Yes, Virginia, you can buy furniture made in the USA

As Christmas is fast approaching, a piece of furniture may be on your must-have list. Surprisingly if you prefer to buy goods made in the United States, you do have some options. If you’re looking for something well-made, you can pass down through the generations, I have five companies you should check out.
American Leather—This manufacturer can produce sofas, love seats, sectionals and more in leather or any fabric and ship it in 21 days. American Leather produces exclusive designs for Crate & Barrel, Room & Board and Macy’s (just to name a few).
Harden Furniture Co.— Known as a green manufacturer, Harden achieved 2008 Silver Exemplary status from the Sustainable Furniture Council — the first furniture manufacturer to achieve this honor. The company ships custom-finished goods in 30 days because everything is made in McConnellsville, N.Y.
C.R. Laine—This home-grown furniture company is also making green strides. C.R. Laine was the first company to achieve sustainable by design certification. Its frames are made from sustainable hardwoods and its springs are formed using recycled metal. Customers can choose from 1,000 frame styles and fabric choices.
Kindel Furniture Co.—If you appreciate hard-carved details and solid hardwood furniture then prepare to fall in love. This Michigan-based manufacturer employs more than 100 hand-carvers and furniture decorators and produces a furniture line of Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, reproductions. The company also will refurbish any piece of furniture made over the past century.
Hickory Chair—Personalization is key to this manufacturer’s success. If you can dream it they can build it. Finishes, shapes and hand-painted designs are all possible because almost everything is produced in North Carolina. The manufacturer recently launched a “Made to Measure” wood products, which include side tables, dining tables and more.
If you’re looking for a cheap piece of disposable furniture, I recommend going to IKEA or Target. Made in the USA does come with a price. These companies have to pay competitive wages and comply with U.S. environmental standards.

2009 color trends released

According to the Color Marketing Group there will be more evolution than revolution in color trends in 2009. Here’s a breakdown of 2009 color trends and my “commentary”:

Purple, Purple, Purple!
Emerging as a hot fashion color last fall, purple is not just a fad – it’s an entrenched trend, strongly influenced by the election. (After all, red plus blue equals purple.) Look for a greyed-out violet that works equally well as an accent or a neutral, as well as redder, plummier purples and bluer-influenced fuchsias in a huge range of products. Purple is 2009's "must have" color.
"OK, purple is a classic. This must be where the 'evolution' part comes in."

Blue is the New Green
Various greens have symbolized "green living" over the last few years, but in 2009 the "green" environmental message is delivered by the color blue. There are watery blues, sky blues and a whole range of blues that now represent our commitment to living on a greener planet.
"I’m not really buying this. Blue is a calming color and most people like the color blue."

Cooled-down, Greyed-out Browns and Greys
Complex neutrals satisfy our urge toward classic colors in an economically challenged time. They also bridge the area between black, which seems harsh, and brown, which doesn't seem strong enough.
"So, people are depressed and are going to live in drab houses and wear drab clothes to show the rest of us how depressed they really are? I’m pretty sure these were goth kids in high school."

Yellow for Energy
The neutrals may have greyed, but look for lots and lots of bright vivid yellow to give us energy as we re-build the economy. It's the stand-out accent color for 2009.
"I love yellow. I don't know what I would do if yellow becaume out of style. I might turn into a goth kid--enter sad music... I am human and I need to be loved...."

Bright Accents from India, China, and Turkey
The exotic has become the familiar. Oranges, turquoises and teals, reds, and yellows will abound in hues from far-away countries that now seem very near. They are the optimistic touches we crave.
"So, because the economy is crappy we’ll all be forced to decorate ala World Market and Pier 1? Hoo-ray."

White is now a Business Color
Technology has produced amazing new (and very practical) finishes, which helps explain why white is showing up everywhere, even in corporate board rooms. The contrasts are all in the finishes: matte versus gloss; shine and shimmer on reflective surfaces; textured whites versus smooth -- all washable and cleanable. White also represents purity of thought, motive and result - exactly what we want from businesses now.
"I hope they didn’t hurt themselves coming up with this epiphany."

Mauve is back
It's mauve. Remember mauve? An old color that looks new again, in dusty violet shades, mauve works as an accent but also serves now as a neutral, punched up by those bright Asian accents (orange, turquoise, teal, red, and yellow.)
"60-something pumas will be thrilled. In fact, I’m going to call my mother right now and let her know to retrieve all her old mauve throw pillows from Goodwill."

Small is the new black

The days of giant overstuffed couches, chairs and larger-than-life beds and dressers may be coming to an end. At the most recent High Point Market, furniture manufacturers displayed scaled-down pieces for smaller spaces. If you live in a McMansion, you need a larger and longer couch, but if you live in a studio apartment in the city not so much.
This latest furniture trend could be because large homes aren’t selling like they used to, but townhouses, condos and small residences are.
Norwalk Furniture introduced Trio, a scaled-down modular sectional based on Cabo, a best-selling larger sectional.
“Cabo prompted us to rethink scale, because many customers love it, but some found it too big for their space,” says Deb McKirahan, creative director. “With the same great look, we designed the Trio with five pieces, but stepped it down a notch in size without compromising comfort.”
I live in a townhouse, and it was hard finding a sofa that didn’t dwarf the room. I finally found a sofa that fit in my space and looks fabulous, but it took a lot of Sundays checking out different furniture stores. As the population ages and Gen Xers seem to prefer urban living, the scaled-down furniture trend will continue to grow. Little is the new big.

Office furniture industry feeling some pain

Michael A. Dunlap & Associates have released the results of its quarterly MADA/OFI Trends Survey, designed to measure business activity of the office furniture industry and its suppliers. This survey was completed in October.
The October 2008 overall survey index is 50.54, the second lowest in more than four years. The highest recorded index was 59.72 in July 2005. Since the survey started in August 2004, the average is 56.18.
“I’m glad to see both these index values improve, but material costs are still impacting everyone, especially the small companies … Everyone is aware that raw materials costs are skyrocketing due to oil, steel and related commodity price jumps,” says Michael Dunlap.
“I think the industry is in a good position to absorb some downturn,” he said.
I’m glad he thinks so. Good barometers of any industry are the larger trade shows. For office furniture the big one is NeoCon. Attendance was slightly down in 2008. It will be interesting to see how a year of recession will affect the industry. I sure wouldn’t miss waiting in line at the Merchandise Mart for spot in a crammed elevator.

Contest rewards creative veneer use

Veneer Technologies now is accepting entries for the Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge Awards, sponsored by FDM and CabinetMaker magazines.

The competition recognizes achievement in the use of natural veneer or wood product applications through cash awards and other recognition to designers, craftsmen, distributors and distributor’s sales representatives. Entrants may submit up to three items. The competition categories are: Furniture, Store Fixtures, Cabinetry, Architectural Woodworking, Specialty Items and Student Design.

Cash in the amount of $3,000 will be awarded to the grand-prize winning entry. The distributor of the veneer for the grand-prize will receive $2,000 and the corresponding salesperson will receive $1,000. Six $1,000 prizes also will be given out to each of the category winners. A $1,000 bonus is available for the grand-prize winner if entered by March 31, 2009.

There is no entry fee, and entries are accepted through June 1, 2009. The official announcement of winners will be made at AWFS Las Vegas, July 15-18, 2009.

A table featuring pau ferro, holly, lacewood, wenge, laurel burl and pear veneers was chosen as the top entry out of 168 in the fourth annual competition, announced in Atlanta during the 2008 IWF show. Gregg Novosad of Divine Design, Palatine, Ill., was awarded the $5,000 grand prize for excellence in woodwork featuring natural veneer and wood product applications. Certainly Wood, distributor to Divine Design, received a cash award of $3,000 and salesman Jim Carroll received $2,000 in recognition of their participation in the supply chain.

I was lucky enough to see this table in person. It's amazing what you can do with veneer. Think you have the creativity to win? If so, for entry materials, visit http://www.veneertech.com/.

Bariatric furniture design goes functional, sexy

We are a fast food nation.

As the population gets bigger, furniture companies are taking note and are designing beautiful furniture to accommodate everyone. KI introduced the Arissa Collection, a bariatric furniture line, at NeoCon this year and it looked amazing.

I had no idea the pieces were for obese people. At the show, I saw a 90-pound woman try a chair and she didn’t look out of place. The furniture line is designed to accommodate individuals up to 300 pounds.

The design mantra behind the collection is to create furniture that is comfortable and accepting for people of all sizes, according to the company. The Arissa collection uses a universal form to accommodate virtually any body type.

The furniture line was designed for use in the healthcare industry to create seamless designs. However, I think this trend will carryover into mainstream furniture design. It will be interesting to see at NeoCon 2009 how many other companies are offering specially designed bariatric furniture.