Friday, June 19, 2009

Contemporary Lighting for the Modern Style Apartment

When it comes to modern style apartments, the furniture pieces are the all-important focal points of your retreat. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to feature your modern décor in the best way, even at night.

When nighttime approaches, the lighting of your home should not only highlight the beauty of your modern furniture, but it should also encompass the overall modern theme of your room’s décor. Whether you are in the office working or in the living room relaxing, modern lighting can create the ambiance that enhances optimal enjoyment of your residence. The versatility of modern lighting lies in the unparalleled ability to work in all different kinds of settings for many different purposes.

Here are some tips on how to spruce up your décor with contemporary lighting solutions.

What can Pendant lighting do for you?

Watch your head, pendant lights are now all the rage in the modern design world (but don’t worry, you can always adjust the height to accommodate tall people). Overhanging pendant lights are becoming increasingly practical and ornate, with an ever-widening selection of various finishes and styles to choose from.

Additionally, Pendant lights work just about everywhere; whether you want to use them in the kitchen, in the living room, or even outside, they are a great way to impress your guests. In the living room, your modern couch should not be left in the dark because of weak attempts at using recess lighting or track lighting. Rather, modern pendant lights running the length of your couch will make it glow to the point where everyone in the room will gravitate towards that spot. Truly, modern lighting really brings out some of your fanciest modern pieces in a subtle, yet effectively beautiful way.

Ceiling Fixtures for your Space

Ceiling lights, from classically shaped light settings to wonderfully intricate chandeliers, are an integral part of the quintessential modern interior. These lights are best placed in areas that are smaller but used frequently. For example, kitchens and foyers are best for large ceiling fixtures that radiate light to a given space. For those intrepid modern décor fans out there with a little money to spend, investing in a chic designer chandelier will certainly add value to your home, especially if it has large ceilings and an abundance of space.

Depending on the style of the dinner table and chairs, a modern designed overhead fixture is the perfect way to bring people together. Stainless steel, chrome or brushed nickel fixtures that are clean and futuristic looking are the perfect accessories to your dining experience.

Your Child’s Space born Modern

Modern lighting is not just designated to sophisticated, adult spaces. Rather, there are various contemporary lighting options that are fun, colorful and kid-friendly. Some modern lighting décor features are purposely made to work in both children and adult rooms. Offi lamps seem to epitomize this children’s theme perfectly. With lighting styles like “Daschund Dog” and “Teddy Bear Jr,” Offi continues to be a leader in children’s décor. The fun and colorful designs of Offi lamps are sure to embody the imaginative décor of your child’s space.

All in all, your lighting should complement the furniture that you worked so hard to acquire and maintain. Putting half as much effort into lighting the décor of your room will pay off when your house fast becomes a place that brings everyone together. By adding contemporary lighting to your room, not only will your room be illuminated, but it will also be infinitely more stylish.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Tour Of Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Beverly gives a tour of Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery in Portland's Pearl.



Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Sofa's Durability Depends On Fabric












Kara Pierce, Senior Design Consultant at The Sofa Company, has written an article titled How to Test My Sofa’s Upholstery Fabric Durability and Strength.
How exactly is a fabric’s durability measured? Most fabrics go by one of two test methods, known as Wyzenbeek and Martindale, to give the fabric an “abrasion” or “double rub” rating. Essentially, the fabric is pulled tight and rubbed in two directions by a standard weight fabric; if two yarn breaks occur, or if noticeable wear is observed, at that point the number of rubs is recorded as the abrasion rating. 30,000 double rubs is considered minimum durability for commercial use; hotels, conference rooms, etc. Between 30,000 and 100,000 is considered heavy duty. Although these tests are only used as tools for predicting wear, it can help when looking at fabrics, to know that the higher the abrasion rating number is, the better it performed on the durability test.

At Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery you will notice that most of the Sherrill fabrics have a "wearability" rating from Heavy and Medium to Light. The Duralee fabrics carry a durabilty rating and the samples will have a "double rub" rating.

It's important for your satisfaction with our furniture that you pair the durability of the fabric with its use. You wouldn't want to use a linen fabric, for example, in the den where the kids wrestle. You also wouldn't want to use a lower quality sofa or chair in a room that gets heavy use.

In our store we have sofas with different price points, different styles and fabrics that can be ordered to fit your needs.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Nick Olsen And First Time Design Mistakes












The Washington Post, today, carries an article about Nick Olsen, interior designer and writer for defunct Domino mag, about first-time design mistakes. He lists six:

Being afraid to paint. - "If you're not willing to paint, you're really not willing to do much in terms of decorating. Being safe will get in the way of good design."

Hanging one print or mirror in the center of a wall - I once knew a bachelor that had mustard, catsup, fuzzy ice cubes in his freezer and a small print exactly centered on his eight by forty foot wall.

Hanging rectangular mirrors on the horizontal. - "I think it brings the eye down and makes any room low and stumpy." Oh my God! I have that going on in our dining room (but the room is small and longer than its wide).

Buying area rugs that are too small. - We should all know by now that no part of a dining room table and chairs should fall outside the dimensions of the rug.

Not taking care with lighting choices. - "Chintzy lamps are a big pet peeve of mine. The big box sofa can disappear, but the big plastic-y lamp will stick out like a sore thumb."

Getting too-bright bulbs. - Nick recommends nothing over forty watts and that's great for ambience, but my husband insists that the living room and den have 100 watts for reading.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Saturday, June 13, 2009

Top 10 Online Activities for Moms

Top 10 Online Activities for Moms

“Mothers, now more than ever, are using technology like video, blogs and wireless devices to multi-task through their busy days,” said Maria Bailey, CEO and founder of BSM Media. “2009 stands to produce a record number of tech-savvy mothers bridging devices together to create everyday solutions.”

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Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery
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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Carl Malmsten Samsas?



While surfing the web, I came across Retro To Go. They had a post about Carl Malmsten Samsas sofa and easy chair. The style "originated in the 1920s when Malmsten was working on furniture for the then newly constructed Stockholm Concert Hall." There is still a company that makes Malmsten sofas.

Retro To Go writes,
His design style was routed in his Swedish background and traditions – he worked a lot with the blond woods that are now so closely associated with Scandinavian style – and he wanted his furniture to inspire a warmth feeling. This certainly is reflected in this pleasing curving design. One of Malmsten's main achievements was to found two schools of design and also to establish co-operative furniture making workshops. It's these that continue to produce the furniture manufactured under his name today.

No fashion goes out of style. Good design just gets put away and then brought back at a later date.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Monday, June 08, 2009

Playing house for the first time

Playing house for the first time?

Set priorities and get started with a few essential pieces says article at Home & Garden - Ledger-Enquirer.com

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There's some great advice Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Wednesday, June 03, 2009

2009 50 Retail Stars.



We at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery are very pleased to be named to Home Accents Today's 2009 50 Retail Stars. Joining us from Portland is Bravado.

Wow! Two Portland furniture store in the "top 50". What a treat.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Hollandia & Karim Rashid Have Hot Beds



Hollandia International and world-renowned furniture designer Karim Rashid have once again taken the interior design world by storm.

Created exclusively for Hollandia International, Karim Rashid’s Glow and Shell bed offer a modern, sophisticated look into the future of furniture design.

Thanks to its unique, shell-shaped headboard design, the Shell bed imparts a protective, cocoon-like feeling for the consumer lying inside the bed and offers a high-end glossy finish for elegant style.



Making others green with envy, the futuristic Glow is a compact, neon design featuring drawers for storage under the bed and in the headboard. Additionally, the bed is manufactured with an iPod docking station and cabinet doors that swing out to create side tables.



Last but not least, the Elite bed is truly the most luxurious and indulgent sleep system available. Hollandia International, which encourages their consumers to “have fun in bed,” designed the Elite with a state-of-the-art Sony Bravia® Theater System that contains a Retractable 32” Flat Panel HDTV, a DVD/CD Changer, Five Speaker Surround Sound System, Subwoofer and i-Pod Docking Station. Along with the plush comfort system and Vita Talalay Latex mattress, the Elite makes staying in bed a much easier choice.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Saturday, May 30, 2009

What's Big In Wall Decor?

Mike has just posted an article about Fathead Wall Graphics at Home Accents Today's The Landfair Retail Focus titled Fathead Wall Graphics Are Big!

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Denver Home Living Tips Examiner: How toxic is your furniture?

Denver Home Living Tips Examiner: How toxic is your furniture?

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Questions you can ask:

What kind of wood is this item made of?
Where was it made, does it contain MDF?
Does this product contain natural ingredients, fabrics or chemicals?
Is this carpet of a synthetic or natural fiber?
Are the fabrics or stuffing of this mattress, cushion or window covering natural?
Was Urea-formaldehyde used on this item of clothing, insulation, carpet, drape, desk, kitchen cabinet or flooring?

We carry several lines that are compliant with Green living. Just ask Beverly for information.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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Friday, May 29, 2009

Landfair Furniture Adds Woodard Outdoor Furniture



Landfair Furniture is proud to add Woodard, an outdoor furniture line, to our list of vendors. For over five years we have enjoyed Woodard furniture in our backyard. The table chairs, and lounge look as nice today as the day we brought them home. To keep it looking nice, we cover it in the winter and occasionally wipe off the top.

For over 140 years Woodard outdoor furniture has earned a reputation as the epitome of elegance and class. Woodard is described as the premier innovator of casual outdoor furniture through an exceptional blend of design and craftsmanship. Their furnishings are created with the unparalleled standards established by founder Lyman Woodard.

Each piece of Woodard wrought iron furniture is hand crafted using the best wrought iron available.

Their casual aluminum furniture combines innovative design, superior materials and painstaking construction. Woodard says they only use the heaviest, purist and strongest aluminum extrusions available, surpassing the toughest of industry standards.

Woodards wicker line, All Seasons Outdoor Wicker is hand woven and made from a strong polyester yarn core with a scratch resistant PVC solution dyed outer wrap. The frame on each piece is guaranteed to remain rust free, and each piece is promoted to withstand the harsh outdoor elements.

We've been looking for an outdoor line. Funny, we only needed to look in our backyard.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Take A Look At Paige Taylor Design

Congratulations Paige Taylor for being NWSID's Designer of the month. You can see some examples of her work on the NWSID's web site.

Paige A. Taylor

Owner www.PaigeTaylorDesign.com

503 305-8868 Studio and fax

503 209-9201 Cell


Mike & Bev
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery
@landfairfurnitu

Monday, May 25, 2009

NY Interior Spaces Examiner: Decorating rule: 60,30,10











Patti Boker Elkon also has a home page and this article on the 60, 30 10 Rule and examples of the rule caught my eye:

NY Interior Spaces Examiner: Decorating rule: 60,30,10

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Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery
@landfairfurniture

NY Interior Spaces Examiner: Home furnishings at the ICFF

Patti Boker Elkon visits the ICFF and gives us four trends she saw at the show:

NY Interior Spaces Examiner: Home furnishings at the ICFF

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Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery
@landfairfurniture

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Color may give Stanley an edge

Color may give Stanley an edge: "STANLEYTOWN, Va. — On a bright, warm morning here in early Novemb..."

Sunday, May 03, 2009

"The Red-headed Broad Does Design"

You've feverishly waited,
.........................gnashed your teeth, walked the floor
in anticipation of the announcement:

"The Red-headed Broad Does Design" is back.

As seen in Portrait of Portland's current issue and on AM Northwest! Now, we are proud to announce that the "Broad" herself, Carole Jackson, will be in our showroom on


The third Tuesday each month beginning May 19th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm


Interior designer for 30 years, Carole Jackson will be conducting her famous seminar Redesign Your Home.

Episode 1 on May 19th Redesign Your Home: The Living and Dining Room
Episode 2 on June 16th Redesign Your Home: Den and Family Room
Episode 3 on July 21st Redesign Your Home: Bathroom and Kitchen

The cost is $20 per episode or $50 for all three seesions. Remember seating is limited, so register now and pay at the door.

Light hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served from 5:30pm to 6:00.

Any questions you have can be answered by Beverly or Misty at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery - 503-245-4222.

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Cymax Stores: The Little Online Furniture Shop That Could

Even as late as 2003 -- years after Amazon.com and other e-tailers started shipping consumer goods all over the world -- Canada was still far behind in its e-commerce evolution. Most Canadians didn't buy their furniture online. That gave Fasihi, a 33-year-old Iranian immigrant, an idea.

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