Little space, big idea

Instead of offering out-of-town guests the couch or a blow up mattress, now you can offer them the ottoman.
Hollandia International has designed a convertible ottoman that folds out into a twin bed. The space-saving furniture trend is available in more than 250 fabrics, and features a Vita Talalay Latex mattress that is specially ventilated for increased air circulation. It also has a flexible shoulder zone (a softer area where shoulders can press further into the mattress without resistance). The bed is designed to alleviate back pain and numbness for side-sleepers.

Once your guest is over the shock of sleeping on the ottoman, it may encourage them to ante up for a hotel room next visit. Well played.

Super sneaky vacuum

I don’t mean a dog. But, if you have a dog, you know whatever food hits the floor will be “taken” care of. Think of the Vroom as a dog you never have to walk.

This sweet vacuum is hidden in a kitchen or bathroom cabinet and is ready to suck up your latest mess. I think I’m in love!
The Vroom features a 24-foot-long hose, and automatically turns on when the hose is pulled from the base and shuts off when it’s put back in place. It also has a built-in crevice tool for hard-to-reach messes and has more suction than handheld or upright vacuums.

Not your father's Murphy bed

When you live in a small space it must take on multiple personalities during the day.
A Murphy or hideaway bed is one way to incorporate another personality into a small space. Thankfully they’ve come a long way from a small wire-frame mattress hidden in a closet.
This new generation furniture trend is all about stylish storage. The functional and luxe Habersham Augustine bed with bookcase is the Ferrari of Murphy beds. The design clearly conceals your sleeping quarters and will leave guests wondering, “Where do you sleep?”
The Augustine bed comes in various hand-painted finishes to match almost any décor.

Furniture visionary Maloof dies at 93

Sam Maloof’s wooden furniture was much like the man graceful and creative, has died. He was 93.
As a newlywed in the late 1940s’ Maloof couldn’t afford furniture and set out to build his own using discarded fir plywood and oak shipping crates. Soon after his friends and family started asking for copies of his pieces.
Maloof began his career as a full-time woodworker in 1948 and was completely self-taught.
In 1949, Better Homes & Gardens magazine published photographs of his furniture to show readers how to decorate on a budget. Less than 10 years later the American Craft Museum in New York displayed his work in its first studio-craft furniture exhibition. Maloof also was the first craftsman to receive a MacArthur Foundation grant in 1985.
Over the decades his handcrafted furniture sells for more than 100 times the original purchase price and can be found in the Vatican, the Smithsonian and the White House.
His signature design was a rocking chair with elongated rockers jutting backward. While the feature looks to be sculptural it was incorporated to keep the chair from tipping over.

Reduce, reuse, then what?

Furniture designer Hugh Hayden’s Tennis Ball Chair is as green as it gets. Instead of throwing out flat tennis balls, she turned them into a chair. It’s eye-catching and clever, but what do you do with the chair when it’s ready for the curb? I know this chair is art and would never get thrown out, but it does stop and make you think.

Can a recycled product be recycled again?

A royal “garage sale” of sorts

Rich people are just like us. They like to get rid of stuff, but instead of having a garbage sale (typo stays), they opt to sell their unwanted treasures at auction.
According to an article in the Telegraph, four items (fine furniture and accessories) purchased after Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 are up for grabs. The items include a pair of giltwood chairs, green silk screen, table and a pair of cabinets. All the furniture is from the Victorian period.
The standout piece is a gilded center table made from amboyna wood and was specially made for Queen Victoria. The table is stamped with the Queen’s crown, the initials VR 1866 and Windsor Castle – Room 243.
The auction will be held May 29 at Moore Allen & Innocent in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

A chair with Daddy issues

Meet Daddy’s chair, a Danish modern recliner with a sense of humor. Designed by De Vorm, Daddy’s chair is a bold, sophisticated armchair with a steep recline. The low-slung chair was designed with an optimal angle to be the perfect reading chair.
Unlike a real daddy, this armchair features no-sag springs and foam cushions which can be covered with any fabric. The design is available with no armrests and a couch can be created by attaching two or more chairs to one another.

New Chicago boutique hotel features $2.4 M in millwork

Millwork sexes up a room.
I love mouldings, wainscot, coffered ceilings, and built-ins— anything ornate and pretty. This is the main reason why I prefer older hotels versus gleaming modern behemoths. Millwork is everywhere not just the bar, lobby and some ballrooms.
TheWit Hotel, a boutique hotel opening June 4, 2009 in Chicago, features $2.4 million in millwork. The project includes sleek bathroom vanities, 'barn door' valances for all rooms, and chic kitchenette cabinets for all five floors of the downtown Chicago condominiums.
I will post more millwork shots and info as soon as I get it.

Magical table expands at the push of a button

I remember my Mom wrestling with extra dining room leaves for every major holiday. Besides being a hassle to install, it was always a chore to dig them out of the storage closet. Those days are over for anyone who can afford The Fletcher Capstan Table, a round table that can double its seating capacity at the push of a button.
What makes this table so very amazing is that it stores its expansion leaves within itself. According to DB Fletcher Design, the table can go from seating six people to 12 in a matter of seconds. When small, the top is made up of six pie shaped leaves, and an outer skirt in the manner of a drum table. Under this first layer lie two more layers of leaves, the first strata made up of six arrow-shaped leaves and, under that, a large star shaped leaf. The table operates electrically from a small remote, and bases can even be made to vary in height.
The motors controlling the mechanism run on low voltage, which can be supplied from a re-chargeable battery housed within the table’s base. This battery is easily removed for re-charging and installation of the second supplied battery.

For yacht installations (I told you it was pricey), the table can run on its own batteries, or be connected to the ship’s electrical supply.
All tables are individually designed and built, and each is one numbered.

Furniture Buying Index rises to 58

The Furniture Buying Index inched up two points this month to a reading of 58 as of May 1.
“We will have to continue to watch the index in the coming months and hope that this trend continues,” Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, said.
“Hopefully the index will continue to rise and will get above the 70-point level by the end of the year.”
The Furniture Buying Index is compiled each month by America’s Research Group from interviews with 5,000 to 8,000 consumers across the country.