Archive for September 17th, 2007
By Debra Pressey
Simply Amish, a new shop featuring furniture made by the Amish, will open soon on the north side of downtown Champaign.
The owners, Debby Winter and Matt Hutton, have taken over the ground floor space at 500 N. Walnut St., at the corner of Washington and Walnut streets, and plan to open the store there later this month or in early October.
Winter and Hutton also own SpinLight Studio, the Champaign firm that handles Simply Amish’s marketing, and became interested in opening one of Simply Amish’s licensed stores themselves, Winter said.
Arcola-based Simply Amish, in business since 1979, handles orders for and wholesales furniture made in Amish workshops, many of which are in East Central Illinois, said Kevin Kauffman, one of the owners.
There are two company-owned Simply Amish stores and three other licensed locations in addition to the one in Champaign.
At the stores, customers can view tables, chairs and other furniture made by Amish craftsmen and custom-order it in the kind of wood and stain they want. Some 80 percent of Simply Amish’s sales are custom orders, Kauffman said.
New medical practice in town
An orthopedic medicine practice with offices in Normal and Pontiac has opened a 9,000-square-foot facility in Champaign.
Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center, at 2110 Fox Drive, offers exams, treatment rooms, X-ray services, sports medicine services and physical and occupational therapies, according to Gregg Chadwick, administrator.
Three of the four doctors in the practice will be seeing patients in Champaign, he said. The doctors handle a lot of minimally invasive surgeries, and hope to be operating on local patients at the two Urbana hospitals pending agreements being worked out, he added.
The practice, which began in Bloomington in 1996, is growing, and the doctors saw an opportunity to further expand in Champaign, Chadwick said. For information, call 355-1616.
Still here
Cafe Luna, a Campustown restaurant that’s been in business for more than four years, might be relocating early next year.
But allow owner Iren Aikman to put an end to the rumors that his restaurant is closing: It most definitely is staying open, despite the high-rise construction going on next door, the relocation of his parking lot by the property owner and the fact that he and his family have moved to San Francisco, he said.
The restaurant will have to move, however, to make way for construction, Aikman said. He is looking at potential new locations in downtown Champaign and South First Street, he added.
Aikman said he has been commuting to Champaign-Urbana since mid-August to continue overseeing the restaurant since his wife took a new position in San Francisco.
“I’ve got such a great staff that it’s working out beautifully,” he added.
Living in San Francisco is also giving him some new ideas for Cafe Luna’s menu, which focuses on eclectic American cuisine using seasonal fresh produce, he said.
Aikman bemoans the upcoming loss of his current location in Campustown.
“It was kind of a cool little spot,” he says.
Moved
Majestic Nails, formerly at 1405 E. Florida Ave., U, moved in September to 2106 W. Springfield Ave., C, owner Lou Ramp said.
The new phone number is 355-6694.
Sea Boat, a restaurant specializing in fish sandwiches that was formerly at 1114 N. Market St., C, is now operating at 403 W. Kirby Ave., C.
The owner, Qaiyim Abdullah, said he appreciates the customers he had for 13 years on Market Street, and originally planned to keep that shop open as well.
But due to the difficulty of keeping well-trained employees on board, he thought it would be easier to staff just one location. He said he thinks his customers will like having dine-in, carryout and a drive-up window available at his new place.
Sea Boat’s hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, but those may be changing later this year, he said.
Are you opening a new business, or changing something at your existing business? Debra Pressey can be reached by phone at 351-5229 or 1-800-252-3346; by e-mail at dpressey@news-gazette.com; or by regular mail at The News-Gazet
September 17th, 2007
If you are looking for furniture in Cape Town there a few better places to look than www.decorandfurniture.co.za, which showcases the products of a number of Cape Town based retailers and wholesalers.
The simple fact is that our lives are becoming more and more time sensitive and looking for a particular piece of furniture at various stores around town can be a mind numbing task after fighting with the traffic, finding a parking and dealing with the park attendants and the trawling though all the nooks and crannies of your favourite store.
The internet offers a simple solution and is surely the number one place to start in your search. The simple search engine on Decor and Furniture makes this task so much easier - offering everything from designer beds and art to tables, chairs and kids furniture
Once you have found what you are looking for, just click on the image and send the supplier an enquiry for more information. When you receive the relevant information and if it then suits you, you can visit the showroom and decide for yourself if the product was what you were after.
What could be simpler?
For more information on furniture in Cape Town visit www.decorandfurniture.co.za
September 17th, 2007
By MICKEY MEECE
IT may seem odd to mention now, with a housing slowdown upon us and recession fears suddenly real, but it is a great time to buy furniture.
This week: Skipping business school on the Wall Street fast track, the Chinese stock market boom, a drug controversy in the dialysis business, and prospects for blue chip stocks.
Even before the housing bubble burst, the furniture industry was in the throes of consolidation, as an influx of imports from the Far East spurred price competition that cut profit margins and forced many mom-and-pop stores to close and discount retailers like Costco to jump in.
For consumers, that means lower prices at the big-box furniture store.
“Discounting is the name of the game today,” said Leonard B. Lewin, author of “Shopping for Furniture: A Consumer’s Guide.”
Three decades ago, he said, consumers could count on sales twice a year, in July and August and in January and February. “Now there are sales every day of the week,” Mr. Lewin said. “There isn’t a store in town that isn’t routinely discounting 40 percent off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.”
Last year, the top 100 furniture stores posted a 6.6 percent increase in sales, to about $32 billion, according to Furniture Today, an industry publication. That was down from an 8.3 percent gain in 2005.
Ashley Furniture HomeStores supplanted Rooms to Go as the top store chain in 2006, according to the ranking.
The government reported yesterday that sales at furniture stores rose 0.5 percent in August from July as overall retail sales edged slightly higher on the strength of auto sales. Economists are keeping a close eye on consumer spending, which has slowed this year in the face of higher gasoline prices and the cooling housing market.
The discounting trend is even more pronounced in the home furnishings market, according to a recent report from Morgan Keegan & Company, a brokerage firm based in Memphis. Sales have remained weak this year at companies like Pier 1 Imports, Bombay, Williams-Sonoma, Kirklands and Cost Plus World Market. Discounting is likely to continue through the end of the year, the report said.
Even Bed Bath & Beyond, which has gained market share at the expense of competitors, is feeling the ill effects of recent economic trends.
A sale is what brought Frances Auerbach of New York City to the new Raymour & Flanigan Furniture store on West 23rd Street in Manhattan in August. She found an accent chair she wanted on sale and bought it.
On a return visit this week to schedule a delivery date, she sat in the chair again, pleased with her purchase. “I have difficulty in finding a chair, so I’m excited. This is just perfect for my back,” she said.
“Consumers are smart,” said Vicky D’Agostino, director for communications at Raymour & Flanigan. They use the Internet and circulars to compare and research brands, construction and size.
Larry Gallagher, Raymour & Flanigan’s president for metropolitan New York, added: “Yes, we have sales, but the real draw is the quality merchandise that consumers can get sooner than expected.” Raymour & Flanigan, ranked 11th by Furniture Today, offers three-day delivery for all furnishings.
To be sure, buying furniture can be fraught with pitfalls, including financing and delivery.
“Shopping for furniture is treacherous,” James Hood, editor of ConsumerAffairs.com, wrote in an e-mail message. “The only 100 percent sure way to get what you pay for is to buy the items you want off the floor, load them into your truck or van and take them home with you.”
With a little planning, consumers can minimize the potential for bad outcomes by following the advice of the specialists:
RESEARCH Approach furniture buying as you would car buying, Mr. Lewin said. Research brands and retailers, and examine rankings and quality reports. Do your homework on the Internet, but don’t necessarily buy there. If you do, he said, pay with a credit card and make sure you understand the return policy.
ROOM PLANS Raymour & Flanigan and other retailers now offer online room planning tools on their Web sites (raymourflanigan.com).
Steve Street, the chief executive of Icovia Inc., which has created the room planning software, says it allows consumers to enter the dimensions of a room, add door widths, place windows and drop furniture into the room and move items around as they wish.
After registering at the retailer’s site, buyers can save their designs, e-mail them and go to the store and change the plan on a store computer once they see the furniture. “Design and fit are the major questions they need answered before they buy the product,” Mr. Street said.
Icovia is also working with property managers. Prospective buyers of condominiums at Number 5 NYC in Midtown, for instance, can use Icovia’s Interactive Space Planner to view floor plans and see how the space would look furnished with items from the Ligne Roset catalog.
STORE VISIT The biggest mistake people make is they don’t really test how well the item sits, Mr. Lewin, the author, said. If it’s a couch or chair, sit on it for as long as you can, he said. “Everybody is in a hurry, but hold off ordering until you can come back and see if it feels good.”
Come prepared with measurements. “When you’re out spending thousands of dollars, you should have a plan with precise schematics and dimensions,” he said, both square feet and cubic feet to account for higher ceilings.
Don’t just look at the furniture, he said, “heft it,” pick up an arm to see if it’s heavy. Lighter-weight material might be of lesser quality. Look at the pattern match. Fabric is a big clue to the care that went into production, he said. If the item is a table or dresser made of wood, examine the finish. Check the drawers and the back panels. If it has cardboard components, quality may be an issue.
What you see in the showroom may not be what you get, Mr. Hood of ConsumerAffairs.com wrote. To avoid this, he writes, find a furniture warehouse, outlet or resale center that stocks the kind of furniture you want. “Many of these are open only on weekends. It might sound silly, but it’s the surest way of getting what you want, and, if you’re careful, can be the most economical way of getting good quality furniture.”
DELIVERY Heeding Mr. Hood’s advice means no problems on the receiving end. Many consumers write to ConsumerAffairs.com to relate delivery nightmares, he said.
“Delivery problems are horrendous and getting worse,” he writes. “Deliveries are often late, the crews are often ill-trained, rude and incompetent — and sometimes larcenous. The furniture that is delivered may not be what you ordered, it may be damaged or it may not fit through the door.
“If any of these occurs, it’s just the beginning of a long series of frustrating conversations with customer service,” he said.
LAYAWAYS AND FINANCING Many stores still offer layaway plans, which allow you to pay off the furniture before it is delivered. Retailers also have many buy-now, pay-later financing arrangements that are tailored to a consumer’s credit history and financial standing.
Pay cash or use a credit card, Mr. Wood said. “Layaway or other store-based financing is almost always a mistake. It’s a good way to lose all of your money, in the case of layaway,” when a furniture store declares bankruptcy or goes out of business. Financing plans often cost more than consumers expect, he added.
Just like car dealers, retailers lure buyers with no-interest financing over longer periods. At Raymour & Flanigan, buyers who qualify can finance $1,000 a year, interest free, for up to four years. Borrowers must make monthly payments, and there is no prepayment penalty.
Still, experts say, if consumers miss a payment on these finance plans or fail to pay off the balance on the due date, they are often hit with double-digit interest rate charges that some stores back-date to the time of purchase.
It is a personal choice, Mr. Lewin says, but still consumers should recognize that they are changing rooms much more frequently today — every couple of years instead of every decade. If consumers are buying now and paying later, they may need to get rid of the furniture before it is paid off, because of lifestyle changes. “The smart shopper spends what they can afford. Period.”
This week, Christopher McCall of Brooklyn returned to Raymour & Flanigan in Manhattan to arrange delivery for furniture he bought for his mother. He said he spent about $15,000 during the opening sale. Asked about financing, he smiled and said: “I wish. I paid cash.”
September 17th, 2007
By JUDY WELLS, The Times-Union
The Ninth Earl of Spencer was on display along with his new line of furniture at Hugo’s Interiors on Philips Highway recently. The event was part of a nine-day U.S. promotional tour, and Times-Union home and garden editor Brandy Hilboldt Allport served as eyes, ears and photog for this report.
Spencer, brother of the late Princess Diana, owns Althorp, the family’s 300-acre ancestral estate. Proceeds from the sales of Earl Spencer’s Living History Collection help preserve the home.
Clad in a blue suit and silk tie, Spencer posed for photos and answered questions about how to integrate classic furniture into any decor. He said part of the beauty of well-made pieces is their versatility. At Althorp, he stores tennis and cricket sports equipment in a chest that belonged to George Washington’s ancestors.
“It’s roomy . . . quite sturdy,” Spencer said. “For the collection, I thought perhaps it would make a nice coffee table, but the proportions weren’t exactly right.”
The Washington chest for sale is an exact replica; other pieces integrate features of furniture from the Althorp estate, with sizes adjusted to suit contemporary needs.
As for walking into showrooms across the United States and seeing reproductions of the furniture he lives with and uses every day, Spencer offered a lighthearted response. “It’s rather like you returned home to find that a lunatic rearranged everything.”
Indicating a bed in the showroom, he said: “The chest next to it isn’t actually in the bedroom. It’s in the billiard room. But it looks very handsome there. . . . It gives me ideas. One does tend to get settled in one’s ways.”
Indeed.
Regrets
It’s going to be leaner and probably meaner out there in our city this year as businesses and non-profits reprioritize, reorganize and bid farewell to staffers they hate to see go.
Latest to be affected: the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, where four full-time and two part-time staffers have been trimmed, including Chief Curator Jeanette Toohey.
According to Director Maarten van de Guchte, that leaves 29 full-timers and 17 part-timers to fill the gaps. Hope McMath, director of education, has been named the museum’s deputy director and will add the curatorial department to her responsibilities. Maarten will be more involved than ever in development and fund-raising. His new slogan is “I will eat for the Cummer.”
“I can see many lunches and dinner parties in my future,” Maarten said, adding that his museum colleagues around the country report the necessary multitasking is a growing trend.
I’m not sure misery loves company, but it sure has a lot of it these days.
Bye-bye
Another local loss, Blair Woolverton is closing her eponymous Avondale clothing store after 33 years.
Said Blair: “I’m tired of telling women they don’t look fat; I’m tired of husbands who laugh at their wives’ new clothes and say ‘Take it back’; and I’m tired of women dressed in pink who say ‘I don’t wear pink.’ ”
The irrepressible Blair says she told one person she was calling it quits and pricing everything 50 percent off. Word of mouth did the rest; she’s been dealing with a packed shop ever since.
Blair voiced one concern about the shop’s eventual close: “Liberals, feminists and Democrats won’t have a place to come.”
Pssst! Did you hear about . . .? You did? Call and tell me about it. Call, too, if you’ve seen, planned or are about to do something smashing, if you stuck around after your last meeting to hear all the good stuff that gets hashed over in the parking lot, or if you’ve encountered a hidden facet to one of our area’s notables. The tip line is (904) 359-4155.
September 17th, 2007
Macy’s customers who schedule for St. Vincent de Paul to pick up gently used furniture and mattresses will receive free delivery of furniture, bedding or rugs with any purchase of $750 or more through Sunday.
St. Vincent de Paul volunteers will be at Macy’s to schedule pick-ups and tax receipts will be provided when donated items are picked up. All donations will be distributed throughout Greater Cincinnati.
“For the past three years, Macy’s has helped us collect mattresses for Cincinnati residents who have no beds to sleep in, and other household items for those who may have no furniture at all,” says Liz Carter, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul.
“We have helped schedule over 600 pick ups of gently-used furniture and mattresses over the past three years, says Ruth Ann Underhill, general manger, Macy’s Furniture Gallery.
September 17th, 2007
LINWOOD - Linwood Furniture Inc. said yesterday that its board of directors has named Bob Shaak as chief executive and president, and Bryan Starnes as senior vice president of operations and secretary of the manufacturer.
The officials replace Jimmy Kepley and Dan Timberlake, the founders of the manufacturer who have chosen to focus on their other businesses. They will remain as board members.
Linwood Furniture began operations in March 2006 as a contract manufacturer, primarily making The World of Bob Timberlake line for Lexington Home Brands. It has made a wooden-furniture line for Richard Childress that focuses on its Davidson County winery. It has 110 employees, up from 25 in May 2006.
September 17th, 2007
By: Furniture World Magazine
Knoll, Inc. announced that a wholly-owned subsidiary entered an asset purchase agreement pursuant to which it will acquire Teddy and Arthur Edelman, Limited, purveyors of fine leathers to the residential, hospitality, aviation and contract office furniture markets.
Andrew B. Cogan, Knoll CEO, said, “The strategic acquisition of Edelman is consistent with our strategy of building sales in our high design, high margin specialty businesses, which appeal to both business buyers and consumers worldwide. Edelman’s reputation in the design community for unique leathers and its showroom network as well as its storied history is highly complementary in terms of culture, customers, markets and products. We welcome Edelman Leather into the Knoll fold.”
John Edelman, a son of the Company’s founders, who will continue to serve as President of Edelman Leather, commented, “It is a joy to see Edelman become part of the Knoll family. On behalf of my parents, Teddy and Arthur, who founded the company over 25 years ago, we look forward to working with Knoll to continue to expand our brand and presence globally.”
Knoll will acquire Edelman for approximately $67.0 million in cash, plus the assumption of debt not to exceed $3.7 million and certain contingent payouts based on the future success of the business. The Company expects the transaction to be accretive in 2008. Consummation of the transaction is subject to customary conditions, including expiration or termination of the applicable Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act waiting period, but is expected to be completed early in the fourth quarter of 2007.
Edelman Leather will continue to operate as an independent company and will maintain its own headquarters and distribution center in New Milford, CT. In addition to John Edelman continuing to serve as President of Edelman Leather, John McPhee will continue in his role as Chief Operating Officer.
Since 1938, Knoll has been recognized internationally for creating workplace and residential furnishings that inspire, evolve and endure. Today, our commitment to modern design, our understanding of the workplace and our dedication to sustainable design has yielded a unique portfolio of products that respond and adapt to changing needs. Knoll is aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council and can help companies, healthcare organizations and educational institutions achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED(R)) workplace certification. Knoll is the contract furniture industry’s first member of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX(R)) and is the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk program.
September 17th, 2007
By Michael Guld
The financial textbooks refer to employees as human capital. The management textbooks label employees human resources. However, the most successful companies treat employees as human beings. When revered and treated with respect, great people will take a company to the highest levels of success.
As a member of corporate America, you hear it all the time, “Recruitment is our number one priority!” While continual recruitment of talent should be a top priority – even when the company doesn’t have immediate openings – it should still be considered priority number two. At the top of the list should be employee retention because while good people are hard to find, great people are much harder to replace.
The short version of your company’s leadership philosophy should consist of two words…“hire right.” When management hires the right people, great results follow. Few leadership techniques will ever have a lasting impact on the wrong hire. When you think about your most successful, most productive and most enjoyable years in business, they tend to center around the years you surrounded yourself with the best people. And more often than not, it was rarely anything you did to make them great, except invite them to be part of your team.
So, how do you keep your best and brightest from crossing the street and taking the next best offer? Hiring is only the first step. From there, you need to train, coach, engage, support, encourage, recognize, reward, promote and compensate them in a way that will exceed their expectations. Contrary to managers’ perceptions, studies show that money is not the highest motivator in retaining employees; especially in the millennial generation (twenty something’s), which places a greater importance on lifestyle and professional challenge.
As a result, management can no longer live by the former golden rule, “treat people the way that you want to be treated.” A baby boomer’s motivations may be dramatically different than those of a 25-year-old Millennial. Therefore, the golden rule is evolving to, “treat people the way that they want to be treated.”
In a leadership role, it’s vital to understand the unique wants, needs, desires, and goals of each staff member, and make sure your organization becomes a place where each can be realized. You may have superstar employees who, if left the company, could significantly impact your profitability. Provide these individuals with golden handcuffs in the form of increased salary, bonuses or other monetary and non-monetary incentives so they wouldn’t consider working anywhere else. While initially this may not seem entirely fair, assets to the company should be treated as so; even professional sports franchises pay their athletes proportional to their value to their organization.
As the saying goes, “people don’t care what you know until they know you care.” Get to know your employees and take a true investment in their lives and well-being. As a manger, there are many small yet powerful adjustments you can make to attract, hire and retain the best and the brightest.
The Power of MWBA
Get out from behind the desk and practice “Management By Walking Around” (MBWA). There is nothing more insightful than spending time in the bullpen, getting to know your employees and asking questions in an informal setting. MBWA breaks down bureaucratic boundaries and shows that you are accessible, approachable and real.
The Power of Hand-Written Notes
Send handwritten notes congratulating employees on a recent success and let them know, as their leader, you appreciate their hard work – budget permitting, include a gift certificate to their favorite store or restaurant.
For married employees, send handwritten thank-you notes to their spouses recognizing the achievements of your employee and acknowledging the time they spend away from the family – budget permitting include a spa certificate, mall certificate or other token gift.
For younger employees who are new to the workforce, send notes to their parents, bragging about their young adult’s successes and complimenting them on raising a great person.
The Power of Random Acts of Kindness:
Practice random acts of kindness by freely delivering movie tickets, dinner certificates, gift cards and other tokens of appreciation to employees who exemplify best practices. This could be done informally or through a program entitled “Catch Me At My Best,” where co-workers or customers are encouraged to share a great experience.
The Power of Attractive Benefits:
Time off with family and friends can go a long was in creating loyal fans, so offer paid days off to each employee for their birthday. Also, provide better monetary and non-monetary benefits than those inside and outside your industry. Paying a little more in health insurance, providing profit sharing or contributing to an IRA will be more than made up by the reduced the cost of attrition … not to mention improving overall employee satisfaction.
The Power of Recognition and Communication:
Have peer voted employee of the month awards, branded to your company, with personalized certificates including, traveling trophies/banners and a $100 VISA certificate to the monthly winner. Have monthly staff meetings to recognize successes, including awarding the employee of the month and publicly reading all the reasons for their nomination. In addition, use these monthly staff meetings to uncover internal and external areas of improvement and set up action committees to develop solutions (inviting those most vocal to take a leadership position).
The Power of Living Your Own Culture:
People are energized by organizational synergies and feeling part of something greater than their own contribution. Living the company culture can be as easy as re-naming your associates. Disney has castmates, Starbucks has partners, Owens and Minor has teammates, but most importantly, employees and leaders alike need to live the culture you create. Calling your associates partners but treating them like servants will do more harm than good.
7. The Power of Thank You
Use the magic words, “thank you” often. People appreciate feeling appreciated. Stated with true sincerity, you will receive the greatest return on investment than anything else you can do.
Depending on the industry and the position, studies show the cost of employee attrition – which includes direct and indirect costs associated with rehiring and retraining – could climb upward into tens of thousands of dollars, and could increase to much more when factoring in the opportunity costs and lost revenue. The goal is to create raving fans who have loyalty beyond reason. It’s very difficult for other employers to lure away an individual who has an, “I love my job” attitude. That is the bottom line.
About the Author: Michael Guld is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant, who built a successful career in the broadcast industry – creating a radio group from the bottom up – and since has come to apply the same principles to business development training. His expertise lies in increasing sales performance, marketing exposure, employee productivity and creating a world-class service experience. Michael is the president of The Guld Resource Group and author of, “The Million Dollar Media Rep: How to Become a Television and Radio Sales Superstar.” Please contact Michael at 804-360-3122 or visit www.guldresource.com.
September 17th, 2007
Anyone who has a home theater knows that laptops aren’t the only pieces of equipment that can get a little warm on occasion. That’s become even more noticeable as more people try to conceal their components behind walls or cabinet doors for a more discreet interior design that wall-mounted TVs allow.
Now BDI, which specializes in furniture for home technology, has figured out how a way to keep your various boxes cool without stationing an oscillating fan in front of them 24/7. Its “Avion 8529″ is an enclosed cabinet that’s designed to ensure ventiliation while still keeping its doors closed.
The only problem is that it costs $1,950, according to BornRich, which may be about as much as you’d pay for the plasma or LCD that sits on top of it. But we applaud the concept, which will undoubtedly be followed by the Targets and Costcos of the world.
September 17th, 2007
Beverly Rivers, a prominent authority on home décor and a successful executive in home décor publishing, will lead a home-decorating demonstration at Furnitureland South on Sept. 24.
Everyone who attends the event from 10 a.m. until noon in the Universal Furniture Gallery will have an opportunity to register to win a bedroom or dining room suite from Universal’s Better Homes and Gardens Collection. The first 50 to arrive will receive a free copy of Rivers’ latest book, “Better Homes and Gardens New Decorating.” Following her presentation, Rivers will be available discuss decorating ideas and autograph books.
Rivers was founding editor of the Better Homes and Gardens collection of 40 magazines. Perhaps her most significant footprint on the publishing world is her “100 Ideas” series of magazines, including “100 Decorating Ideas Under $100,” “100 Romantic Styles,” “100 Cottage Styles,” and “100 Before and After.”
Before the public event, Rivers will also speak to the Furnitureland South sales and design consultants, an audience of nearly 200 people responsible for assisting customers from 50 states and 20 countries with their design projects in the world’s largest home furnishings showplace.
Customers who purchase one or more items from the Better Homes and Gardens Collection at Furnitureland South between Rivers’ September visit and the end of this year will receive a complementary one-year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
Many people recognize Rivers from her nearly 100 television appearances on programs such as “Home Matters,” “Your Home Studio,” and the “Better Homes and Gardens Show.” She conducts hands-on decorating seminars to organizations, companies and on numerous news programs.
Her career has included editorial stints at Successful Farming and Decorative Woodcrafts magazines; creating such books as “Traditional American Crafts” and numerous holiday titles; launching Better Homes and Gardens real estate service; and developing the Creative Collection, a series of holiday, hobby and decorating magazines for which she is best known.
During her tenure at Decorative Woodcrafts, she was instrumental in developing 25 additional magazine titles under the Wood magazine umbrella group. She now serves as contributing editor to numerous publications and as consultant to the Better Homes and Gardens.
A self-described compulsive home decorator, gardener and antique collector, she enjoys taking her ideas on the road to share her passions with other enthusiasts.
With more than 1 million square feet of home furnishings and accessories, Furnitureland South is the largest furniture store in the world. Featuring expert designers and a white-glove national delivery service, the store is a multi-day destination for discerning consumers from every state and many foreign countries. Money Magazine has said “a visit to Furnitureland South is like a visit to a home-decorating theme park.” Furnitureland South is located on Business 85 between Greensboro and High Point.
September 17th, 2007
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