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Bev & Mike

Kathia Emery in Portland Monthly

Just received in the mail the September issue of Portland Monthly with an article Mayberry USA by Camela Raymond.

John Mayberry came home from work, looked at his living room and said to his wife Jennifer, "This just doesn't feel like home."

...snip...

The 3,000 square-foot home's awkward floor plan had stymied the Mayberry' attempts to buy furniture. A few austere Craftsman pieces dotted the downstairs, leaving the living room to function as a glorified repository for children's toys. And the contractor-specified gray interior paint and beige living room carpet did not exactly radiate warmth.

Compounding these problems was the fact that the Mayberrys balked at making decorating decisions. "I've always liked cheerful colors and lots of patterns," Jennifer says, "but I don't have an eye for putting them together."

...snip...

So they placed a call to interior designer Kathia Emery

The magazine has three pages of before and after pictures. The results are beautiful. Emery did a great job and in the article she discusses why she made the choices she did and how she solved the various problems.

Are the Mayberrys happy?

Jennifer recalls, "My girlfriend looked at the living room and said, Oh, it looks like something from Southern Living magazine."

Good job, Kathia!

Bev & Mike

12 Decorating Strategies

Earlier I posted about Gens X and Y. One group wanted to reduce stress and the other group wanted fun and fantasy. I came across an October, 2004 issue of Family Circle magazine while waiting in the dentist's office, with an article Rules of Arrangement, 12 Decorating Strategies. I thought it had some very good information that reminded me of some of the points being made in that article.

1. Count on color to dramatize a small area. A splash of vibrance can transform an entry from boring to beckoning.

2. Think outside the bedroom box. Instead of a bench at the foot of your bed, borrow a concept from the living room and offer a cozy little sitting area. Possibly a little shelter from the storm for a quiet moment to relax.

3. Set up your living room for conversation and comfort.

4. Hang favorite art in harmonious multiples. A series of your photos or prints changes any wall into a stunning mini-gallery.

5. Choose an anchor for a mantel and all else will fall into place. Decide on one major piece for the wall, then build out from that.

6. Show off cherished photos or your family and friends in a cohesive grouping. Pick the same frame material for most frames.

7. Create impact with big bold accessories in the same mood or color.

8. Mix and match pillows galore for easy add-in warmth.

9. Turn a bookcase into an attractive all-around hold-all. Mingling books with odds and ends produces a more casual and homey atmosphere.

3 no-fail ways to make a room bloom:

10. Keep flowers simple, identical flowers in same hue.

11. Say it with texture: assorted flowers in a single palette.

12. Have fun with one: same blossom but different sizes and shades.

The important thing is have fun. If you make a mistake with a color, it can be repainted without a lot of effort. For the big stuff like choosing a sofa or fabric come see us at Landfair Furniture. We have a whole list of top designers featured in our many interviews that can give you a hand.

Bev & Mike

Are You Appealing to Gens X and Y?

From FURNITUREToday, we learn that marketers have had to learn new ways to sell to Generation X and Generation Y.

Gen Y is the 17 to 29 age group, sometimes known as "The Twisters" because they're between adolescence and adulthood. Since they grew up during the technology bubble of the '90s, they expect great wealth, and some plan to be company CEOs by 25. Thus, they're a generation that has a hard time facing reality.

They are susceptible to celebrity-endorsed products, and because of so many reality based shows, think they could be celebrities. They are interested in products that put them in the spotlight. They are "brand" conscious and they want a fun shopping experience. They also want to be able to "see" themselves in a particular piece of furniture, for example.

Gen X, the 30- to 40-something age group, could be subtitled the "anxious" crowd. They've been through economic expansions and contractions, have the highest divorce rate ever, and are the first wave born after the women's liberation movement. "Latchkey children" is a term linked to this group.

Because of their roller-coaster ride, they wait longer to marry, and some never do — about 30% of Gen Xers are single. Kennedy said businesses need to recognize and serve the growing singles market.

Because they are anxious, education for their children, to compete, is very important. For them home offices would be important. Furniture that reduces stress is important as are items that move them from alienation to community, like game tables or wine racks.

At Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery we try to make the experience fun, with animal cookies and color and interesting pieces, and pieces that do tricks. We have added the new Italian line, Calligaris, whose tables expand easily or sofa tables that convert to dining tables. We also offer Duralee Furniture that is completely customizable. We also know that a substantial part of our clientele are Boomers who want quality at a great price and a variety of styles from traditional, transitional, and contemporary.

What is your market, Boomers, Gen X or Gen Y or all of the above? Are you appealing correctly to your target market for the best results?

Bev & Mike

Judy Sturm, A Year in the Guest House

The special advertising section Ultimate Homes & Estates arrived today with the morning Oregonian and I was surprised to see an article A year in the guest house by Connie Potter. The article is about how

Judy Sturm created a little piece of Italy when she remodeled a 1950s-era clapboard house in the heart of Portland Heights

...snip...

the house is a typical Sturm design, tailored and simple, with exquisite detail and richly appointed spaces throughout

The Sturms lived in the 786 square foot guest house for a year while construction was taking place.

I've known Judy of Judy Sturm Design Studio, since the days I was working at Designer's Resource, some 13 years ago. It's great to see you have done well and you look absolutely fabulous! Come in and catch up!

Bev & Mike

Trompe L'Oeil Seminar, In Paris

I just received this email and thought it was so unique, I thought I would share it with you.

Students will learn how to sketch and paint this beautiful Trompe L'Oeil window using many trade secrets passed down by European painters throughout the ages.

Taught by Yves Lanthier, the price to attend the conference is US$3,495.00 (airplane, hotel and food not included).

What a way to end the year and begin the next, in Paris for 3 1/2 days learning a new skill.

The Art of Trompe L'Oeil Online Seminar Registration Form

Landfair Furniture has no affiliation nor any financial interest in Yves Lanthier or the Trompe L'Oeil seminar.

Bev & Mike

Update 01/27/08 The server for the Trompe L'Oeil window has changed and registration has closed. To view current workshops visit http://www.yvesart.com/

Pause by Jory Des Jardine.

Mike and I have been doing research on the BlogHer conference that started on July 30th in Santa Clara. We were not able to attend this year, but we may make an extra-special to go next year. We have been reviewing blogs and their postings about the conference and came across Pause written by Jory Des Jardine. She wrote a four piece episode titled The Power of the X Chromosome in the Workplace and this caught our eye:

Unflinching women’s advocate Tom Peters says, “Tomorrow belongs to women.” In his book Re-Imagine, he lists the reasons why a women’s model of leadership will prevail if business is to prevail. My first instinct upon reading this chapter was, “What’s in this for him?” In the past efforts to hire women into leadership positions have been more about quota-filling than deep appreciation of what we inherently bring to the table. This list wasn’t surprising, but it was a good reminder: I’d almost forgotten these qualities, tossed them aside in favor of others that I thought would better serve my resume. According to Peters:

* Women practice improvisation better than men

* Women are more self-determined and more trust sensitive than men

* Women appreciate and depend upon their intuition more than men do

* Women focus naturally on empowerment, rather than on hierarchical “power”

* Women understand and develop relationships with greater facility than men

Des Jardins goes on to say

You can drill down my argument for women’s innate ability to teambuild to biological levels, to Deborah Tannen’s work, which shows that from a very early age women seek to relate while men seek to dominate. Better put, men relate by dominating.

Mike and I wondered what it would be like to have corporations and government led more by women than by men. I think in many ways women can learn from men and vice versa. I know Mike can have a phone conversation with his best male friend. When he hangs up I'll ask him how his wife is doing? He won't know. And yet he admires that quality in me and my friends. It seems a shame that societies can cut themselves off from half of their resources.

Bev & Mike

PowerBlog Reviews Landfair Furniture

We have been away enjoying Oregon. We visited Crater Lake and a restaurant out in the middle of the desert, The Cowboy Dining Tree. (See Mike's blog for a description of their menu and the experience.) We got back and discovered that Anita Campbell's Small Business Trends had posted the interview of Mike and I about using our blog for promotion of our business, designers and local businesses. You can read that interview, PowerBlog Review: Landfair Furniture, conducted by Lynne Meyer on the Small Business Trends site.

Thank you for the asking us for the interview!

Bev & Mike

Are Women Accumulating the Wealth?

From China Daily, Women getting rich faster than men in UK

Research published last month by Investec Private Bank showed that there are now an estimated 360,000 women in Britain who are worth half a million pounds (US$ 900,000) or more each.

Women are now living longer, inheriting valuable properties and other assets from their spouses and receiving generous divorce settlements. They own assets worth almost 300 billion pounds (US$ 540 billion) and their numbers are expected to increase rapidly. It is estimated that by 2025, women will own 60 per cent of the nation's personal wealth.

Is this trend taking place in the US? We may soon have a woman elected President. There are a number considering a run or actually running;

Hillary and Condoleeza come to mind.

Bev & Mike

The Business of Weightloss

Is it a coincidence that after writing two posts about obesity in America, that I start getting spam about MiracleBurn , the weightloss pill and an invitation to link to a website that prescribes Phentermine online, a prescription weight loss medication, used as a personal appetite suppressant?

I expect, next, I will hear from the fitness clubs, the sellers of exercise machines, and makers of cookbooks.

Bev & Mike

Landfair Furniture Adds Duralee Furniture

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery has carried Duralee Fabrics since we opened in 2001. In 2003, Duralee added furniture, and in 2005, Duralee purchased a huge plant in North Carolina to manufacturer all its furniture, some 550 items, under one roof.

Duralee offers unique Design, fine Quality, value Pricing, and fast Delivery. The materials used, the methods of construction and the finishes are among the finest available in the industry. The ease and simplicity of their catalog presentation makes choosing from their collection an enjoyable and profitable process. If you are a designer you can feel confident when specifying Duralee Fine Furniture that your client will always be pleased with the end result.

As a consumer or a designer, you have a single source for frames and fabrics that is more than just upholstered furniture, but includes dining tables and chairs, beds, benches, storage ottomans, cocktail tables, consoles and more. From traditional to contemporary, from transitional to retro, the collection was created so that you and your designer, have at your fingertips, a wealth of furniture products unlike any other. There are hundreds of standard items and an endless ability to customize them that can meet any design requirements, and limited only by one's creativity.

Duralee stands behind their products and their customer service is unsurpassed. We invite you to review their line in our showroom and see for yourself the strength of their collection and the merits of selecting Duralee Fine Furniture for your home or next design project.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

The Other Side of Obesity-- A Follow-Up

Ruben Bailey of Your Average Horseplayer has opened a whole new world for Mike. Yesterday, in a note to my post about obesity, Why has obesity become such a problem in America? Bailey said...

You should check out this blog:
http://www.bigfatblog.com/

And also read this article from the cover of The Portland Business Journal about a local company on this subject: A man with big ideas (Portland Business Journal)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8538586/

It's interesting for everyone to be able to step back for a moment (or two) and look at issues/ideas/topics from the "other side," then we can truly begin to develop educated, informed, rational decisions.

At Big Fat Blog, you can register, only after you read and agree to these rules:

Big Fat Blog is a site devoted to fat acceptance. BFB provides a strong, supportive environment for those interested in issues related to fat people. But it is important to note that BFB is not a weight loss site of any kind; in fact, weight loss talk here is prohibited. Promoting weight loss and weight loss surgery is prohibited!

On July 12th, BFB posted about The Fat Business saying

It's always seemed so simple to me: there are a lot of fat people in this country, and we need the same goods and services that everyone else has. Yet the perpetual Forum threads on how x is so hard to find attests to the difficulties that we still face.

Which leads me to the Portland Business Journal Article and picked up by MSNBC. After Timothy Barry ballooned to 365 pounds,

"At every turn we are bombarded with news about how people are getting bigger, but nobody is accommodating the needs of these people."

Barry started SuperSizeWorld.com. SuperSizeWorld carries an amazing amount of merchandise that Mike or I hadn't given any thought about.
Things like:

Mega sized watch bands
headgear and bicycle helmets
bicycle seats and toilet seats
Mike liked Hangerzilla™

- this big hanger is special. With its 100 pound capacity, 23" width and 5" depth it can hold heavy leather coats, fur coats, full length lined top coats, diver wet suits or pretty much anything else that you can hang up on a hanger (the average hanger is 15-16 inches).

Even the funeral industry is recognizing that Americans are getting larger and the old caskets do not accomodate our sizes, so they came out with "double-wides".

I think the main thing that Mike takes away from Ruben Bailey, Big Fat Blog, and Timothy Barry is that there is a whole other world out there many are running from, and others are embracing. BFB really rants against the promotion of thin-ness that leads to unhealthy behavior, especially by young girls, who can't see their true selves when looking in a mirror.
Bev & Mike

Top Designers of 2004:Interview with Sue Ziehler

Resuming our interviews of Top Designers for 2004, we are pleased to speak with Sue Ziehler of En Vogue Interiors

LF+DG: Sue, thank you so much for making time to answer some questions about your design practice. What is your background and what are your credentials?
Ziehler: Interior Design has always been instinctual for me. Since childhood, I have been designing all my living spaces with great effect. Five years ago my position as a corporate vice president was downsized. I took this opportunity to define interior design as a new career. I attended Heritage School of Interior Design in Beaverton and started Sue Ziehler, Inc., Interior Design. I had been blessed with several years of experience with a startup company so I understood the importance of business plans, marketing, execution and maintenance of client loyalty. My clients are impressed with my professionalism and ability to communicate their style into their living spaces. In July, I joined the design team at En Vogue Interiors in Beaverton. It is a vibrant design environment guaranteed to produce some remarkable things.

LF+DG: Who or what has been an influence in your design?
Ziehler: As a young woman, I had the privilege to work for a few old-world wealthy families. I also had the fortune to live in Europe for a time. These experiences fostered my appreciation for architectural detail, art and fine furniture. Don't get me wrong, I do not like stuffy old things. But I appreciate classicism and believe all spaces should have at least one piece of antiquity, something with a past. I am influenced by quality materials and craftsmanship. My favorite designer is Naomi Leff (member of the Interior Design Hall of Fame and responsible for the Ralph Lauren store image). She can make an apartment look like an ocean liner.

LF+DG: How do you define good design?
Ziehler: All the principles of design notwithstanding, good design works like a magnet to the homeowner, moving them to desire to be in their living spaces more than anywhere else. I am a true believer in the adage that "form follows function". Get the function down and the feeling right and you have a winner.

LF+DG: If I were to hire you to decorate my home, would people who visit say, "Ah, this is a Sue Ziehler home?"
Ziehler: Doubtful. But there are definite similarities. "Ease of care" is important to me. Therefore my designs tend to be uncluttered. This gives my clients the opportunity to easily keep their spaces the way they always want them to be, whether they are a slob or not.

LF+DG: Do you come up with a presentation board?
Ziehler: Not in the traditional sense. I use computerized tools to help sell a concept, both two dimensional and three dimensional. Accompanied by samples or photographs, I use these tools to build a project binder.

LF+DG: How do you charge for your services?
Ziehler: After considerble self-debate, I choose to charge a design fee based on square footage. Clients are often skeptial of open-ended hourly charges and clients do not understand how much time it takes to consider a design. My flat rate covers room layouts and choice of any hard surfaces. In addition, I take a standard mark-up on all purchases and I surcharge anything that is purchased at retail.

LF+DG: What other creative things do you do?
Ziehler: Creative? Not sure that describes what I like to do. I am an avid sports fan. (Thank God for TiVo.) I love to cook, garden, collect art and read.

But most of all, I love a pop opera quartet called IL DIVO.

LF+DG: Sue, where can people reach you?

Ziehler: Bev, they can reach me at En Vogue Interiors, 503-504-9175 or www.ziehler.com/sue@ziehler.com

Bev & Mike

Sue Ziehler Top Designers of 2004 Bev & Mike

Landfair Furniture Adds Calligaris

You've seen their ads in Metropolitan Home and Elle Decor! Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is proud to announce a new line: Calligaris. Calligaris firmly believes in its mission: to offer contemporary and functional furniture with Italian design, great prices and good service.

We have posted here and here about Green Design. Calligaris works in tune with the environment.

• they select the wood through ecologically aware replanting processes;

• they monitor industrial emissions;

• they recycle processing waste;

• they minimize scrap

Here are some examples of the style of Calligaris:

Bev & Mike

Why has obesity become such a problem in America?

Michael Higgins at Chocolate and Gold Coins has an interesting take on obesity with this question:

Why has obesity become such a problem in America and other countries in the early 21st century?

The easy explanation is: we can afford to be obese.

We might think differently about our food choices if each calorie cost us 10 cents. At that rate 2000 calories is $200 per day. You sure might think twice about buying a big Mac and fries for $160, leaving you only $40 for the rest of the day!

Higgins asks a second question:

So why haven’t markets emerged to help pace people to lose weight?

In order to be sucessful at weight loss, people need to have a long-term goal broken down into many short-term goals. The long term goal is to lose the weight and maintain that weight for a long period of time. Too many of us yo-yo.

The key is to develop an easy to use inexpensive technology that measures fat content and not just weight.

Bev & Mike

What's New in Fabrics at Summer Showtime

One of the purposes of these posts is to provide you with the latest news out of High Point, NC. FURNITUREToday is a good source for that kind of information. At Summer Showtime in High Point, much of the textile industry has changed radically in the past five years.

Some fabric sources that sold entirely U.S.-made lines just five years ago, for example, now source exclusively from offshore, and familiar domestic mills are moving steadily toward a business model in which they serve more as marketing and sales agencies than producers.

Some favorites emerged with buyers; in fabric design strong black-and-white presentations accented with brights, menswear patterns like houndstooth and argyle in all sizes from mini to enormous, and performance fabrics.

In color, orange tones are still important, as are the soft spa blues with chocolate brown, interesting greens, including an emerald at LaFrance Inds. and a clear kelly as well, which was also important in prints at Duralee and Richloom.

One straw in the wind: Although prints still haven’t returned in force to upholstered furniture, there was some movement in the category.

Brian Gallagher, a partner at fabric supplier HomCraft, said, “Our Magnolia print line did better than ever before, so maybe that’s a sign prints are starting to come back. They make an inexpensive way to get color on the floor — and this market was all about color and performance.”

Bev & Mike

Upholstery prices may climb!

FURNITUREToday, has an article Upholstery prices may climb, in which it is revealed that retailers may see rising wholesale upholstery prices of $15 to $20 per sofa due to rising prices to manufacturers. Most have absorbed higher costs in the past, but are now being forced into price increases.

Passing on extra costs is, for most factory execs, like cutting off their own legs. They say increases are likely to bring static from customers and, in some cases, force vendors off retail floors where stores don't want to carry higher price points.

In the past six months, costs have increased 18% for foam, 12% for steel, 10% for chalk used in marking fabrics.

Greg Hefner, president of Friendship Upholstery, a midpriced upholstery maker in North Carolina, said the hikes are the worst he's seen in 35 years, with steel taking an especially big chunk of his margins.

Bev & Mike

Can Your Accent Tables Do Tricks?

Today’s bigger homes demand bigger living room tables to match the large rooms and large upholstery pieces. Height has stabilized at 20 to 21 inches, but the length and width are broader. A rectangular cocktail table at 50 by 72 inches or a 60-inch round table are examples of the needs in a larger home.

Hammary created this Prairie collection in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. With white oak veneers and leaded glass, this cocktail table and other pieces take their design cues from the Mission-style homes that are part of the National Trust’s historic sites.

At the same time more condo living and baby boomers' downsizing demand smaller occasional tables. A sofa in the 70 to low 80 inches demands a smaller cocktail table or ottoman.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery carries all sizes, but more than that, we like our tables to do "tricks". How about a coctail table with hidden drawers for those remotes or games? How about a leather ottoman that doubles as a cocktail table and an extra seat?

Remember, too, that accent tables can change the feel of the room without the cost of changing the more-expensive upholstered items.

Bev & Mike

Rowe: Change Can Be Painful!

From FURNITUREToday, Rowe chips away at backlog

Rowe Furniture, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of custom upholstered furniture in the United States. Established in 1946, Rowe Furniture offers a wide range of styling in sofas, sectionals, chairs and ottomans with over six hundred fabric selections.

The bad news: Rowe was operating with a number of proprietary and home-grown computer systems. Their deliveries to retail customers swelled to 8 to 10 weeks from order date. Backlog jumped to $23.5 Million and an inability, developed, to get internally produced frame parts to the right place at the right time for assembly.

The good news: They recently switched to SAP AG Enterprise Resource Planning software designed to make it competitive with overseas production.
They were having a problem with fabrics, but the company has made progress in bunching large batches for more efficient cutting schedules.

The upshot: with the changeover they will be able to provide delivery to retail customers within 10 days. "I feel we've come a long way," Gerald Birnbach, chairman and president of The Rowe Companies said. "We should have most things pretty much under control this quarter. As far as manufacturing the product, selling the product, and delivering the product, we're there

Change can be painful. Here at Landfair Furniture we are proud to carry Rowe. Our clients have experienced the frustration of longer than normal delivery times. We thank you for your patience and are excited to be able to offer short delivery times at the completion of the software changeover.

"More" from Decker Marketing

Mike and I like to visit sites that visit us. We are curious about what brings someone to our site and can we learn something from what the visitor is doing?

Today we were visited by Decker Marketing and we found a number of interesting marketing ideas. What really caught Mike's eye was this piece written on February 06, 2005. It reminded Mike of his stockbroker days when after a great year the managing partner visited their office and announced they were awesome! "Just wait until you reach your potential." The next year business was up 100%, he visited again and announced, "You guys are awesome! Just wait until you reach your potential."

From Decker Marketing Defining "More"

Is your mission statement "More"? There is always more you can do in work, and there's always more you can do in life. How to balance? Consider this perspective...

An American consultant was at a pier in a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied only a little while.

The consultant then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The fisherman said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.

The American then asked the Mexican how he spent the rest of his time.

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor."

The American consultant scoffed, "I am a business consultant and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution.

"You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"

To which the American consultant replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then, senor?" asked the fisherman.

The consultant laughed, and said, "That's the best part! When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public. You'll become very rich, you would make millions!"

"Millions, senor?" replied the Mexican. "Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

It is easy to get caught up in "more". When Mike and I go to dinner we tend to talk about business and marketing and how to deal with problems. So we say enough, after awhile, and talk about family, health, the dog, plans for vacation, books we are reading, and how much we care about each other. It is too hard to relax when all you want is "more".

Bev & Mike