers to specify the exact segment of the professional market they want to reach.

JAB Anstoetz Grandezza collection

JAB Anstoetz is introducing its 2010 European fabric offerings to the North American marketplace. Inspired by couture fashion in metropolitan cities, the Grandezza collection features modern designs in 15 patterns and 95 colorways. Designs range from jacquards and animal prints to metallics, velvets, and sheers, all exuding a feel of sophistication. The umbrella company of the JAB Anstoetz, Soleil Bleu, and Chivasso brands, JAB recently purchased the Stroheim brand by Fabricut and will continue offering Stroheim’s decorative hardware in addition to its own textile and wallcovering lines.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Palecek Acquires PierceMartin

Palecek, a designer and manufacturer of handcrafted furniture, accessories, and lighting, has acquired PierceMartin, a designer resource for classic woven furniture and accessories. Palecek will launch a new corporate division and product line exclusively serving the design trade community. Details related to showroom locations and the product launch for PierceMartin by Palecek, slated for the first quarter of 2011, will be announced over the next few weeks.

Bridget Otto Thursday

Bridget A. Otto

Yesterday, at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery, Cary Taylor, Allison Smith and Bev Landfair hosted an event for area interior designers that covered "what's new and unique in the world of furnishings, color and rugs."  Bridget Otto was there and files a report today about the content of the meeting in Portland designers gather and learn about custom creations. 

Although I've never met Bridget Otto, Bev tells me she looked stunning with her blonde hair. Thank you everyone for attending.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Should We Add Pet Products?

At the August Retailer Roundtable hosted by Home Accents Today in Las Vegas as part of World Market, we were surprised that several retailers were complementing their home decor sales with gourmet food, apparel, jewelry and handbags as a way to increase traffic to their stores.  I learned today that there's another area of retail sales that hasn't suffered despite the shattered economy: Pet Sales.  Maybe, we should add that category to our sales mix.  In fact according to the American Pet Products Association all pet sales have doubled in ten years.  The APPA estimates that sales this year will reach $47.7 billion up from $23 billion in 1998.

A radio report today sparked my interest in pet sales.  New technology is out that may propel sales in the future because it allows our pets to network with us and other pets and even give us a photo record of their day while we are away.  For instance, Mattel has come out with a toy named "Puppy Tweets."

The toy has two parts, a plastic collar tag that contains a sound andmotion sensor and a USB receiver that you plug into your computer. The tag comes with pre-written, prerecorded tweets that are activated by your dog's activity. So if she's sleeping, the tag may automatically send the tweet, "Somedays it feels like my paw is permanently on the snooze button!" If she's woofing, the tweet may say, "YAHOOOOOOO! Somedays you just gotta get your bark on."

Then there's Sniftag which combines a hi-tech tag with an online social media site. Equipped with an accelerometer and motion analysis software, you can check in with the dog at a web site to see what your dog is up to.

It also uses a wireless protocol to communicate with other Sniftags nearby dogs may be wearing. The tags automatically swap unique identifying codes and relay the encounter to the server when the dogs return to the SNIF Base Station at their home.

A Japanese company offers  a gizmo that translates a pet's barks and purrs into intelligible sentences.  Don't you wish you could decipher those looks that your dog gives you?  Another company offers a camera attached to the pet's collar that takes photos at timed intervals.  When you get home you can see pictures of what your pet was doing.  Imagine your dog could no longer get away with saying, "It wasn't me." when you come home to find a vase tipped over.  My pet would probably give me countless photos of our bedroom wall where he sleeps all day.

There is Zen Dog, for those who think therapy and relaxation through calming music and massage might be good for your dog; HydroSurge Rapid Bath Dog Bathing System, an "all-in-one" wet, wash and rinse device that resembles a garden hose with a spray-nozzle comb head; and GoDogGo, a fetch machine for dogs that automatically shoots out tennis balls at timed intervals.  Does it say "good dog" when the ball is brought back? I don't think so.



Forbes alerts us to a product we may see in the near future.

If you're allergic to animals or can't have one where you live, check out The Haptic Creature, a robot designed to recreate the touch-based communication between pet and owner. The creature resembles a small rabbit with long "ears" and fur. When petted, it responds with breathing, ear movements and purring vibrations.

I think I'm on to something here.  You may see Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery change its name to include Pet Products.  That would make us LF+DG+PP.  Does that sound  wrong?

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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What's New In Custom Iron Doors

We love front doors! When on vacation what draws the eye of the photographer?  It's the doors in the walls where you can only imagine what life is like beyond the address on the gate.

That's why our interest was peaked when we read the following about custom iron doors:

Redesigning the exterior of your home says a lot about your own personal tastes. The doorway is the entry point and the point of focus for any outdoor façade, so making a stunning and lasting impression with your home can not only increase the value, but also your own enjoyment of your home. A popular choice for entry doors on the market today are custom iron doors because of the unique factor they bring to a home.

Two companies are mentioned, Imperial Doors (below)  and Baltic Iron Doors (above).

The article states that the exterior of your home dictates the color of your custom iron work.

If you have a brick home, darker finished doors tend to accent this better than lighter doors, depending on the color of the brick. For white to cream colored bricks, black to dark green is a good finish, since it highlights the entryway. Darker colored bricks benefit more from having a cream-colored finish in order to highlight the entry point.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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