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.

Leda Furniture debuts condo-scaled furniture collection

Leda Furniture will debut its "fresh" collection at High Point Market in April.
This new condo-scaled furniture collection features Zebrano veneers with complementing paint trim colors of silver, black and pink as well as Amaretto and Mahogany wood finishes.
“You always hear the furniture industry described as a fashion industry, yet whenever there is a new collection introduction it’s always in some shade of the safe brown and beige tones," said Marco Confalone, president of Leda Furniture. “It doesn’t matter what name you give the finish, it’s still brown. We wanted to showcase something fresh as part of our new introduction, hence the inclusion of the ‘pink & black’ bed option.”
Leda Furniture will debut "fresh" in High Point, N.C., at H-1112, IHFC Building.

Stanley Furniture's British Colonial, Bungalow styles bedroom furniture fan the flames of love

I don't know what it is about the tropics but that style of furniture makes me want to fall in love over and over again and never leave the bedroom. If you're lucky enough to have someone who feels the same way, invest in some romantic furniture and keep those flames of love burning.
Stanley Furniture Co. will introduce two new styles to its Classic Portfolio at High Point Market: British Colonial and Bungalow.

The British Colonial and Bungalow styles will join Stanley's European Cottage, Louis Philippe and Transitional furniture design offerings.
“The experience of owning fine furniture is sensory,” said Adam Tilley, vice president of product management. “Not only does fine furniture feel soft and luxurious to the touch, it has to be graceful. Your eyes should melt into the layers of finishes that glow in the light. These patterns were designed to envelope you in the total experience of finer furniture. The closer you study a piece, the more it should reward you.”
High Point Market will take place April 2-7, in High Point, N.C.

Institute for Supply Management reports rise in manufacturing index in February

The Institute for Supply Management's index of manufacturing activity climbed to 61.4 in February from 60.8 the previous month, which is the highest reading since it reached the same level in May 2004. The index indicates expansion in manufacturing, with February's new orders index rising to a seven-year high along with shrinking inventories and the highest level of order backlogs in a year. Export orders rose to the highest level in over 22 years, boosted by growth in developing countries like China, Brazil and India, according to the Institute for Supply Management.
Despite this expansion, commodity prices for raw materials rose for a third straight month, which may spark higher inflation and slow growth. The price increase was felt in the construction industry, as the US Commerce Department reported that spending by builders fell in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $791.8 billion.
"While there are many positive indicators, there is also concern as industries related to housing continue to struggle and the prices index indicates significant inflation of raw material costs across many commodities," said Norbert Ore, chairman of the institute's survey committee.

FurnitureLab announces table top design contest for trip to Las Vegas

FurnitureLab is hosting a national graphic table top design contest for the chance to win a trip to the Hospitality Design Expo in Las Vegas on May 18-20.
Contestants are encouraged to use collages, illustrations, artwork or photographs to illustrate what the contest theme of "travel" means to them and effectively display it on a table top. FurnitureLab staff will judge all entries and select a winning design to be displayed on a 24-inch table at the company's booth during the HD Expo. Entries will be judged on creativity, aesthetics and how well the design translates on a horizontal table surface.
Entry to the contest is free and the deadline for submission is Thursday, March 31. Visit FurnitureLab's website for contest rules or to submit an entry. The winning designer will receive free admission to the HD Expo, a special award during the show, a $500 gift prize to cover round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations in Las Vegas, a feature on FurnitureLab's website, and the actual table on which their winning design is displayed.
"We have been passionate about custom tables since the day we started because they let you make something that is truly unique," said Gregory Rapp, president of FurnitureLab. "This contest has been such an inspiring process and it reminds us that tables can do more than just support plates and elbows, but they can be a medium for expression, communication and truly make a place feel special."

Four furniture trends to make your home a personal retreat

More consumers are turning their home into a calm oasis, a respite from the chaos, according to Kelly-Moore Paint’s Top 10 Home Design Trends for 2011.“… Consumers have reached a point of 'frugal fatigue' -- they're ready to spend and take risks again in their homes, with a desire to revitalize, renew and restore their spirits. This shift is demonstrated in today's home design trends as we move towards a cleansing future," says Mary Lawlor, manager of color marketing at Kelly-Moore Paints.
A cleansing future…not sure, where she’s going with that, but here’s my take on her top four home design trends.
1. Home Design Element: Handcrafted goods. Handcrafted goods are experiencing a resurgence.
It’s a true fact that if you sprinkle glitter on anything it looks artsy.
2. Home Design Element: Furniture. Instead of designer couches or tables, homeowners will repurpose garage sale finds and family heirlooms.
Milk crates and lawn chairs they aren’t just for college anymore. Yippe.
3. Home Design Element: Imperfect natural materials. Nature's imperfections, such as wood flooring with knots and color imperfections in leather are now valued.
I believe this is called texture or distressing and people usually pay more for that.
4. Home Design Element: Furniture "Botox" -- or "Fotox". Families will make small upgrades around the home repurposing what they have. Lawlor calls this "furniture Botox" -- or "Fotox." Instead of buying a new piece of furniture, homeowners can upgrade existing ones -- a new slipcover or Granny's bureau painted high gloss black with decorative glittery knobs.
I’m not sure how much paint was huffed to come up with "furniture Botox." I’m guess this is where frugal fatigue sets in and you go out and buy something you really like. 

Furniture so down home you may never want to leave

Paula Deen, the patriarch of the Food Network, is taking a break from her Southern cooking to create a line of furniture so comfortable it’ll melt you like butter.
Known for her comfort food and southern charm, Deen is expanding her empire by collaborating with Universal Furniture to create pieces that are comfortable and casual with a bit of coastal style. Unlike some celebs who lend their name to a project, Deen helped design the collection and some of the pieces are similar to plantation antiques in her own home.
The Paula Deen Home collection includes furniture for the bedroom, home office, dining room, living room and home entertainment. The line’s wood furniture comes in a distressed tobacco finish, and accent pieces are available in painted finishes such as linen, Spanish moss and sea-oat.
According to Deen, life revolves around family and food—thow in some butter and I couldn’t agree more.

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.

Warning: Your next couch may be Magenta

Looking for clues to what may be the next “it” color—look no further than your local grocery store. Blue may be the world’s most popular color, but the one to watch for 2011 is actually Magenta, according to DayGlo Color Corp.’s Brand Action Team. Product packaging, paint, cosmetics and clothing are all indicators of color trends that will eventually show up in furniture.
Pantone is also jumping on the pink hue bandwagon, declaring Honeysuckle the 2011 color of the year. According to Pantone, Honeysuckle is upbeat and dynamic…a conversation stimulant when used on dining room walls. I can almost hear the conversation now…
Frightened dinner guest: “Oh, you repainted your dining room…it’s…uh, a bold choice.”
Trendy host: “Yes, the color elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.”
Frightened dinner guest: “Do you talk to Elvis, too?”
However, with bold color comes great responsibility. Pantone warns, once you try this arresting shade, it can become addictive. We may need a colorvention, an intervention for good colors gone bad.

Drop-side cribs banned in the US

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has banned in the United States any crib with a side rail that can be raised and lowered — also known as drop-side cribs. Hotels and daycare centers have two years to replace this style of furniture for a crib with four fixed sides.

Photogenic furniture designs

Looking for new ways to incorporate your favorite pictures into your space? Two designers, have created the Lumi Process, which uses photo-realistic images and prints or ingrains them in the fiber on natural materials (denim, wood and raw leather) in an eco-friendly way (no harsh chemicals or processing).
If you’re a luxist, then the Lumi Process isn’t for you. The process can only be used on materials that can handle heat such as polyester or polyester-coated goods. Kind of a buzzkill, but I can see this high-art process, which is currently used on furniture going low-brow commercial in the next 10 years.

Bamboo furniture gets an upgrade

No, this isn't the cheap bamboo furniture you remember from your dorm room. This is the good stuff.
Teragren and Vaughan Benz formed a partnership to create bamboo furniture for commercial applications in the hospitality industry.
Vaughan Benz will now offer bamboo cabinetry, tables and seating made with FSC-certified Teragren bamboo panels and veneer to hotels, restaurants and healthcare facilities worldwide. The partnership was announced at Greenbuild 2010, a conference and expo dedicated to "green" building.
“Our customers are increasingly asking us to find manufacturing solutions that are environmentally sustainable, including low-VOC and FSC-certified products. We are proud to partner with Teragren, as their leadership in providing environmentally friendly bamboo products for the woodworking industry is exemplary,” said David Benz, president of Vaughan Benz.

Furniture shipments gain 8 percent through Sept.

Smith Leonard's November Furniture Insights report showed mixed results for the wood and furniture industries year-to-date in 2010, with hope for improvement by next year.
A survey of residential furniture manufacturers and distributors done by Smith Leonard showed that year-to-date (January - September) shipments were up 8 percent over the same period one year ago. This year's shipment increase is in addition to the 19 percent gain from 2008 to 2009. Shipments were also higher by 6 percent in September 2010 compared with September 2009, which may relate to the arrival of imported products, according to Smith Leonard. Although new orders for September 2010 were down 3 percent from 2009, they rose 6 percent year-to-date in 2010.
According to the National Association of Realtors, existing-home sales declined 2.2 percent from September 2010 to October 2010 and are 25.9 percent below October 2009 levels, when sales surged prior to the initial deadline for the first-time buyer tax credit. Year-to-date, existing-home sales also fell by 2.9 percent to 4.149 million from the 2009 level of 4.272 million. The U.S. Census Bureau News reported a decline in sales of new single-family homes by 8.1 percent from September 2010 to October 2010, a 28.5 percent decrease from October 2009 levels. Although new home sales were down overall in three of the four regions of the country, new home sales were higher by 3.1 percent in the South.
“The housing market is experiencing an uneven recovery, and a temporary foreclosure stoppage in some states is likely to have held back a number of completed sales. Still, sales activity is clearly off the bottom and is attempting to settle into normal sustainable levels,” said Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors chief economist. “Based on current and improving job market conditions, and from attractive affordability conditions, sales should steadily improve to healthier levels of above 5 million by spring of next year.”

Congress recognizes U.S. hardwoods as sustainable and preferable

The Hardwood Council has announced that Congress has given its stamp of approval to the U.S. hardwood industry and U.S. hardwood products with the passage of Senate Resolution 411 and House resolution 81. The resolutions recognize hardwood trees grown in the U.S. as an abundant, sustainable and legal resource. Dept. of Agriculture data show that U.S. hardwood inventory has more than doubled over the past 50 years. Also, U.S. hardwood growth exceeds hardwood removals by a margin of 1.9 to 1. Net annual growth has exceeded removals continuously since 1952.

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.”

Color forecast with a case of the sads

Drum roll please…

All the paint companies are coming out with 2011 color and design forecasts but so far Behr is my favorite. The new collection "captures an eclectic mix of styles from quirky to the conservative." Oh, you had me at quirky!
The new collection features four distinct trend themes:
1. Boudoir Goth—With colors like Grayve Yard, Blood rose and Not so Innocent, what parent wouldn’t want to transform their child’s bedroom into a scene from True Blood?
2. Rock N’ Roll—Oh, this is my favorite (see picture above)! The fusion of masculinity with hard core rock n’ roll overtones just screamed for a visit from sad Keanu (can you find him?).
3. Tokyo Pop—Imagine Hello Kitty throwing up all over four walls and throw in some adult-swim for good measure.
4. Danish Twist—No, this is not a delicious breakfast treat from Duncan Donuts. It’s a sensory experience from Europe so it has to be good.

My, what a large desk you have

Desk size, like everything else in life…size matters.
The right sized desk is a key factor in long-term business success, according to research from Avanta Managed Offices.
Here are three questions to ask before purchasing a desk.
1. What do you need?
2. What shape do you need?
3. What will be on your desk?
 For inspiration, I’ve attached a photo of William Randolph Hearst’s desk. This is the desk that launched a publishing empire. Can you feel the power?

Fug or fab?

Besides a love of sitting, I have a strange affinity for chairs of all kinds. So, as I'm pondering Anthropologie's latest offering, the Calandria Armchair. I'm conflicted...do I love it or hate it? 

Behold inspiration!

Fall has hit the Midwest and being from a land-locked state (Lake Michigan doesn't count as an ocean), coastal living seems, in a word--awesome! check out Coastal Living's 2009 Seawatch idea house. It's full of beautiful millwork and the design is inspiring. My favorite room is the master suite and it wasn't an easy choice. What's your favorite room?

I blame 'Mad Men'

Yes, the 1960s' are back (cigarette smoke not included).