Archive for January, 2008
Resource Furniture is a manufacturer and distributor of furniture products including material handling products and library accessories. The material handling products include audio visual trolleys, medical trolleys, library trolleys, folding trolleys, ladders, catering units, hand trucks and step stools. Resource Furniture retail service also offers consultants to help customers in planning, merchandising and installation activities.
Resource Furniture also offers a wide range of chairs coated with different colours of vinyl like burgundy, deep purple, black, platinum, mustard, sea green, cypress green, terracotta, shadow green and many more. The types of chairs offered by Resource Furniture include executive and boardroom, guest and visitor, task and drafting, beam sitting, healthcare, reception, stools and benches, stacking and folding.
Resource Furniture also offers library accessories like spinners and wire, circulation desks, carrels, end panels, trolleys, safety steps and display units. Resource Furniture also supplies cupboards, wall units, book cases and cabinets of various textures including rock maple, steamed beach, brush box, black wood and figured energe.
The filing and storage section offered by Resource Furniture includes lockers, stationary, vertical filing and mobile pedestal. Resource Furniture also offers dividers, glass showcases, panel groove and pin board wall displays.
31-Jan-2008
January 31st, 2008
Beryn Hammil
Q:We are in a quandary as to how to decorate our living room with furniture. It is not a high-use area, but it is a visual introduction to our home. Ceilings in the entry and living room are 12 feet high. What do you recommend?
John Manzo Granite Bay (Placer County)
A: Let’s make this beautiful space both inviting and functional. Then it won’t be just sitting there, pretty to look at, but unused.
What draws people into a room? It’s a place that’s comfortable to sit and have a conversation, or it’s a quiet place to listen to music, read or contemplate the day in solitude. It should be somewhere you want to be.
Let’s start with an area rug. Choose one that’s 11 by 14 feet so it fills most of the room. It will draw the eye, and ultimately you, into the room by giving you a sense of destination. It also adds the first area of color to the room. (I’ll review colors later.)
Next, add a 6-foot-long sofa. Keep it relatively small to maintain a sense of intimacy. Behind the sofa, place a console table to provide a place for a pair of table lamps tall enough to give you good light for reading. Also set a small piece of sculpture or vase of flowers there. Opposite the sofa put a pair of club chairs. They shouldn’t be too large, but comfortable enough to sit in for conversations. Between the sofa and club chairs put a rectangular coffee table with a top measuring 4 feet by 2 feet, 6 inches. It’s large enough to put refreshments on, but not so large as to create a gulf between the two seating areas.
I’ve left your piano where you indicated it is. It’s well situated, so someone can be playing it and people sitting in the room can enjoy the concert.
To create visual balance as well as to give people another reason for being there, I’ve added a game table opposite the piano. With four chairs placed around it, you now have an area where people can gather for entertainment. These chairs can be drawn to the sofa area when you need more seating.
Now let’s make this living room even more inviting with color and texture.
Since you didn’t indicate your preference for modern or traditional furniture, nor the style of the house, I’ll give you design ideas that can go in any direction.
Use a tone of the strongest color in the rug for the largest piece of furniture, the sofa. If the rug has strong reds, the sofa could be a tone of that red. If the rug has large areas of beige, the sofa could be paler - camel, beige or taupe.
Green tones can take moss green to celadon for the furniture. Take another color in the rug as your guide for the club chairs. Again, use solid colors to keep it peaceful, though textures in the fabric will add interest when you’re close to it.
The walls should be painted a warm, neutral color; perhaps something between toasty beige and cafe au lait if the rug is in the red tones, or if the rug is in the pale to deep green tones, choose a neutral color in those tones.
The wood in the furniture don’t have to match.
The game table could be something with an interesting base, perhaps a concrete pillar or wooden barrel with a round glass top. The fabric on these chairs can complement the other fabrics.
The plants at the base of your existing pillar room divider should be tall enough to create a visual barrier, but not as tall as a hedge. Add a tall plant on the far end of the room that serves as a natural invitation as well as a visual transition to the nature outside the large windows.
A large mirror on the wall behind the club chairs and art on the wall behind the sofa as well as other open areas in the room will give the finishing touches to this room.
Beryn Hammil is a Corte Madera interior designer.
January 31st, 2008
Chair Imports ‘ range of table bases consist of metal bases and cast iron bases. The metal and cast iron bases are available in a variety of styles and sizes such as powder coatings and chrome finishes. The indoor furniture compliments Chair Imports’ broad range of quality products such as Werzalit table tops and Italian chairs and barstools. Italian chairs and barstools are available in a variety of materials and color finishes.
In addition to metal and cast iron bases, Chair Imports also has a wide range of aluminium, stainless steel, and high quality resin bases for outdoor furnitures.
Chair Imports has also added a new range of products in their furniture collection. The new products include polypropylene seats with upholstered panels, European beach timber with upholstered seat panel and chrome frame, stainless steel frame with polyglass fiber panel, boxed upholstered seat panel, technopolymer and anodized aluminum, technopolymer with chrome frame, and European beech timber with upholstered seat and ¾ back panel stackable.
The European beach timber collections are available in natural, raw, and stained finish. The polyglass fiber panels are available in black, white, red, and lime colors. The technopolymer collections are comfortable and lightweight yet strong and durable.
January 30th, 2008
If you were to take a look around my house, you’d find furniture that has been handed down by parents and grandparents, a few cheap pieces my husband and I have bought over the years and even a few throwbacks to college. You’ll also find my husband’s favorite piece of furniture in the whole house — his metal Redskins trash can. We’ve made these furniture pieces work in our home because well… furniture buying is scary and expensive. Since we’ll have to grow up one day, I asked Annette Hannon, an interior designer based in Burke, for tips on buying furniture and maybe a new trash can. (Sorry honey. The Redskins trash can has got to go.)
Tip #1: So you’ve finally decided to replace that couch — the one with stains from every meal and glass of wine consumed in the last five years. Before heading out to the store, think about what function a new couch or any other large piece of furniture will serve. Ask yourself if it’s going to be something that you and your family sit on everyday or is it going to be a dining room set that you use once or twice a year. That will help you make decisions on things like fabric and durability. For example, Hannon says ultrasuede fabric is great for people with kids and pets.
Tip #2: Whether you live in a McMansion or a small townhouse, make sure the furniture isn’t too big or small for your house. “The ceilings in stores are 11 feet tall,” says Hannon. “You have to take the dimensions down and make sure that they’ll fit in your space.”
Tip #3: One way to cushion (no pun intended) the blow to your wallet when buying furniture is to see if your favorite manufacturer or retailer is having any sales. Many run annual or semi-annual sales in the spring and fall. Larger retailers and higher-end retailers hold sales in January through March and then again in September through October, according to Hannon. “It used to be a big secret when they’d run their sales. Not so much anymore,” she explains. “Don’t be ashamed to ask.”
Tip #4: Buy the furniture staple pieces like side tables and throw rugs at places like Target and Ikea, and fork out the bigger bucks on the large pieces like couches and dining room tables at higher-end furniture stores.
Tip #5: Don’t turn up your nose at consignment stores and yard sales. If you can see a vision beyond that 1970s fabric or some bumps and bruises, you can find some good deals. Some things can be upholstered, restored or painted for a cheaper price than buying a whole new piece. Just make sure the item you’re buying is in good shape.
Tip #6: When buying wood furniture pieces, ask what kind of wood was used. You want to look for pieces made from hard woods like oak, walnut or cherry. A weaker wood such as teak will split easily, especially in a four-season climate like Washington, Hannon explains.
Tip #7: When trying to decide whether to refinish Aunt May’s handed-down dining room table or shell out the money for a brand new set, think about sentimental value. “If the lines aren’t great and you’ve never really liked the arms, buy something new,” Hannon says. “Don’t go through the trouble of finding the fabric. The springs and the frame are probably better in a new piece too.”
Tip #8: Many retailers and manufacturers sell their furniture in collections, but don’t be afraid to mix and match pieces from different collections. Just make sure a few pieces in the room match, such as side tables or a set of arm chairs. Hannon says even one antique piece in the room can add a nice touch.
Here’s where Hannon likes to shop for furniture:
Baker Georgetown: The Washington store sells higher-end furniture but beautifully designed pieces, says Hannon.
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams: Its one store on 14th Street in Washington has great price points and its own fabric collection.
Restoration Hardware: With stores in Maryland, Washington and Virginia, the retailer offers great furniture but also interesting choices in lighting.
Williams Sonoma Home: There are no stores in our area but the online catalog will happily take your money.
Design Within Reach: This online store has two studios in Washington and one in Bethesda, where furniture shoppers can see many of its pieces up close. Hannon likes its contemporary but classic design.
Wisteria: offers great accessories
VivaTerra: sells eco-friendly pieces
Velocity: features fun furniture pieces
Ikea: Hannon says she wouldn’t buy a sofa there but has used the store for cabinets and other storage elements.
January 30th, 2008
By TERESA M. PELHAM
Ed Goldberg shows off his handmade furniture as if he’s introducing you to an old friend. Made with recycled materials and more care than pretty much all the other furniture on the market, his wooden utilitarian pieces tell a story.
“It’s brand-new old,” he says of his tables and shelves, made from found materials. “All of a sudden, recycled is cool. We have dumpsters and landfills filled with old wood that could have another life. But you have to have some imagination.”
Goldberg worked a lifetime in commercial real estate, first for Ensign Bickford Realty and then his own company before retiring earlier this month. He began creating creative, rustic furniture close to 15 years ago for use at a family camp in Maine.
“Things came up out of need,” says Goldberg, married to former Farmington Valley Arts Center director Betty Friedman, whose art fills the couple’s Simsbury home. “It didn’t make sense to buy factory-made plastic furniture when we really wanted a more rustic feel.”
Using found materials such as wood from barn doors, old wine crates and birch logs, Goldberg, 68, now builds most pieces on commission. A woman from Virginia, for example, recently inherited a farm complete with a dilapidated barn. Goldberg made her a kitchen table, end table and coffee table with the barn’s 150-year-old southern ash. And one of his benches sits in the New Britain Museum of American Art.
Goldberg estimates that he works with about 85 percent recycled materials. He uses pegs instead of nails and even makes all of his own hinges with copper flashing from discarded roofs. He keeps his former builder contacts on the lookout for usable materials.
“It’s a future heirloom,” he said of one of his coffee tables. “It just needs a little time.”
“In A Different Light” is an occasional feature in Java that highlights people with interesting lives outside the office.
January 29th, 2008
(PRLEAP.COM) Fort Collins, Colorado – January 28, 2008 – More and more event organizers are using bean bags as portable and inexpensive furniture for trade shows, conferences, retreats, and other corporate events. BeanBagZone.com offers a variety of colors, fabrics, shapes, and sizes to suit the needs of any event coordinator. Timing and service are key for many short-term events, and the sales staff at The Zone will help the coordinator with everything from color and fabric choices, timing of delivery, and product assembly. Some products even offer free fabric swatches to those who need them.
Bean bag chairs from www.beanbagzone.com are sized for both children and adults. Shapes vary from the original round bean bag to bean bag beds and bean bag sofas. Some covers are even removable and machine washable for easy clean-up after the event. When you want to make your trade show booth stand out, furnishing it with beanbags can be an easy solution. Nothing says ‘stop and take a load off’ like a bean bag chair. Interested parties may even linger a little longer because of them.
Not only are event coordinators catching on to the idea of bean bag furniture, but so are community centers, bars and nightclubs, coffee shops, youth groups, and churches. Because they are portable and inexpensive, bean bag chairs are quickly becoming an easy alternative to traditional furniture. Corporate discounts apply to orders of 5 or more bean bags. Check into The Zone for your corporate event furnishing needs.
About Alliance Marketing Group, Inc.
Alliance Marketing Group (AMG) offers powerful, cutting-edge web development services and solutions along with the most advanced search engine marketing techniques in the business. AMG’s expert staff includes certified SEO Toolset members, certified Google Advertising Professionals and over 10 years of design, development and SEO experience. AMG is also considered a specialty online retailer.
January 29th, 2008
Antique furniture requires much more special attention and care than modern home furnishings typically need. Polishes, adhesives, fasteners and finishes on antique furniture can dramatically affect the current and future value of pieces.
If you own one or more antique furniture heirlooms, it might be wise to practice the following suggestions when it comes to positioning and caring for them in the home.
Avoid putting antique furniture before a window or direct sunlight.
Don’t place antiques near air conditioning and heating vents. Moreover, keep antique furniture away from fireplaces and stoves.
Blot up any spills that occur on furniture immediately.
Dust the furniture regularly with a lint-free cloth.
Consult a professional restorer when considering restoration, repair or refinishing an antique piece. Also, practice caution when considering a course of treatment or repairs. If the antique furniture piece possesses significant historical value or provenance, seek out a licensed appraiser for values and conservator for any repairs or restoration.
Source: FurnitureCareTips.com; Consumer Manual
January 28th, 2008
BS Reporter / New Delhi/ Jalandhar
The famous wooden furniture industry of Kartarpur, a small town in Jalandhar district, is now on the verge of closure due to several reasons, including import of Chinese furniture and increasing trend of wrought iron furniture.
The decades-old furniture business, which could be easily distinguished for its specialty, has lost its lucrative edge.
“People now prefer Chinese furniture made of new-wood as they have better shine due to the clean lamination. The plastic and wrought iron furniture have also damaged the business here,” Swaroop Rai, whose furniture unit is facing dwindling sales, said.
Chinese furniture, mostly responsible for damaging the industry, is also cheaper than wooden furniture, Raju Bawa, a manufacturer and exporter of furniture, said. “But when it comes to durability, Chinese furniture have no stand at all,” he said.
Those engaged in this business now face huge losses and mass unemployment. This has forced them to consider abandoning their trade and look for other employment opportunities.
Almost 60 per cent of Kartarpur’s population is employed in various branches of wooden furniture manufacture. Over 450 units, mostly small- and medium-scale, engage in cutting, carving and polishing the wood into furniture.
Bawa said that until a few years ago, Kartarpur furniture industry had good market abroad, with exports to the UK, the USA and Europe touching record levels.
But the industry has always remained more or less of a cottage industry and could not even graduate to small scale industry, he added.
Some manufacturers also blame the government to some extent for the miserable plight of the industry. A “sizzling plant” set up in the city for drying wood with chemical treatment by using solar energy could not come up to the expectation of the industry as it took many days in the process.
Though the Kartarpur furniture industry is taking severe beating from Chinese furniture, it has not lost all of its patrons.
“Foreign customers still like the carving on the wood. They prefer sofas and double-beds with intricate designs. But Indian customers prefer Chinese furniture with simple and flat surfaces,” said Mohinder Pal Singh, an owner of a furniture unit in the city, while describing the love of NRI’s for traditional furniture.
Pawan Bansal, another beleaguered manufacturer, said: “With falling sales and production, decline in business, as well as the popularity of the industry, the new generation is not interested in learning the work. They are looking for other employment opportunities.”
“Imposition of value-added tax of 12 percent is also preventing buyers from entering into the Kartarpur market,” said Prem Bansal, another owner of a furniture manufacturing unit.
“Mushrooming of many manufacturing units in the adjoining villages has also impacted the industry adversely. Also, now every city has its own furniture market,” he added.
January 28th, 2008
By: Furniture World Magazine
Suburban Furniture, an independent, family owned retailer located in Succasunna, NJ announced that the company contracted with FurnitureDealer.net to run and manage its website, online marketing and channel integration initiatives. The new site (www.SuburbanFurniture.com) was launched at the beginning of December.
Suburban Furniture owner, Kenny Luthy says, “Furnituredealer.net had our website up within a few weeks of our contract being signed and we have seen an increase in our site traffic of 300% in just one month. We are appearing on all kinds of local search requests on Google and Yahoo that we never got before. Best of all, however, are the number of local people calling us from our website.
A higher percentage of our foot traffic, which traditionally comes in because of our circulars and direct mail, is now coming in after first visiting our website. Since the customer visits the website first and gathers information, we have a much more qualified, ready to buy customer and we are able to convert those customers more easily. We have had some amazing success stories in our first month - large sales that we otherwise may not have gotten. We are a value oriented retailer with tough competition so this success is even more valuable to us.”
Furnituredealer.net founder and president, Andy Bernstein, added, “While traditional media advertising is very expensive in highly populated market areas, the internet is an incredibly effective and affordable way to get found by consumers in the local area who are actively shopping for furniture and mattresses. By showing an impressive product selection and providing helpful shopping information, Suburban Furniture does a great job of helping people find products that they like. What has been most impressive though, is the success Kenny Luthy and his sales team have achieved at getting people who contact them by email and telephone to come into the store and purchase.”
About Furnituredealer.net: Located in Minnesota, Furnituredealer.net is committed to helping independent brick and mortar retailers build and grow their businesses through the power of the internet and online marketing. In just two years, the company has grown from 1 to over 30 clients, including 9 of the 100 largest independent furniture retailers in the US. FurnitureDealer.net will be exhibiting at the Las Vegas market in the WHFA Retailer Resource Center (RRC) Satellite Location - Pavilions 2, Space P21306. The company can be reached at (651) 204-1925.
January 24th, 2008
By: Furniture World Magazine
First Capital, a leading commercial financial services firm, announced the official launch of its Trade Payable Discounting program to improve its suite of International SupplyChain Finance solutions. The offering is the third in a series of new international trade solutions First Capital is unveiling this Fall. In October, the firm announced a “Pre-Delivery Guaranty” program and “Export Factoring” as the first and second offerings in the suite.
Trade Payable Discounting allows global importers to improve their cash flow and increase their financial leverage by obtaining extended, unsecured payment terms from foreign suppliers instead of using letters of credit or paying cash. Importers also gain from price discounts resulting from early payment under Trade Payable Discounting.
Foreign suppliers gain by improving their cash flow via early funding of their invoices. They also benefit from a 100% guarantee of the importer’s creditworthiness. Foreign suppliers can thereby boost their sales by offering the most competitive open account credit terms.
“Trade Payable Funding is a win-win proposition for both buyers and suppliers,” says Anthony K. Brown, International Managing Director, First Capital. “Trade Payable funding relieves the financial strain on working capital caused by lengthening supply chains—without affecting existing borrowing relationships. What we are looking to do is to make global trade as seamless as local trade.”
“By giving buyers and sellers financing options that benefit both trading partners (and an extra layer of credit protection for suppliers)”said Mark Sunshine, President and COO of First Capital, “we see First Capital’s role as adding value and service in facilitating global commerce.”
First Capital is a member of Factors Chain International (FCI), the leading international factoring trade group with 225 members in 63 countries.
About First Capital : First Capital (www.FirstCapital.com) is a leading commercial financial services firm providing prompt, professional and reliable working capital solutions and outsourcing, primarily for middle-market companies and institutions. With over $1 billion in total committed lines, First Capital is one of the largest independent and fastest-growing commercial finance companies in the United States. The firm focuses on asset-based lending, accounts receivable management, credit protection, international supply chain financing and servicing for clients in North America and Asia. The firm also manages asset portfolios for clients and is an active issuer of receivables-backed securities. Combining a unique blend of traditional and progressive banking methods, First Capital provides clients with customized support needed to grow and maintain their business. Based out of West Palm Beach, Florida, the firm has six full-service offices in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Ft. Lauderdale, Oklahoma City and Atlanta and a subsidiary that is headquartered in Hong Kong. For more information contact jitak@firstcapital.com.
January 23rd, 2008
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