US furniture industry: One leg to stand on?

Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Management firm Anderson Bauman Tourtellot Vos and Michael K. Dugan, author of “The Furniture Wars: How America Lost a $50 Billion Dollar Industry,” have released the study, “The American Furniture Industry: What Will It Take to Survive?”
This state of the industry report chronicles a perfect storm of consumer trends, market forces and industry intransigence.
Of the furniture manufacturing companies surveyed, sales dropped more than 10% on average last year, with some of the best known brands taking the biggest hits. Focused niche players are faring better because they are more agile than large publically held companies. Retailers were similarly afflicted as housing construction came to a standstill and consumers made do with the furniture they owned.
The furniture industry also has some unusual challenges, such as the fact that well-made wood furniture doesn't wear out, and only goes out of style at a glacial pace.
However, there is hope—branding and marketing!
While some well-known furniture companies won’t survive the recession, those that invest in sales and marketing will win the hearts and minds of consumers and gain market share long after the economy rebounds.

Harmony with just a hint of Asian mystique

Fashionista Vivienne Tam’s new upholstery line for Rowe Furniture is not the traditional East meets West fare.
Known for her iconic “Mao” collection, Tam adapted some of her signature fabrics for her new furniture line.
“Designing furniture is such a natural extension and passion for me. I have been thinking about this and collecting archives for years,” says Tam. “I want to bring beautifully designed prints, fabrics, colors and textures to create a truly unique line with subtle and sophisticated pieces inspired by my Chinese roots.”
The collection features multiple sofa groupings as well as accent pieces and will start shipping in early 2010.

US office furniture shipments down 31%

According to The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) Global Industry forecast model, U.S. office furniture shipments are expected to drop 31 percent this year, to $7.7 billion, when compared with 2008.
The decline in U.S. shipments is expected to slow to just 1 percent, at $7.6 billion, next year.
Until recently, Canada was the largest importer of office furniture into the U.S. decreasing from about 62 percent in 2000 to around 40 percent in 2009, while China has increased its share to about the same from less than 13 percent in 2000.
The overall Wood and Non-Wood product mix remains relatively constant at approximately 25 percent wood product and 75 percent non-wood product.

Herman Miller exhibit merges art with functionality

If you’ve been stuck for hours or days at Chicago’s O’Hare airport (hey, we all have to pay the piper sometime) then you’ve had the “pleasure” of experiencing Herman Miller’s Eames Tandem Sling Seating while eating overpriced McDonalds. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate good design but I want to napalm those chairs!!
The Muskegon Museum of Art announces the creation of the traveling design exhibition "Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller." The exhibit opened Aug. 20 in Muskegon, Mich., and will run to Nov. 8, 2009, and is scheduled to tour 15 cities into 2013 (tba). Overpriced McDonald's not included.

The exhibition explores the collaborative problem-solving design process employed at Herman Miller and presents viewers with four different case studies:
1. Ergonomics (Seating), Good Design Explores
2. White Collar Work (Action Office), Good Design Inquires
3. Graphic Communications, Good Design Engages
4. Mid-Century Classics, Good Design Endures

"Good Design" includes 30 pieces of furniture, prototypes and models along with more than 200 design drawings, sketches, photographs, oral histories and audio-visual materials to chronicle the evolution of Herman Miller's iconic furniture pieces.

iPhone apps for wood junkies

I have a confession to make, I don’t have an iPhone. I guess I’m just too thrifty to pay $200+ per month for a cell phone. If you’re one of the cool kids and love wood, I have two really sweet iPhone apps that may rock your world.
I.D. Wood is a pocket guide to species from around the world with samples and detailed information for more than 50 different woods. The app features, species names, origins, descriptions, properties, common uses, durability, sustainability and illustrations of lumber cutting techniques (to name a few). From the basic to the exotic, the app is a virtual guidebook for woodworkers, cabinetmakers, designers, artists, architects or anyone who loves wood. According to the developer, more wood species will be added in future updates.
The other iPhone app wood junkies will love is the ShopBot app. This app can control Shopbot's CNC router and emulates key strokes for basic commands. According to the company, the app allows users to program a CNC from anywhere in the world.
I just want a phone that doesn't drop my calls.

Bridging the natural, the constructed

Forrest Dickey’s inspiration for his furniture comes from historical hardwood barns of his youth in rural Wisconsin and New York's steel skyscrapers.
After reclaiming a large portion of red oak timber from a barn on family property, he began making furniture that brought together the warmth and history of the wood with urban architectural designs. Reclaimed wooden beams and timbers create the primary visual component of Varian Designs.
Dickey’s new furniture line Broen, which means bridge in Danish includes architectural tables and seating that blends natural and man-made materials.
“These designs combine the simplicity and beauty of natural materials with the contrasting complexity of architectural steel,” says Dickey. “It is a departure from past designs, but still maintains our trademark rustic‐modern feel and commitment to unique design and high-quality craftsmanship.”
The line is hewn from sustainably harvested walnut, white oak salvaged from whiskey casks, and recycled lasercut steel.

Pleasure, leisure, excess and all-out glamour

Even though the art deco period was cut short, its appeal continues to seduce generations.
Langin Design’s “Guggenheim" chair with its luxurious finish, streamlined form and exquisite materials is the epitome of the deco movement. The custom sexpot chair recently won 2nd place in the Classic Furniture category at the 2009 San Diego Design in Wood competition. According to the competition’s 16-person jury, “Elegant and powerful deco club chair with superb materials and craftsmanship throughout."
Francois Langin, owner of Langin Designs also won 2nd place in the Contemporary Furniture category for the “Gate”, a dining table.

The design house is launching a custom furniture fabrication line and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

New furniture orders down 17% in June compared to 2008

If the economy is improving, the furniture industry isn’t feeling it yet.
In June 2009, new orders were 17 percent lower than orders in June 2008, according to Smith Leonard’s monthly furniture survey of residential furniture manufacturers and distributors.
Year-to-date, new orders are down 21 percent, down slightly from the 22 percent reported last month. Approximately 93 percent of the participants have reported lower orders year-to-date versus last year.
Shipments in May were down 19 percent compared to May 2008. This compares to a 21 percent decline comparing April 2009 to April 2008. Year-to-date, shipments remained 21 percent lower than the first 5 months of 2008. Last year, shipments for the first 5 months were 7 percent below the first 5 months of 2007.
Backlogs were down 24 percent compared to May 2008. Last month, backlogs were down 26 percent so there was a slight improvement in these levels.

One good chair

Humans like to sit. And we all want to sit on a comfortable chair. However, I want my chair to be comfortable and look good.
I am not alone in my quest for beauty and functionality. The One Good Chair design competition focuses on lounge chairs or similar casual seating — to aid the body in the act of sitting.
For this year’s competition, designers and students were challenged to create sustainable chairs that meet the subtitled “Fit Right Here” criteria of Make good (Material conservation), Feel good (Physical comfort) and Look good (Emotional resonance).
Two chairs from Europe and one from a Florida designer are finalists in the competition, and the winner will be announced at the upcoming Las Vegas Market.
Select entries may be featured in Lance Hosey’s forthcoming book, “The Shape of Green: Aesthetics, Ecology, and Design.”

Furniture Buying Index rises to 57

The Furniture Buying Index rose two points this month to 57, reaching the same level as July’s reading.
Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, said, “Although the Furniture Buying Index rose slightly this month, it is well below the 70 point level retailers need to see strong traffic in their stores.”