Old-school furniture manufacturing meets new media

Quality furniture is still manufactured in the United States, but to turn a profit one furniture maker is using the Web instead of traditional retail channels.
The retail-marketing model has served the furniture industry well; however, the people who make the furniture never got a chance to speak directly with the consumer. However, all that is changing thanks to the Web and social media.
CarolinaChair.com, is a direct-to-consumer custom furniture manufacturer that takes orders via their Web site and over the phone. The Hickory, N.C., based shop handcrafts one piece at a time and lets customers create the sofa, loveseat or chair that they want. Because the middleman is gone (the retailer) custom is more affordable. This is a smart business model and it’ll be interesting to see if other furniture manufacturers pull up their traditional marketing roots and try something new.

Furniture that actually is 'Made in the USA'

It’s hard to find anything especially furniture that is actually Made in the USA, until now. Pacific Hospitality Design Inc. is the first U.S. custom furniture and furnishing manufacturer to earn the license to use the Made in the USA Certified Seal. In an industry where outsourcing has become the status quo, it’s nice to see some manufacturing is still thriving in the US.
If you read the fine print on many items you buy, you’ll find phrases like designed in California or Assembled in the USA (clever marketing trickery). Made in the USA Certified is a non-partisan leader in independent third-party assurance verification for genuine ‘Made in USA’ products and services.

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.

Casegoods companies build on sustainable practices

La-Z-Boy casegoods companies American Drew and Lea Industries have achieved Sustainable by Design registration.
The American Home Furnishings Alliance’s Sustainable by Design program aims to create a culture of conservation and environmental stewardship with sustainable business practices, according to the association.
“… American Drew and Lea Industries have realized a 12 percent reduction in electrical energy used over the past two years,” said Stephanie St. Pierre, environmental and safety manager for the two companies.
The companies also are reducing water use, resulting in a savings of 3 percent, or 300,000 gallons, in the first year. Also, 140 tons of solid waste was diverted from landfills to a recycling center during the past year.
As part of the program’s audit, the companies established several goals, including:
*Supply chain management
*Energy conservation, water conservation, recycling and solid/hazardous waste minimization
*Use of low-VOC/low-HAP coatings, certified lumber, low-emitting UF resins
Kincaid Furniture, also part of the La-Z-Boy casegoods division, previously passed the sustainability audit and Hammary is slated to complete the program later this month.

Extreme makeover: Adirondack furniture

This is not your traditional sitting by the lake Adirondack-style furniture.
The Adirondack Museum asked six modernist and postmodern architects and designers and six Adirondack rustic furniture makers to create a new, modern aesthetic. The results of the collaborations have reinvigorated rustic furniture trends using traditional methods and materials.
The "Rustic Tomorrow" collection features a desk by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill consulting partner David Childs that was built by Wayne Ignatuck with red oak salvaged from his yard and walnut castoffs from a nearby farm. A table by Shope Reno Wharton Associates’s Allan Shope was constructed in black walnut by Judd Weisburg, according to Interior Design magazine.
Other contemporary designers include, Michael Graves, Nils Luderowski Architect and Dennis Wedlick Architect, and 20th Century Fox art director Thomas Cardone, according to Interior Design.
This exhibit will travel to:
Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute, Utica, New York — February 14 through April 19, 2009.
D. Wigmore Fine Art Inc., New York, New York — April 22 to May 6, 2009.
"Rustic Tomorrow’s" one-of-a-kind pieces will be sold at auction to benefit Adirondack Museum on May 6.

Fine furniture maker relocating to N.C.

No, the headline is not a typo. Ava Design, a start up high-end custom furniture manufacturer is relocating from New Jersey to North Carolina not China or the Philippines--North Carolina.
Owner, Matt Carfaro plans to start production during the first week of June in a former Belmont textile mill and display furniture at a South End showroom, according to the Charlotte Observer.
North Carolina has lost tens of thousands of furniture-making jobs over the past decade, mostly to Asian countries where labor is cheaper. The N.C. Commerce Department estimates the state now has 1,450 furniture companies employing 63,300 workers.
However, Carfaro wants to tap into a trained labor force. More than 65 experienced cabinet makers have applied for 15 jobs he plans to fill. In the future, he hopes to employ 35 to 50 people.
Ava Design is focusing on capturing the boutique furniture trend niche. The heirloom-quality furniture is made from American walnut and American white oak, and consoles, dining room tables and small tables can run from $600 to $3,600.
Made in the U.S.A will cost a bit more, but you get what you pay for.

Eco-friendly, affordable custom cabinets

Designing a green kitchen doesn’t mean sacrificing style or breaking the bank.
Robin Wilson Home is licensing its name for a line of affordable, eco-friendly custom cabinetry made in the U.S.A. by Holiday Kitchens. The line will launch at the April 2009 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show in Atlanta. The eco-conscious line features more than 100 door styles in green materials, such as bamboo, coconut, wenge and stainless steel. Classic hardwoods like cherry, maple and oak also are available. The manufacturer uses low-volatile organic finishes, paints and stains, and the frameless custom cabinetry has 10 percent more usable storage space compared to traditional framed cabinetry, according to the company.
Another area to consider is how the cabinets are made. And it’s hard to not be impressed with Holiday Kitchen’s green manufacturing principles. According to the company, its manufacturing process uses computerized cutting methods to reduce waste and 100 percent of its wood waste is recycled into cutting boards, animal bedding and landscape materials. Its cabinet lines also use sustainable woods and reconstituted veneer.
I guess it is easy being green.

Dangerous curves

Queue the porn music: bam chicka wah wah
Thos. Moser has taken a Best of Year (BoY) award in Interior Design’s annual design competition for its Pasadena side and arm chairs.
Finalists were selected by interior designers and architects with an online vote in October, and winners were determined by a jury of architects and designers.
A modern, geometric hourglass defines both the Pasadena chairs, with only one straight angle on the chair, where the back and seat joint are reinforced.
Made in the USA has never been sexier! Bam chicka wah wah

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.