Archive for July 5th, 2007
Posted (admin) in News on July-4-2007
Office Depot announces that Richard Diamond has joined the company as Vice President, Furniture.
He will head-up Office Depot’s industry leading furniture category, which includes the exclusive Christopher Lowell Furniture Collection, Chateau Provence line, Office Depot Brand furniture, and a number of other assortments.
Mr. Diamond brings over 20 years of merchandising experience to Office Depot, most recently as Chief Operating Officer for Harvey Lewis Designs, located in Hong Kong. Prior to that, he held senior level positions at H2O Furnishings, OfficeMax and Burdines (Federated). Richard Diamond holds a Bachelors degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
July 5th, 2007
Magniflex, one of the world’s largest luxury mattress brands, announced that they have expanded distribution in the Metro Washington area through a retail program at Healthy Back showrooms.
Known for its innovative mix of ergonomically designed products that help relieve back and neck pain, Healthy Back will be carrying Magniflex’s dual comfort Magnifico line. The dual core mattress is considered a solution for couples that have different comfort preferences, yet want to sleep together on one mattress.
In queen, king and California king sizes each mattress incorporates two cores, each with a “softer” and “firmer” side to the blocks of foam. Consumers are able to easily unzip the ticking and flip the blocks to the desired comfort zone.
“We traveled the world in search of the finest sleep system- and we found it,” Healthy Back posted on its website as it launched the new line. “We proudly offer you the best of - Magniflex! We are proud to introduce an innovative new sleep system made for healthy back by Magniflex in Italy. This distinctive sleep system combine bespoke tradition with the latest technical advances to create a luxurious sleep experience – personalized for you (dual core).”
“Henry Burney, who heads the national sales effort for Magniflex in the United States, heralded the Healthy Back relationship as a key one in the evolution of the brand.
“Washington and its affluent suburbs is a very important market for us. The ability to team with a respected brand like Healthy Back facilitates our entry into this key market,” said Burney.
Founded over 50 years in a suburb of Florence, Italy, today 20 million people in 45 countries sleep on Magniflex mattresses. Known as the world leader in quality, comfort and innovation, its central manufacturing facility produces up to 10,000 mattresses a day, 80-percent of which are exported to countries such as Japan, Spain, Germany, Russia and now, the United States. Magniflex recently opened a showroom at 59 Crosby St. in Manhattan and a national dealer network throughout the United States. For more information on Magniflex products visit www.magniflex.us or call 1-888-642-4800.
July 5th, 2007
By Kelly Edwards / CTW Feature
Unless you live in a spacious home equipped with a formal dining area, smaller tables are the latest trendy eating option, and are quickly turning the busiest room in the house into a quaint conversation area.
Large, rectangular tables that used to fill a room are being substituted for less predictable choices. Small bistro tables, high bar tables, squares and ovals are becoming the norm in design.
Frank Fontana, Hollywood, Calif., an interior designer, attributes some of the shift to technology. “Technology has totally changed the family dynamic. Families are now chatting via E-mail and text messages. The whole twelve-person dinner party has now been downsized to two or three. People are swapping out their over-sized dining tables for smaller more realistic choices.”
Busy lifestyles are also causing fewer folks to make dinner a formal affair. “Homeowners are always on the go. Their homes are being divided into multi-use spaces. Islands are being used for food preparation, socializing and catching up at the end of the day.”
Like technology, square footage has also played a leading roll. “As the cost of living increases, square footage is being decreased. Condos and apartments are taking the place of homes.” Frank adds. “Ultimately, one great room has assumed the role of a multi-functional space.” As a result, fewer homes come equipped with a formal dining space, which has made smaller, shapelier tables a must-have for smaller spaces.
For Jeff Radomski, Chicago, an independent furniture designer, it’s all about making functional and appealing tables that add visual detail to smaller spaces. “I currently have a client that requested a square table. With her smaller space she needs something that she can use for a dinner party but small enough that it can be tucked into the corner. Squares are perfect for that. Renters also prefer smaller tables. They are versatile for moving and storage,” he says.
Whether your home is six thousand or six hundred square feet, your dining table choice should fit appropriately with the scale and shape of the room. Tables should allow at least two to three feet on either side for foot traffic, and enough room to accommodate chairs. Unlike large tables, smaller tables like bistro or bar-height tables can be positioned against the wall for more floor space, and pulled out to allow more seating.
Circle tables encourage conversation with guests and are more intimate, while squares pushed up against the wall can become an office by day, table by night.
Whether you need round and regal or something more appropriate for the modern multi-tasker, start by browsing on your local furniture stores, and then assess your space, pick the perfect shape and start shopping.
Pick the right one and table just might be the topic of your next dinner party.
Copyright © CTW Features
July 5th, 2007
By Candice Olson
HGTV
Kim and Peter live in a ranch-style house with their two daughters, Sarah and Christie. From the outside, their home looks like the others in the neighborhood, but inside they had a kitschy kitchen that hadn’t seen a renovation since the 1950s.
The room was so authentic to its time period that their kitchen had actually been used in several TV commercials.
Despite the family’s love of retro, their cramped old kitchen was just not cutting it any longer. They desperately needed an efficient space. They not only wanted a kitchen in which to cook for family and friends, they needed a proper, commercial space in which to test recipes for their specialty foods business.
The kitchen includes an eat-in area, so only half of the room was usable as prep space. So, I had the wall between the kitchen and the adjoining dining room knocked down to create a big, open area. Now the kitchen is free and clear for food-prep and cooking; and the dining room end is still usable for eating and entertaining.
I wanted to update the space, but still have it blend in with the rest of the house, so I decided on a design that merges the modern and the traditional. Since the kitchen was going to be part residential and part commercial, I decided to divide the room into two main areas: a family cooking area and a business test/prep area.
In the family area, I worked in a whole wall with new state-of-the art double ovens, two fridges and tons of pantry space. Across from this wall I put in another prep counter in modern black quartz with a large sink and a storage area. I also installed a peninsula that has an integrated cooktop with an automated, pop-up ventilation system.
All of the mixing and testing for the company recipes will happen in a different area of the kitchen so that the business doesn’t consume the family/pleasure side. I created a prep area with a long, funky stainless steel counter, a big sink with integrated drain board, and a stunning backsplash of glass mosaic tiles.
I then designed a little office nook with a desk and a custom-built dark wood wall unit that contains open storage for all of Kim and Peter’s cookbooks.
To maintain the balance between the modern and traditional, I installed two different types of cabinetry - white cabinets with recessed panels and polished chrome handles, and dark wood cabinets with moldings, leaded glass and classic cabinet pulls.
I painted the walls in several shades of soft blue, put down concrete-like material on the floor in a striped pattern of light and dark gray, and added accents in blues, grays and browns to match the rest of the room.
With the kitchen done, the dining room needed some adjusting to match. I kept the dining room table, but purchased some traditional chairs upholstered in a chic blue fabric. New draperies here combine light sheers and blue drapery panels.
To light up everything, I added recessed lights and a few new chandeliers. I then added a dash of crisp chrome and retro-style decorative accessories, and the rooms were complete.
This outdated kitchen was hungry for an update. Now Kim, Peter and the girls can cook, entertain and run their business with ease.
Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV’s “Divine Design.” For more ideas, information and show times visit www.HGTV.com or www.divinedesign.tv.
July 5th, 2007
Triad -
If you find yourself choosing between stylish and sturdy when selecting casual dining, lounge, classroom or waiting room chairs, be prepared to break that habit with a new champion of seating. Beaufurn (www.beaufurn.com), a high-quality commercial furniture supplier for restaurant, hospitality, airport, leisure and institutional markets, introduces its new Split collection of versatile indoor/outdoor chairs and barstools that’s both strong and smart-looking.
The Split chair has passed both industry-standard endurance and stability test, making it the perfect choice for applications where patrons are likely to test the limits of your seating. The slim, tubular steel frame, suitable for indoor or outdoor use, is available in either aluminum or black powdercoat finish; the frame also comes in chrome for indoor applications. The seat is polypropylene, a virtually indestructible material available in 10 contemporary colors: anthracite, red, bordeau, black, silver, translucent white, white, ivory, orange and translucent green.
The Split collection includes a side chair (SA-298), arm chair (SA-299), barstool (SAB-298) and 16-chair capacity rolling storage cart (SA-298CART).
“The Split collection has endless possibilities. The chairs and barstools work well in a wide variety of applications – from outdoor casual dining to corporate meeting spaces and classrooms. The rolling cart adds a nice convenience, to keep extra seating on hand for occasional or overflow use,” said William “Bill” Bongaerts, President, Beaufurn, LLC.
NOTE: High resolution, color images of these products are available for publication. Please contact Karen Murray at Karen@myteamofexperts.com.
About Beaufurn, LLC
Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Beaufurn, LLC supplies high-quality, innovatively designed furnishing solutions to hotels, restaurants, universities, airports, food courts, coffee shops and commercial customers worldwide. Its nationwide clients include The Cheesecake Factory, Mrs. Fields/TCBY Stores, Verizon Wireless/Cellular Sales, Universal Studios, Walt Disney, Steve Wynn Casino, Sea World and McDonald’s. Call 336-768-2544 or visit www.beaufurn.com for more information.
July 5th, 2007
AmericanChairs.com, a leading online retailer of 1950’s diner chairs, retro tables, retro booths, and bar stools, now offers retro turntables.
New York City, NY — (SBWIRE)http://www.AmericanChairs.com, a leading online retailer of 1950’s diner chairs, retro tables, retro booths, and bar stools, today announced an expansion in its product line to now include retro turntables made by Crosley.
“The designs showcased in Crosley’s retro turntables are a perfect blend of style and function, making them a natural fit within the American Chairs product line,” stated American Chairs spokesman, James Cobble. “Customers searching for classic décor and retro furnishings will be pleased with the addition of these retro turntables, which are known for quality craftsmanship and vintage-inspired designs,” concluded Cobble.
The retro turntables made by Crosley are antique replicas of turntables from the 1940s and 1950’s and are ideal for pure audio enjoyment of records, cd’s and radio. As one of the world’s largest radio manufacturers, Crosley has been in business since 1920. Representing a delightful dose of nostalgia, these retro turntables represent a fabulous combination of quality listening and classic styling.
Expanding retro style offerings to include other classic furnishings enables AmericanChairs.com to provide superior craftsmanship, while solidifying customer retention and satisfaction. Customers looking for other retro items reminiscent of the 1940’s and 1950’s will now have unique accessories to pair with their retro seating for a truly classic dining experience. For more information and to view the entire selection of retro turntables, please visit http://www.americanchairs.com/turntables.html.
About American Chairs, Inc
American Chairs, Inc is an online retailer of 1950’s style seating, including diner chairs, bar stools, retro diner booths, retro diner tables, custom logo bar stools, Harley Davidson® and Coca-Cola® furniture, and now retro electronics. Providing quality classic retro diner furniture for thousands of homes and businesses nationwide, the company prides itself on making comfort and style as important as functionality. American Chairs, Inc is 100% U.S. owned and operated offering commercial grade products manufactured in the USA. Founded in 2002, American Chairs, Inc is a privately held firm, with headquarters in New York, NY. For more information, please visit www.AmericanChairs.com.
retro turntables: http://www.americanchairs.com/turntables.html
July 5th, 2007
— Furniture Today,
LENOIR — Furniture Brands International is celebrating the life and achievements of Paul Broyhill with an appreciation event Monday at one of the Broyhill factories here.
Paul, 82, is the son of James Broyhill, who founded the company in 1912.
Paul Broyhill, a member of the American Furniture Hall of Fame, was in charge of the company when he pushed to sell Broyhill to Interco, the predecessor of Furniture Brands, in 1980. He said afterward that his father had eight brothers and sisters, four children, 18 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren, which led to too many family shareholders.
In the past few years, Broyhill has been retired and not involved in the company bearing his name.
Broyhill Furniture Inds. will welcome him at the plant at One Broyhill Park at 10:45 a.m. Monday. Rolling out the red carpet, the company will greet him with music, presentations, speeches and an employee luncheon. Some longtime employees will bring memorabilia to the event.
July 5th, 2007