Zahid Sardar
Designers at the 20th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York this month were asking hard questions about their use of materials and were veering away from fashionable all-bamboo or all-bio-fuel solutions.
Sustainability is a balancing act. It does not mean we have to abstain from using nature’s resources; we just must use them sparingly.
Some designers are beginning to minimize the amount of materials they use. Some have begun to modify manufacturing techniques to use less energy; others are enlisting traditional craft centers around the world to produce objects that are more in keeping with their ancient traditions.
Disseminating these ideas through a product’s design is the new goal of design, and it was visible throughout the fair and exhibitors’ showrooms in the city.
(more…)
May 29th, 2008
Tips for protecting some popular materials
Karen Turner, Canwest News Service
Not sure what kind of furniture to buy for your backyard?
Maintenance, comfort and budget are the top three issues to consider when shopping for outdoor room furnishings.
To help narrow your options, here are some of the pros and cons for four popular outdoor materials.
Unlike natural wicker and rattan, which will only last two, maybe three years, when exposed to the elements, PVC weaves are super durable and can be left outside year-round.
The tightly woven faux wickers won’t fade or rust and are mildew resistant.
(more…)
May 26th, 2008
It’s official: The board of directors for Furniture Brands International includes three directors proposed by Sun Capital.
The board reconvened Tuesday. Because the election of directors was contested, a final reconciliation of the election results by a special inspector.
Ralph Scozzafava, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Furniture Brands received the highest number of shareholder votes. In addition to Scozzafava, the board of directors is now comprised, in descending order of stockholder votes, of Aubrey Patterson, Bobby Martin, John Jordan, Mickey Holliman, Alan Schwartz, Scott King and Ira Kaplan. The last three were part of the slate proposed by Sun Capital Partners.
(more…)
May 23rd, 2008
1. If old furniture smells musty … Try this trick to get rid of mold spores: Paint unfinished surfaces inside drawers, on backs or under tabletops with a solution of 1 teaspoon bleach per gallon of water. Paint the finished surfaces with a new coat of thinned-down varnish or lacquer to seal in any remaining odor.
2. Rub it down. Giving wood a good massage with lemon oil or another “wood feeding” or “moisturizing ” product will help it resist damage from fluctuating temperatures and humidity and help prevent cracking or chipping.
(more…)
May 22nd, 2008
DENVER, Furniture Row is pleased to announce the grand opening of a new Furniture Row Shopping Center in Selma. The Center will contain four specialty furniture stores in one convenient location. The Center is located at 15380 I-35 North, Selma, TX 78154. The Center’s retail stores include Oak Express, Bedroom Expressions, Sofa Mart and Denver Mattress Company. The new Center will open on May 23rd, 2008 and store hours will be Mon-Sat 10am-9pm and Sun 12pm-6pm.
“The Center will bring a unique furniture shopping experience to the area,” said Bill McKendry, Marketing Director for Furniture Row. “Unlike other furnishings retailers, our centers have four specialty stores at one destination. Each store focuses on a particular category and each store is managed and staffed with people who are extremely knowledgeable about their specific lines. And, best of all, they all guarantee their prices to be the lowest.”
(more…)
May 21st, 2008
Players of The Sims 2 will soon be able to add Ikea furniture to their virtual homes as part of a marketing deal between the Swedish company and Electronic Arts, the computer game’s producer.
EA has formed an unusual partnership with Ikea to make a selection of the retailer’s furniture and home furnishings available to players of The Sims 2, sequel to The Sims - the life simulator that is the best-selling PC game series ever.
(more…)
May 16th, 2008
Garden seating is set to rival indoor furniture for chic - and for expense, says Nicole Swengley
Gardening homepage
We’ve put up with grotty garden furniture for far too long. But at last we can dispense with uncomfortable plastic loungers and wrought iron chairs now that manufacturers are producing designs that are as comfortable and stylish as living room furniture.
Take the deeply-padded Dune daybed (£1,600) designed by Vladimir Kagan for Barlow Tyrie in an all-weather synthetic fibre. One arm of the wicker-like frame curls into an integral side-table while an optional ottoman, £300, fits snugly at its foot to create an enormous lounger. Gloster’s Eclipse collection, meanwhile, includes a “relaxer” (£2,999) that’s as spacious as a living room sofa. When combined with a footstool (£1,299) it becomes a sun-lounger big enough for two people to bask on together. Put two relaxers together and you create a gigantic daybed that’s roomy enough to take the whole family. Shade and privacy are provided by an optional sail (£399) which wafts you instantly to the imaginary deck of a yacht.
(more…)
May 15th, 2008
(ARA) – Interest in the benefits and use of environmentally friendly products continues to grow, making the green movement stronger than ever. This is especially prevalent for homeowners who are looking to build and decorate their homes in ways that support the environment.
Furniture found at a traditional retail store is often mass-produced and shipped half-way around the world to be manufactured and then shipped again — at least once — before actually selling. Green-minded homeowners look for locally built furniture that is high quality and environmentally friendly.
(more…)
May 14th, 2008
“Recycle” seems to get all the glory in the reduce, reuse, recycle hierarchy. Who doesn’t love a story about plastic bottles being turned into baby blankets or a rug woven from bicycle tires?
But recycling involves some processing in order to obtain a raw material that can be turned into a new product. Reuse, on the other hand, simply redeploys an object.
So it stands to reason that “antiquing,” as furniture reuse is known in some circles, would be catching on now that green is hot and the economy is not. Yet local estate-auction houses, furniture dealers and consignment shops have experienced just the opposite.
“People just aren’t buying used furniture anymore,” said Redge Martin, president of Clars Auction Gallery in Oakland. His regional estate auction business used to do 40 to 50 percent of its business selling used furniture to dealers; that percentage is now down to 15 percent. “Used-furniture stores are going out of business,” he said.
(more…)
May 14th, 2008
By: Furniture World Magazine
Whereoware, a web-based technology provider with a strong reputation for its work with some of the top names in the gift, home décor and lighting industries, has announced its entry into the home furnishings market with the website debuts of several new clients including: Eagle Industries, Louis J Solomon, LC Creations, Liberty Furniture Industries Inc. and Tag Furniture Group.
“Regardless of the industry, companies don’t just need a website; they need to solve a problem – from finding new customers to broadening their geographic range. Technology is just a vehicle to help solve a problem,” says Eric Dean, founder and president, Whereoware. “Our business is based on the fundamental idea that we help make our customers profitable online by using technology, such as web marketing, to enhance their business,” says Dean.
(more…)
May 13th, 2008
Previous Posts