InteriorDesignVIP.com News http://news.prvip.com/index.php Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:16:21 +0000 1440 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13616 Renowned International Designer, Christian Lyon, Creates Two Collections For Luxury Manufacturer, Matsuoka

CONCORD, N.C., Oct. 5, 2009 Matsuoka, Japanese manufacturer of luxury home furnishings for discriminating clientele, has engaged the creative talent of international artist and interior designer, Christian Lyon, to create two collections, Moderne and Metropole. Fifty exquisite items for the dining room, living room and bedroom will debut in the new Matsuoka showroom, IHFC IH408 at the High Point Market in October.

Kevin Reilly, president of Matsuoka International says, “We wanted to partner with someone who would enable us to bring the intensity of Matsuoka’s insistence on excellence, attention to detail, superior cabinetry and impeccable finishes to a global context. Christian is a designer with a special sense of artistic integrity and good judgment. His talent and inspiration have shaped the aesthetics of design into a truly international vocabulary. It is neither occidental, nor oriental per se; nor is it fusion in the conventional sense. It is something truly unique.”

Lyon’s collections for Matsuoka, showcase transitional creations for bedroom, dining, living, entry and occasional environments. They are adorned with expensive Celebes Ebony, shimmering pearl Japonica, stained Bird’s Eye Maple, New Guinea Walnut, Burl Mahogany and other rare woods. The collections include various cuts of figured Italian marble, mother of pearl, urushi lacquer, and jewelry touches of fine nickel.

As with all of Matsuoka’s products, every cabinet is hand crafted from plantation grown Paulownia, a green alternative to western cabinetry hard woods. Paulownia is a fast growing sustainable plant that regenerates in 7-15 years from stumps of harvested logs and is an ideal substitute for traditional hard woods used in furniture. Plus the furnishings will be completely free of VOC’s and other environmental hazards.

Lyon is the managing director of Christian Lyon Design, an upscale design firm in Perth, Australia. He is a sought-after artist whose work has graced the homes of distinguished international clientele in Australia and abroad. His creations have been featured in magazines around the world and his experience includes outfitting homes, offices and leisure environments for glitterati in Europe, America, and Asia including a recent commission for the yacht of the Sultan of Brunei.

SOURCE: Matsuoka]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:49:31 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13616 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13615 Kevin Reilly Named President of Matsuoka International

FUCHU CITY, JAPAN, Sept. 24, 2009 Matsuoka, Japanese manufacturer of luxury home furnishings, is proud to announce that high-end industry veteran Kevin Reilly, formerly with Baker Furniture, has been named president of Matsuoka International.

As president, Reilly will help Matsuoka achieve their goal to continue to provide cutting edge designs that will present creative international options for the construction of gracious living and work environments for discriminating clientele around the world. To do this, they will develop relationships with visionary people in key distribution locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Middle East and Asia. As their business grows, they will expand to secondary markets while continuing to engage creative talent from around the world to ensure that their designs remain fresh and that they sustain the dynamic energy that is vital to success.

Reilly’s cosmopolitan background, fluency in four languages, 10 years experience in the high-end furniture business, combined with 20 years experience in international business and finance, will prove to be valuable assets as he directs Matsuoka in achieving their global objectives. Reilly states, “I’m looking forward to working with a company that is extremely dedicated and deeply committed to excellence and interested in sharing their superior crafted goods from Japan with the global market.”

Reilly graduated Summa Cum Laude from Catholic University and earned a Master of Arts degree in Romance Languages from Princeton University. He studied business at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, earning a Graduate Certificate of Business Administration for ABD’s and PhD’s in the Humanities.

SOURCE: Matsuoka]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:47:38 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13615 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13614 Matsuoka, Japanese Heirloom Furniture Manufacturer, Makes International Debut At High Point Furniture Market

Concord, N.C., Aug. 21, 2009 Matsuoka, Japanese manufacturer of luxury home furnishings, is making their international debut by showcasing four new collections in their new High Point Furniture Market showroom, IH408, this October. Showcasing the new collections, Matsuoka will be available through select retailers in major metropolitan markets.

In Japan, Matsuoka is known as an artificer of customized and superbly finished designs of extreme precision in exotic materials and rare woods. They began their craft over 140 years ago and originally gained fame as Japan’s premier maker of traditional “bridal” furniture. As tradition dictated, wealthy or noble parents of a new born would approach a respected crafter of fine furniture and request that Paulownia trees be sown so that a magnificent trousseau could be made as a wedding gift. The company would make meticulously crafted furniture with expressive veneers and beautiful inlays for the parents to present with great fanfare to the newlyweds as a sign of good fortune and happiness in their new life together. From there, the company’s reputation grew. Prominent celebrities, designers and personalities throughout Japan and from international locations began to consult them to create treasures for their own homes and work environments.

One of the many things that make Matsuoka unique is the wood that they use to create their masterpieces. Their craftsmen have searched the world to collect a priceless inventory of more than 70 species of some of the most spectacular decorative veneers and inlays including the world’s largest collection of exceptional Celebes Ebony harvested more than 35 years ago. Other select wood species include cuts of nacreous and lacey sycamore, expressive bird’s eye maple, sumptuous red sandalwood, various rosewoods, walnuts, mahoganies from several continents and African woods. For the cases they also use Paulownia, a fast growing sustainable plant that regenerates in 7-15 years. This makes an ideal, ecologically sound, substitute for traditional hard woods used in furniture. Matsuoka often adorns their designs with accoutrements of lustrous metals, semi-precious stones, exotic urushi, hand selected leathers and the finest Italian marbles. Their case goods have hand rubbed finishes and are all environmentally sound containing no VOC’s or other polluting toxins that create unsafe or allergenic conditions.

Matsuoka will also debut beautifully tailored upholstery to complement the case goods. The upholstery, made in the USA by North Carolina craftsmen, meets the highest standards of luxury in construction and ergonomics. In keeping with Matsuoka’s high quality standards, it will be shown in rich silk and velvets sourced from mills around the world.

Matsuoka will showcase at the High Point Market a selection of four collections developed directly from Matsuoka’s existing portfolio of more than 1500 designs. The urban sophisticated Midtown and Kotta collections are done in exquisite Celebes ebony, mahogany burl and bird’s eye maple. Madoka is a bedroom collection with traditional Japanese motifs scaled to western proportions and executed in teak with washi accentuation. The Wabi/Sabi Chigiri collection extends the vocabulary of Japanese styling, scaled to international standards, with superbly crafted pieces in a variety of expressive and rare veneers. These are complemented by a collection of items executed in fallen timber from the ancient 3000 year old Yakushima forest of “yaku sugi” wood, a magnificent boldly grained material available nowhere else on earth.

SOURCE: Matsuoka]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:46:32 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13614 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13533 BARCLAY BUTERA HOME OFFERS QUIET SOPHISTICATION IN DEBUT OF 'GRAMERCY PARK COLLECTION' AT FALL HIGH POINT MARKET

ON HEELS OF DESIGNING THE FIRST ROOM IN OVER 50 YEARS AT FAMED HEARST CASTLE, BUTERA ADDS 'SAN SIMEON CHAIR' TO COLLABORATION

LOS ANGELES, CA (October 2009) - This Fall, national lifestyle designer Barclay Butera tapped the "City" section of his Living in Style book for inspiration and created the "Gramercy Park Collection" for High Point Market introductions. Named for the exclusive Manhattan park, where a key is required to enter and enjoy this haven within the city, the Collection celebrates the world traveler / city dweller who enjoys all aspects of the arts and high culture of a big city, and requires an elegant and subtle palette against which to showcase their personal collections. The "Gramercy Park Collection" can be seen at High Point Market: The World's Home for Home Furnishings (Oct. 17-22), Interhall #IH102. As an extension of this concept, Butera will showcase new pieces from his continued association with the Hearst Castle Collection®, reflected in upholstery and pillows.

The color palette of the "Gramercy Park Collection" reflects a quiet sophistication through its tonal fabric selections that include taupe, bronze, chocolate, gold, cream, butterscotch; variegated stripes with texture and sheen; menswear-inspired textiles including bold houndstooth, large-scale paisley & windowpane plaid; supple leathers, plush velvets; touches of Butera's characteristic textured animal prints, tone-on-tone woven patterns and classic solids.

For this Fall, Barclay Butera Home is proud to present all new at High Point Market:

Park Avenue Bench
Generously-scaled bench, an elegant, 'collected piece' of a well-traveled couple, possibly for base of bed. Sophisticated tufting and dark turned leg are standard; nailhead is option (extra). Shown in Kipling Bone leather (Gramercy Park Collection). (60"w x 20"d x 22"h)

Essex Ottoman
Regency inspired ottoman with distinctive double "X" base with stretcher for additional strength. Tufted attached pillowtop with contrast welt added as signature Butera design detail. Tufting and fully upholstered base are standard. Most effective shown in pairs; perfect additional seating for conversational great room. Shown in Savoy Tobacco Velvet fabric (Classic Collection) with Contrast Welt in Savoy Bay Rum (British Colonial). (24"w x 18"d x 20"h)

San Simeon Chair
Known for his collection of wing chairs, this is Butera's newest addition to his collaboration with Hearst Castle Collection. Modeled after originals purchased from Bullock's Wilshire for Mr. Hearst's North Wing suite, this modified wing chair features cutaway arms that echo the rolled detail on the wingback, as well as a current twist on a traditional pleated arm detail. Transitional and ideal for lounging, chair features classic tapered leg with carved relief detail and attached pillow back. Shown in a textured striped velvet, Edwin Cream (Gramercy Park Collection). (33"w x 36"d x 40"h)

Bradford Chair
Generously proportioned lounge piece, comes standard with tufting and turned legs with casters. Similar to Newport Chair, but deeper and taller. Shown in Butera's characteristic animal print while still remaining neutral. Fabric: Giraffe Natural (Gramercy Park Collection) (32"w x 36"d x 32"h)

In other news, Butera is touring luxury design centers nationwide, lecturing on "Decorating in the New Economy" to packed rooms filled with those in the design trade. The tour is tied to the launch of his Kravet Collections line of textiles, as well as his selection of original designs for Tufts by Kravet Carpet. Please check facebook.com/kravetinc. for a full schedule.

ABOUT BARCLAY BUTERA
Barclay Butera, Inc. is based in Newport Beach, CA, and entails the Barclay Butera collection showrooms in Newport Beach and Los Angeles, CA, and Park City, UT. Barclay Butera Home, Inc. products (www.barclaybuterahome.com) are distributed through over 300 showrooms, his own collection showrooms, and To the Trade nationwide. The Kravet products are available through Kravet showrooms nationwide. Butera designs and manufactures his bench made upholstery products in Los Angeles, CA.

SOURCE: Barclay Butera]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:17:24 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13533 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13532 HAMMARY WELCOMES B. SMITH; INTRODUCES CASEGOODS COLLECTION

LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA (September 10, 2009) - Hammary, a La-Z-Boy company, welcomes lifestyle expert, television personality and restaurateur Barbara Smith; who will be designing a collection of transitional casegoods.

The B. Smith Home Collection will include approximately thirty-four pieces including occasional, bedroom and dining room collections. This is Hammary's first celebrity licensing program.

The B. Smith look embodies contemporary design inspired by transcultural influences. "That look," B. simply states, "is 'Afrasian' and it fills a void in the market." Believing in an accessible approach to design, B. Smith merges eclectic style with ethnic influences that draw their inspiration from her world travels as a model, author, and business professional.

"My new collection for Hammary incorporates global accents that will appeal to a broad range of customers who embrace the unique combination of bold, dramatic lines enhanced by natural and subtle elements. This interaction reflects the synthesis that occurs when the best of each culture comes together to create something beautiful, and embodies what the 'Afrasian' world view and this collection are all about," says Smith.

Among the signature items in the collection are a platform bed and coordinating dresser in a luxurious, dark mahogany finish with dramatic, carved accents. "The bed is a statement piece that is a fusion of Asian, African and Caribbean influences," Smith says. "It epitomizes my vision of blending design with a world view."

Smith's furniture collection for Hammary is a natural evolution of her lifestyle brand that also includes the successful B. Smith with Style® Home Collection sold exclusively for the past eight years at Bed Bath & Beyond® stores nationwide and the "B. Smith with Style" television show. Her flagship New York restaurant is celebrating its 24th year in business; her D.C. restaurant, host to one of the official Inaugural gala events for President Obama, recently marked its 15th anniversary; and the Sag Harbor restaurant celebrated its 12th season in May of this year.

"We are excited to welcome B. Smith to Hammary," said Hammary's President, John Labarowski. "B. Smith knows style whether it's on the runway, in a restaurant or in the comfort of your home. When it comes to casual yet elegant living, her sophisticated approach has been an inspiration to many for years."

Hammary is targeting better department and furniture specialty stores for the B. Smith collection which will be launched at the October High Point Furniture Market.


About Hammary:

Hammary Furniture was founded in 1943 as a manufacturer of covered lawn furniture. Today, Hammary is a well-known residential marketer of eclectic, high-fashion furniture for every room of the home. Its product line is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. Hammary is part of La-Z-Boy Incorporated's family of companies. For more information on Hammary, please visit: www.hammary.com.


About B. Smith:

B. Smith is a fashion model turned lifestyle expert - TV talk show host, author, entertainer, brand spokesperson and entrepreneur - an African American woman who easily merges cultures through a shared appreciation for style. The first African American featured on the cover of Mademoiselle magazine, she is credited with myriad other milestones: the first black woman to have a national lifestyle brand, the first to sell products nationwide at Bed, Bath and Beyond, the first to publish an entertaining/cooking tabletop book (she will publish her third book this year), the first to have a nationally distributed television lifestyle show, as well as the first African American woman on the board of directors of the Culinary Institute of America. Ms. Smith was recently the recipient of the Entrepreneur Award at the 2009 BET Honors. For more information, please visit: www.bsmith.com.

SOURCE: Hammary]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:08:49 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13532 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13447 CASEY: IHFRA/HPM REP AMBASSADORS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Their Work Encouraging Retailers to Attend Market Paying Off For All This Week

High Point, North Carolina, October 15, 2009—When Market opens this weekend, the High Point Market Authority expects to see many new buyers among the crowds, as well as retailers who have not visited High Point for a number of Markets, thanks in part to the work of the IHFRA/High Point Market Rep Ambassadors.

“Our Rep Ambassadors are helping us make a difference,” Casey says. “Their work, meeting one-on-one with retailers across the country to talk about all the positive changes that have been occurring here and encouraging them to attend Market, is paying off this week. These champions of our Market—all of whom are volunteers and are not compensated by the High Point Market Authority for their work on behalf of the Market—truly understand what the Market means to our industry. Their vision, commitment, and ability to personally connect with our customers to communicate our story, has been an invaluable service that benefits everyone connected to this Market.”

“We’re finding that people are very excited about the fact that High Point really took a hard look at itself and discovered that it needed to make people feel like they are more welcome, and to make the High Point Market a better place to shop, work and stay,” says Rep Ambassador Matthew (Matt) Keepers, CHR, who represents Hooker Furniture, Bradington Young and Sam Moore in Texas. “Customers are finally realizing that the Market has really been making an effort to make things more accessible and customer friendly, from wonderful programs like the Go-Anywhere shuttles that help them get around, to the free concierge services that help them find affordable accommodations. Those kinds of things really do make a difference to our dealers.

“People come to High Point when they are serious about their business and their livelihood,” Keepers continues. “It’s a given that the top dealers are here, but we also like to see a nice cross-section our middle-market dealers, the core of my territory. More of them are now coming back to High Point because of the initiatives that the High Point Market Authority has put in place.”

Don Deeds, a sales representative for Broyhill Furniture who covers the Southern California region, says, “In speaking with retailers throughout the summer about the advantages of coming to High Point, my goal for current and prospective dealers has been to help them understand the value of seeing the greatly expanded presentations that High Point offers. High Point is the show of shows, and the scale of the showrooms here provides a much better sense of what a company is all about. In my opinion, everybody in this industry needs to take advantage of every opportunity available now, and High Point is the place that offers all those opportunities, and on a much grander scale than anywhere else.”

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:49:37 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13447 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13446 CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF GREAT MARKET MOMENTS

HPMA Invites Market-Goers to Share Memories Via Twitter

High Point, North Carolina, October 14, 2009—As the 100th anniversary of the High Point Market culminates here this week, the High Point Market Authority is harnessing the power of social media, a phenomenon unique to today’s Market-goers, to celebrate milestones in the Market’s history and memories of the past.

“From industry-defining events to the personal triumphs of individual home furnishings professionals, our first 100 years have been filled with great accomplishments,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority. “As we pass the Centennial milestone in our history, we are not only remembering the entrepreneurs and innovators who created and nurtured this remarkable institution, but also celebrating the great moments enjoyed by our Market guests over the years, in making the High Point Market the vital center of our industry.”

As part of the celebration, the High Point Market Authority is inviting all Market-goers to share their unique memories of Market over the years on the Centennial Celebration website, www.highpointmarket.org/centennial. “Each of our Market guests’ stories is an important part of our history and we think it’s very important to include them in our Centennial Celebration,” Casey says. “We’ve made it quick and easy for everyone to add their thoughts to the website, or link to existing content. Just click the Twitter icon or tweet your memory to @hpmktmemories, our Twitter account.”

The idea, according to the executive, is that the comments will yield a rich collection of memories that many Market-goers can relate to and inspire even more networking, communication, and yes, connections at Market. “Connect @ the world’s home for home furnishings is more than just a tagline,” Casey describes. “Situated at the center of the U.S. home furnishings industry, the High Point Market has been the key connecting point for retailers, manufacturers, consultants, furniture designers, interior decorators and everyone else who derives their livelihood from this business sector for decades. This is the one place where our entire industry meets, and as such, there is a tremendous sense of community here. Social media tools such as Twitter only increase that sense of community, and are quickly being adopted by home furnishings professionals throughout the industry.”

Casey also thinks it’s only fitting for Market to utilize a 21st Century tool to capture memories of the previous century. “When all is said and done this week, the most important aspect of our Market’s history will be the firm foundation that has been laid for the future,” he says. “Our goal for the next 100 years is for the Market is to remain as relevant to our constituents in the future as it was to those who traveled here a century ago.”

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:48:35 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13446 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13445 BUICK TO CONNECT @ HIGH POINT MARKET COLLABORATES WITH MARKET TO PROMOTE NEW MODEL LAUNCH

2010 LaCrosse Sedans Will Provide Luxury Go-Anywhere Service
GM Designers Alexandra Dymowska and Magdalena Kokoszynsks to Explore Intersection of Automotive/Home Furnishings Design

High Point, North Carolina, October 13, 2009—The High Point Market Authority is collaborating with Buick to explore the intersection of design and innovation across industries this Market.

According to Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority, as part of the unique collaboration, General Motors designers Alexandra Dymowska and Magdalena Kokoszynsks will be on hand with a number of Buick representatives during Market to interface and explore current design inspirations and directions with interior designers and other Market-goers. Dymowska, with a Masters of Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute, was recruited by GM Design and joined the Advanced team in the Color and Trim Studio in 2007. Kokoszynsks, a color and trim specialist who earned her undergraduate degree at Pratt, also joined GM in 2007. Market attendees can meet them under the Buick hospitality tent on the corner of Main and Commerce Streets where the new Buick LaCrosse will be on display.

“Designers have a potential to author the history of their times, to literally shape the way the world looks,” Dymowska says. “Designers have the power to choreograph human behavior, to infuse mundane objects and spaces with exp​ression, beauty and meaning—thus making lives richer.”

Kokoszynsks worked on the new LaCrosse and is now working on future Buick products. “Buick is doing amazing things with design and it is great to be part of it,” she said.

“With a cadre of young designers bringing energy to the Buick brand, the new LaCrosse is a rolling statement of where Buick is going in the future,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority. “What’s interesting is that in creating this vehicle, these young designers are taking cues from what people want in their homes, and Buick sees our Market constituency as a key target audience. After all, High Point is the cradle of design in the home furnishings sector, and the High Point Market is known around the world for having the greatest number of new product introductions every season.”

Casey continues, “At the High Point Market, we also recognize that innovation and creative inspiration is shared across industries. In the past, we have hosted aerospace designers at Market, as well as designers involved in automotive, healthcare, energy and various building technologies among others. Indeed, not long after we launched the High Point Market e-newsletter, we noticed an interesting phenomenon in our database. We were receiving opt-in requests not only from home furnishings professionals, but designers from companies with names like Disney Imagineering, Siemens USA and Lockheed Martin. It didn’t take us long to realize that designers derive creative inspiration from many sources in the world in the world around them, and those in other industries see our emphasis on new product design as one of the key components that differentiates the High Point Market from any other.”

In addition to celebrating the intersection of design between the home furnishings and automotive industries, Buick is sending 2010 LaCrosse Sedans to augment the Market’s existing “Go-Anywhere” fleet with luxury service.

“General Motors’ goal is for our customers to experience their vehicles, while our goal is always to continually provide an exceptional customer experience for our Market guests,” Casey says. “For this reason, the opportunity to afford Market-goers a higher-end, luxurious Go-Anywhere experience is a win-win situation for both Buick and the High Point Market.”

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:47:34 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13445 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13444 CASEY: COME CELEBRATE THE 100th!

Sunday Night, October 18th Culminates Centennial Celebration With a Bang

High Point, North Carolina, October 8, 2009—It’s High Point Market’s birthday and the High Point Market Authority is throwing a party worthy of a celebration that’s been 100 years in the making. Sunday night, October 18th has been chosen for the culmination of the Centennial Celebration and all Market-goers are invited the birthday party of the century.

On hand to kick off the giant bash will be the one and only North Carolina A&T State University Blue and Gold Marching Machine. The world-famous drum line will march through the streets of High Point, leading Market celebrants to the downtown stage, adjacent to the Transportation Terminal which will be dressed appropriately for the gala occasion.

Among the party-goers will be the Mayor of High Point and the High Point Market Rep Ambassadors serving up a sparkling birthday cake big enough to feed thousands. As befitting a party of this size, there will be games (think canons firing free Centennial tee-shirts into the waiting arms of revelers), a Master of Ceremonies, plenty of paparazzi and, of course, headline entertainment. Premier singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw and his string of hit singles including, “In Love With A Girl,” “I Don’t Want to Be,” and “We Belong Together,” is setting the night to music. Capping it all off? A pyrotechnic show that will light up the night sky.

“Both Market veterans, as well as the thousands of newcomers arriving here will literally be part of history-in-the-making, and a once-in-a-lifetime Market event that will require another 100 years to pass before we can celebrate in such a way again,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority.

“The fact is that the High Point Market has been an integral part of thousands of home furnishings professionals’ lives for generations, so it was important to us that this is a participative celebration that everyone can enjoy,” the executive continues. “At the same time, we see the Market’s first 100 years as only the beginning, a period of spectacular growth that has created the infrastructure for an expanding global industry. We intend to use the great foundation that has been built over the past century as a platform to help home furnishings professionals across this country and around the world improve performance and effect positive change for generations to come…and that is reason for everyone to celebrate.”

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:46:39 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13444 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13443 HPMA SPONSORS SEMINAR SERIES FOR RETAILERS/DESIGNERS

Retail Consultant Cinda Baxter, Force Behind The 3/50 Project to Keynote

High Point, North Carolina, October 7, 2009—The High Point Market Authority (HPMA) is sponsoring a series of six, special educational seminars focused on business-building ideas for independent retailers and interior designers during Fall Market here. All HPMA seminars will take place in G-105 on the 1st floor of the Suites at Market Square.

Cinda Baxter, founder of The 3/50 Project, a retail consultant and enthusiastic champion of independent retailers, is scheduled to deliver the series’ keynote address—“The 3/50 Project: Building Business from the Ground Up”—on Monday, October 19 at 2 p.m.
“Having spent fourteen years as a successful retail store owner herself, Cinda ‘gets’ what business owners are going through, speaks their language, and is determined to see them stick around for the long haul,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority. “Her mission to strengthen independent brick and mortar businesses from the inside out fits perfectly with our goal as a Market to supply home furnishings professionals with the information they need to move their businesses forward.”

According to Casey, Baxter understood the pain felt by retailers when the economy sank and consumers began to hold back. What the country needed, in her opinion, was a meeting of the minds between two groups that held valuable stakes in the game—small business owners and members of their communities.

Enter The 3/50 Project, http://www.the350project.net, which Fox Business News refers to has having “the formula that could save some local businesses that might not otherwise survive the recession.”

Indeed, what began as an off-the-cuff blog comment may now well be one of the fastest spreading promotions in small business history. The 3/50 Project is a groundswell movement that began as a simple idea: Encourage people to frequent three local brick-and-mortar businesses that they want to remain in the community, and spend an affordable $50 per month.

“Fifty comes from the idea that if even half the employed population spent a mere $50 per month in locally owned retail stores, those purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue,” Baxter says, adding that for every $100 spent in locally owned businesses, $68 returns to the local community. When spent in a big box, chain or franchise, $43 remains. Purchases made online return nothing.
“Shoppers have become so rooted in thinking about the essentials that they’ve forgotten about the home furnishings store on the corner whose owner remembers their name,” Baxter says.

“The 3/50 Project asks consumers to think about which three stores they’d miss if they disappeared, then reminds them to return there,” says Casey. “Amazingly, while the movement has made great strides toward saving the brick and mortar stores our nation is built on in many other industries, the majority of retailers in the furniture business have yet to hear about it. For this reason, we felt the High Point Market was an ideal venue to bring Cinda’s inspiring message to home furnishings merchants.”

Supporters of The 3/50 Project have access to free materials that publicize the message, including a downloadable flyer that can be printed on any color printer, then handed to customers while thanking them for their patronage. Additional items include a window banner, a countertop sign, member badges for websites, graphics for newsletters and blogs, a movie screen panel for theaters, and window clings bearing The 3/50 Project logo.

“This is an incredible opportunity for retailers to learn about how they can encourage consumers to effect positive change in their communities through a program that’s down to earth, straightforward and very accessible,” Casey says. “The movement’s success is attributed to the simplicity of the message, and the form in which it is delivered. While most Buy Local campaigns rely on terminology about ‘local living economies’ and ‘sustainable micro-economics,’ The 3/50 Project answers questions consumers are likely to ask in the language they speak at the dinner table: What’s it going to cost, and how will this help?”

--Seminars for Interior Designers--
The HPMA Seminar Series kicks off its designer track on Sunday morning, October 18 at 10 a.m. with Mark Woodman, North American “ambassador” for MIX Magazine and Global Color Research, a London-based, international trend and design group for product specifications and trend publishing. Woodman will speak to “Color Trends on a Global Scale” and share the results of Global Color Research’s international MIX panel. “Color continues to enhance, embrace and even define the moods, loves and personality of objects in our lives,” Woodman says. “From a favorite sweater to the cars we drive and, ultimately, the spaces we inhabit, color now has an even more important role.”

“Mark Woodman is a spirited and accomplished international speaker who lectures frequently on color and design to industry audiences around the globe,” Casey says. “We’re very pleased to be able to introduce him, as well as MIX Magazine, to designers here in High Point.”

At 2 p.m., interior designer Mary Knackstedt, FASID, FIIDA, founder and president of Knackstedt, Inc., presents “Where is the Profit in This Business?” The author of The Interior Design Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Profitability, and The Challenge of Interior Design: Professional Values and Opportunities will follow her presentation with a book signing in cooperation with The Furniture Library.

“The design business has changed considerably in the past year,” Knackstedt relates. “It’s a different market than designers have been trained to deal with. Some firms are doing beautiful work and are very profitable. Others are having great problems. This presentation will focus on what makes the difference.”

“Mary Knackstedt’s message centers on how designers can continue to do excellent work in a profitable way during challenging times—offering examples of the successes and the procedures that get results now,” Casey says. “A frequent teacher of continuing education and business courses for professional organizations and universities, including Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, she has helped to develop many new businesses, and restored failing entities to profitability, and we are very pleased to have her on board for the series.”

Well-known industry trend forecaster Ellen Gefen, producer of thehome.com and “High Point Market Live,” takes the stage at 4 p.m, for “Trends Through a Kaleidoscope of Design.” “Ellen knows the High Point Market inside and out, ferreting out each season’s hottest trends, newest finds and the designers/companies that will be hits long before they make it big,” Casey notes. Her on-target forecast will give any designer the inside track on what to see during Market week and help Market-goers make the most of their time on the ground here.”

---Seminars for Independent Retailers---

In addition to Cinda Baxter’s keynote address, the Market Authority is presenting two not-to-be-missed seminars specifically for independent retailers. The first, set for Monday, October 19th, features Dusty Staub, principle of Staub Leadership, who has served as a coach, author, consultant, therapist, facilitator, leadership expert and team developer for many organizations—many in times of intense transition—and specializes in dealing with the challenges of change and discontinuity.

“Dusty will focus on practical, hands-on strategies, tactics and processes for leading and more successfully living through periods of intense change,” Casey relates. “He’ll present ways of both looking at and dealing with discontinuities in marketplaces, business operations, departments and families. Additionally, his presentation will focus on tried-and-true methods and processes for managing self and working with others during times of trying transitions. Attendees will be invited to take from the presentation those orientations, strategies, tactics, methods and processes that will best fit them and their unique situation and challenges.”

Finally, the HPMA Seminar Series will wrap up Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. with Jonathan Burke, United Asset Group, Inc., addressing “Credit Collections and the Accounts Receivable Tool Kit.”

“Changes in the credit and collections industries have had an unprecedented impact on independent home furnishings retailers,” Casey says. “Speaker Jonathan Burke understands how hard it can be to prevent and manage bad debt. In an effort to make the job of identifying and recovering delinquent accounts easier, he’s prepared a free tool kit to assist in the process of collecting accounts before turning them over for collections. The tool kit is packed with information regarding collection call scripts, in-house collection letters and helpful tips from top collectors to make retailers’ efforts to recover money more successful. Scripts and letters are designed to handle accounts from zero to 90 days with a focus on both keeping your customer’s happy and getting your money as fast as possible.”

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:44:43 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13443 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13442 U.S. SENATE HONORS HIGH POINT MARKET AS PREMIER INDUSTRY TRADE SHOW

Senators Hagan & Burr Introduce Resolution Recognizing Market’s Longevity/Worldwide Reputation

High Point, North Carolina, September 21, 2009—The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution honoring the High Point Market: The World’s Home for Home Furnishings as one of the world’s premier industry trade shows.

U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) introduced the resolution last week to commemorate the Market’s 100th Anniversary. The resolution reads, in part, “The High Point Market has gained a world-wide reputation as the premier place to experience the newest ideas in home furnishings.”

“North Carolina has a great history in home furnishings and the centennial anniversary of the High Point Market demonstrates North Carolina’s great success story in the industry,” says U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC). “I represented High Point during my first two terms in the State Senate, and since then, I have remained an ardent proponent of the Market. In its 100 years, the Market has become a 12 million square-foot international attraction that welcomes more than 160,000 people from 110 countries each year. I am committed to ensuring that it remains the country’s premier furniture marketplace into the future and will advocate in the U.S. Senate for its continued success.”

“The High Point Market is internationally renowned as a leader in the home furnishings industry, and has served as both an economic and cultural beacon for a century,” Senator Burr says. “I am proud to congratulate the Furniture Market on its 100 year anniversary and anticipate that it will still be setting the standard for excellence for centuries to come.”

“In the 100 years since the very first home furnishings market took place in High Point, North Carolina in 1909, the High Point Market has grown into the nation’s undisputed home furnishings market with more new product premieres than any other each and every season, year after year,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority.

“With a worldwide reputation as the place to experience the newest ideas in home furnishings that will shape our culture and our homes for years to come, the High Point Market is also the intellectual and creative nerve center of the U.S. home furnishings industry, and the centerpiece of our region’s furniture industry cluster,” Casey says. “We are proud to be recognized by Senators Hagan, Burr and the U.S. Senate with this honor, and we will continue to work diligently to expand and improve the Market, further cementing our position as the home furnishings industry’s most important domestic and international event.”

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:43:58 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13442 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13441 HPMA ANNOUNCES THIRD ANNUAL SHOWROOM DESIGN & MERCHANDISING IDEAS COMPETITION

New People’s Choice Award Added. Market-goers to Vote for Favorite Showrooms Via Twitter/Text Messaging

High Point, North Carolina, September 18, 2009—The High Point Market Authority is inviting Market exhibitors to show off their visual merchandising talents in the Third Annual High Point Market Showroom Display and Merchandising Ideas Competition this Fall, and for the first time, inviting all Market-goers to vote for their favorite showrooms.

“Designers and retailers have long known that the High Point Market is the place where trends begin—and a great place to discover fresh, new merchandising ideas,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive of the High Point Market Authority. “Year after year, buyers tell us that experiencing the world’s most creative and innovative displays are one of their favorite aspects of Market, and that they use the ideas they find here in their stores when they return home. The Competition honors the extraordinary creativity and exchange of ideas that occur here, and with excellent exhibitor participation and positive feedback from buyers, it has become one of the most anticipated events each Fall.”

According to Casey, this year it’s easier than ever for every exhibitor take part in the Competition. “The new, easy-to-use online entry system we are instituting will enable exhibitors to submit entries in minutes, with a minimum of effort,” he says. “Plus, we’re including a special recognition this year—the People’s Choice Award—that honors the voice of our customers. It’s a fantastic vehicle our exhibitors can use to promote their showrooms.”

The formal competition—judged by respected industry leaders with great eyes for design—will single out the very best display for Fall 2009. Exhibitors need simply submit a photograph and brief description of their display via www.highpointmarket.org by 10 a.m. on Opening Day of Market, Saturday, October 17, 2009 to put their showroom in the running. All entries will be judged on the afternoon of Monday, October 19 and the winner of the prestigious Best of Market Award will be announced at that evening’s Stars Under the Stars event. In addition to this public, at-Market recognition, the winning showroom will, be featured in a press release to all of the major home furnishings trade and consumer publications, as well as on the High Point Market website.

Voting for the new People’s Choice Award will be conducted via Twitter and text messaging. The winner of the People’s Choice will also be recognized Monday night, in a press release to the trade and consumer media and on the Market Authority website. “The link, www.highpointmarket.org/sc2009 will connect exhibitors with a powerful program for gaining greater recognition and building showroom traffic,” Casey says. “Be sure to check back over the next few weeks for more information about the judging criteria, official competition rules and submission guidelines, and our easy-to-use online entry form.”

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:43:16 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13441 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13440 OUTLOOK FOR PRE-MARKET UPBEAT

Despite Challenging Economy/Over-Crowded Show Calendar, Sponsors Welcome Largest Number of Retail Organizations Yet

High Point, North Carolina, September 10, 2009—Despite the challenging economic environment and an over-crowded trade show calendar, organizers of Pre-Market have good reason to be optimistic: 144 buyers representing 69 leading retail organizations are pre-registered to attend the event and that number continues to grow.

“This will be the largest group of retailers we have hosted since the revitalization of the Pre-Market movement began two years ago,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority, who acts as spokesperson for the event’s sponsoring manufacturers.

“The tremendous response we have received from leading retailers this season is a ringing endorsement of the growing importance of this event,” notes Kevin O’Connor, chief executive of Samson Marketing, parent company of Legacy Classic and Universal Furniture. “Buyers clearly see real value in being among the first to know what each of the factories will present next month at the High Point Market. They also enjoy the distinct competitive advantage afforded by an ability to preview products that have never been seen anywhere previously, and to make early commitments that will protect distribution and ensure exclusives in their marketplaces.”

“The product development process in our industry is dramatically changing,” Casey says, adding that “in this economic environment, no company can afford to ‘throw it up on the wall and see what sticks.’ The most successful manufacturers in our business are quickly moving beyond that very inefficient, expensive model, which was long the norm in our industry, to a more collaborative effort, in which the manufacturer and retailer come together during the product development process. Based on their collaboration, both can then move forward with greater confidence in a product’s eventual success. It’s this focus on the collaboration that sets the Pre-Market experience apart for everyone involved. True creativity and innovation occurs here, and that’s why this event has gained such momentum: The buyers know that High Point is where the trends begin, and that Pre-Market is where they are born.”

Indeed, the executive sums, “Our focus as a Market has always been on the introduction of new products that have never been seen anywhere before. A substantial number of these products are set to hit the streets in the coming weeks, and the buyers who have committed to Pre-Market next week will have had the advantage of having seen it all first.”

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:42:12 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13440 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13439 GAVIN DeGRAW HEADLINES CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

Fall Market Entertainment Offerings Include Cowboy Mouth, Simply Irresistible

High Point, North Carolina, September 03, 2009—Gavin DeGraw, one of today’s premier singer-songwriters is set to headline the Centennial Celebration on Sunday October 18.

With a devoted listening base and a string of hit singles including, “In Love With A Girl,” “I Don’t Want to Be,” and “We Belong Together,” Degraw has established himself as a magnetic voice in popular music in just a few short years. His second album, Gavin DeGraw, debuted at No. 1 on the digital sales charts and No. 7 on Billboard.

DeGraw’s concert appearance under the Stars will be the “centerpiece of an evening worthy of a celebration that has been 100 years in the making,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority. “We’ve got a number of surprises planned for the night, as well as a series of exciting, something-for-everyone entertainment events to help Market guests unwind after work hours.”

Indeed, if dancing the night away is more your style, make plans to head for center stage (adjacent to the Transportation Terminal) on Saturday evening, October 17, when Simply Irresistible will demonstrate just how the band got its name. (Hint: Nobody can simply stand by and watch!).

Simply Irresistible features band leader Ronnie Garrett and drummer "P-Nut" Johnson, both 2007 Grammy-nominated producers for their work on Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Family Reunion” soundtrack. Lead vocalist Stephani Parker has recorded with Grammy winner Kanye West, while Trina Braxton (Toni’s sister), Kayte Burgess and an all-star cast of vocalists and musicians round out the band’s front line.

Monday evening, Cowboy Mouth takes the stage, a legendary band of which Cake Magazine once wrote “…on a bad night they’ll tear the roof off the joint and on a good night, they’ll save your soul.”

With more than 2,000 high-energy concerts under the belts and many years of reviews lauding their live shows, Cowboy Mouth has become synonymous with New Orleans rock n’ roll. For more than 15 years, the members of Cowboy Mouth have preached and shouted at the top of their lungs the joys of being alive and the joys of being in and from New Orleans, sharing a slice of Mardi Gras heaven with fans around the world. As frontman Fred Leblac says, “If the Neville Brothers and The Clash had a baby, it would be Cowboy Mouth.”

The band’s 11 albums include two records on MCA, one on Atlantic and several on their own Cowboy Mouth Records label.

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:41:18 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13439 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13438 HPMA POSTS FALL 2009 EXHIBITOR MARKETING KIT

Online Guide/New Services Maximize Opportunities at Fall 2009 Market

High Point, North Carolina, August 26, 2009—The Fall 2009 edition of the High Point Market Authority’s popular Exhibitor Marketing Kit has been posted to the High Point Market website and is available for download by High Point exhibitors. The special online guide is designed to help High Point Market exhibitors maximize opportunities at Fall Market and highlights a number of valuable new benefits for exhibitors.

Chief among the new benefits is a pair of services designed to assist Market exhibitors with connecting to the press. [See companion release: “HPMA Offers Custom PR Newswire Packages for Exhibitors,” August 26, 2009].

“Connecting with the press and promoting the thousands of new products that are introduced here each season is a top priority both for the High Point Market, as well as many of our exhibitors,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority. “Whether by distributing press kits in our brand new, state-of-the-art Media Center on the plaza level of SHOWPLACE West, posting releases on the High Point Market Online Media Center at www.highpointmarket.org, or by utilizing custom packages of PR Newswire services available only through the High Point Market Authority, exhibitors have more opportunity than ever this season to promote their new product introductions.”

Detailed instructions and practical tips on how to participate can be found in the Exhibitor’s Marketing Kit, available for download at the High Point Market website, http://www.highpointmarket.org, under the Exhibitor Services tab.

“The Exhibitor’s Marketing Kit is full of valuable information that will help exhibitors drive traffic to their showrooms during Market, while making the most of the High Point Market’s 100th anniversary celebration,” Casey says. “ From engaging your sales forces to reaching international audiences, and from generating positive publicity to co-branding with the Market, High Point Market exhibitors will find everything they need to put their brand at the center of attention this season.”

Among other benefits, the Exhibitor’s Marketing Kit also offers a number of free, online services specifically designed to help exhibitors promote their showroom location at Market and connect with buyers. These include free banner ad creation, downloadable, printer-ready postcards, logos that can be incorporated in advertising and direct mail, and more.

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:40:02 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13438 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13437 NEW MEDIA CENTER TO OPEN FOR FALL 2009 HIGH POINT MARKET State-of-the-art Environment Designed by Industry Icon Jena Hall and Furnished by aspenhome

High Point, North Carolina, August 24, 2009—The High Point Market Authority is unveiling a brand new, state-of-the-art, High Point Market Media Center this Fall in a permanent space on the plaza level of SHOWPLACE West, at the corner of Main and High Streets.

The High Point Market Media Center—which has long been housed in a temporary location inside the High Point Theater—hosts some 350 editorial media representatives from at least 200 different publications each Market from across the world and provides press kit distribution for the Market’s exhibitors.

The new Media Center will open to the press at noon on Friday, October 16, 2009 and remain open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. throughout Market week. All High Point Market exhibitors are invited to send press kits to the Media Center and there is no charge for press kit distribution.

According to Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority, industry icon Jena Hall, executive vice president of merchandising and design at AspenHome, is overseeing layout and design of the new, 3,000-square-foot permanent space, which features a full complement of comfortable seating and sleek home office furnishings from aspenhome’s award-winning Adagio collection.

“Given how hard journalists work here at Market each season, covering news and new product introductions in more than 60 categories of home furnishings with multiple choices at every price point from more than 2,000 world-class suppliers, we wanted to create a convenient and comfortable, and extremely functional space where they could retreat to work and relax,” Casey says. “Our goal is for them to come into the Media Center, sit down and say, ‘Ah,’ and we are grateful to aspenhome for so graciously helping us to realize this vision.”

For his part, Bill Colegrove, chief executive officer and general manager of aspenhome says, “We are honored to demonstrate our support of the High Point Market by furnishing the Media Center, which will be used by journalists from across the country and around the world. High Point is the heartbeat of the industry and as the Market celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, we believe it is our responsibility to help ensure its continued success in the years to come.”

“The press room has historically always been the place where both the national and international press obtains information about the latest trends and news from the home furnishings Market,” Hall says. “In creating the new space, we talked with the Market Authority about the evolving needs of journalists today. The result is a wired space that is warm and inviting and as stylistically up-to-date as it is functional.”

“As a former journalist used to long hours covering Market myself, I’m very excited about the comfort and functionality of the new Media Center,” says Kimberley Wray, vice president of marketing/communications for the Market Authority. “From the floor-to-ceiling windows which flood the space with light to the modern, ergonomically correct furnishings, everything has been done with an eye toward making the press feel welcome and at home in the world’s home for home furnishings.”

Adds Patricia Bowling, vice president of communications, American Home Furnishings Alliance, (AHFA), who assists the Market Authority with Media Center operations, “The furnishings will allow journalists to work the way they like to work, whether that means curled in a comfortable chair with a notebook computer, or seated at a work station surrounded by all the accoutrements of an office, or even collaborating with a colleague across a desk. We think this will be an ideal environment for press from all over the world to gather and we applaud the Market Authority’s efforts to improve services for the media here at Market.”

“The entire team at the Market Authority and the AHFA, which has operated the Media Center on behalf of the Market for the past ten years, is looking forward to the grand opening of this new permanent home for the press,” says Casey.

SOURCE: High Point Market Authority]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:38:20 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=13437 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=9478 2009 April Market Introductions - SFU

MANLIUS, NY, May, 1, 2009 — GROWTH CONTINUES AT STICKLEY FINE UPHOLSTERY & CRAFTSMAN LEATHER

Stickley Fine Upholstery adds exciting color and sophisticated form at this spring’s High Point furniture market, with the introduction of 104 new fabrics, 14 new frame designs, an exciting new decorative trim presentation, and several additions to the popular Selectionals custom upholstery program.

New and notable this market are the Hudson, Radius, Berkeley, and Milan chairs: four dramatic new upholstered designs that introduce sensuous curves, refined scale, and a soft contemporary flair to the Stickley Metropolitan and 21st Century collections.

Anchoring this market’s more contemporary settings are the low and luxurious Buckhead Sofa, with its deep, double-bolstered seating, and the single-cushion, shelter-arm Sherwood Sofa, with down- filled, pillow-back tailoring and a clean, low profile.

Also new this market is a casual, urban lodge sofa with matching chair, and a delicately tailored traditional swivel chair. Selectionals additions also include a series of beautifully appointed custom storage ottomans.

Craftsman Leather continues its steady growth with the introduction of 26 new leathers, 11 new frame styles, additions to the Selectionals program, and several creative and exotic tone-on-tone leather applications.

New designs include the deeply scaled, urban-rustic Richland Sofa in a heavier grained, burnished pull-up leather with one-inch antique nail-head trim. Also featured is the Rockville, a tall-back lodge sofa, shown in a rich chocolate pull-up leather with pebbled exotic leather accents and multi- sized antique nail trim. Both sofa series include matching chairs.

Other introductions include the vintage Annapolis Chair, a retro-antique adaptation in a richly burnished pull-up leather, and new storage ottomans to complement the popular Santa Fe and Monterrey sofas. Also included is a new Selectionals storage ottoman program.

New leathers include a collection of seven glove-soft, ultra-clean aniline leathers.

A new 192-page catalog presenting the latest Stickley Fine Upholstery and Leather will be released at the High Point market.]]> Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:34:29 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=9478 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=9479 2009 April Market Introductions

MANLIUS, NY, May, 1, 2009 — STICKLEY CELEBRATES AMERICA’S ENDURING LOVE OF CLASSIC MISSION FURNITURE

To mark the 20th Anniversary of its enormously successful reissue of Mission furniture, Stickley is proud to announce the launching of the Columbus Avenue Collection, which will make its debut at Stickley’s 225 North Elm Street showroom in High Point. Named for Gustav Stickley’s family home on Columbus Avenue in Syracuse, New York, two of the designs were prominent in the Stickley residence, while three others are related to pieces from Stickley’s home.

On Christmas Eve 1901, the Stickley home burned in a spectacular three-hour fire. Gustav was then at the peak of his creative powers, and rather than being discouraged by his loss he used the rebuilding as an opportunity to create a dramatically new home environment. The resulting interior became a subject of publication and wide study, a revered showpiece of 20th-century design, and a potent influence on many branches of American furniture-building and architecture.

Stickley has now reissued seven impressive furniture designs that can live up to the historic Columbus Avenue name:

The Gus Sideboard is both visually and physically powerful—with its 1¾”-thick oak slab sides, and solid-cast copper strap hinges and star-and-pyramid pulls. Antique originals of this design are exceedingly desirable but rare, and the modern version is actually an enhancement in several ways—for instance, the drawers are now side-hung and center-guided, and the extraordinarily wide doors are engineered to eliminate humidity-related binding that troubled the 1902 edition.

With its broad dimensions, thick overhanging top, 12 distinctive pegs that lock its deep apron, and shoe feet on canted legs, the Director’s Table is a Craftsman classic. The Director’s Table used by the Stickley family at their Columbus Avenue home was auctioned at Christie’s for $110,000 more than two decades ago. This reissue has been carefully proportioned for modern homes (a 42” x 84” top, 30” high).

The Westcott Street Library Table features boldly massive legs, through-tenons, and wooden pins that establish the strength and permanence of its form, while twelve gentle corbels lend beautiful curves. Two drawers are adorned with star-and-pyramid copper pulls, while a secret middle drawer relies on a hidden release.

A beautifully proportioned addition to this lineup is the Victoria Place Display Cabinet. Elements of gothic revival and art nouveau can be seen in the arched mullions and arching above the oak doors. The delicacy of the frame is accentuated by its canted sides, which leave the front of the case five inches narrower than the back. The glass-above, closed-doors-below structure is exceedingly practical. Interior lighting and glass shelves offer vivid display opportunities even in small spaces.

An unusual Corner Cabinet is modeled faithfully on an original that was another Stickley family heirloom in their Columbus Avenue house. With its surprisingly broad stance it is no curio, but a versatile platform that could host anything from electronics to art objects. Some owners will use it not in a corner but in the middle of a room, perhaps to define the edge of a furniture grouping, so that its handsome solid-oak back panels can be admired.

The Columbus Avenue Collection is completed by a comfortable Lounge Chair in a convenient medium size (with fixed- and loose-cushion options), plus a charming Tea Table that features splayed legs and keyed tenons. Both are available in either quartersawn white oak or wild black cherry.

The Columbus Avenue Collection will be the first pieces of Stickley furniture to carry the new Stickley shop brand. The fresh brand features the updated Stickley logo and the image from Gustav Stickley’s original shop mark—a woodworker’s compass encircling the Flemish words “Als ik kan” (To the best of my ability). This replaces the previous Stickley brand that debuted in 1985, and it will be used across the Stickley line.

Additional new pieces presented by Stickley at the April market are two Mission benches; two backboards that add fresh flat-screen adaptabilities to Mission entertainment consoles; a new small, modular bookcase for the Metropolitan line; and a low-footboard bed in the St. Croix collection.

Also released at the High Point Market is a new catalog for Stickley’s contemporary Metropolitan Collection.]]> Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:33:12 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=9479 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=9450 Cyan Design Expands Product Offering with Lighting Line

Recently debuted to much fanfare, the company's newly released line of illuminating creations takes center stage.

Fort Worth, TX (June 2009) - Known for their eclectic assortment of whimsical, inventive home décor furnishings and accessories, Texas-based Cyan Design recently brought their signature style to a new collection of lighting. Consisting of 620 illuminating creations, the anticipated new line debuted to much fanfare at the 2009 Las Vegas World Market. The lighting collection was also recently showcased at the High Point Market in April; it will make its debut at the AmericasMart® in Atlanta during the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market®, July 8-15.

Featuring an array of fixtures available in an eclectic mix of styles, the collection includes classical, modern, Old World, transitional and more. A large assortment of the fixtures bear the distinguished marks of contemporary Italian design. Cyan Design also scoured the globe to source affordable, handcrafted creations from the most talented lighting artisans the world over. As a result, many of the materials hail from far-flung, exotic locales, including crystal from the former Eastern Bloc, alabaster from Spain and handcrafted iron from the Far East.

"While our new decorative accessories are as wonderfully eclectic as ever, it's our lighting that shines this season," said Aaron Johnson, Cyan Design creative director. "Old Hollywood glam meets mod with the introduction of our new ceramic table lamps wearing the sexiest frocked shades you've ever seen. Our Emelia chandeliers are also part of this splash with dramatic swooping rings, cast-glass deco-style crystals and a hand-applied silver- and gold-leaf finish. All of these unique lighting pieces are reminiscent of a time when Rudolph Valentino and Greta Garbo ruled Hollywood."

These highly anticipated creations represent a substantial product line that complements Cyan Design's existing home décor offerings. The addition of this line also positions Cyan as the largest provider of chandeliers and wall sconces of any one company in the accessories industry, and it provides buyers with the convenience of sourcing their accessories, furnishings and lighting from one reputable, sought-after supplier. A 256-page catalog currently showcases the impressive lighting collection; Cyan will also release an updated catalog 45 days following the Atlanta market. An online preview of the publication is available at www.cyandesign.biz. All items featured are in stock and ready to ship within 24 hours.

About Cyan Design: Texas-based Cyan Design features a delightful collection of winsome objets d'art and one-of-a-kind furnishings designed and produced for the discriminating home. Founded in 2004, the hallmark of the innovative company is eclectic elegance coupled with compelling value. Bill Davis, President; Carol Lowry, International Sales Director; Todd Fowler, Marketing Director; and their passionate staff possess a contagious enthusiasm that spills over into their designs, as well as their legacy of award-winning customer service. Cyan Design has showrooms in Atlanta, Dallas, High Point, Las Vegas and Seattle, each brimming with a host of beautiful objects for beautiful lives. Boasting a half million-square-foot warehouse facility headquartered at 201 Railhead Road, Fort Worth, TX 76106, the company stocks all products and typically ships most items within 24 hours. For additional information, visit CyanDesign.biz or call 888.371.3072.]]> Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:02:15 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=9450 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=9451 Cyan Design to Debut Exciting Additions

Texas-based home décor designer/producer announces 2009-2010 Big Book catalog, more than 300 new products, an anticipated lighting line and a permanent Atlanta showroom.

Fort Worth, TX (June 2009) - Renowned for crafting beautiful objects for beautiful lives, home décor designer and producer, Cyan Design offers an impressive array of eclectic collectibles and one-of-a-kind furnishings at compelling prices. Recently, the company has been pleased to announce the introduction of a host of new products featured in an assortment of captivating catalogs, an anticipated new lighting line and expanded showrooms in fabulous Las Vegas, High Point, N.C., and Atlanta.

Designed to showcase the company's signature collection of eclectic objets d'art, Cyan Design will debut its 2009-2010 Big Book at the AmericasMart® in Atlanta during the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market®, July 8-15. Featuring a fresh, updated product line, the Big Book boasts more than 300 newly commissioned ornamental objects and is chock full of whimsical creations to complement the discriminating home. Prior to the Atlanta market, home décor mavens can catch a sneak peek of the 400-plus-page catalog by visiting CyanDesign.biz.

Another noteworthy introduction worth celebrating is the company's first-ever lighting line. The collection, which originally debuted to much fanfare at the 2009 Las Vegas World Market in February, features 620 illuminating creations, including an impressive array of chandeliers, sconces and lamps available in an eclectic mix of styles. "Our customers were overwhelmed by the amount of exquisite lighting that is now available through Cyan Design," said Carol Lowry, Cyan Design Sales Director. "We were always known for fabulous accessories, but now Cyan Design has become the best single source for home decor accessories and lighting." Showcasing the company's exquisite lighting collection is a new lighting catalog, which will be available 45 days following the Atlanta market. A preview is currently available online at www.cyandesign.biz.

Many of Cyan Design's arresting pieces, as well as copies of the Big Book and the current 256-page lighting catalog will be on display for AmericasMart® attendees at the company's new showroom in the AmericasMart Building® 1. The showroom's bountiful space and engaging design are sure to serve as the perfect permanent display venue for the company's vast array of whimsical accessories, one-of-a-kind furnishings and exquisite lighting fixtures. And while stopping in to browse the new space and the wares displayed within, registered home décor and accessories buyers will also be able to participate in an exciting promotion—a 2009 smart car giveaway. Following the energetic momentum of previous Cyan Design smart car giveaways, the Atlanta smart car drawing will commence on Sunday, July 12 after 12:00 pm in the Cyan Design showroom (Building1, Suite 13-C-10). Shortly thereafter, one lucky winner will drive away in the chic, affordable 2009 fortwo. It will be the first time the company brings this successful promotion to Atlanta. Registration is currently open, and interested buyers can pre-register online at www.cyansmart.com.

About Cyan Design: Texas-based Cyan Design features a delightful collection of winsome objets d'art and one-of-a-kind furnishings designed and produced for the discriminating home. Founded in 2004, the hallmark of the innovative company is eclectic elegance coupled with compelling value. Bill Davis, President; Carol Lowry, International Sales Director; Todd Fowler, Marketing Director; and their passionate staff possess a contagious enthusiasm that spills over into their designs, as well as their legacy of award-winning customer service. Cyan Design has showrooms in Atlanta, Dallas, High Point, Las Vegas and Seattle, each brimming with a host of beautiful objects for beautiful lives. Boasting a half million-square-foot warehouse facility headquartered at 201 Railhead Road, Fort Worth, TX 76106, the company stocks all products and typically ships most items within 24 hours. For additional information, visit CyanDesign.biz or call 888.371.3072.]]> Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:01:47 +0000 http://news.prvip.com/index.php?showtopic=9451