Feng Shui Made Simple

House Beautiful has an interesting section in their magazine entitled Feng Shui Made Simple Feng shui (pronounced "fung shway") is the Chinese discipline that teaches us how to attract and enhance our life energy (called chi) according to how our homes are arranged. Do you know how to attract or enhance the Chi in your home and life?

1. What is a bagua and how do I use it?

A bagua is a feng shui road map. It divides your home into nine sections (called guas) that correspond to the nine main areas of your life. The graphic below is a representation of a bagua. Your front door opens up into the skills & knowledge, career or helpful people gua. From there, you can divide your space up into nine parts and find each of your other guas. Learn more about the bagua here.

2. What part of my life would I like to change?

This is the easy part: Just click on the area you need help with below.

So I clicked on the Prosperity gua and I was amazed at some possibilities of prosperity ch'i zappers:

Clutter: Michael's office is especially cluttered. Get rid of it and the dust that has collected.

Leaks and peeling paint: If the ceiling is leaky and peeling away, so is your money.

Toilets: Toilets pull energy down and away. Be sure to keep the lid down as much as possible.

Broken stuff: If it's broke, you probably are too.

Dead or withering plants: Anything obviously decomposing is not holding the energy you want in this area.

Trash can: Like the toilet, takes energy away.

Improper prosperity symbols: Art that depicts items in a withering or decomposing state (old rusty chairs, sad or poor people) or reminders of your college days when you were flat broke should not be displayed here.

Now let's look at chi enhancers:

Purple, red and green:

Symbols of wealth: Actual money, gold or stock certificates all play well in this corner of the house.

Jewels:

Symbols of "having it all": Pictures of the kids or pets if they make you feel like you have it all work well here. Collages or photos of items that you would like to have do as well -- just place them here and pretend that you have placed your order for them. When the order is up, you will receive them. Just remember ... be careful what you wish for!

Healthy plants: Grow money in your accounts by growing a plant here.

Moving water: Get money moving by creating a flow in this zone.

This feng shui thinking just feels right to me. Check out the guas of your life and let me know if the chi zappers and enhancers seem right to you.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Feng Shui Home Decor Self help

StyleCraft adding Terry Redlin line

From Home Accents Today,

Well-known artist Terry Redlin is adding lamps and accessories to his furniture line at this High Point market. The new lighting and accessories program is debuting with StyleCraft Home Collections. Redlin’s furniture is with Austin Gray.

(Terry Redlin Amber Waves of Grain)

For more than 45 years, Redlin has captured the American spirit on canvas through his nostalgic scenes of rural America and wildlife. He was voted “America’s Most Popular Artist” for eight consecutive years by U.S. Art magazine. Redlin relies on the same look in his home furnishings designs.

“We’re excited to be launching the Terry Redlin program since Americana-inspired looks are not currently a major part of our product portfolio,” said Mike Kennedy, StyleCraft president.

Lighting and accessory groups to be introduced include themes directly inspired by Redlin’s paintings including the American pioneer, the outdoors and wildlife, and the West. Rich patinas and a variety of materials including wrought iron and faux leathers provide a look of rustic elegance that will help bring Redlin’s vision of Americana into consumer’s homes.

Hernando, Miss.-based StyleCraft Home Collection is combining all its High Point showrooms under one roof at 130 S. Main St. where the Redlin collection can be seen.

This spring, Austin Gray will introduce a fourth Terry Redlin bedroom group called Golden Retreat. This new group is constructed with blends of mappa burl and prima vera veneers over alder solids and features traditional styling with a golden finish like the vivid sunset over a country lake featured in Redlin’s painting. Line extensions for the Boulder Ridge collection include dining room, home office, and home entertainment furniture. The American Portrait collection is being expanded to include a bar and bar stools. Austin Gray also offers Terry Redlin leather upholstery and accent chairs.

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery carries Stylecraft lamps and now will have access to Terry Redlin's influences.

Bev & Mike

Terry Redlin Stylecraft Lamps

Pull a fast one by Bridget Otto

Cabinet knobs change out in a snap

It's Bridget Otto Thursday in the Homes & Garden section of The Oregonian. Bridget writes about the simple idea of changing your cabinet knobs in the kitchen or bath, changes the style of the room or freshens the look.

Oodles of options line the aisles of home improvement stores, while some artsy boutiques carry limited one-of-a-kind creations. Pages of Web sites with names such as coolknobsandpulls.com, interknobs.com and myknobs.com pop up on a search. Chown Hardware alone offers 3,200 varieties. Prices range dramatically.

Gerry Worrell, who works in the hardware department at Lowe's in Tigard, says silvery satin nickel and blackened antique bronze are the two finishes most popular now. You'll want to complement -- but not necessarily match -- the other hardware in the room, from faucets to doorknobs.

Bridget offers some tips for selecting pulls:

Save yourself some trips to the store and time by carefully measuring or even taking a drawer to the hardware store.

In making your selection, consider the size and style of the cabinet.

But don't be hemmed in by convention. Consider what it is you're trying to achieve.

Now that you've chosen the perfect pulls and knobs, make sure that you don't go home without the right screws.

If you are redrilling to accommodate a new pull, buy a drawer-pull template.

Bridget ends by saying

And, because the change is so simple, you don't have to live with this look forever. The possibilities are endless.

In our kitchen we are only limited by our creativity and...our budget. These knobs aren't cheap. Bridget offers a number of websites catering to cabinet pulls that can help you work out a budget.
Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Bridget Otto Interior Design Knobs Cabinet Pulls Home Decor

Interior Designer: Kathia Emery

There is a very nice article by Cathy Lamb in the Homes & Gardens section of The Oregonian entitled delicate Merger. It features local interior designer Kathia Emery. Emery describes her decorating style as "traditional, with a strong emphasis on country French and English-with a romantic overlay. She recently combined households with ex husband of 2 1/2 years James Kahan. They had divorced, she remarried for 32 years until her husband died in 2004. In 2005 they hooked up again after Reed College invited Kahan to speak. They plan on remarrying on December 15th.

Kathia Emery has some tips for Combining Households Gracefully:

Buy a Home together - Then it's not one person moving in on the other, and there are no "ghosts" of the ex or deceased spouse.

Let the style of the home dictate what to keep - If you live in a Colonial, toss the retro stuff.

Sort, toss, give away, sell - Then look at your stuff and do it again. Two households morphing into one equals clutter.

Compare the "weight of importance" - If one person feels strongly about something - a painting, for instance - let that person win.

If there are duplicates, give one away - keep the pieces that are timeless and will stay in style forever.

As for photos - Children will need photos of the family, including the parent who is no longer in the home. Family photos from both sides can be hung together, although Kahan recommends separate family photo walls. Otherwise, "It's like you're trying to make a melting pot that won't melt.

Buy a new bed and bedding - Absolutely.

Accomodate, compromise and give in - Don't come to blows over a coffee table.

Hire a professional - designer or organizer to act as intermediary

Before Michael and I were married, he had been married twice before. (Third time's the charm) He wrote this poem about his experiences:

Moving Day

I travel light
when I move in with a lady
I don’t disturb her décor.
only problem…you don’t know I live there.

I am a new male model American
my ex-wives are housekeepers.
I move out they keep the house.
What I own fits in your standard four door sedan.

It’s moving day back to the same apartment complex
with the same floor plan…
that way I know from past experience
where to put my hairdryer.


As we baby boomers age, there will probably be more circumstances where households are combined. Kathia has some great advice.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Gas-powered Tankless Heaters

It's Bridget Otto Thursday and today she writes about Going tankless, tankless water heaters. In a follow up to her December article about tankless water heaters, Otto writes

Seems there's no market for electric systems here. But there is for gas-powered, and those readers with gas-powered heaters felt I'd given the product short shrift.

Now, knowing what I know, I agree with them. But my bottom line is still the same: Tankless water heaters are wonderfully convenient and energy efficient. But if your goal is to save money -- an aspect highly touted by manufacturers -- chances are good you'll be disappointed.

[...]

The Energy Trust report sees new homes as the best niche for tankless heaters but notes that many contractors and builders aren't familiar with them.

In existing homes, the report says, "the costs of physically accommodating their installation can add considerable expense."

Bridget A. Otto: 503-221-8527; bridgetotto@news.oregonian.com

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

tankless water heaters Bridget Otto energy savings

IP Focus: Susanna Bassanini

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is a community of people—designers, industry representatives, educators and students—committed to interior design. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach, the Society strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people’s lives. Its more than 38,000 members engage in a variety of professional programs and activities through a network of 48 chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

The Oregon Chapter has chosen to focus on Susanna Bassanini, owner of Carpet Expressions, as their second quarter Industry Partner. We thought the background of Bassanini was sufficiently interesting, that we wanted to reprint part of the quarterly newsletter.


click to enlarge
Susanna Bassanini is currently Board Member of ASID as the Communications Director in charge of the newsletter, news flash, website and public relations. She has extensive experience in information technology with a degree in Management Computer Systems and a life, prior to Carpet Expressions, managing a team that tested web sites and software systems that gave management tools to run large enterprises more efficiently.


click to enlarge
Susanna (sounds like sooze ahna) has a need for the mathematical, linear thinking, as evidenced by her mathamatics minor in college. However, she had a need for the creative as a counterweight. She nourished that creative side, as a corporate IT person, by taking lots of watercolor classes. Still feeling unfulfilled, she wrote down four goals: she wanted to be in design; she wanted to be involved in color; she wanted to work in or near home; and she wanted to be her own boss. She took a class in rug crafting and she was on her way.

Now she has her office in her home in the Multnomah Village neighborhood on almost 13,000 sq. ft. lot and a workshop in the garage. Not to ignore the mathematical side, she uses those skills measuring, ordering carpet, figuring out repeats, running her business. She has a comfort with numbers. Susanna’s IT background is helpful as she built and maintains her own website, carpetexpressions.com. Her watercolor background is helpful as she designs the rugs that she fabricates She and her husband Augusto, spend many hours landscaping and entertaining in their yard with their chocolate lab, Shelby. She’s been married 7 years to Augusto who’s from Italy. They frequently travel to visit his family in Milan, Italy.


click to enlarge
Susanna said of her position as board member of ASID, ASID is a volunteer organization and offers a number of benefits to designers and IPs. She feels a duty to give back to the organization and encourages others to do the same.

She feels strongly that designers need a web presence and ASID has an inexpensive program that gets your web page connected to the asidoregon.org site. It’s a great way to show prospective customers your portfolio.

Susanna is a vivacious and energetic young woman who enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pets. The DVR is her favorite piece of technology, so she doesn’t miss an episode of 24 or American Idol, and can skip the commercials. Her biggest business goal is to have a larger workshop.

Carpet Expressions
Phone: 503.348.5973

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Bar-B-Qued Pork Chops

From MercuryNews, Timing is everything in cooking pork chops

So you're standing at the meat counter on your way home from work. The pork chops look terrific, and they're priced right for a family dinner -- but how are you going to cook them?

Donna Deane of the LA Times recommends

...four quick steps: Season the meat, sear it, make a sauce as you deglaze the pan and finish the meat in the sauce.

Michael loves bar-b-qued pork chops, either the thick cut or bone-in. His secret is to season the meat on both sides with Williams-Sonoma, Gray Sea Salt with Five Pepper Blend from ile de Re', France about a half hour before cooking. Before turning on the barbee, spray or wipe grill with olive oil. Turn on high and sear both sides of pork chop, then turn down heat to medium-low and cook with indirect heat for 10 minutes on each side or when white in the middle not pink.

The seasoning gives the meat a slightly salty taste similar to ham. Besides the peppers and sea salt the seasoning has coriander, thyme and rosemary. It is delicious!

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Pork Chops Recipes Bar-b-que

Two New Blogs

I've come across two new blogs. For a long time there have been few blogs oriented to the design community. Now we have Natural Area Rugs blog and ArtCorner.com blog.

Natural Area Rugs is written by

Mike Dennis, publicist for Natural Area Rugs, posts about the inner workings of Natural Area Rugs, a national leader in natural area flooring. Topics include business strategies, new products, and information on natural rug materials including sisal, seagrass, jute, bamboo, and wool.

Dennis has several articles you might enjoy including:

Growing Popularity of Jute Rugs
Interior Designer: Right Area Rug Pulls a Room Together
Area Rugs Complement Wood Flooring

Many of the articles promote the Natural Area Rugs business, however if these articles aren't the exception, it will benefit us to visit the site.

ArtCorner.com is started by Amitai Sasson.

The blog’s features will include: daily postings from OverstockArt’s clients and personnel on happenings and inside information that comes across their desks; comment threads from avid readers among the OverstockArt community and Interior Design industry; and live links and references to the best ArtCorner-related blogs and web sites on the Internet.

Some selected articles are:

10 Tips To Refresh your Interior Design
The most amazing Gauguin I have ever seen!
A Blank Canvas: A brief consideration of Modern Design

I am adding both blogs to our blogroll.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Wood Floors

In case you missed it Pure Contemporary has a short article on Jan. 30, 2006 reproduced here entitled Types of Wood: How to Choose

It's a question many of us ask ourselves before changing the floors, cabinets and furniture in our home - what wood should I use? Can I mix maple cabinets with oak floors? Is Teak the current wood of choice? Which wood is the warmest?Wood

Sunset Books helps define wood types, cuts, installation and more.

Wood Floors
Sunset Ideas for Great Floors

When you choose wood, you're choosing one of the warmest, most time-tested, and versatile flooring materials. And one that looks better with time.

Types of wood
Many wood species are used for flooring. Each one has its own natural color, markings, and advantages.

Oak flooring comes in either white or red. The color of white oak runs from a creamy white or light brown to medium brown. It's a bit harder than red oak, has smaller markings, and has a more uniform appearance. Red oak is reddish brown, and its open grain makes it somewhat porous.

Maple flooring runs from pale white to light reddish brown. It has a uniform texture and closed grain and is very hard, harder than red oak.

Pine, considered a softwood rather than a hardwood like oak or maple, was commonly used in early American flooring because of its natural stability. Longleaf heart pine (on a par with red oak) and southern yellow pine are the hardest of all pines. Minor dents and dings will happen over time but tend to enhance a floor's character.

Bamboo flooring is similar to oak in dent resistance and is much more dimensionally stable than most wood flooring. Because bamboo is harvested from grass and rejuvenates itself to maturity in three to five years, it is environmentally friendly. It comes in both vertical and flat-grain patterns and in a light natural and a darker amber color.

Cherry is appreciated for its warm reddish coloring, straight grain, and smooth texture. It looks sleek when sanded and finished and is frequently used for cabinetry. Of medium density, it is dimensionally stable upon kiln drying.

Mahogany, an extremely durable high-density wood, has a deep reddish brown color and very fine graining. Mahogany encompasses a few different timber species. It was first discovered in the West Indies but now, due to sustainable harvesting, comes from Mexico, and Central and South America.

Teak, similar in strength to oak, is naturally resistant to insects, fungus, termites, and temperature shifts. Recently brought back into vogue through sustainable sources, it has a distinct shading that varies from yellowish brown to dark golden brown. Its grain runs straight, although its texture can be uneven.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Do You Sleep With Your Pet?

Bedtime's gone to the dogs by Gina Kim

They snore. They scratch. They shed. They paw at the sheets and have no sense of personal space.

But people love their dogs anyway - and increasingly, they are letting them into their beds.

About 21 percent of dog owners admit to sleeping with their pets regularly while another 16 percent say their dogs sneak into their beds at least once in a while, according to a survey by the American Kennel Club.

They are more than just pets, they are family! America may be looking at bigger bedrooms and more king sized beds.

Bev & Mike

Pets Culture Beds

"Know Your Client" Professional Paper from ASID

It's Saturday, April 8th. It's a quiet morning, so I thought I would pass on some information I received from ASID.

How many times have you thought, "if only I could get inside my client's head so that I could do a better job," or for that matter, get the job!

There are some new professional papers available to members of ASID, for free, and priced at $15 to $25 apiece, for non-members. One paper that caught my eye was entitled Know Your Client: Fundamentals for Effective Relationships< (non-members $15 plus $1.50 for shipping). I downloaded the PDF and want to share some tidbits with you.

The paper is based on a series of studies beginning in 1996. Each study asked interior designers what they believe clients value in working with a designer and then asked clients the same questions. The results show where interior designers and clients are "in sync" and "out of sync" as well as where values change over time.

Here are a few of the things that stood out for me:

Clients and designers agreed that knowing the client was very important as was consults, doesn't impose interior designers taste on the client, Where they differed was emphasis on knowing the latest design trends. Clients were less concerned about this aspect.

Another difference between clients and designers is emphasis. Both placed the same emphasis on handling the ordering and using the interior designer as a resource. The client was less interested in how it gets done.

This last one surprised me. Both client and interior designer were equally concerned that the interior designer was qualified, but the client was less interested in the designers portfolio of prior work. I think that goes back to the client wanting to feel unique and understood and having their needs met.

I have barely scratched the surface of the paper. I invite you to download the paper or purchase it from ASID.

Call (202)546-3480 or email communications@asid.org

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

ASID Interior Design

Women Will Be Online More Than Men!

Within the next year European women will be online more than men according to a new study by The Center for Media research.

The report shows how women's use of different media is evolving as they are interacting with the internet through blogging, ecommerce and instant messaging. As today's consumers are more sophisticated and demanding, the internet offers advertisers the opportunity to engage and interact with their customers better, building deeper relationships, says the study.

[...]

Today's busy lifestyles, means that female internet users are making the most of the convenience that the internet offers:

80% felt they could "get what they want quickly and save time" on the internet, compared to 22% for newspapers, 18% for television and 17% for radio

67% agreed they could "have what they want, when they want it", compared to: 28% for television, 27% for newspapers and 25% for magazines

61% believed the internet helped them "stay ahead of the game", compared to: 44% for television, 41% for newspapers and 30% for radio

Women's understanding and use of the internet is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Today, 60% use broadband to go online compared to only 17% three years ago. Only 5% of European women don't know if they have broadband.

So how about American women? Are we becoming more sophisticated in the use of the internet? Are you using the internet to market your business?

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Women Internet Culture

R. Wagner Company

We meet some of the most interesting people at the dog park. Some time ago Mike met a woman with a Spinone and the dog's name was Romeo.

A Spinone is a working breed dog, pointer and retriever with hair instead of fur. Romeo has a particularly good disposition. Mike always thought the owner, Nani, sounded like his cousin Ginger when she spoke and wondered if she was from Idaho, where his cousin grew up. Turns out she grew up in Hawaii and has been in Portland for at least the last 20 years.

Today, Mike learned Nani and her husband operate R. Wagner Company.

R. Wagner Company has been providing specialty finish work for the interior design community in Portland, Oregon since 1979. The company is made up of owners Ron Wagner and Nani Waddoups and a core group of artisans, who with years of accumulated experience on varied custom projects, have accumulated a vast repertoire of skills Cand techniques that can be applied to new artistic challenges.

Designers have come to rely on R. Wagner Company’s expertise and design sensibilities to develop finishes for their own projects, both in the technical execution of the work as well as appropriate stylistic decisions. Builders and architects benefit from R. Wagner Company’s designs and services to incorporate details into new construction that set their projects apart from the next

When Mike came home and asked if I knew of R Wagner, I said sure we have been referring customers and clients to them for years. It is a classic place to go for:

Custom Cement & Plaster Fireplace Surrounds
Hand-built rustic “stone” surrounds
Cast “stone” contemporary surrounds

On-site Plaster Finish Work
Burnished Venetian Plaster
Hardcoat Integrated Colored Plaster
Rustic Textured Plaster

Specialty Cement Finishes
Colored Cement Veneer Finishes
Custom Cast Concrete Table Tops
Colored Cement Veneer Floors

Custom Furniture Fabrication & Finishing
Custom Iron & Wood Fabrication
Painted, Stained & Gilded Finishes
Hand-rubbed Finishes
Hand-painted chinoiserie

Custom On-Site Finishes
Specialty Kitchen & Bathroom Cabinetry Finishes
Specialty Painted Wall Treatments
Hand-cut stencil work
Hand-painted Borders & Murals
Gilded Ceilings

R. Wagner Company
2136 N. Flint Avenue
Portland, OR 97227
TELEPHONE: 503.224.7036

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

The Origins Theme

Folowing up on the Origins, back to nature theme in Color Trends of 2006,

Whether it’s an accent table or a bedroom set, consumers can use bamboo furniture to add relaxed, exotic flair to their homes. Following the lifestyle trends of world travel and global awareness, bamboo is sure to appeal to those who appreciate nature—or long for faraway lands.

Hammary, which is carried at Landfair Furniture, offers this example of this trend:

Hammary’s nesting cocktail tables feature crosscut bamboo rings inset into the center of a maple-veneered top. Woven abaca rope around the tables’ legs adds an extra tropical touch.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Origins theme furniture Hammary

Color Trends for 2006

Our last post was about color and our personality. Furniturestyle has an article about the use of color and trends for 2006.

Homes will evolve to become places where culture, fashion, technology and comfort converge, according to Cinzia Black, Director of Special Projects North America for The Mix-Global Color Research Ltd., a London-based trend forecasting firm.

Consumers’ color choices in 2006 will reflect this synergy, she continued. But while the world’s population explores the future of technology, people also will maintain a firm grip on their roots—an idea that easily translates into home decor.

Black says the top color palettes for 2006 are:
Origins: reflecting

a need to make contact with our roots...the color palette consists of earthy neutrals, such as sophisticated chocolate brown, ox blood and Mother of Pearl shimmer.

Integral:

Dominated by pumpkin, russet and vegetable greens, this palette pays tribute to the intrinsic, productive life on the land.

Intimate:

The luminous range of blues, pastels and peachy cosmetic tones carry strong illusions to healthcare. It is a foundation for a gentler style of what has gone before.

Clarity: The need for human contact and the importance of natural light is demonstrated in the use

neutrals, steel grays and watery green-blues are presented in glossy, automotive finishes to mimic the translucent qualities of mirror and glass.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Color trends Home decorating Interior design

The Personality of Color

Pure Contemporary is out with an article entitled The Personality of Color

Colors have personalities too. Some of them very strong, strong enough to make you think you're famished or full, sleepy or wide-awake. Some might spark your hospitality, or your love life.

And getting a handle on what colors say to you can be a great help when you're choosing paint colors for your home.

Check out the article by Debbie Zimmer, color and decorating expert with the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery
Pure Contemporary color home decor

My Dog Park Friend - Kate Nason

Imagine my surprize when Oregon Home, in the March-April edition, ran a story about N.E. Broadway in [Shop Talk] and there is my friend Kate Nason from the dog park. Almost every day Ralph our Golden plays with Kate's dog, Jackson. If Jackson is not playing with his buddies, he's squeaking his squeaky toy.

Getting back to [Shop Talk], a number of stores from 29th and Broadway to 15th and Broadway, cater to the home. At 2419 NE Broadway is Chairwear, run by Kate Nason.

Meet The Queen of the Slipcover
Then again, her fiefdom encompasses so many other subjects as well: pillows, cushions and window coverings, to name a few.

The woman with the golden thimble is Kate Nason...whom we first met when we needed to commission three slipcovers for a puppy-sixed chair for a three-month old Aussie model to sit in during a Christmas gift guide shoot.

Three years ago, Nason opened a store front on this street, a studiolike space where she has "thousands" of fabric swatches-including a Portland exclusive on the hotter than hot Lulu DK line-and, of course, her trusty sewing machine, where you'll find her putting petal to the medal on most days.

Later, in the magazine, Nason is featured as a designer and problem solver, in "Mom, I think I've outgrown my room!"

The problem: Your daughter's a young lady, not a baby-but she's stuck in a nurserylike room.
[...]
(Sophie Shorten and her mom's) design plan came together when they met Kate Nason, an art historian by training who opened her own slipcovering business, Chairwear, and who's turning her talents to interior design. "We were across the street from Kate's shop...and saw this fabric in the window and Sophie just fell in love with it..."
[...]
"The big idea was to make the room fun-to updateit so that it really fit Sophie's personality, says Nason.
[...]
The next step was incorporating Sophie's beloved fabric into the design. Nason crafted 20 yards of "Discotheque Dot" and "Psychedelic" cotton into dozens of pillows. a duvet cover, curtains for the bed alcove and cushions for the built-in window seat. She also addedfun green fringe to the windowshades and lamp shades, and covered Sophie's large corkboard with bright green denim. "We chose colors that would tie the whole room together, and added things like storage bins to make it function well," says Nason.
[...]
"If you'd come in here before, you'd have thought it was a 2-year old's room, Sophie says. Now I love it!-especially the colors. They're really calming."

Kate Nason - Chairwear - (503)-335-8692

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Bridget Otto - Spatial equality

Bridget Otto is up this Thursday with an article in The Oregonian's Homes & Gardens section. Her article entitled Spatial equality is about positioning furniture in a room to achieve balance.

The best way to start positioning furniture in a room -- whether it's to achieve balance, a better traffic flow or most efficient use of space and focal points -- is to sketch the room on graph paper, marking dimensions of windows, doors, built-ins, fireplaces, etc. Then, create templates to represent furniture.

Otto interviews three interior designers Carol Cornwell of Colours, Lisa Seung of Portland Home Decorating, and Nancy Zieg of Nancy Zieg Interior Design. (Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery interviewed these three designers in 2005, here, here, and here.)

Otto's recommendations are

PLACEMENT GUIDELINES

Doorways/traffic lanes: Should be 3 feet, but can be a tad narrower in spots that won't get a lot of traffic.

Sofa/cocktail table: At least 18 inches apart; closer makes it difficult to get in and out; farther makes the table hard to reach.

Dining room: There should be at least 3 feet behind the chairs to allow easy movement.

TV viewing: The best views are straight-on, so don't place seating at more than 45 degrees off that line.

CREATE A PAPER ROOM

Sketch your room on graph paper, marking doorways, windows, fireplace, built-ins and any other immovables.

Measure your furniture at its widest points and transfer to paper using the same scale as for the room sketch. Cut the shapes to create templates.

Move the furniture here and there. If you don't like what you see, make cutouts of furniture from another room -- or of a piece of furniture you'd like to buy.

It's too bad the online article doesn't have the pictures from the article. There are good examples of the good and bad placement of furniture using Nancy Zieg's home furnishings.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

What Makes a Chair or Sofa Comfortable?

Barbara King in the March issue of House Beautiful writes an article entitled Comfort, Inc

What makes a chair great?

There's more to picking a chair or sofa than looks. It has to feel good, too. When it comes to seating, one size-or shape-never fits all. So we paid a visit to Steven Jonas in New York to learn the essentials of comfort, quality, and sitting where you ought to sit. He is president of Jonas, a family of upholsterers who have for three generations have been making custom seating. The Jonas showrooms is the Chanel of upholstery, with 260 styles of armchairs, armless chairs, dining chairs, sofas, love seats, and chaise lingues, all in white muslim like dressmaker's mannequins. As I tried them out, here's what Steven had to say:

How should a person go about finding the most comfortable chair or sofa?
The first thing you've got to do is sit in them. Simple, right? You can't order a sofa online with a guarantee that it's going to be comfortable. It's one of the biggest mistakes people make. It's not all about aesthetics. I mean, aesthetics are very important, but as architects would say, form follows function. Function is paramount. We can build it right; it's just a matter of what's right for you. There's no one particular chair or sofa that suits everybody. It depends on how you like to sit, how tall you are, how big, how young, how old. And what you're using it for.

After 30 years of being in this business, can you look at someone and pretty much size up what will be right for them?
You know what? This is the way I think of furniture when I look at a person. Your legs, your knees, your butt, your back, your neck-these are important factors in finding a piece of furniture.

Explain that, please.
Some people like to sit with their back at an angle. Some people like to sit with their knees parallel, their legs straight. These are different issues you want to think about when you;re sitting on a piece of furniture. Basically it comes down to your center of gravity-where you want the least stress. You buy a chair so you can either be cradled in it or sit on top of it. Like, my mom wants a chair where she's on top of it. Get up, push out. I like a chair where I can sit in a pair of pajamas and feel enveoped. And some people like both.

Do men and women differ in their preferences?
Men generally like deeper. more slouchy chairs. Women like more upright ones that give them better posture.

What did you mean when you said you can build a chair or sofa right?
A good chair, a good sofa, starts with the construction. You've gotto have top-grade wood. We use a maple that's been dried in a kiln, no defects, one solid piece-that way you don't get breakage. We hand-tie the springs with soft cord so they stay springy. We layer and keep layering with burlap, horsehair, cotton, a down pad, muslin. You're never supposed to feel the lumber.

Does that all add up to comfort?
Well, there's more to it than that. Like the pitch of the seat. It should be graduated, 20 percent from front to back. And then there's what you fill it with. Our cushions are 80 percent down, 20 percent feather. The back of the seat is 100 percent down.
Here's a piece of advice, by the way. Don't ever vacuum your down cushions, because vacuums are very powerful these days, and eventually the quills start to poke out. Give the cushions a whack once in a while to get the surface dust off, and once a year, in the spring, put them out in the sun for a few hours. The warnmth will perk up the loft again. Just like it does on a duck.

How does less expensive furniture differ from the top end?
The wood isn't one piece, and it's not always the best quality. You often feel the wood in the platform and the arms. The springs aren't hand-tied and you're not getting a variety of springs. you need various gauges, so they'll move independently and not as a unit. Here, feel the arm of this sofa. See? It moves. It's alive. It has life, a mind of its own. Now check out the back. It's firmer in the lumbar region, where it's supposed to be firmer and softer the rest of the way up. Beautiful, don't you think?

Let's say someone is in a small apartment or doesn't have lots of money to spend on a range of pieces. What would you recommend they buy?
I would go with a deeper sofa, because you can always put a pillow on it and make it upright if you need to. And a comfortable man-size chair. Then probably an open-arm chair of some sort where you can sit straighter-it also adds a lightness to the room.

Editors comments:

Here at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery I agree with most of what Jonas says. When you are looking for a sofa or chair, sit on it. We try to have examples of the various types of seating available in our showroom. There are many variables such as a tight back, cushion or pillow back. Then there is seat height and seat depth. A woman 5 foot three will want a different seat height than a man of 6 feet.

Jonas offers cushions that are 80 percent down and 20 percent feather. The Sherrill line we carry exemplifies the range of cushion options.

There is "spring down", It is the most expensive, but has the best sit. It has Marshall springs surrounded by down, always comes back to its original shape and has low maintenance.

There is "comfort down" which is all down. I don't recommend it for a sofa. Down needs a lot of maintenance. It needs to be whacked when you get up from sitting on it. If you choose this type of cushion for a sofa, your sofa can start to look lopsided.

There is "fiber down" which mimics down, but is not quite as soft. It is great for people who are allergic to down or have a limited budget.

Finally, there is "standard UD", the least expensive and tends to have a higher crown.

While it is true "you get what you pay for", it is more important to choose a chair or sofa that is right for the space you have. You don't need the same quality of chair or sofa in a low traffic area or that will get little use. Use that same kind of chair or sofa in a heavy use area and it is liable to break down in a year. Choose a chair or sofa that is the right size for the area and leave room for a place for lighting and a table for beverages.


As Edith Ann would say, "That's the truth, phlllllppp!"

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

NOTE: Edith Ann's Rocking Chair - On the comedy variety series ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN/NBC/1968-73 comedian Lily Tomlin played a devilish five and a half year old little girl named Edith Ann. Ms. Tomlin in her role of Edith sat on a jumbo-sized rocking chair that made her adult-sized body look like a little girl's. Rocking her chair Edith Ann would tell childish stories about her family and her dog Buster. When she concluded a point she said "And that's the truth" and sputtered her tongue as she gave the audience the raspberry.

Are you taking your Manganese?

If you are like me, you take your vitamins daily and try to get your husband to do the same. Good luck with that!



I read that magnesium is a trace mineral that our bodies need in order to maintain normal muscle and nerve function. It also keeps our hearts' rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, ensures the integrity of our arteries by controlling blood pressure, and helps to maintain strong bones. Plus, it works to regulate blood sugar and is involved in energy metabolism.

Early to Rise in Message #1670, has an item today on the difference between Magnesium and Magnesium Oxide.

Magnesium oxide is a more economical form of magnesium that is widely used by supplement manufacturers. In his health report, Nutritional Supplements That Don't Work, Bill Sardi writes: "Only 4% of magnesium oxide is absorbed. So a person taking 400 milligrams of magnesium oxide would effectively absorb only 16 milligrams."

I take Kirkland's Daily Multi Vitamins and Minerals and it has Magnesium as one of the ingredients. Only, it has 100 mg or 25% of a RDA. (Some experts suggest the optimal intake is closer to 800 mg.)

The article also, indicates many excellent food sources of magnesium include green vegetables, salmon, nuts, seeds, and beans. See, honey, I may be full of beans, but I'm not "full of beans" when it comes to taking my "dailies".

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery