Degeeri: This otter-like creature uses a rock to break clamshells. The Degeeri is expressive and energetic and can be found on the beach.

I love, love, love these creatures of contemporary sculptor Geoffrey Gorma.  He takes sticks and cast off materials to fashion animals that appear to be alive.  Each with a story.

As he works, Gorman imagines a life story for every animal. He assigns each a Latin species name to hint at what “family” it belongs to. Like the novelist who creates entire histories for fictional characters, Gorman gives his creatures backgrounds and biological attributes: they emerge from an enchanted world, tucked between the pages of history. As each workday begins, he looks around his studio and asks, “What blend of fantasy, nature and imagination can I make of this?”

Melanotus: Fast, sleek, intelligent and sometimes scary, the Melanotus is a trickster. Do not turn your back on him

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The Courtship of Purcist and Osmia: These two fowls are in the middle of a courtship dance. Purcist shows off his tail feathers, while Osmia struts. Each is trying to impress the other.

GLASS RECYCLED

Terrazzo floors were originally made in Western Asia 9,000 to 8,000 BC with burnt lime and clay, colored red with ochre and polished.  Much later, Venice invented a terrazzo that used marble chips in clay and goat milk as low cost flooring when polished.

GLASS RECYCLED has improved on the process by turning glass bottles and discarded porcelain fixtures into beauty. Instead of filling our landfills with some 30 billion bottles, they turn post-consumer and industrial glass into gorgeous countertops, fabulous flooring and landscape materials.


Sustainability is very important to GLASS RECYCLED. Their terrazzo is easy to maintain and lasts as long as your building or home stands. By mixing crushed glass with an epoxy resin, they’ve created over 400+ sparkling terrazzo designs.

Durability and low maintenance are at the core of green construction. Terrazzo flooring can be refinished repeatedly, reusing instead of replacing materials. It can be restored to its original luster at a fraction of the cost of replacement. Routine maintenance for Terrazzo flooring (both cement and thin-set epoxy) is easy; just dry and damp mop.

With no VOCs, GLASS RECYCLED earns further points on indoor air quality ratings. Both cement-based and thin-set epoxy Terrazzo systems are made of zero VOC materials. Terrazzo produces little or no off-gassing over the life of a cured floor. The non-porous Terrazzo finish resists microbial growth and moisture.

The potential for local sourcing is another environmental strength of Terrazzo. Manufactured on site, Terrazzo installations generally produce minimal post-commercial waste and save on transportation costs.

Please welcome another of our quality advertisers. We invite you to imagine the possibilities of GLASS RECYCLED. Browse their gallery of eco-friendly designs, and request a sample to see how their recycled glass countertops and recycled glass flooring will look in your home or office.

There's a new cookbook out written by Portland food writer Ashley Gartland.  It's "Dishing Up® Oregon: 145 Recipes That Celebrate Farm-to-Table Flavors."

Just a glance at various pages starts my mind thrilling to the imagined flavors:

• Shaved Zucchini and Basil Salad with Guajillo Chile Vinaigrette
• Chocolate Crab Bisque
• Cherry-Basil Bruschetta
• Basque-style Chicken with Espelette Piperade
• Chilled Marionberry-Peach Soup

"Gartland solicited recipes from her state's leading chefs, farmers, fishers, winegrowers, cheese makers, brewers, and just about anybody else of import on the Oregon food-and-beverage scene."

Available for purchase at Powell's, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Judy George Adds Product Line

 

While writing for Home Accents Today, I posted about the demise of Judy George's Domain Home in bankruptcy.  I was interested in following George to see where she would turn up next.  In September I wrote:

Well, she’s back as Judy George International and her mission is to become one of the leading global home furnishings design groups.  George intends to launch four brands in 2010 and 2011.  The first is Hotel Maison.  Company press materials says it "unlocks the door to the luxury suite experience at home." The hotel-inspired collection has six lifestyle themes, focused on the living room, bedroom and dining room and will have 200 SKUs of upholstery and case goods.

This week I received a press release saying "...Hotel Maison, the modern furniture line inspired by chic boutique hotels from around the world, is updating and streamlining its offerings to focus on a less traditional, more innovative look to appeal to a broader demographic."

This new focus has prompted the development of a new sub-line called Chic Boutique. The Chic Boutique line will include the same product categories as Hotel Maison, but at opening price points that will make it extremely attractive for online and catalogue sales.

“The world has changed and the furniture business needs to change with it. Consumers are looking for fresh product that speaks to their lifestyle. They are using social media to inform their purchasing decisions. As such, we are moving ahead in new directions, with new sourcing, new distribution strategies and an aggressive social media marketing push for Hotel Maison and Chic Boutique, said Judy George, principal, Hotel Maison.

433 Contract readers identify their top three preferred casegoods and desks manufacturing brands as:

1. Steelcase
www.steelcase.com
2. Kimball Office
www.kimballoffice.com
3. Knoll
www.knoll.com
4. Herman Miller
www.hermanmiller.com
5. Gunlocke
www.gunlocke.com
6. Geiger
www.geigerintl.com
7. HBF
www.hbf.com
8. Haworth
www.haworth.com
9. Tuohy
www.tuohyfurniture.com
10. Bernhardt
www.bernhardtdesign.com

Bernhardt Design is a division of Berhardt which includes

Residential Divisions:

Commercial Divisions:

Nice to know that!

Please Welcome Pummer, Natural By Design

Pummer is a strange name here in the U.S. Wikileaks describes Pummer as a “solar powered self activating LED flasher. Pummers are nocturnal critters that soak up sunlight during the daytime, then, get active at night. Their nocturnal activity can either consist of a light show, or some pattern of sounds.”



There’s another Pummer I’d like you to meet. His name is Pummer, Claus Pummer and he lives in Ontario, Canada. Over the next 12 months, Claus Pummer is going to share the latest information about furniture and design coming from Europe. Three great furniture shows are coming up: Meuble Paris 2012 and the New York International Gift Fair in January and Ambiente Frankfurt 2012  in Mid-February. Claus Pummer is the exclusive distributor of international furniture and accessories from Lambert under the Pummer name. We’ll be some of the first North Americans to see what’s hot.

His passion for design started in Germany where he became a Master Cabinet Maker. He has made it his mission to personally search the world for the best “hand-made” furniture and accessories.



Today, Pummer® uses the most basic elements to create his pieces, avoiding unnecessary chemical treatments for a fresh new approach to environmental conservation. That is why Pummer offers a dedicated line of organics.

We will learn about the worst threat to health, according to the World Health Organization, is indoor air pollution and electronic smog. We will learn why Claus Pummer recommends the Samina bed or Healthy Sleep System he imports to the U.S. He believes it’s the answer for back pain AND a healthy sleep.

The SAMINA sleeping system is made exclusively from natural materials such as wood, natural rubber, virgin sheep wool and cotton. Only the best quality raw materials are used and great care is taken to preserve the integrity and conserve the subtle energies of these natural materials.

Unlike most mattresses and beds, the SAMINA system provides active support, fulfilling the orthopedic needs of the body during sleep. The natural S-shaped curves of the spine are maintained and there is an even distribution of pressure in any sleeping position.



Please welcome our newest advertiser and check out his website: http://www.pummer.com/index.php

Home Office

The Reading Eagle has an informative article on desks for the home and includes this photo of a Global Views desk.

Courtesy of Global Views
This substantial desk from Global Views is made from exotic zebra wood veneer in a dark walnut stain, finished with lacquer and a hand-rubbed wax. An oversized pencil drawer is deftly disguised. The open-block desk is 60 inches long, 29 1/4 inches deep, and 31 1/2 inches tall.

More and more homes have a home office. Working from home or bringing work home has made some sort of office space a necessity in recent years. Between 2011 and 2015, there will be nearly 2 million home-based businesses and more than 3 million corporate home office households, according to the International Data Corp. In addition more and more women are carving out a space for just their activities much like men with their "Man Caves."

Kudos To Interior Designer Marcie Harris

There's something written almost everyday about our home and office environments with words like LEED, sustainability, Green, indoor air pollution, low VOCs.  I was reminded by a Baltimore Sun article recently that we wrote about "Universal design" back in 2005, when we interviewed interior designer Marcie Harris.

Marcie Harris said "Universal Design" and "Green Design" are areas that we now think of as 'specialties" but I believe will soon be standard requirements for all credible design proposals.



Bev: Whoa, Marcie, Mike just got lost with talk of "Universal Design" and "Green Design".
Mike: How did we switch to Green cars and Universal joints?
Marcie Harris: Ha, Ha! Certainly there is correct terminology for this concept - but my interpretation of Universal Design is creating an environment that is end-user friendly - for all age groups and for users with physical limitations. It is not just about ADA compliance. For instance, a space designed for a young family could have lower vanities in the baths for the kids - perhaps with a pullout cabinet under the sink if someone in a wheelchair needed to use it. It is about proper lighting - reducing glare, proper task lighting. It is about proper flooring - seamless changes in flooring materials so someone with limited ambulatory abilities won't trip on the edge of a surface change. It is about wider doorways and hallways and making bathrooms more accessible and safer with proper grab bars and turning radius and wheel- in showers. It is about a space that if you suddenly broke your leg - you would not be helpless in your own space. It is about aging in place.

Bev: It could be about aging "boomers"! And "green Design?
Marcie Harris: Again, we've heard a lot of this lately. My interpretation of Green Design is that designers and architects need to be educated about the 'lifecycle" of the products they specify. This is not only the recycling capability of products, but thinking about what it took to make the product in the first place. Obviously we can't evaluate everything - but if more pressure were put on manufacturers from designers and architects regarding "green design", I believe the industry would react accordingly. I have a client with a child that came down with environmental sickness after they moved into their new home. The off-gassing of VOC's from the various products (osb board, carpet glue etc.) was enough to keep her out of one whole year of high school. This was 8 years ago and things are improving - but it is still a huge concern.

Bridget A Otto On Saturday

Bridget Otto spins a story today about Tufted Is The New Look

Hot trend -- Spin through any shelter magazine and within the first few pages, you will no doubt see a tufted something being promoted. From ottomans to chairs to sofas to headboards, the tufted look is trending up and the look is fresh -- unlike that tufted gold couch you may be remembering from your childhood.

Just a reminder, but back in June, 2010 we announced that Bernhardt Interiors was coming to Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery with these tufted pictures:

Will future hot products come from the following link to new products from Bernhardt Interiors?

New At Winter Market

Global Views	Donut Glass Lamp	14"DIA x 7"H

What's Hot For 2012

Happy New Year 2012!
Our first post of the new year concerns an article in Florida Today about the design outlook for this year in "What's hot for 2012." Bottom line: Green will be bigger than ever. Here's a sample of the designers' thoughts:

• Focus on Indoor Pollution - The EPA says our indoors can be more polluted than the outdoors. So the focus will be on "...fabrics that are green and do not absorb odors or pollutants, or for fabrics that can be washed."
• LED is the rage in decorative lighting
• "...make room for veggies in their backyards."
• “Made in the USA” will be even more important
• “The “shop local” movement will benefit American manufacturers, but local artists will also benefit
• Power furniture will find more acceptance as in power recliners in chairs and sofas, and adjustable beds
• Impact Art - oversized artwork, often photography

Roxanne Brillante-Justice, owner of As Nature Intended design firm, says “Impact Art” was a huge trend at the fall wholesale market. The term refers to oversized artwork, often photography. / Photo courtesy of Roxanne Brillante-Justice

What do you think of this list?  What messages are you receiving from clients?