Archive for August 20th, 2007
Kenny Wallace parts company with Furniture Row Racing after two years with upstart project.
Hugely popular veteran driver Kenny Wallace has parted company with the #78 Furniture Row Racing Nextel Cup team after nearly two full seasons trying to get the single car outfit into the top 35 in Nextel Cup owner points.
The Barney Visser owned team has been one of the more successful single car start-up operations of the past four or five seasons with Wallace at the wheel but despite the best efforts of the driver/TV presenter, the only Colorado based team in the highest echelon of Cup Series racing have never made it out of ‘go or go home territory.’
Having qualified for 17 of 36 events in 2006 Wallace made the field for ten of the first 22 races of the 2007 season and leaves the team sitting 45th in the owner standings, ahead of four fellow full time outfits including Michael Waltrip’s #55 squad and the #84
Red Bull
Racing team of AJ Allmendinger.
Current Richard Childress Racing Busch Series driver Scott Wimmer will take the wheel of the #78 for this weekends race at Michigan.
August 20th, 2007
By STACY DOWNS
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
The hottest trend in furniture is hidden in the seat cushions.
Soybean-based foam is cropping up in sofas and chairs. The new product reduces the amount of petroleum used in polyure-thane foam, the core material in cushions. The innovation comes at a time of rising concern over petroleum prices and the availability of raw materials.
Norwalk Furniture, a custom upholstery maker and retailer based in Norwalk, Ohio, recently made the switch to foam containing soy for its standard sofas and chairs.
“It’s a major part of our green journey,” said Reyna Moore, director of sales and marketing for Norwalk, which also uses recycled wire and steel for its machine-tied coil seating systems and natural fibers for its covers.
Another large furniture manufacturer, Lee Industries of Newton, N.C., recently began using foam with soy in its natural Lee line, which also includes back and throw pillows made entirely of fibers from recycled bottles.
Other furniture makers such as Lane Home Furnishings also are beginning to use soy foam in their cushions. The new type of foam was born after Cargill, the agricultural products giant in Minnesota, and the Kansas Polymer Research Institute developed the product BiOH, a soybean oil.
Foam manufacturers such as Hickory Springs in Hickory, N.C., are now using BiOH. Hickory Springs’ soy-based foam, Preserve, is used in Norwalk Furniture and Lee Industries’ upholstered pieces. Flexible foam such as Preserve is made of two primary petroleum-based ingredients, polyol and toluene diisocyanate, that are mixed with water.
The first generation of Preserve foam uses 10 percent to 20 percent soy product, about 1 to 2 pounds of soy in a standard-size sofa. Foam made with larger amounts of soy emitted an odor, said Bobby Bush, Hickory Springs’ vice president of foam and environmental technology.
“It smelled like burnt popcorn,” Bush said. “Some people thought it smelled like burnt motor oil.”
But research continues, and the company expects to soon introduce odorless second-generation Preserve products that have a higher soy percentage. They will include a high-resiliency foam and memory foam, which can be used for mattresses.
Preserve performs similarly to traditional polyurethane foam, Bush said, meaning it breaks down at roughly the same rate.
This means Preserve is not totally green, but it is more environmentally friendly because it is made partly from soybeans, a renewable resource.
At this point it’s not cheaper to produce Preserve, Bush said. But as prices for petroleum continue to increase, the soy-based product is expected to be less expensive to make than traditional foam.
August 20th, 2007
THE Chamber of Furniture Industry in the Philippines (CFIP) presents Manila Now—the Philippine International Furniture Show (PIFS), to be held from March 5-8, 2008 at the SM X Convention Center, located right beside the Mall of Asia.
Now on its 12th year, Manila Now is the major platform of the CFIP to promote the Philippine furniture and furnishings industry to the global market by providing our Philippine furniture manufacturers opportunities to link with international buyers.
“With an indoor exhibition space of over 18,000 sq. meters, Manila Now received an overwhelming positive response from both past and present exhibitors. To date, over 75 percent of the available exhibition space and private showrooms have already been reserved or booked by manufacturers and exporters from all over the country,” said Eduardo Zuluaga, chairman of Manila Now 2008.
CFIP will embark on a massive international buyers campaign that will bring together both local and international trade and industry players to Manila composed of trade buyers, designers, importers, architects, wholesale distributors, retail chain buyers, specifiers, design professionals, and many more.
For more information on participating details of Manila Now 2008, please contact Global-Link Communications at Unit 1003 Antel 2000 Corporate Center, 121 Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City.
One may also send email to patrick.tan@globallinkph.com or visit www.manilanow.ph.
August 20th, 2007
California-based home décor retailer Totally Furniture experienced a notable increase in business over the past year and is working towards continuing that growth in the upcoming year.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) August 19, 2007 — Totally Furniture is proud to announce that sales have doubled from last year. As of June 2007, the company has quadrupled the size of its product line since December 2006. The selection of living room, dining room, office, and bedroom furniture, as well as other home décor products, now stands at more than 8000 items. New products are being added every week.
Totally Furniture is in the process of increasing staff by 50% to accommodate this rapid growth and preserve the highly-rated customer service and overall efficiency that the company is known for. Continued growth is expected in the following months, which is projected to translate into an increase of more then 200% by May of 2008.
In addition, Totally Furniture is now working with strategic traffic partners to generate additional business for their online store. These partnerships have already increased traffic to totallyfurniture.com by 1500 visitors a day thanks to improved search engine rankings. Additional such partnerships are already in the works for Totally Furniture. The company expects to add an additional 1200-3000 visitors a day and make it easier for Internet shoppers to find the kitchen carts, jewelry armoires, and other specific items they may be looking for.
About http://www.totallyfurniture.com: Totally Furniture is a family-owned business operating out of Los Angeles that provides quality home and office furniture to the public. Totally Furniture takes pride in offering excellent customer service and is pleased to be able to offer our customers a wide range of products, from simple barstools to complex gel fireplace units to elaborate sofa and loveseat sets, all at competitive prices. Totally Furniture believes in helping the community and donates 1% of all sales to non-profit and charity organizations.
###
Totally Furniture Inc.
Eddie Ben Abraham
(866) 847-4580
E-mail Information
Trackback URL: http://prweb.com/pingpr.php/VGhpci1Db3VwLUhvcnItSGFsZi1UaGlyLVplcm8=
August 20th, 2007
Just in time for the back to school season, Worthington Direct is selling popular classroom tables by Royal Seating at 20% off their already low price.
(PRWEB) August 17, 2007 — Worthington Direct (http://worthingtondirect.com), a supplier of school, church and early learning furniture and equipment for over 10 years is offering an end of summer table special to ring in the new school year. The best selling color-banded activity tables from Royal Seating (http://worthingtondirect.com/brands/royal_seating.htm) are on sale for 20% off the regular low price. Choose from five popular table sizes from their 2200 series color-banded tables:
24″x48″ Rectangular
30″x60″ Rectangular
30″x72″ Rectangular
48″ Round
66″ Horseshoe
Each top is a hefty 1 ¼” thick and is available in a Gray Nebula laminate surface. Then select from three of their colorful banding options:
Red
Yellow
Blue
The banding is a vinyl T-mold edge that matches the powder-coated paint on the legs to provide a colorful atmosphere for all age students. Choose the height that’s right for each student with either 15″-23″ or 19″-30″ legs that adjust in 1″ increments. Each table comes with a 25-year warranty from the manufacturer and a lifetime of exceptional customer service available from Worthington Direct at 800-599-6636. More Web Specials (http://worthingtondirect.com/appWebSpecials.cfm)
While shopping for tables, don’t forget to purchase matching stack chairs (http://worthingtondirect.com/school_furniture/chairs/1101_series_stack_chair_with_chrome.htm) and any other furniture product needed to make this school year the most successful yet.
Here are a few other tips to keep in mind in preparation for the back to school season from Worthington Direct’s Telesales Director, Wren Ovard. (http://www.schoolchurchfurniture.com/tips)
“Order now, order early! This is the season and if you don’t get your orders in now, your furniture may not arrive before the students. Remember that yours is not the only school needing new preschool or school furniture and planning to open within just a few short weeks. Don’t wait too long or your order may end up at the bottom of the pile.”
“Call us for chair & table height suggestions. Worthington Direct- 800-599-6636, M-F 8am-6pm
(http://worthingtondirect.com) One size does not fit all when it comes to school furniture. Discuss what age group the school furniture is intended for when placing the initial order to make sure you are selecting the appropriate size of furniture. There are a wide variety of products available that are designed for specific ages and activities such as computer desks and activity tables. Mistakes will be costly in time and money if the wrong size furniture is ordered.”
“Include summer delivery contact person & phone number. Not all schools are open every day all summer long. Make sure the order contains the contact information for the person responsible for receiving the furniture cartons. And by all means, let the responsible person know they will be contacted with delivery details, and that they are able to fulfill this obligation.”
“Need freight special services? Inside delivery, call before delivery, lift gate? Think ahead, isn’t that what we tell the students? This is also true when your furniture order is to be delivered. Make sure you and the delivery company has the same understanding of the delivery, time, place and circumstances. You do not want to be scrambling trying to get furniture onto a loading dock without the proper equipment. Not only do you risk damaging the new furniture, but also injury to your staff.”
“Inspect all cartons during delivery; don’t wait until school is back in session. Don’t assume anything. Take the time now, at the time of the delivery, to inspect the delivery cartons to make sure they are not damaged. If you wait until school is back in session to inspect the cartons and contents, and there is damage, you will not know when or how the damage occurred. By signing for the delivery, you are stating that the furniture was delivered properly and in good condition. If there is a problem, identify it at the delivery time and work towards appropriate resolution.”
School doors will open soon, so make sure your classroom is ready to host a thriving educational environment. Visit http://worthingtondirect.com today and order before the tardy bell rings.
About Worthington Direct: After spending over 10 years in the school supply, church and equipment industry, Worthington Direct (http://www.worthingtondirect.com) knows what is important — selection, service, price and timing.
Our goal is to make your purchasing job easier. With competitive pricing, knowledgeable sales associates, and “In Stock” products for quick, efficient shipping, Worthington Direct is committed to be your furniture resource. Schools and churches look to Worthington Direct for competitive pricing for school furniture, church furniture, preschool furniture, early childhood furniture, library furniture, desks, wholesale furniture, computer furniture, classroom furniture, chalkboards, office furniture, room dividers, storage cabinets, easels, display cases, cafeteria tables, activity tables, classroom desks, computer tables, desk chairs, lecterns, literature racks, office desks and risers among its large stock.
For more information contact Customer Service at 800-599-6636.
August 20th, 2007
NETTLETON — Nettleton-based furniture manufacturer PeopLoungers, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, has fought off an asset sale sought by some creditors.
Craig Geno, an attorney representing PeopLoungers, said Friday that an auction for the company’s assets “is on hold, at least temporarily … we’ll see how we do and see where we are.”
At a recent bankruptcy court hearing in Aberdeen. the Bank of New Albany, which has a lien on PeopLoungers’ land, equipment and building in Nettleton, argued for the asset sale. PeopLoungers’ legal team and others said it would be in the best interest of all to keep the company operating.
In addition, Capital Business Credit has infused several million dollars into the company to keep it running and said it opposed an asset sale.
“The lender has agreed to support us during this time frame, and we’d like to see how we do on our own without worrying about pressure to sell,” Geno said. “Now, if a really good offer comes through, we’ll certainly consider it, but we want to continue to operate. And we’ve got a chief restructuring officer who has a lot of experience.”
Chapter 11, the most common form of bankruptcy, frees a company from the threat of creditors’ lawsuits while it organizes its finances. Debtor’s reorganization plan must be accepted by a majority of its creditors. Unless the court rules otherwise, the debtor remains in control of the business and its assets.
PeopLoungers has about 425 employees at its Nettleton facility. It also maintains showrooms at the Tupelo Furniture Market and in High Point, N.C.
Motion furniture include items such as recliners, sleepers and items that recline, swivel, and massage.
In its bankruptcy filing, PeopLoungers said it owed its 20 largest unsecured creditors nearly $5.7 million. Sales had dropped from about $94 million in 2003 to about $50 million, according to company officials.
August 20th, 2007
FRUITLAND PARK - With a furniture consignment shop and an estate-sale business, Karen Loomis stays plenty busy.
Loomis, 53, owns Caren’s Classy Cottage Consignments, where she has about 2,000 square feet of “gently used” furniture and home decorations. The shop, at 3195 U.S. Highway 441-27, also has one-of-a-kind works by local artists and artisans.
People who want to sell can bring quality furniture, home decor, bedding and draperies to offer for consignment. Artists and crafters can bring work in to be considered.
Loomis’ estate-sale business is Move Made Easy. Loomis goes to the house to organize, display, price, advertise and sell the merchandise. Most estate sales take place to sell the home, Loomis said, so she even cleans the premises when an estate sale is over.
Being close to The Villages and surrounded by other retirement communities means a lot of business.
“There’s not a lot of competition,” she said.
Many people in senior communities need estate sales, and illness or disability can keep a person from handling their own.
“We do in-house estate sales. It’s for somebody who’s relocating or passed away, or has an illness,” Loomis said. “They need someone to sell all their items and handle what’s left. I’ve discovered this is such a senior community; there’s a big demand for someone to handle this for them.”
Any merchandise that didn’t sell in the initial estate sale may end up on consignment at Loomis’s shop, so the two businesses work together well.
She picks up merchandise for her shop regularly as well as having six to 10 estate sales a month.
Loomis doesn’t do it all herself. Her co-owner and husband, Roy Loomis, 58, helps, mostly in transporting merchandise. Roy Loomis’ full-time job is selling boats in Leesburg.
The couple renovated their storefront and commercial space before they opened, giving it a tropical, beach theme.
The shop is full of large sofas, dining room sets, beds with frames, living room chairs, electronic merchandise such as televisions, room dividers and much more. The artwork is throughout the shop, much of it with a tropical or beach theme.
“I think this shop is adorable, and especially with all the accessories,” said Elaine Lander of The Villages.
“In a lot of consignment shops you don’t see all these accessories. You can come in here and they’re likely to have everything you need.”
Sharon Fox, also of The Villages, said the shop is a plus for customers because they can both sell and purchase furniture and home decor.
“We need these places,” Fox said. “Everybody in The Villages is always redecorating.”
Loomis moved to Lake County from Oxford, Ohio, three years ago expecting to get into the furniture business.
She had been in the fine dining and nightclub business in Ohio for 15 years, owning and operating two establishments that offered both food and entertainment.
She moved to Central Florida to be closer to her mother, and she was ready for a career change.
“I had always wanted to get into the furniture business,” she said.
For both businesses, she works on commission.
For more information, call Loomis at 352-728-8500.
August 20th, 2007
Furniture Today,
HIGH POINT — Here’s how events have unfolded in the long-running case that led to U.S. antidumping duties on imports of Chinese wood bedroom furniture.
July 2003 – The American Furniture Manufacturers Committee for Legal Trade announces it will seek an antidumping investigation into Chinese-made wood bedroom furniture, and later files a petition to that effect with the U.S. government.
December 2003 – The U.S. Department of Commerce agrees to launch an investigation.
June 2004 – The government releases the preliminary results of the investigation. This established preliminary duties on wood bedroom furniture imported from China.
December 2004 – The government announces revised duties on these imports.
January 2006 – The U.S. Department of Commerce begins the first administrative review process of duty rates on Chinese bedroom furniture exports. The review covers shipments between June 24, 2004 and Dec. 31, 2005.
February 2006 – Petitioners submit a list of 56 companies to the DOC that it wants reviewed. Including requests from other sources, the DOC receives more than 100 requests for individual reviews.
March 2006 – The DOC releases a list of 107 factories that were chosen for review and begins the process.
June-July 2006 – The DOC identifies five Chinese case goods companies as “mandatory respondents” in the first review. The government considers the five to be the largest exporters of Chinese wood bedroom furniture. These five companies will determine the extent to which retroactive duties will or will not be paid by factories starting in the summer of 2007.
November 2006 – The DOC permanently eliminates Lacquer Craft duties, which originally were 2.66%. The parent company of Universal and Legacy Classic was one of the six mandatory respondents in the original antidumping investigation. This raises the Section A rate from 6.65% to 7.24% for 117 other companies.
December 2006 – U.S. Customs and Border Protection distributes $21.8 million in duties collected to the petitioners. It holds another $9.95 million due to pending litigation by Furniture Brands International and Standard Furniture, which were not petitioners but are seeking shares of the duties.
February 2007 – The DOC announces preliminary duties resulting from its first administrative review, covering the 2004 and 2005 periods.
March 2007 — The DOC initiates the second review, covering shipments made in 2006. It names 196 companies it will review.
August 2007 – Final results of the first administrative review are released, giving the final word on the 2004-2005 duties.
August 20th, 2007
There’s no shortage of virtual furniture showrooms - The Chronicle’s Two Cents contributors surveyed for this story had favorites ranging from big-box warehouse Costco ( www.costco.com) to wine-accessory specialist Wine Enthusiast ( www.wineenthusiast.com).
Features uniquely suited to furniture shopping included the unfiltered customer reviews at Overstock.com (a decent substitute for doing your own touchy-feely) and the custom cabinetry design-your-own tool at Room&Board. Inexpensive or free shipping, guaranteed satisfaction and delivery tracking - all features that were rare in the early days of the Web - can be found at many furniture e-tailers and should be considered carefully when comparing prices of identical goods.
Of course, all of the wise advice that applies to Internet shopping in general applies to Internet furniture shopping; with stakes so high, don’t even think about doing business with e-tailers that are not secure and do not have address and phone number in plain sight. Also be sure to examine delivery and surplus freight charges before finalizing a transaction, because these vary so widely among e-merchants.
Here’s a broad sampling of trustworthy U.S. sites that Bay Area readers might like to visit.
Room&Board
www.roomandboard.com: Minneapolis company with nine brick-and-mortar stores in the United States, including one in San Francisco.
Vibe: Modern and transitional furniture, with an emphasis on domestically produced and carefully crafted cabinetry and case goods. Median price for a full-size, fabric-upholstered sofa: $1,400.
What’s to like: The shopping is well organized, with categories and subcategories, and there are downloadable and printable guides to help sectional buyers configure their pieces. A flat, whole-house delivery fee ($69 for local customers, up to $199 for those in the boonies) encourages shoppers to buy volume. The Design Tools options help the user create custom pieces in the Linear collection. You can also order as many as seven free fabric swatches. “You’ll Love This With” offers suggestions for additional pieces.
What’s not to like: There’s not much here for the bargain hunter. And there’s been no shopping cart for completing purchases without a phone exchange; look for e-commerce on the site later this month.
Ikea
www.ikea.com/us/en: Swedish company with 31 brick-and-mortar stores in the United States, including two in the Bay Area.
Vibe: Modern furniture that tends to be light in weight and on the wallet. Just about everything boils down to a flat box or two. Median price for a full-size, fabric-upholstered sofa: $699.
What’s to like: Product information is extensive, with dimensions, materials, key features and often even environmental impact described in detail. The Web site lets you sort pieces by price, and you can click to see only those available online. With stores in Emeryville and East Palo Alto, the “check store availability” feature can save time for Bay Area shoppers. The Kitchen Planning tool is very cool and fun.
What’s not to like: You’ve got to go through the checkout process (a lot of typing) to find out the shipping charges. Pictures are stark and there’s generally just one image per product. There’s an automated assistant, “Anna,” who will answer questions typed by users, but in a test run, her answers seemed unreliable.
West Elm
www.westelm.com: Williams-Sonoma brand launched via catalog in 2002, now with 27 brick-and-mortar stores in the United States, including one in Corte Madera.
Vibe: Lots of mod, chunky, cubist furniture with a touch of Asian flair, seemingly targeted for the young. As with Ikea, just about everything comes in a box, but prices seem higher here. Median price for a full-size, fabric-upholstered sofa: $899.
What’s to like: Clear and detailed shipping prices and return policy (30 days for any reason, but after that there must be a defect in order to receive a refund). Lots of views of furniture, including room shots and swatches, with many options on sectional configurations spelled out. “May We Also Recommend” politely suggests things to go with what you’ve selected, and the sale button for discounted merchandise is prominent on the home page. Love the downloadable assembly instructions.
What’s not to like: Product info tends not to include countries of origin, and although the shipping and handling prices are spelled out clearly, they’re high.
Home Decorators Collection
www.homedecorators.com: High-volume, 16-year-old Missouri catalog company with seven brick-and-mortar stores in the Midwest.
Vibe: Well-priced, mostly traditional and transitional furniture (lots of Mission and cottage look), especially tables, bookcases and cabinets, that requires assembly on arrival. Median price for a full-size, fabric-upholstered sofa: $599.
What’s to like: Very well-organized site that makes it easy to narrow searches by colors, finishes, prices and even styles. Prices are very low, and there’s a big, separate, outlet site for discounted items ( www.homedecoratorsoutlet.com). Shipping prices come up when an item is placed in the cart, and there’s a simple order tracker.
What’s not to like: This site could really use a customer-review feature, because prices are low and many things look contemporary, yet it’s impossible to judge quality or get a very good look at the furniture. There isn’t a button that leads to the return policy or to customer assistance for assembly.
Overstock.com
www.overstock.com: 8-year-old Salt Lake City e-tailer with no brick-and-mortar stores.
Vibe: The selection is a mishmash of style and quality in a broad range of prices that Home and Garden buyer Lani Murakami has snapped up at volume discounts, and when the supply dwindles, the site creates a sense of urgency (LIMITED INVENTORY! Sell-out risk HIGH). Median price for a full-size, fabric-upholstered sofa: $2,149, but most of the sofas are leather.
What’s to like: Love the $2.98 shipping and the unfiltered user reviews, where buyers can, and do, speak their mind when a product doesn’t measure up to price, picture or description - and also when it exceeds expectations. Love the best-price guarantee and the easy shipment tracker.
What’s not to like: Manufacturers are not named, and often the country of origin isn’t named either. This is not the site to visit for room shots and decorating advice; deep discounts equal bare bones.
- Susan Fornoff
This article appeared on page F - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle
August 20th, 2007
By Kevin Kirkland, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Having a beautiful home or garden requires a lot more than the right paint, furniture or plants. Unless you have a great eye, you also need a design to pull it all together.
That’s the idea behind the Pittsburgh Design Fair for House and Garden, a new event Sept. 30 at The Priory’s Grand Hall on the North Side.
About 50 architects, landscape architects, interior designers, craftspeople, shops, nurseries and antiques dealers will offer their services, products and expertise in the reception hall, courtyard and dining room of this former Catholic church and rectory. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Deutschtown House Tour, featuring restored homes in a nearby historic district, will run concurrently with the event, and joint tickets will be available for $15 in advance. Fair-only tickets will be $5 in advance, $7 on the day of the event.
“We hope it will be a full day of inspiration about good design and where to find it in Pittsburgh,” said Tara Merenda of the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, which is organizing the fair.
The event is the brainchild of the CDCP and Post-Gazette staffers (the PG is a media sponsor along with WDUQ-FM). It’s partially inspired by the Old House Fair, a spring showcase featuring top local woodworkers, painters, other craftsmen and preservation products and services. Sponsored by Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, the event was last held last fall as part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual conference at the Pittsburgh Hilton.
But the Design Fair aims to be much broader, adding gardens, new construction and antiques while emphasizing the importance of project design. A speakers stage on topics ranging from urban landscapes to historic window replacement will run throughout the day in the adjacent dining room. Architects, designers and others will have exhibits and portfolios showing their work.
In the center of the Grand Hall, members of Chatham University’s landscape architecture department will display native plants and designs by students.
The majority of live plants will be in the courtyard, however. Fall is an excellent time to plant many trees, shrubs and perennials, and nurseries often discount these items then to clear out their stock. Fair-goers are likely to find discounts on these plants.
The Urban Gardener on the North Side will be among the exhibitors, selling fall-blooming flowers such as mums and asters and trees and shrubs with winter interest, including witchhazel, fothergilla, staghorn sumac and maybe a few Japanese maples, said co-owner Lynne Weber.
“This is a chance for us to reach city dwellers and do a little educating,” she said. “This is a great time for garden planning.”
Ms. Weber said they’ll have information on the garden center’s Side by Side program, in which staffers offer advice in plant selection, landscape design and, if the client desires, help in installation and maintenance.
“We want people to get the right plants. Often, they choose stuff that will outgrow its space too soon,” she said.
During consultations, Ms. Weber said, she’s seen dogwoods, rhododendrons and other plants that could have been beautiful but were hacked to keep them at a certain size.
Although spring is often the time when people think about home improvement, fall is also prime time to plan projects and line up architects, designers and craftsmen. Exhibitors will include woodworkers Wilson & McCracken, other members of the Western Pennsylvania Craftsmen’s Guild, and Kelly Custom Furniture and Cabinetry, both in Lawrenceville.
Owner Joe Kelly doesn’t usually participate in shows but saw the fair as a chance to introduce his work to the public.
“Many people don’t realize they can get furniture made that is not any more costly than what they find in a store. And it’s done right and will last a lifetime,” he said.
In addition to photos and his portfolio, Mr. Kelly expects to bring a few hand-painted room screens, samples of exotic wood veneers, and perhaps a table or two.
The CDCP will accept exhibitors’ deposits until Aug. 30. A 12-by-12-foot display space in the courtyard garden costs $250 and an 8-by-8-foot indoor space is $175. Two categories that could use more exhibitors are new construction and antiques. Artemis in Lawrenceville will be among the exhibitors offering “green” building products and preaching sustainability.
The Priory, which will sell refreshments and promote its hall for wedding receptions and other events, is the perfect venue for the fair because it is a prime example of recycled and reinvented space, Ms. Merenda said.
Architectural antiques, a key design element in many old houses, were a staple of the Old House Fair and are likely to be available at the fair. But furniture from various eras or design styles is also welcome. Because this is the first year for the event, Ms. Merenda said the CDCP is keeping an open mind on exhibitors.
The Downtown-based group will use this opportunity to showcase its RenPlan program, which offers homeowners a two-hour consultation with an architect or landscape architect for a fee of $150. The 11-year-old program was initially only for city residents but 3 1/2 years ago, it was expanded to all of Allegheny County.
Since the program began, CDCP professionals have worked on more than 2,000 projects, 150 already this year. Expert advice at the outset of a remodeling project, addition or garden plan can make all the difference, Ms. Merenda said.
“Our mission is to make good design accessible to communities in the Pittsburgh region.”
Post-Gazette home and garden staffers will staff a booth at the Design Fair, and winners of the Great Gardens and Renovation Inspiration contests will be on hand to offer advice and discuss their projects. The contests are co-sponsored by the PG and the Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania and CDCP, respectively.
For more information or to rent a booth at the Pittsburgh Design Fair, call the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh at 412-391-4144, or go to its Web site, www.cdcp.org.
Kevin Kirkland can be reached at kkirkland@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1978.
August 20th, 2007
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