You May Need A Little Accent

"Umlauts, tildes, accents and punctuation can change a word or sentence's meaning. Similarly, sometimes all that's missing from your home is a little accent." I liked the phrase so much, I stole it from Living Social website.

It's true, though.  Often a new lamp, a new chair or a new home accessory can perk your home up on these gloomy days of early winter in the Northwest or holiday season.

Sometimes, all you need to make a room great is a little "Cozy Up" table. Makes a great place for an egg nog.

Mike has always been fascinated by mosaics and stippled art.  He came across Artaic - Innovative Mosaic's blog and saw this mosaic that hangs in the Anglican Church of St Peter and is made entirely of burnt toast.

Maurice Bennett, 33 year old British artist, Adam Sheldon created a six foot mosaic of Christ on the cross made of 153 pieces of burnt toast. Adam used his toaster to burn all 153 pieces of bread. He then scraped out the parts he wanted to be lighter with a knife and used a blow torch to make the darker pieces. 

Purchased By One Of Our Clients

Lily Pad Wall Sconce
18.25 inches X 18.25 inches X 4 inches deep
Holds two 40w candelabra bulbs
Page 216 of Global Views Catalog

Uttermost Lamps Are Ordered

We just ordered some beautiful Uttermost lamps for clients and I thought you would like to take a look:

These lamps are in stock and will be shipped immediately at a great price. Call Bev for details: 503-249-7951

Visit Verdigris Vie

Here's a prolific blogger, Verdigris Vie, who has posted 211 times this year.  My best year was 180 times in 2010. Verdigris Vie has this photo apparently of the home of Designer Jay Griffith of LA.

Bridget A Otto On Saturday

Bridget Otto has 12 festive ideas for your Thanksgiving table from Portland interior designer Garrison Hullinger, of Garrison Hullinger Interior Design, JJ De Sousa,  interior designer and owner of Digs Inside & Out, Lora Coburn,  owner of CoCo Designs and interior designer Jason Ball, of Portland's Jason Ball Interiors.

While the centerpiece is beautiful, soon the conversation begins over dinner and the centerpiece is moved to the floor.

What was I writing about last November? Here's a look:

• Paddle-and-anvil Pottery By Kate Tremel
• News From TODL
• Looking for some great Christmas gifts?
• Celebrity Holiday Homes 2010
• Stanley's Resort Coastal Living
• Stanley's Plugged In Nightstand
• It's Bridget Otto Thursday!
• A Built In Charger!
• Win a Commissioned Painting
• Join Us For The Fabricut Grand Opening and Trunk S...
• Global Accessories
• It's The Economy!
• Bridget Otto Thursday
• John Choquer, Custom Furniture
• NYC Treehouse
• It's Bridget Otto Thursday
• Keyboards for Senior Citizens
• Mixing New and Old for a Refreshing Look

I'm still writing about Stanley and Bridget A Otto, in fact look later today to see our latest on Ms Otto. I was struck by our announcement that we were adding Fabricut by announcing a trunk show.  Who knew that less than a year later the economy would put us under? In fact I wrote about the economy in It's The Economy!  A year later things don't appear much better.  Furniture stores are still failing and frankly Europe's contagion could easily spread to the U.S.  Check out Why Mexico? for a comparison of the U.S. to Italy and Mexico.

I can't believe how much less stress and pressure I feel now that our showroom is closed.  Hard to believe how nice it is to have lunch with Mike or go to Jazzercise early in the morning.  I love working from with all my designer friends from home.  Let me know if I can help you.

The Buzz: Gel Beds

The buzz at High Point this year had to be over Gel beds! What the heck are Gel beds. Is that short for Jello?

Quality bedding for great sleep has been defined by sleep number beds and tempurpedic mattresses. Now add Gel beds. Intellibed describes its bed as "...made from a soft, but extremely strong and elastic solid copolymer gel formed into a series of vertical support members that begin to compress under light loads, but when the pressure on any localized area becomes uncomfortable, the support members relax allowing that localized part of the body to sink into the mattress. In this way, pressure points under the hip and shoulder areas are reduced by a remarkable 50-80%."

Makers of Gel beds include Restonic, Jamison, Paramount, Serta, Simmons, Gold Bond and many more.

Mike is interested because he complains about our pillow top mattress.  He says it feels like he's sleeping on a futon.  His hip bones hurt in the night from the mattress pushing back at him.  I'm comfortable, yet the mattress set is almost ten years old, so it may be time to investigate the new technology.

One aspect that I like is the formulation of the gel.  Gel bed manufacturers say gel provides for better temperature control.

Results Of The 2011 Pinnacle Awards

Designers in 16 furniture, accessories and lighting categories were honored recently in the 2011 Pinnacle Awards.

Stanley Furniture's Coastal Living Resort won in the major collections category for designers Richard Schroeder, Denis Kissane and Gary Hokanson.

mix

Take a strong measure of vintage modern, add a dash of Danish design and a smidge of transitional style and what have you got? Mix: a delightfully timeless combination of yesterday and today, vintage and modern, form and function. Combine any of the five accent finishes to create a two-toned monument to the beauty of wood, or pair a finish with one of the 17 paint colors to create a look that’s uniquely yours.

New At High Point

The October 2011 issue of Home Accents Today is out and in it I see some of the vendors we support introduced new products at Fall High Point.

 

The new item from Bernhardt Interiors is the Gustav side chair. It is same style as the Delancey chair shown above, except it has a shiny metal frame and upholstered in a metallic "snakeskin" leather.

Frederick Cooper unveiled new lamps from the Larry Laslo Collection.

Global Views introduced a seashell-inspired swirl platter.

"Putting a modern twist on the timeless tradition of the symbolic wedding band, these handsome 22" and 28" table lamp designs are crafted in a gold and silver chrome finish for unmistakable style. Accessorized with white or brown linen shades, the Matrimony Reclining Table Lamps from Nova Lamps will form the perfect union with your decor."

From Uttermost, "Hand painted artwork on canvas is stretched and mounted to wooden stretching boards. A textured finish is added for extra definition. Due to the handcrafted nature of this artwork, each piece may have subtle differences."

The Texas Fireframe Grate

Winter will be here soon and some are predicting a legendary winter for those living in this area.  By legendary, I'm assuming it means that 50 years from now people will soon be talking about the winter of 2011-2012, like my father talked about the winters of the past when the Willamette River froze over.

When we think about being cold, we either want to be in Mexico in the winter or sitting here in front of a warm fire.  Some people have bought into the notion that a fireplace is a waste because all the heat goes up the chimney or they have converted to a natural gas fireplace with fake logs.  Still most of the heat goes up the chimney.

The other day I came across an invention that sends the heat of burning wood out into the room instead of up the chimney.  The Texas Fireframe grate was invented by a physicist back in 1974 and people just swear it:

"It is the greatest fireplace invention since the discovery of wood matches."
-- R. Seiden, Berkeley, CA

"I was astounded!... The increase in heat output is remarkable…the temperature in the room increases from 7 to 12 degrees with the [Texas Fireframe grate] over the temperature with a regular grate. I find that all your claims are true, if not understated.”
-- L. Isaacson, Berrien Springs, MI  

It's simple really as these pictures show:



The Texas Fireframe® grate is made of hot rolled steel, welded bars, and includes slip-on, height-adjustable, friction-locking arms. Fully-assembled. Instructions included.

It comes in three sizes; the U-25 unit fits almost all fireplaces. You can order on line and have it in place before the snow flies.

Floor to Ceiling Wall Art Is Now Easy

This is not your grandmother’s wall paper. These are not murals; this is floor to ceiling WALL ART. The applications are limitless and the results, stunning!

Choose from over 7000 original works from New Era Portfolio’s exclusive collection. Also, a stock image bank with over 12 million images, an abstract art collection, vintage art, photography and more collections coming in the near future. You can virtually find an image of anything you desire or even upload your own sourced imagery.



Do you want to have a whole wall as a city nightscape, or awake with the mountains out your window and Portofino on your wall? It all comes from New Era Walls by HP.

Uttermost Introduces New App

What if you are an interior designer and you want to show some Uttermost products to your clients. Now you can with an iPad and an Uttermost app for as little as $2.99.

This new app is for use by Uttermost sales representatives, retailers, and consumers. The functionality includes nearly everything that the Uttermost Web site includes, plus swiping from image to image, pinch-zooming for extreme enlargement, etc. This app is ideal for presenting product one-on-one, or when connected to a big screen or monitor, to a group of people.

“We love new technology, but only if it benefits our customers," said Mac Cooper, president . The images on our new App are incredible, second only to seeing the product in person.”

The time is coming when I'll have to break down and get an iPad or an alternative from Amazon!

Writer Nate Gibson Inspired By Landfair on Furniture

As a designer for Manchester Wood, a solid wood furniture manufacturer in Granville, NY, I spend a lot of time looking at various interiors when conceptualizing and designing furniture pieces. Thinking about how designs would work with different spaces provides ideas on how to refine them and create products that fit many settings well.

I'm come across multiple interiors on Landfair on Furniture that have especially interested me with their design elements and got me thinking about the ways those design elements would work with our solid wood furniture. One of these interiors is the rammed earth, adobe-style farmhouse.

Specifically, the contrast of the adobe and brick with the wood in the interior is a very nice look – two very different types of building materials that complement each other very nicely. The stone-wood look instantly made me think of some of Manchester Wood's slate-topped tables and has given my ideas for future designs, such as new finish colors and types of slate that I think might be more complementary.

Another post that I took inspiration from was the House of 2015. The ultra-sleek and modern look of this house of the future is accented by beautiful wood flooring.

The natural wood grains combined with the modern look of the interior have given a number of ideas for future pieces for our glass-top collection. The richness of wood paired with the open feeling evoked by glass combine for a very pleasant ambiance.

Those posts are just two examples of the inspiration I have taken from the Landfair on Furniture blog, there have been others and I'm sure many more to come. Thanks for reading.
 ~Nate Gibson

Lighting From Global Views

One of our clients just ordered this beautiful lighting fixture made by Global Views.

Take a look at all the other lighting fixtures from Global Views.

Sitcom

Sitcom is a vendor we love.

Sitcom is the leading designer and manufacturer of contemporary, transitional furniture and accessories. We offer fun and functional designs to really make your living space special!

Sitcom is a privately owned company whose first product release was a single folding chair that won “Best Furniture Design” by International Design Magazine, and is in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Today, Sitcom and its in-house design team have a well-established reputation as a leading supplier and designer for major lifestyle retailers throughout the world such as West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Macy’s and Z Gallerie. Sitcom won the prestigious “ADI Award” in January 2008.

Here's a wonderful antique distressed round table in solid elm with an acid washed zinc top perfect for the breakfast nook:

Sam Moore Builds Comfort !

Part of the reason I'm attracted to this great occasional chair includes the many functions and possibilities that it allow it to be integrated into your room.  You can go contemporary; note big graphic design.  Transitional, or updated traditional with the wings. Sam Moore builds comfort into every chair.

(click on photo for larger view.)

Relaxed Or Informal Dining

Stanley Furniture is releasing a 22-piece expansion of its Classic Portfolio line.  The dining line has entry level pricing in three styles: the industrial-influenced Artisan, the European-inspired Old World and the sleek Modern line.

Why? Stanley believes there is a void in the market for affordable fashion-forward everyday dining. Formal dining is a slow seller. Maybe because, as the previous post pointed out, home owner needs for formal dining are changing.  We are moving to smaller homes and the formal dining room is wasted space.  Maybe, it has to do also, with no bottom seen in casual dining pricing.

Stanley Furniture "... is focused on delivering really great finishes that require an artistic hand to apply; great classic styling that really feeds someone's creative sense and then trying to do it at a price that's attainable."

Want to see more? Go to Stanley "New For Fall.".

The House Of 2015

Zillow has an interesting post outlining the way our new homes in 2015 will look.  You might be surprised who the buyers are and what has disappeared.

New From Bernhardt Interiors

Bernhardt Interiors has had a sofa in this style for years, now they've brought out a loveseat measuring 59 inches long shown here in leather:

In addition, all upholstery pieces come in either leather of fabric.

Another new item is the trestle-style dining table with hand-hammered stainless steel top featured here in House Beautiful in a sandblasted Driftwood finish.

Sherwin-Williams Launches iPad App

Jean Nayarat contract magazine writes:

Got an iPad and need a little color inspiration? Then take advantage of STIR, a new iPad application from Sherwin-Williams. The new app is actually a digital magazine specifically developed for design professionals. A free tablet tool, STIR was created to help designers and architects easily access inspiring color and design content, including innovative project features, color-trend stories, product and technology news, and interviews with creative professionals.

Among the many features the app will offer to enable architects and designers to make the most of the tablet experience will be project slideshows, videos featuring behind-the-scenes experiences with designers and creative thinkers, links to the company's site for specific colors and product specs, and opportunities to chat with other designers in real time. 

The STIR app can be downloaded for free from the Apple iTunes store or www.swcolor.com. An Android version will also be available soon.

Local Artist Featured At Apartment Therapy

Name: Laura Leon
Location: Kerns neighborhood — Portland, Oregon
Size: 1,010 square feet
Years lived in: 2 1/2 years — rented
Laura's a color and materials consultant, trend forecaster and photographer. Another notch to her freelancing belt she should think of including? Interior designer! With her eye for quality vintage, simple colors and personal details, this woman is an artist with her home.

Window Coverings And the Holidays

I wrote this post for interior designer Suzanne Simon and it was lost on her site so I'm reprinting it here: 

I love to help my clients with their window coverings.  There are so many designs in fabric and blinds and color combinations that to the inexperienced, choosing what’s best for your home can seem overwhelming.  I can help you. 

Now’s the time, before the holidays and cold weather to make some changes.  Window coverings can make your home cozy, improve lighting, and save energy.

Now, before the holidays when the little ones come to visit, is also a good time to make sure your window coverings are safe.  Just as we hear every year about babies falling through second-floor screened windows, so do we hear of children and pets getting tangled in window cords and choking. 

The Window Covering Safety Council has some tips to make sure your children and grand kids are safe:

• Never place a crib, playpen, bed or any type of low-standing furniture near a window. In exploring their surroundings, young children can accidentally fall through an open window or window screen, or become tragically entangled in a nearby window cord.
• If you have looped pull cords, retrofit the cords for safety.

·        Rapidly gaining favor in today's window fashions, are cordless designs. They are the best choice for use in children's bedrooms and any area of the home where children spend time playing.  In fact, cordless designs are favored by consumers and decorators. They love the "clean" look and streamlined design.

Most traditionally corded window fashions, either vertical or horizontal, are available in "cordless" styles through the use of spring-loaded mechanisms, battery- or motor-operated lift controls, or simple wand pulls.  I will be happy to talk with you about your windows, and budget.

Hire An Interior Designer

The following article originally appeared on interior designer Suzanne Simon's blog, but was lost recently. I am republishing it here:

A recent article at MoneyExpert.com says that Brits spend near 60,000 pounds or about $90,000 in a lifetime improving their homes.  Here in the U.S. a recently released report from the 2010 Census, informs us that almost half of Americans (47%) have not updated their home décor in the last five years and 9% have not done anything in the last ten years.

That tells me two things: for most people $90,000 is a lot of money and there’s a lot of pent up demand for home décor in the U.S.  Doesn’t it make sense to hire an expert to avoid mistakes and to be sure the money is spent wisely?

Hiring an interior designer is not more expensive.  I ask a lot of questions about your likes and dislikes and what moves you.  When we are done, we will be on budget and will have avoided expensive mistakes.  In addition, when the project is complete, the rooms will reflect your style, and your home will be a haven where you can shut out the craziness of the world. 

~Mike Landfair

Nanotechnology In Fabrics

The world is changing rapidly in textiles and clothing with nanotechnology and you are likely seeing these innovations with performance fabrics for upholstery.

Nanotechnology (sometimes shortened to "nanotech") is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres.

Three firms in Iran have made clothes by using nanotechnology that require less washing. Moreover, characteristics such as anti-microbe, anti-virus, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungi can be created in the clothes by using nanotechnology. The resistance against depreciation increases in such products due to nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology has also enabled scientists to make material for raincoats, for example, that will not get wet.

"Eddie Bauer... is currently using embedded nanoparticles to create stain-repellent khakis. This seemingly simple innovation will impact not only khaki-wearers, but dry cleaners, who will find their business declining; detergent makers, who will find less of their product moving off the shelf; and stain-removal makers, who will experience a sharp decrease in customers."

A new nanotechnology-enhanced fabric tag by Odegon Technologies...could help us ditch chemically iffy deodorants without leaving innocent bystanders gasping for oxygen.

The hooks of nanowhiskers (1 x 10-9m) are bonded to fibers, rather than finishes that are topically applied and can be worn down, cleaned off or otherwise chemically compromised.

In upholstery, the influx of nanotechnology ...can mean lower cleaning costs for end users and new products for upholsterers to offer their customers.

An Adobe Styled Farmhouse Built With Rammed Earth

Back in July of 2009, I posted about "rammed earth" construction. I just came across an adobe farmhouse in Texas home built in the rammed earth technique using pulverized granite and cement. It was then decorated with touches of Mexico and the Southwest. I love the design and you can have the 3,762-square-foot house centered on a courtyard with stone, potted native plants and brick fireplace for $1.275 million.

Sam Moore Division Creates New Website

The Sam Moore division of Hooker Furniture has launched a new website reflecting the company's direction toward fashion-forward, transitional styling and its custom-hand-crafted-in-America story.

The Sammoore.com site, which has a similar look and feel to the Hooker Furniture website and features robust links to the company's other branded websites and social media venues, is part of Hooker Furniture's strategic plan to better integrate its wood furniture and upholstery divisions. Along with custom seating specialist Sam Moore, the upholstery division also includes upscale leather specialist Bradington-Young.

The websites' Options section allows users to view and zoom in on a sample of the company's over 500 fabric choices as well as all of its custom finish and nail head options. The sites' Crafted in America section tells the Bedford, Va.-based company's made-in-America since 1940 story. Other features include printable product tear sheets for every item, furniture care information, a What's New section and the ability to download high resolution images.

Call or email Bev for help with your Sam Moore selections or pricing.
503-249-7951
blandfair60@comcast.net

Sophisticated Living: THE DUKE

We've posted about Sophisticated Living before because their staging and design are eye-catching. Their designs would fit perfectly in the condos and lofts populated by people with a hankering for clean and sleek.

The German company just introduced "THE DUKE"

THE DUKE was named after Duke Kahanamoku (born on August 24, 1890 in Honolulu, Kingdom of Hawaii). He is generally regarded as the founder of modern surfing. Hawaiian missionaries at one time banned surfing as a form of reprehensible idleness. At the beginning of the 20th century, surfing had been rediscovered with Kahanamoku making it popular worldwide.

A slender metal frame and supple upholstered arm and backrests characterize THE DUKE. The seat cushions are available in varying degrees of hardness. This model is available in standard as well as custom sizes. In addition, the metal frame is available in all RAL colors.

I suspect the design of  THE DUKE would appeal most to people looking for a deep seat and low back

Chaka MarketBridge

Jacobo is one of 4,000 potters in the small Nicarguan town of San Juan de Oriente, population 5,600. Beginning at the age of eight, he was taught to be an artisan by his mother as she was taught by her's. Jose recently remodeled his house from the proceeds of his pottery and Pedro, who has been a potter since the age of 12, wants to buy a lot to build a home for his family. The pots these artists make are some of the most beautiful earthenware pots I’ve seen yet suffer in comparison to the actual pot in one’s hand.



One big problem for any artist in Nicaragua is how to escape the local market dependent on tourism and plug in to the global marketplace. Enter Chaka MarketBridge.

Chaka MarketBridge’s goal is to be that global marketplace. “To be the bridge that allows the world to discover these amazing artisans, helping them sell their beautiful art and gain a fair income …And to bring to life their hope for a better future.”



Chaka MarketBridge purchases pots from the artisans at their asking price. Many times, artisans actually offer their products too low. If so, Chaka tells them they will pay them more. Many times the artisan really doesn’t know the real value of his or her products.



The important point to note is that Chaka pays their artisans fair wages in accordance with the fair trade federation. This is an organization that is sort of a consumer stamp of approval indicating that Chaka pays fair prices to their artisans. According to the fair wage calculator by World of Good Chaka even pays 300% over fair trade prices. This calculation is based on cost of living, price of materials, etc.

The goal of Chaka MarketBridge is to lift developing communities through the local market; it is not to replace that local market. The aim is to grow each artisan’s annual income by 25%, per year.



That’s enough to allow them to live significantly better, to send their children to school, to eat more meals at home. But, it is not enough to to be wholly dependent on Chaka.

Ready Your Home For Fall

Fall is just around the corner; the 23rd of September.  How about doing some things to your home that reflect the change in seasons and give your home some punch without breaking the budget?

An article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal suggests changing "...slip covers, pillows and your throw blankets, add a duvet to your bed, change your window treatment or bathroom towels; or simply add a table runner to bring fall into your home without breaking your budget." Get rid of the white or cream colored items and add fall colors of orange and red.  Some experts are suggesting mustard will be the new color for fall.

Aguerri-Gomez, Academic Dean of The Art Institute of Michigan-Troy, a branch campus of The Art Institute of Michigan. predicts that mustard will be a key color this fall. Add a mustard table runner and change up your dinnerware and placemats to bring your table from light and airy to warm and welcoming. Don't want to part with the lemons and limes nestled inside your glass vase as table decor? Try compromising and replace the citrus with artichokes and pomegranates for a fall final touch.

Lastly, change your lighting or lamp shades to make your living space as warm and cozy as possible.

Eight decades of selling furniture coming to a close - NorthJersey.com

Eight decades of selling furniture coming to a close - NorthJersey.com

Joe Bograd, 76, Mark's father, who has been with the store since 1956, said part of the problem is that "the people who are now the buyers, the people in their 40s and 50s, grew up not seeing good furniture." Bograd's specialized in furniture - much of it signed by the craftsman who built it - made in high-end factories in the United States and countries like Italy, at a time when lower cost furniture made in China and Indonesia is becoming the norm.

"There is a new generation of people who think furniture is disposable," said Marcia, Joe's wife and Mark's mother.

"None of us ever believed people would buy furniture from a picture, but that's turned out to be the case," Lambeth said. He said that while he hates to see Bograd's close, the family probably made the right decision.

Garage Sale

We are finally done with Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery at 1636 NW 15th. Now all that's left is a Garage Sale (2558 NE 32nd Ave)

We closed our furniture store and this is what's left. Art, mirror, chairs, table, office supplies, artificial plant, furniture dolly, books and more.
Monday 9:00 to 3:00 2558 Ne 32nd Ave Portland

We'll see you Monday sitting in the hot sun sipping a cool adult beverage, wheelin' and dealin' the detritus of a 10 year old business. After that is on to What's Next!