Archive for September 10th, 2007
Wichitan finds unique items in remote country markets in China
Richard Carter,For the Times Record News
“Growing up, we were always told if you dug a hole in your backyard, you might just come out in China. Completely on the opposite side of the world,” said Marcia Bernhardt, owner of Eastern Treasures antiques. “China was a country that never in my wildest dreams I would have thought I’d go.”
Now Bernhardt visits two or three times a year for three weeks or more at a stretch. Not a tourist, she buys antique Chinese furniture, art, jewelry and decorative collectibles to sell at her store at 620 Ohio, in the heart of the Depot Square historical district.
She opened her shop in 2005 after starting to sell jewelry from the Far East in her home a year earlier. Her antique shop is now stocked with items that date back as far as 1820. Many of her furniture pieces date from 1910 to 1920.
While many governments are picky about what leaves their country, the Chinese allow objects and items under the age of 200 years to be exported. “They don’t consider that old,” she said.
In America, 75 years old is generally considered an antique. “I cannot even use the word antique in China because they think Ming Dynasty,” she said with a laugh.
She feels lucky to have discovered China while accompanying her husband on his extended business trips to the country. Seeing sides of China that most tourists never see, she fell in love with the country, the people and the heritage.
Fascinated with the pottery, the furniture, the art and the jewelry, she learned a great deal about art and antiques from traveling, reading and visiting museums.
Her favorite is the Shanghai museum. “It has wonderful exhibits of porcelain, of bronzes, of costumes, of furniture.”
Bernhardt began bringing home small gifts for her friends, who then tried to talk her into starting a business importing them. Formerly a fashion buyer, she had originally left the working world to raise her children.
But with her children growing up, it was the Chinese magnetic jewelry she discovered that brought her back into business. “It was brand new, and I had never seen it before,” she said. “I got it for gifts, and everyone said I needed to bring it over and sell it.
“I really tried to get someone to talk me out of it.” But, it turned out that everyone instead asked Bernhardt, “Why wouldn’t you do it?” Her first home show of the jewelry was a huge success.
A second show of pearl, jade and Chinese turquoise jewelry also did well. Customers saw some of her personal treasures from there, which sparked a popular interest for larger items such as porcelain, small boxes and eventually furniture.
Bernhardt now works with Chinese friends, across the huge country, to discover fresh markets to purchase furniture and objects. Her favorites are markets off the beaten path where farmers sell items that they have gathered from all over the countryside.
“I’ve never seen another westerner at one of these markets.”
Bernhardt said she speaks just enough Chinese to be dangerous. She knows some phrases and talks to people a little but quickly ends up depending on friends. She visits markets across the country, buys items and has them shipped to a warehouse in Shanghai.
From there the goods are put in containers and shipped to Houston and then to Wichita Falls.
Her goal is to try and find the oldest merchandise, which if she is unable to sell would look good in her home. Because that is where it will end up, she said laughing, if it doesn’t move.
What separates her from most regional and national importers is that the items she buys and sells were not made for export. They were things made for and used by the Chinese. Her inventory ranges from everything from goods created for the educated classes to objects used by farmers.
Balance is important to her.
While Bernhardt loves discovering, collecting and selling antiques now, her childhood dream was to become a fashion designer. Following her dream, she attended fashion merchandising college in Dallas.
“I learned real quick that either you had to have money or connections, or you would be working in the backroom for someone else and would never have the freedom to do your own thing.” She smartly also took courses in interior design, business management and marketing.
Returning to the area, she became a buyer for Perkins Timberlake in December 1973. She quickly made junior buyer and bought for the store’s new mall location that opened in 1975.
She stayed with Perkins until the retailer was sold to Monnigs in the early ’80s. The retailer offered her a similar job in Fort Worth, but she declined.
A year later, she accepted a position as buyer at Penelope’s in French Village where she stayed for nine years, until leaving to stay home with her children.
Her home and family are still in Wichita Falls, but she also has something very near on the other side of the world. And she didn’t even have to dig to find it.
“I love China,” she said. “When that plane lands, it’s almost like I am home, because I am so comfortable there. But then, when I leave to come home, I’m really home. I have friends there I consider almost family.”
Bernhardt was born in Sherman, Texas, and her family moved to Wichita Falls between her seventh- and eighth-grade years.
Her father was the late Gordon Brown, who was district manager of State Farm Insurance. Her mother also worked in the insurance office after she and her two siblings, brother, Gordie, and sister, Ginger, were grown.
She met her husband Michael after graduating from Wichita Falls High School, even though both attended high school within a year of another. The couple have been married for 33 years. He is what she calls a “typical entrepreneur and had owned numerous businesses over the years.”
They have two children, Chris, who is in school, and Kristin, who is married.
When Bernhardt is not at her shop or on trips discovering exotic antiques, she is likely reading or at the lake. She also loves to travel.
While her travels with her husband have mostly been business related, they have led her to 37 U.S. states, most of Europe and 11 provinces in China.
She likens traveling in China and looking for antiques to being on a very rewarding treasure hunt.
“When I first started doing this, I had this small list of things I was looking for. Then, there were certain pieces I personally wanted, but I also had a part of my budget set aside for a surprise find.
“I am still excited about finding things. Then, when they are shipped and we open the container, it’s ‘Oh! Here it is.’ And then when the customers come in and fall in love with it, it brings me joy again to see other people loving things.”
September 10th, 2007
Written by Editor Choice
Dining room furniture, in a nutshell makes way for making your room (read dining room) beautiful as well as useful. This article on Dining room furniture will throw light on how to choose Dining room furniture for you and also on the different types of Dining room furniture available in the market.
This article will also educate you about the benefits of possessing Dining room furniture at your home. By the end of this article you will be all set to go ahead with purchasing Dining room furniture for yourself. So read on and be ready to get Dining room furniture of your own.
Dining room forms an essential part of our homes. Dining rooms speaks volumes about the way live. Dining room furniture therefore becomes an integral part of our homes. There are many options to choose from. Dining room furniture is available in a number of shapes and sizes. Depending on your choice and need, you can select the one that suits you. Dining room furniture can be further subdivided into dining tables, chairs, stools etc. Dining room furniture makes our dining rooms attractive and stylish. Keeping a Dining room furniture in your home also helps you keep your home organized. These attractive chic Dining room furniture’s are available with local shops, online stores etc. Finding the right Dining room furniture will not be a hassle for you. Dining room furniture is affordable too. Dining room furniture comes in attractive designs and shades. These are made of different materials. Some are made out of wood, some are manufactured using metal etc. Dining room furniture is generally not so bulky. This therefore makes it a handy set of furniture. Dining room furniture’s are designed to meet your daily requirements; they are comfortable and yet, sturdy. Dining room furniture’s are good to look at as well. When you take a look at the polished wooden curves of Dining room furniture, you will not be able to help yourself falling in love with them. Dining room furniture are the perfect companions for your dining rooms. Dining room furniture looks good and i surprisingly affordable. There are many types of Dining room furniture that caters to the different occasions. Some of them adorn your dining room just for the purpose of having meals; some are meant for special occasions like Anniversaries, Birthdays etc. No matter which occasion you want to celebrate, Dining room furniture will always keep you happy. Dining room furniture not only beautifies your room, it also organizes it. Everything looks organized when you have Dining room furniture at your place. Dining room furniture is the best thing your home craves for. With chic looks and low-maintenance feature, Dining room furniture never ceases to amaze you. You will love to use your Dining room furniture again and again. All you have to do is to check the space available in your home for placing Dining room furniture, and you are almost done. Visit local furniture stores, compare prices, visit online stores etc, and you have all the data you need about buying Dining room furniture.
For more information on glass dining table with leather chairs , visit: http://www.click4adeal.com.
Prahlad Sharma is a famous Italian modern leather sofa expert.
Article Source: http://www.a1-articledirectory.com
September 10th, 2007
Mega store’s arrival is good news and bad news for other retailers
By Jaclyn Giovis | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
When Ikea opens its first Florida store in Sunrise next month, it will enter a crowded South Florida furniture market already swooning from sluggish home sales.
Experts predict the 293,000-square-foot store will siphon a fraction of sales from a variety of retailers, such as City Furniture and Rooms To Go, but not enough to hurt any one business.
Ikea’s trademark flair could boost consumers’ overall interest in and spending on home furnishings, said Jerry Epperson, an analyst for Mann, Armistead & Epperson Ltd., a Richmond, Va., furniture research firm.
“They expand the market in almost every city they go into,” he said.
With more than 10,000 products, from bedding to food, Ikea also will compete with mass retailers like Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Its brand often attracts college students, pennywise homeowners and shoppers who don’t mind assembling their own furniture. Ikea has entered other cities where Rooms To Go has stores, but the two companies don’t compete head-to-head for the same furniture buyers, CEO Jeff Seaman said.
“Ikea doesn’t really affect us,” he said. “We almost like them.”
The housing slump, Seaman said, is more worrisome than Ikea’s opening in Sunrise.
Furniture stores count on new-home sales to help churn business. And South Florida furniture dealers say falling home sales and prices have put a dent in their sales.
Sales at City Furniture, for example, are expected to slide 10 percent this year to about $310 million from $342 million a year ago, said Keith Koenig, CEO of the Tamarac-based chain.
At Rooms To Go, annual sales are expected to be off as much as 5 percent, Seaman said, noting that’s a departure from steady growth in recent years.
Modernage Furniture, a longtime South Florida furniture chain, went out of business earlier this year. Even without Ikea, South Florida has more of the nation’s top 100 furniture stores than any other metropolitan area, making it the most competitive and historically one of the most successful furniture markets in the country.
Officials from Pompano Beach-based Baer’sFurniture and Coconut Creek-based Carls Furniture say it’s hard to predict how Ikea will affect their business, if at all. Both retailers tend to attract customers willing to spend more money.
“Most people that come into our store don’t want to assemble a dresser,” City Furniture’s Koenig said. Furniture industry experts struggle to cite examples where Ikea has hurt business at neighboring stores or forced competitors to close, though furniture dealers in places like New York, Los Angeles and Boston faced a tougher game initially.
That’s not to say Ikea’s arrival into a market comes without worry and scrutiny. The retailer’s Emeryville, Calif., opening in 2000 raised serious concern in the San Francisco Bay area, where a group of independent furniture and housewares stores organized to fight their new competitor. Months after Ikea opened, though, sales at their businesses grew and the group disbanded.
In South Florida, Ikea’s high-profile entry doesn’t scare small business owner Susan Rocco, who has operated The Kitchenworks in Fort Lauderdale for 18 years.
“It doesn’t faze me,” Rocco said. “We have a very specific niche in this marketplace.”
Her business on East Sunrise Boulevard focuses on kitchen design and installation and sells cabinets for the entire home. Ikea may be a popular destination for shoppers who want to outfit their kitchen, she says, but it still acts more like a big-box store in terms of service.
“We give individual attention to the client,” Rocco said, noting her store also caters to the high-end customer.
Ikea’s strategy is built on low prices and a theme park-like shopping experience. Although the retailer does not disclose sales per store, experts say the average volume is $80 million to $100 million annually. Last year, the company reaped U.S. sales of $2.5 billion.
And the chain already has an overwhelming customer base in Florida. About 325,000 residents have shopped the company’s catalog, online store or have visited a location someplace else. And more than a third of those customers live in South Florida.
Paul Sutherland of Fort Lauderdale is one of those customers. The 44-year-old freelance creative designer has been searching South Florida for an opaque black glass coffee table for his downtown loft since he moved here nine months ago. Most stores sell bulky, wood furniture, he said, and the only table he found that came close to what he wanted cost more than $2,000. Too expensive, he decided.
“Anybody with a design sense is excited about Ikea,” said Sutherland, who was happy to learn that Ikea sells a black glass coffee table for $99.
He plans to buy the piece when the store opens.
Staff Writer Jaclyn Giovis can be reached at jmgiovis@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4668.
ONLINE PREVIEW: For a sneak peek of what you can expect from the new Ikea store, visit Sun-Sentinel.com/ikea
September 10th, 2007
Elaine Markoutsas / Primary Color
Whether you work at home or take work home, the right desk can be both fashionable and functional.
That desks are on almost everyone’s radar today is evident when you thumb through retail catalogs and visit Internet sites. Home office and desk categories are represented in a wide range of styles, scale, materials, finishes and prices, from less than $100 at Target to thousands of dollars in designer showrooms.
Today’s handsome writing and accent desks and secretaries often feature the utmost in utilitarian design, including configurations with pullout keyboard trays, cubbies for computer towers and slots for electrical cords. Some are topped by small organizers or hutches.
Size matters. How much work surface you need and how big of a footprint you can accommodate in your home will influence your choice.
The proliferation of personal computers in the home — often more than one per household — fueled a new category of desks to support them. It was a monolithic form, basically a slab top over a pair of pedestals with file drawers on one side, storage for a tower on the other and a front panel covering everything.
But in recent years, the popularity of laptops has shifted trends again.
So brown boxy desks “encumbered with lots of storage” are being rethought by manufacturers, according to one furniture executive.
“Consumers need less surface space and storage for the CPU, which is going the way of the dinosaur,” says Kelly Cain, vice president and product manager for Stanley Furniture Co. “Instead, they are buying decorative desks for their beauty and interesting design. Desks are now key design elements throughout the home.”
That’s good news for the folks at Maine Cottage Furniture, whose colorful desks coordinate with a line based on cheerful hues such as hot lime and mango.
Indeed, desks are likely to be a part of most new furniture collections. At the spring furniture market in High Point, N.C., fashion designer Nicole Miller’s deco-influenced desk, crafted from Macassar ebony veneers, suited her Ritz collection for Excelsior Designs. And the much-ballyhooed Trump Home collection included two desks, surprisingly less grandiose than one might expect from mogul Donald Trump.
There’s even a touch of the exotic, evident in Tommy Bahama’s Jimbaran Bay for Laneventure. Crafted from woven rattan, herringbone woven cane and bamboo carvings, the home office group reflects Balinese architecture.
This kind of versatility of styling extends the use of desks throughout the home. They can be placed in the foyer, living room, family room, library and bedrooms, including children’s rooms.
One of the best examples of desks that can be both beautiful and efficient is the Kingsland Chinoiserie secretary that is part of the Katonah collection for Martha Stewart Furniture by Bernhardt. The classic design features gold handpainting on a Chinese red exterior. Behind bifold doors is a black interior with complete home office setup.
One profile that is gaining fans is a logical evolution of a widespread practice in American families. Those who often have pressed the dining table into service as a temporary home office appreciate the simplicity and practicality of an extensive work surface.
Some people actually use dining tables as desks in home offices, mostly because they like the roomy surface and open look of legs or pedestals. At Restoration Hardware, a Renaissance-style, 6-foot mahogany desk called Palladian stands on stout classical column legs mounted on a base. It features a single drawer and antiqued brass-plated hardware.
Trestle styles offer another handsome look, and one from Williams-Sonoma Home has the added sparkle of polished nickel-plated legs and pulls, a sophisticated, stylish combination with ebonized maple veneer. Since the desk is more visually open, the design is especially suited to a small space.
Although dark finishes remain popular, lighter woods and painted looks are drawing attention. So is a decidedly feminine form. One of the prettiest desks, which also could double as a vanity, was part of the latest introduction of Barbara Barry Realized for Henredon. The ivory-enameled finish is accessorized with jewel-like nickel pulls and sabots capping tapered legs. Top drawers have felt-lined jewelry trays.
Even smaller desks, some inspired by the French escritoire or portable writing desks, are showing up. The Jay desk from West Elm boasts an especially clever feature. Though tiny by most standards at 34 inches long by 21 1/2 inches wide and standing 32 inches tall, the desk features a rollout extension for casters, which doubles the work surface. A small hutch (29 inches long, 10 inches wide and 5 1/4 inches tall) is optional.
Also in the interest of conserving space, there are a number of variations on the secretary theme.
The Portofino secretary desk from Stanley Furniture, available in a heavily distressed black finish, has vintage European charm, an update of something your grandmother may have owned. At only 32 inches wide, it could easily find a home in a spare bedroom.
A more modern transitional piece is the Davis desk from Williams-Sonoma Home. Shaker cues keep the straight-line design simple, and the contrast interior (black, with a choice of white, ebony or honey-hued wood outside) is striking. Inside are drawers and compartments for stationery and small collectibles.
Even more compact is a scaled-down drop-front desk that stands shorter than a secretary, such as Stanley Furniture’s Midtown desk from the Hudson Street collection. It’s another handsome two-tone look, with an ivory finish outside and natural maple inside.
There still is an audience for more substantial profiles, such as the handsome black executive desk from the Postobello Home collection from Drexel Heritage. Along with companion pieces such as credenzas with and without hutches, they satisfy a need for furnishing the dedicated home office. A massive updated classic rolltop desk for Hooker Furniture, with a tall hutch for extra storage, easily can anchor the wall of a large family room.
Some homeowners prefer to camouflage their work spaces. Specially outfitted armoires can close the door on any mess. The Chadwick office armoire, available through Ballard Designs for $1,699, has the look of an 18th-century antique, with dentil moldings and raised panel doors in honey, distressed cream or black finish. Inside the doors are corkboard and magnetic dry-erase board as well as holders for magazines. There’s a pullout keyboard tray, file drawer and rollout printer tray.
End tables and cocktail tables designed by Jena Hall for Aspen Home smartly tuck away office needs, including charging stations.
Another nifty alternative is a riff on a steamer trunk available at Crate & Barrel. On the outside, it looks like an ebony-finished, paneled end table. But open the touch-latch doors and you’ll find a laptop or keyboard writing desk pullout, file and storage drawers, an adjustable and removable shelf for a computer and open cubbies with cord pass-throughs.
With smart choices and design features that seem right at home, you’ll find desks for every member of the family — from the work-at-home entrepreneur to a bill-paying parent to a student studying for exams.
September 10th, 2007
by Moms Rising
As many of you know, MomsRising members like you have been working tirelessly to pass AB 706–a bill that would protect our families from harmful fire retardant chemicals in furniture.
Dear East Bay MomsRising Members;
As many of you know, MomsRising members like you have been working tirelessly to pass AB 706–a bill that would protect our families from harmful fire retardant chemicals in furniture.
THERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: The bill can still pass this year. AND, THERE’S THE BAD NEWS: The bill is stuck in the Appropriations Committee and needs to get out by Tuesday.
RALLY FOR OUR FAMILIES’ SAFETY: Join us and invite all of your friends to a rally outside Senate President Don Perata’s Oakland office this Monday at 12 noon. Bring your kids and bring their class, this is democracy at work! Senator Perata has the power to save this bill… but he must act before Tuesday. He needs to see that AB 706 is key for his constituents.
At the rally you will also get a chance to test your own furniture for Brominated fire retardants. So bring yourself and your furniture cushions! I can’t stress how valuable this testing is–I recently had my furniture tested and got rid of a futon and some unnecessary seat cushions when I learned what they contained.
- WHAT: RALLY TO SAVE SB 706 & FREE FURNITURE TESTING
- WHEN: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH @ 12 NOON
- WHERE: Outside Senate President Perata’s office, 1515 CLAY St., Oakland (Cross street- 15th, closest BART stop Oakland Civic Center.)
- WHO: You, MomsRising members, folks from Friends of The Earth, MOMS (MAKE OUR MILK SAFE) and others.
POLITICS, POLITICS! AB706 is currently being held in the Senate Appropriations “suspense file” and must be released to the floor for a vote before Tuesday. Senator Perata has power over the fate of this bill and we need him to exercise his power for the benefit of his constituents and the world, rather than for his political allies. (See articles below.)
The bromine industry is spending an estimated 10 million dollars to defeat A 706. Earlier we estimated that industry was spending 1.4 million, before full-color, full-page ads hit major CA papers, before robo-calls started going out, before mailers in several key senate districts were placed in voter’s mailboxes, and before TV ads were aired in major markets in the state–We cannot continue to allow corporate money to dictate what happens to our health.
We’re sorry for the late notice, but desperate times call for desperate measures!
We look forward to seeing you there! — Joan, Ashley, Mary and the MomsRising team
P.S. The LA Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Beyond Chron all printed articles about the political manuevering going on in Sacramento that is putting important environmental health legislation at risk. Please come raise your voice along with us to ask Senator Perata let this important bill on the senate floor for a vote.
- LA Times editorial, How Infighting Blocks Bills:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-bills7sep07,1,5418868.story?ctrack=3&cset=true
P.P.S. For those of you bringing cushions, please be prepared to let us know the date the furniture the cushion is from was purchase and if it was bought in CA. This data will be part of a study documenting the use of these flame retardants.
Last but not least, if you haven’t signed the petition to tell our Governor to sign AB 706, now is a great time to do so! Because we are going to get this through! http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12357
You can also read more about this issue on the Huffington Post, in the Killer Couch Chemicals blog, by clicking here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arlene-blum/killer-couch-chemicals_b_60754.html
-MomsRising is a bootstrap organization which covers a lot of ground with very few staff. Your donations make the work of MomsRising possible. To donate today on our new, secure website go to: https://secure.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/momsrising/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=2156
September 10th, 2007
Fire broke out at the Ashley Furniture Store located at 6801 S. 27th St., in Franklin Sunday afternoon.
The store had to be evacuated.
A dispatcher told 12 News, Franklin, Oak Creek and Greendale fire departments responded to the small electrical fire.
There are no reports of injuries.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
The store will be closed Monday so that crews can clean up the mess.
September 10th, 2007
THAI TAKES
By PHILIP GOLINGAI
An Eames Shell Chair, a Louise XVII cupboard, a Televia … these are the names people look to Supoj Siripornlertkul for when planning photo shoots or commercial films.
TUCKED in Thonglor, a funky area in Bangkok, is an Italian restaurant with furniture that are in themselves famous.
Some of the retro and modern furnishing in Tuba Restaurant have had unnamed roles in Thai movies, magazines, commercials and fashion shows.
Almost all of Tuba’s furnishings are for sale or rent. Supoj Siripornlertkul, the 55-year-old owner of Tuba, launched the restaurant two years ago so that he can have a convenient place to hang out in, as his home is close by.
Supoj’s main business is buying, selling and renting furniture.
“Yes, that chair is for sale or for rent. You can buy it for 6,000 baht (RM645) or rent it for a few days for 30% of the price,” says Supoj, referring to the iconic Eames Shell Chair that I was sitting on.
He had the shell chair repainted shiny purple after he acquired it from a Bangkok second hand furniture dealer.
“Yes, I’ve rented it (the Eames Shell Chair) out. Am not sure to whom, as my staff takes care of that, probably for some movie or fashion shoot or something,” he adds.
Asked to name the Thai movies that his furniture had appeared in, Supoj, who does not encumber himself with the triviality of a purchase or a rental, could only think of Ploy, a 2007 Thai movie written and directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang.
But he could remember such names as Greyhound Cafe and True Cafe in Siam Paragon and Khao San road, and Vanilla Cafe in Bangkok, chic restaurants and cafes with distinctive decor he had furnished.
Then Supoj got out of the yellow-coloured Eames Shell Chair he was sitting on to show off his restaurant/furniture store.
He pointed out such iconic chairs as a Harry Bertoiathe Bird Chair, Pierre Paulin Ribbon Chair and Eero Saarinen Womb Chair that are either an original or a knockoff, a Louis XVII cupboard (sold for 500,000 baht or RM53,700 to a woman whose house was under construction) and the Love Chair (a prototype chair resembling a woman’s figure that Supoj designed two years ago).
Returning to the yellow-coloured chair, Supoj reveals that his 20-year-old furniture business “is not doing so good”.
“I’m not serious about this business. It has been like a hobby for me,” explains the businessman who in the last four years has amassed furniture worth 30 million baht (RM3.2mil).
“Whenever I make money from my furniture, I would buy more furniture. I don’t really need money; all I need is this one packet and this,” Supoj, dressed in fisherman pants, adds while pointing at his Marlboro Lights and cup of coffee.
And then the man, who is a minimalist in terms of spoken words, drove me to his warehouse, Papaya, which is about 7km away, to visually explain why Bangkok’s creative directors and interior designer seek his furniture.
During the 20-minute drive, he explains that his 5,000 square metre warehouse is a favourite hunting ground because “when they look for something which is not available in (the mainstream) shops, they will come to mine”.
At Papaya, a beaming Supoj introduced a recently purchased television set, which is probably unavailable in any shop in Thailand.
“I’m sure you’ve never seen this in your life,” he said, pointing something that looks like it came from outer space.
In fact, it is a Televia (a French-made television which was manufactured in the 1950s) that he snapped up for 150,000 baht (RM16,100) on eBay.
The set, which Supoj describes as the most beautiful TV set in the world, is not for sale.
But it can be rented for 30,000 baht (RM3,200).
Nearby, sitting on a rather non-iconic chair, was Meow, a creative director with Matching Studio, which is an award-winning Thai company that produces commercial films.
She was at the warehouse to scout for props for an I-Mobile handphone commercial.
“Papaya has many, many things,” she says, to explain why she is a fan of the warehouse, which resembles a flea market.
The item Meow rented was a sofa, which after the I-Mobile commercial is released will take on a fame of its own.
September 10th, 2007
Old furniture or decorative pieces you love, whether family heirlooms or flea-market finds, may have seen better days. Furniture Restoration: Step-by-Step Tips and Techniques for Professional Results by Ina Brosseau Marx and Allen Marx (Watson-Guptil, 2007, $50) will encourage you to refurbish them instead of hiding or tossing them.
The Marxes, who live in Princeton, N.J., have worked for 30 years as professional restorers and teach and write about their field. Their goal in this book, they explain, is to pass on what they’ve learned about how to fix warped veneers, chips and dents.
The well-illustrated book offers guidance on myriad aspects of restoration, from building a tool kit to replacing original gold leaf - or knowing when to call in a professional.
In an interview, Ina Brosseau Marx explained that she and her husband wanted “to show people step by step, in a very simple way, what we have done, starting with no experience.”
They share what they call their guiding principle: simply, “whatever two hands have put together, your two hands can try to fix.”
So, what are the top tips for care of furniture, to help avoid the need for restoration? Simple things can prevent damage before it occurs, for example:
• Pick a chair up holding it under the seat; lift it, don’t drag it by the top of the back or an arm. Similarly, don’t try to move a table by tugging it along by the tabletop; lift it.
• Be careful when vacuuming not to bang into furniture feet and bases.
• Dusting is the least damaging way to clean and prolong the life of objects that have intact surfaces. Use a slightly damp chamois cloth or a very full, soft-haired brush. Avoid dusting sprays. “Their ingredients are harmful to wood because they contain silicones that get deeply into the pores of the wood.”
• To remove dirt and grime on brown wood surfaces (not painted, gilded or Asian lacquer), dampen a soap-filled steel-wool pad and rub it with slight pressure along the grain. Then wipe with a dry cloth or towel for a smoother, cleaner surface.
The Marxes’ enthusiasm for recycling is in tune with the zeitgeist. “We say, keep your eyes open for the things in the back of antique shops no one else is interested in, and the marvelous things people put out in the trash,” Ina Brossaeu Marx said.
September 10th, 2007
‘Beyond’, one of UAE’s newest and most exquisite furniture brands has unveiled its plans to expand its operations in the UAE to cover over 200,000 square feet of furniture retailing space from its existing exclusive 10,000 sq ft showroom at Sharjah.
The company has earmarked a total investment of over AED 100 million, over the next three years, for opening new premium furniture showrooms in Dubai and other Emirates.
A senior company official stated that ‘Beyond’ aims at emerging as one of the leading value driven furniture brands in the UAE by optimally capitalizing on the massive expected furniture market boom arising from the growing population and record completion of residential projects.
Commenting on the planned expansion Mr. Farhan Furniturewalla, Managing Director, Beyond, said: ‘The total value of real estate projects in Dubai, is expected to touch over US$ 230 billion over the next decade, according to the latest industry estimates. Additionally, demand will exceed supply despite the release of 175,000 residential units by 2010. Thus the resultant demand for furniture required to fill up these residences itself would mean an exponential growth in the Emirates furniture market.
‘Furthermore, the UAE customer today is highly sophisticated and the market very competitive and hence, going forward we are confident that only those players who offer quality value products in any strata of the furniture value chain would flourish. Beyond and its aggressive expansion plans are aimed at capturing a significant portion of this high potential furniture market in the UAE and the region. We are confident that given our extensive experience in the furniture business in the sub-continent and our understanding of the local market we would most definitely succeed in adding over 200,000 of additional premium furniture retailing space to our portfolio, in the process significantly enhancing our market presence and share,’ Mr. Furniturewalla added.
‘Beyond’ offers discerning clients in the UAE a range of premium contemporary as well as classic furniture with an extensive range of sampling to cater to their every aspect and need, albeit at very competitive mid-market prices making the entire product offering an extremely value driven proposition.
Going forward in addition to its planned UAE expansion, Beyond, which recently launched a highly attractive Ramadan promotion, aims at also replicating its successful business model to capitalize on the significant growth potential in the sector being offered by other GCC countries.
September 10th, 2007
Raymour & Flanigan hopes to start building in fall. Company bought site nearly two years ago.
By ANTHONY SALAMONE
POHATCONG TWP. | A fence surrounds the place.
A large pile of gravel sits on one end of the site. What’s not seen are signs saying something such as “Coming soon: Raymour & Flanigan Furniture.”
It has been nearly two years since the New York-based retailer closed on the property on Route 22 in Pohatcong Township with plans to redevelop the former Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. While the hotel has been demolished, a new building has not yet risen.
A company official said last week that it hopes to begin construction in the fall.
Meanwhile, motorists and others along the busy corridor of Routes 22 and 122 — not far from Interstate 78 — encounter vacant spots. Besides Raymour & Flanigan, a proposal by Wal-Mart to move into the former Laneco supermarket plaza is in the works.
Township officials believe a lengthy gap in that retailing section, specifically the area of the highway at the Raymour & Flanigan site, is temporary. They noted the former hotel building is gone, and work is progressing at the site.
“As far as the board is concerned (Raymour & Flanigan) received conditional approval,” said Wendy Acevedo, the township’s land use board secretary.
Robert Goltz, CEO of Warren County Regional Chamber of Commerce, said officials contacted the company after noticing no movement for months.
“We made inquiries and heard they are still committed to that site,” Goltz said, referring to Raymour & Flanigan.
Acevedo said the board gave its approval in March on the Raymour & Flanigan project. However, she said, the retailer also needs authorizations from Warren County and New Jersey for road improvements.
One of the township’s conditions also called for the company to complete “grouting,” according to Joe Fischer of Geoscience Services in Bernardsville, N.J. The township hired Geoscience as a consultant.
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He said workers found a large sinkhole and several smaller underground openings. Grouting is when workers inject a mix of cement, sand and water to harden loose material or fill holes, according to Fischer.
He was unsure when the work would be finished. “They are moving through the planning board with as much progress as they can make,” Fischer said of Raymour & Flanigan.
Fischer also said the former hotel was a “light structure” compared with what is being planned. Another reason for the underground work is the hotel’s parking area sustained many cracks and depressions.
“You could see evidence of something going on not bad but extensive,” said Fischer.
Raymour & Flanigan spokeswoman Vicky D’Agostino said the company plans to build a 60,000-square-foot, two-story building.
Asked why the delay in construction, D’Agostino said last week she did not have information available for further comment.
Goltz said the holdup is understandable for reasons such as hiring contractors and dealing with government mandates.
“You don’t want a building up and the next you know the building is sinking in and the foundation is unsettled,” he said.
At one time, former heavyweight boxing champion Larry Holmes of Palmer Township owned the hotel under the name Commodore Inn. It became a Holiday Inn and later Clarion Hotel before being sold and eventually leveled sometime after 2005.
Raymour & Flanigan, which operates a store in Whitehall Township, is based in Liverpool, N.Y. It has more than 70 showrooms in six states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, according to D’Agostino. It employs more than 4,000 people.
Anthony Salamone can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at tsalamone@express-times.com.
September 10th, 2007
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