Oh yes, bigger is better

Go big or go home.
Kindel Furniture Co. just shipped a gigantic round (12 feet in diameter) mahogany table for a December governmental dinner party in Kuwait. This mahogany masterpiece features 84 pieces of applied brass all around its apron with gilt leaf and a huge inlaid medallion with pieces of satinwood and ebony and at the center of the table. A rosewood inlay border completes the decoration.
The giant was built in two pieces and was completed in just eight weeks.
To prepare the table for its long flight, according to Mlive.com, it was dismantled into three pieces: the base, and the top’s two halves. The shipping crate is estimated to cost around $2,000 and is the size of a small house.
According to the furniture manufacturer, this is the most expensive piece of furniture it has ever produced out of its Michigan factory (Kindel pieces start at $10,000).
Maybe this is why gas prices are creeping up again?

August furniture orders down 12%

New furniture orders in August 2009 were 12 percent lower than August 2009, according to Smith Leonard’s Furniture Insights, a monthly survey covering the furniture industry.
However, new orders were 7 percent higher than July 2009 orders. Year-to-date, new orders are down 19 percent from the first eight months of 2008, down from 20 percent last month.
Year-to-date, 90 percent of survey participants reported lower orders compared to last year.
August shipments declined 18 percent from August 2008 but were 15 percent higher than July. The increase over July is normal considering, for most, July was a three-week month due to the vacation week. Approximately 90 percent of participants reported lower shipments in August.
Year-to-date, shipments remained 20 percent lower than the first 8 months of 2008. Approximately 93 percent of the participants reported lower shipments.
Backlogs increased 1 percent over July as orders exceeded shipments for the month. Backlogs were 7 percent lower than last August, down from a 13 percent decline reported in July.

Vintage with a modern twist

I have to admit it, I hate fall.

I like the colors and pumpkin flavored anything, but I hate what comes next--winter.

This vintage aluminum sofa with super chic modern fabric reminds me of better times (summer). As Chicago flirts with its first hard frost of the season, I will be dreaming of mojitos and hot summer days.

Furniture Buying Index remains flat

As of October 1, the Furniture Buying Index remains flat. Unemployment and job concerns are keeping the Furniture trends Index at the current level.
“With more consumers out of work and even more fearing for their job security, Americans are delaying big ticket purchases such as furniture,” according to Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group.
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.

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.