Playhouse furniture that puts your sofa to shame

Money can’t buy you love, but tens of thousand of dollars can buy you a mini playhouse mansion complete with petite custom furniture.

These tricked out playhouses can feature air conditioning, electricity, running water and 8-foot-tall ceilings for any adults who stop by. Custom upholstered furniture is also a must have along with kitchen accessories, rugs and window treatments. These playhouses are nice and bigger than any apartment I've ever lived in.
The barbarians are at the gate.

2011 Fresh Wood Student Woodworking Competition accepting entries until May 2

The Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers is now accepting entries for the 2011 Fresh Wood Student Woodworking Competition. The competition, which will be showcased at the 2011 AWFS Fair, July 20-23, in Las Vegas, has six categories at both school levels: case goods, chairs, open, production/contract, reproduction and tables. Entries will be rated by a panel of ten judges who represent different aspects of the woodworking industry:
*Margaret Casey, director of programming for the World Market Center in Las Vegas and president of the Sustainable Furnishings Council Board of Directors;
*Andy Glantz, owner of Zenith Design and current president of the board of trustees of The Furniture Society;
*Alan Harp, an Atlanta-based furniture designer and former instructor of the Georgia Tech Advanced Wood Products Laboratory;
*Garry Knox Bennett, an Award of Distinction winner from The Furniture Society and Fellow of the American Craft Council;
*Greg Larson, director of the New England School of Architectural Woodworking;
*Merry Mabbett-Dean, owner/interior designer of Absolute Office of Oregon and a Fellow and past president of the International Furnishings and Design Association;
*Juan Morales, principal/VP operations of Contract Resources/Villa Hallmark;
*Jason Phillips,vice president and creative director of Phillips Collection;
*Marc Spagnuolo, owner and creator of TheWoodWhisperer.com; and
*David Wade, master craftsman at Maloof Woodworking.
The competition is open to full-time students in an accredited high school or post-secondary woodworking or related program and part-time students in an accredited post-secondary woodworking or related program that are transitioning into a career in woodworking or design. Entry applications will be accepted until May 2, 2011.

Furniture for the kitchen

Englishman’s Fine Furnishings, makers of European-style antique reproduction furniture, officially announced its new furniture-quality, custom kitchen line in a fully expanded showroom at AmericasMart Atlanta. The new kitchen line, named Englishman’s Kitchens & Fine Custom Cabinetry, is part of an overall showroom expansion to include a total 9,300 square feet of display space. Englishman’s was launched based upon the company’s long-standing business of building custom furniture.
“We had received many requests for custom kitchens reminiscent of our English- and European-style furnishings,” says Mike Howarth, owner and president. “Since other businesses in the Mart were not offering this type of built-in cabinetry, we knew it would be a good opportunity to create custom kitchens for designers and their clients.”

AWFS 2011 Fresh Wood Student Competition now accepting entries

The Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) is accepting entries for the 2011 Fresh Wood Student Woodworking Competition as part of the AWFS Fair, scheduled for July 20-23, 2011, in Las Vegas.
The competition is open to full-time students in an accredited high school or post-secondary woodworking or related program, and part-time students in an accredited post-secondary woodworking or related program who are transitioning into a career in woodworking or design. The deadline for entry applications is May 2, 2011.
The competition has six categories at both school levels: case goods, chairs, open, production/contract, reproduction and tables. Entries will be rated by a panel of judges that represent different aspects of the industry and those scores will determine the finalist pieces that will be displayed at the AWFS Fair. The final judging will be held July 19 at AWFS Fair, where awards will be given for first and second place winners in each category, at both school levels. A Best of Show award will be selected among all first place winners and the winner’s school will receive the Larry Hilchie School Grant Award. Fair Attendees will also have the opportunity to vote on the People's Choice award.
All forms and guidelines for the 2011 Fresh Wood Competition are available online or by contacting Adria Torrez of AWFS at 800.946.2937.

My kind of ‘eye candy’

Rowe Fine Furniture created the world’s most delicious custom candy chair for the April High Point Market. This sweet seat is covered in hundreds of pieces of chocolates, gumballs, Life Savers, Tootsie Rolls, orange, lemon and lime candy slices, jelly beans, Starbursts, peppermints, candy buttons and giant lollipops—just to name a few.
This gives new meaning to please don’t touch the furniture.

Own a piece of the ‘King of Pop’

Twenty-two pieces of lavish, over-the-top furniture commissioned for Michael Jackson’s Kent home are hitting the auction block.
Unless you live in a cat house in Nevada or are a legend in your own mind, I’m not really sure if this hand carved, gilt wood, three seat sofa topped with crown, upholstered in red velvet with metallic thread crown over double headed eagle embroidery makes sense. The retail price of this gem, a mere $73,000.

Residential furniture orders don't retreat in October

I would like to interrupt this recession with a bit of "good" news.
For the first month since October 2007, new orders for residential furniture were not lower than the same month a year ago, according to Smith Leonard's most recent Furniture Insights survey of residential furniture manufacturers and distributors.
October 2008 was the first month that year in which orders fell 20 plus percent, but for October 2009, 41 percent of survey participants reported increases in orders from the previous year, up from 33 percent in September and 20 percent in August.
Year-to-date, new orders were 16 percent lower than a year ago, compared to 18 percent in September and 19 percent in August. Currently, 93 percent of those surveyed are reporting lower orders compared to the same period a year ago.

NKBA unveils 2010 kitchen, bath trends

Even though the economy is sputtering, kitchen and bathrooms continue to be rooms that homeowners want to trick out, update or gut. Here’s what the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is predicting for 2010 kitchen and bath trends based on surveys from its members.

Traditional is cool again. Traditional is the most popular kitchen design style but contemporary isn’t far behind. Shaker cabinets are experiencing a strong resurgence and neutral tones are favored. Shades of white and off-whites are the most popular kitchen colors and brown, beige and bone hues are also finding favor.

Cherry rules. Cherry is the most popular wood for kitchen cabinetry followed by maple and alder is also gaining ground. For finishes, medium natural, dark natural, glazed and white painted are preferred. Other colors of painted cabinetry and light natural finishes are in decline including distressed finishes.

Tile trumps wood. Ceramic, porcelain tiles and natural stone remain popular for kitchen floors. As for countertops granite is still the most favored, edging out quartz. For backsplashes, ceramic, porcelain tile and glass are most wanted.

Cabinet trends. When pitching a new kitchen design, here are a few options to mention: under counter refrigeration and dishwasher in a drawer. Both will require special cabinetry and electrical and plumbing considerations.

Bathrooms

Traditional beats edgy. Maybe it’s the economy or maybe people don’t want industrial looking bathrooms anymore. Traditional is the most popular design style for 2010 with a neutral color scheme.

Hard surface flooring. Ceramic and porcelain tile is the dominate flooring material for bathrooms this year including natural stone. For vanity tops granite is king but quartz and marble are also popular options.

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.”

Are you more talented than a 12th grader?

Before you answer, check out the 2009 Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge Woodworking Competition Grand Prize winner (see above), Andrew Prioli, a graduating high school senior in a WoodLINKS program at Cedar Ridge High School, Hillsborough, N.C. Prioli earned the top honor and $3,000 for “Inverurie,” a walnut dining room table with inlays of curly maple, cocobolo, maple burl and walnut burl veneers depicting three stallions and Celtic knots. Certainly Wood, distributor for the project, received a cash award of $2,000, and salesman Jim Carroll received $1,000, in recognition of their participation in the supply chain.
“We were very impressed with the caliber of the student work. They gave the pros a real run for the money,” says Will Sampson, editor-in-chief of CabinetMaker magazine, one of three judges for this year’s competition that rewards excellence in woodwork featuring natural veneer and wood product applications. “This speaks well for the future of the industry. We all should be looking over our shoulders at the up and coming talent.”
Prioli is headed to the Rhode Island School of Design in the fall aiming to be a furniture design major. He also was a 2008 Craftsman’s Challenge honorable mention winner in the Student Designs category.
This year’s competition category winners, each receiving $1,000, are:

*Architectural Woodworking, Fetzer Architectural Woodwork, Salt Lake City, for the Alice Tully Hall at the Julliard School of Music, designed by Diller, Scofidio & Renfro
*Cabinetry, Paul and Robin Mann of Paul Mann Custom Boats, Manns Harbor, N.C., for the sportfish yacht, Ann Warrick
*Furniture, John W. Harper of EMC Woodworking, Phoenix, for “Office Piece;” in Specialty Items, for the second year in a row, Geoffrey Kaiser aka Tockhwock, and Bruce Grimes, Santa Rosa, Calif, for “Sunset on the Aegean,” a reproducing grand piano
*Store Fixtures, Mark Ramsey of Tahiti Cabinets Inc., Anaheim, Calif., for “Something Silver;”
*Student Designs, Michael Poorman, Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C., for the dinner table “A Poor Man’s Legacy.”
*Honorable Mention, In recognition of his striking use of marquetry, Chuck Sharbaugh of Sharbaugh Woodwork, Holly, Mich, received a special judges’ plaque for his furniture entry, a standing cabinet titled “Tribute.”
The Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge entries for 2010 will be accepted beginning September 30, 2009. The results of next year’s competition will be announced at the IWFshow in Atlanta, Ga. CabinetMaker+FDM magazine again will be Craftsman’s Challenge partner sponsor.

Eco-friendly elegance rewarded

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry awarded Superior Woodcraft Inc. 2009 Contractor of the Year in the category Residential Interior Under $100,000.
The library is an exquisite blend of luxury and sustainability. The project used ESP-certified (KCMA Environmental Stewardship Program) custom cabinetry from plantation grown lyptus (a highly renewable hardwood), domestic core no-added urea formaldehyde plywood, rapidly renewable cork paneling, low VOC finishes, as well as products and processes recognized and approved by the Forest Stewardship Council.
This green modern media room has all the trappings of a traditional library including wainscot paneling, cabinetry, and a coffered ceiling, which seamlessly integrates with state-of-the-art media. The contest was judged by an independent panel of industry experts who looked at functionality, problem solving, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation and degree of difficulty.

The Ferrari of wine cellars

When a bottle of wine costs more than what many people make in a week, a cheap wire rack just won’t do.
Revel Custom Wine Cellars provides high-end collectors a new spin on displaying and storing prized wine collections. Uninspired by traditional diamond bins and standard cork out storage racks, owner, James Cash designed a system that makes the wine the star not the rack.
Revel’s design uses dowel-bottom sliding drawers and carousels, which creates airflow between bottles and reduces wood consumption. It also provides improved bottle visibility and ease of access. All shelves higher than eye level can be stocked with labels facing downward, allowing them to be seen from below.
Similar to kitchen cabinetry, the design uses base units and upper units. Each unit contains a series of sliding drawers that holds multiple bottles as opposed to a matrix of stationary, single-bottle cubicles. Revel’s base units can accommodate either individual bottles or boxes, and are 25 inches deep. Upper units can either be hung from the wall or stacked upon the base unit and are available in 17 inches or 25 inches deep.
The Wine Wheel available in a base-unit height or in a floor-to-ceiling model can accommodate up to 18 standard bottles and operates like a Lazy Susan. The Wine Wheel allows collectors working with limited space to make efficient use of corner space that would otherwise be wasted.

Deep-seated eco silliness

Swiss artist and furniture designer Michel Bussien is an environmental matchmaker of sorts — his recent creation the “The Growing Chair” offers humans a reintroduction to nature.
A fast growing Willow tree and a Russian vine is planted into a chair-shaped plastic greenhouse. The Willow tree forms around the chair supporting the structure and the vine helps hold everything together.
When the flora outgrows its lush greenhouse, it can be snapped open and removed.
Awkward introductions aside, this living chair shows that environmentalists maybe have a sense of humor??!
According to the artist’s Nature Manifesto:
“… To move further we need to incorporate the living matter that surrounds us. Let us use the complexity of living nature and include it in our creations. These creations will then redefine the way we reconstruct nature. Only then will we truly move forward…”
Then again, maybe not.

If you've got it, spend it!

While Angela Jolie collects orphans, her other half, Brad Pitt collects high-end (not child friendly) contemporary furniture. During his shopping spree at Design Miami/Basel he purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars of contemporary furniture.

Here's a sampling of what he purchased:

I can’t help but wonder what this stuff will look like after it’s been exposed to their child army. Kudos to Brad Pitt for keeping the high-end furniture market rolling!

Recession Smession: DVF boutique channels white hot glamour

Design maven Diane Von Furstenburg has never been afraid to take risks—including expanding her brand in a recession.
DVF recently teamed with Storetech+Co to create a posh, high-style shopping experience. The design focal point, a custom Swarovski chandelier features suspended crystal droplets against a contemporary white interior. The soft metallic finish absorbs and softly reflects a continuously changing color palette. Adding to the glamour are Venetian plaster ceilings and gleaming white terrazzo flooring adorned with exotic skin rugs.
Plasma screens are strategically placed to showcase DVF runway shows, and her designs and accessories are shown on floor-to-ceiling custom millwork throughout the boutique.