New Planters and Container Designs

From Garden Decor, New planters and container designs seem to fit into two categories these days antique, distressed interpretations and contemporary styles. There’s room for both as homeowners interpret their gardens to reflect their own styles and taste.Beaded rim detail and a scroll leaf band accents classic pottery from Pacific Rim. Made of glazed ceramic, the collection is available in eight

Amelia Update

Nice write up in The Oregonian's A&E about our favorite Portland group, Amelia.With a new CD and a national push planned for 2007, everything seems to be falling into place for Amelia. "You know when a band is working when you can't tell who wrote the song," (guitarist Scott) Weddle says.See them 10 p.m. Jan. 27, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N. Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895Online: To listen to

Bridget Otto Thursday

In Thursday's Homes & Gardens section Bridget Otto features the collaboration of Eric and Angelika Holzapfel and designer Joelle Nesen of Maison Inc.Red rose hips create a natural wreath in a traditional holiday color.I was particularly struck by the rose-hip wreaths that "whispers tradition with their rich, red seedpods." Just this morning as I walked the dog, I noticed that our rose bush in

Judy Sturm Redecorates A Loft

When last we wrote about Judy Sturm, she had just completed a year in a guest house while creating a little piece of Italy in a 1950s-era clapboard house in the heart of Portland Heights. Today, Carolyn Donohoe Marieb has written about Judy Sturm, owner of Judy Sturm Design Studio, in the latest Homes & Gardens section of The Oregonian. Sturm has just moved into a chic one-bedroom loft in the

Outsourcing the Ornaments

A special section in The Oregonian called Ultimate has an article by Cathy Lamb that features interior designers Susie Buchanan and Richard McQuerry who can decorate your home for Christmas. They have some tips for decorating:You can reach Richard McQuerry at Linde Ltd. - (503) 299-6655.Susie Buchanan can be reached at Finishing Touches - (503) 203-1273Bev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design

Have You Heard Ray LaMontagne?

The Washington Post has discovered Ray LaMontagne. Mike and I found his first album, the one with the song "Trouble" on it and it gets played in our store. Then his second album came out, Till the Sun Turns Black and "Can I Stay" just tears out my heart. WaPo says According to LaMontagne, such soulfulness was there "even on the first demos I made. It's just the way I sing. In order to get a

Bridget A Otto: Chef's Touch

It's been awhile since we celebrated "Bridget Otto Thursday". In today's Homes & Gardens section of The Oregonian, Bridget covers the remodel of the kitchen in Southwest Portland of Philippe Boulot, chef at The Heathman, and his wife Susan, a graduate of The Culinary Institute in New York. They chose designers Stephanie Ness and Erin Davis of Mosaik Design after seeing their work at a

Spice Route

Maybe all the news about Iran or Persia has inspired designers. From Home Accents Today by Tracy Bulla , With world or global style now a part of the design mainstream, the multicultural mélange adds up to nothing less than exquisite exoticism. Step into the souk with Persian patterning and lattice motifs or enjoy India with ornate floral designs. Streamlined accents, geometric themes and earthy

HDTV IS Coming!

The December/January issue of Metropolitan Home just arrived in the mail and includes an interesting article, HDTV Prepare for a Big Change, TV as we know it is about to change forever.On February 17, 2009 the analog signal will end and the digital signal will take over. By March of 2007, every TV sold will come with a digital tuner that will allow you to receive digital broadcasts.Metropolitan

Tips for a Good Night's Rest

With the busy holiday season approaching, it’s easy to fall off the good sleep wagon. So to help consumers get reacquainted with a good night’s rest, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) recently released a number of tips and easy steps to improve how Americans sleep on its website: http://www.bettersleep.org.1. Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule, including weekends.2. Establish a regular,

Help Wanted!

First, I was in denial about needing help to run the business. Then Allson came to work for Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery, over the summer, and I said how did I do it all without her. Now she's back in school and I am in need again. So here we are:Wanted: Self-starter - to work in fun atmosphere - update catalogs, discontinue fabrics, work with interior designers, assist owner, unpack

Spineless!

Many thanks to the Happy Booker for noticing a trend in decorating that has to be stopped: white pages on bookshelves, as in books turned backwards in these Pottery Barn photos: Even Mitchell Gold got into the act in one of their ads.If you like the spines out design, but are unsure what books to place on those shelves, here's an answer Dummy Books.Our faux book products have graced everything

Yahoo Search Marketing

Where do you put your online advertising dollars?According to a recent comScore report focusing on Internet Yellow Pages searches, 68 million U.S. Internet users performed an Internet Yellow Page (IYP) search online in July. This represents a 46 percent increase versus year ago. When analyzing the total share of IYP searches, which by their nature have local intent, comScore's data reveals that

The Next Hot Thing In Furniture

INFURNITURE has an article about "the newest furniture and hottest style directions taking shape at the fall High Point Market Show. Landfair Furniture is proud to carry some of the furniture and accessory lines singled out.Resort Redefined:PALECEK has one foot in the office and the other in the sand with the Metro swivel chair in woven abaca with chrome legs.Real Mods Have Curves:CALLIGARIS

The Pinnacle Design Achievement Awards.

Congratulations! Stone Sculptures by Yuri Zatarain for The Phillips Collection took top honors including Capital Balcony by Jodell Clark for Global Viewsin the The Pinnacle Design Achievement awards. The Pinnacle Design Achievement awards were created in April 1995 by the Board of Directors of the American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD) to promote better design quality and encourage the

Accent Chairs

From FURNITURE Today, For consumers looking to dress up a room, accent chairs remain a viable and often affordable alternative. The style mix continues to expand as well, giving them plenty of options to choose from when selecting a piece.Sam Moore's Grasshopper club chair is a modern-style chair, here in a raven finish. It features exposed wood arms and legs shaped like a grasshopper. The fabric

What Not To Serve At A Dinner Party

Back in June we quoted from an article in House Beautiful by the Barefoot Contessa about Tips for Entertaining at Home. A recent issue has an article entitled What Not to Serve at a dinner party. The Contessa has read my mind.1. Appetizers that require two hands! You know the party. You take a napkin or a little plate and help yourself to crudites with ranch dressing, some meat balls, maybe

Elegance in Furniture Design

From Home Accents Today an article on Accent Furniture - The Chic Corner by Tracy Bulla Elegance reigns with tailored, sophisticated styles that draw on both European and Asian influences. Graceful curves and flowing lines add to the impression of welcoming hospitality.An example of graceful curves is this piece from J.D. Chamberlain with a slight scalloping that lends a sophisticated edge:

Top Designers of 2005: Interview with Donya Wiland

Resuming our interviews of Top Designers for 2005, we are pleased to speak with Donya Wiland / Twilight Design. You know it is going to be an interesting interview when your subject arrives in a white 52 MG TD. Donya’s hair is in a kerchief like you would see on one of those bikers we saw traveling through Yellowstone in August. She’s the type of woman who could wield a wrench one day and

Palicek Featured in HAT

From Home Accents Today Mirrors - Natural Instincts by Tracy BullaShells, bark and bamboo update mirrors with a little sass and sophistication. The more decorative the treatment, the greater the visual pop. Tiny iridescent squares of capiz form a chic mosaic tile accompaniment to Palecek's rectangular mirror. Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is proud to offer the full line of Palicek,

Kokanee Café in Camp Sherman

Saturday night we had dinner reservations for six at Kokanee Café in Camp Sherman. Kokanee Café is a fine gourmet restaurant since 1992, and Paul and Denise Mercer have managed this rare find for the last five years. My husband told me when we were done that the food at Kokanee Café was some of the finest he has ever eaten.Here's a map to the restaurant and be sure to take your time getting

Clear Lake 0131

Clear Lake 0131 Originally uploaded by gily122000.Mike at Mover Mike has posted comments about the Clear Lake trail loop we hiked with friends on Sunday.For other photos of Clear Lake visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11145551@N00/tags/clearlake/Bev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Wall Design Diva, Suzanne Gallagher, Seminar and Book Signing

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a treat for you. Prior to her appearance on AM Northwest KATU Channel 2 on October 2nd at 9:00AM, Suzanne Gallagher, author of The Fine Art of Wall Design will be appearing at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery for her Start With Art seminar (Featuring ROMA Framed Art!) and Book Signing on Thursday, September 28th, from 5:00PM - 7:00PM. Refreshments will be served

Daniel Masters Of Hekman On Quality Woodwork

We see a lot of interest in Hekman Furniture via Google web searches at Landfair Furniture (Blog) and our other sites. I want to share some consumer information that will help you navigate our furniture store and others stores you may contact when you begin to shop for furniture for various rooms in your home. Daniel Masters is the president and owner of Hekman furniture. He is a 29-year veteran

Rowe Companies files for Chapter 11

There's good news and bad news today from Rowe Companies. In a press release Rowe said they are filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.Upholstery manufacturer and retailer The Rowe Companies, reeling from declining sales, import competition and lingering problems from a faulty enterprise resource planning system, said today it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and that it plans to sell

Furnishings For Your Garage

A few years ago, Mike and I converted the detached car port into a garage that matched the style of the house. Since it was a one car garage, we wanted the space to be more than a place to park the car. We wanted a place to store used paint, gardening tools and fertilizer, the lawn mower and bikes. Like many people, we bought some of those shelving systems you can get at Costco and one of

"It isn't easy being green."

Kermit the Frog, in his latest commercial says, "It isn't easy being green." Bridget A. Otto in the Thursday Homes & Gardens section of The Oregonian sympathizes:Consumers like the idea that bamboo grows so quickly, thus being sustainable. But, ...some companies in China are pushing the bamboo bandwagon off a cliff by selling products made from plants harvested at three or four years. If left to

New Home Decor Blogs

Every week it seems that new blogs are springing up dedicated to interior design, furniture and accessories. Here are a few of our latest finds:MoCo Loco - Modern contemporary Design. Take a look at this hand truck/chair:Is this for the co-worker not pulling his/her weight?Funfurde - Funky. Furniture. And. Design.Design*Sponge - Design*Sponge features store and product reviews, sale and contest

New Textiles From Phillips!

From Phillips Lumalive a new fabric for clothing and furniture.Lumalive textiles make it possible to create fabrics that carry dynamic advertisements, graphics and constantly changing color surfaces.[...]Lumalive fabrics feature flexible arrays of colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fully integrated into the fabric - without compromising the softness or flexibility of the cloth. These light

Jimmy Choo

So what do the stars wear when they walk on the red carpet? If you said Jimmy Choo you are correct. Many, like Charlize Theron who wears ‘Paris’ a satin sandal with ornate jewel detail set in antique gold, choose Jimmy Choo for the walk.The mere mentioning of the name Jimmy Choo has women worldwide drooling. The Chinese born, London based shoe designer is at the very top of brilliant shoe

Bridget Otto Thursday on Saturday

Bridget A Otto had a beautifully illustrated article, Mirror Mirage, in Thursday's Homes & Gardens section in The Oregonian.Our mirrors remind us of who we have become, but A strategically placed mirror won't make you look younger, but it might lighten that dark corner near the entry or make the small guest room appear larger.You can even create the illusion of a window. We learn from the article

Fads or Trends?

The Sacbee has an interesting article about fads and trends entitled Can you separate the oh-so-trendy from the tried-and-true timeless? By Alison apRoberts....there are ways to identify style trends that are likely to have staying power.Two current themes promise to wear well. One is the Arts and Crafts style, which hews to the traditional, yet its simplicity and use of natural materials make it

Art Glass: Contemporary Assessories

From Home Accents Today, Art Glass: Avant Garde Art Glass by Kara CoxWith art glass maintaining its contemporary appeal, these colorful pieces add a touch of eye candy to the mod mix. Abstract designs grab your attention in electric hues of red, blue and green or with graphic touches of black and white. Art glass is an easy way to update the home with a touch of modern appreciation. Global Views

Swan, ID and Square Scoops

Yellowstone 056 Originally uploaded by gily122000.Bev & Mike traveled over 1000 miles to see and taste the ice cream at Rainey Creek in Swan, ID. The story is: In 1943 the owners decided to expand into selling ice cream and Gracie ordered an ice cream scoop from back east. When it arrived it was a square scooper and she was very upset. Her husband said why don't we try it. That happy

Yellowstone 055

Yellowstone 055 Originally uploaded by gily122000.Bev in front of Rainey Creek in Swan, ID, home of the square scoop ice cream in a cone. She has been to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole and is on the way home.Bev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design Gallery

San Gimignano Is Under Siege

One of our favorite cities is under siege. Three million tourists come to San Gimignano each year (compare that to two million visitors to Jackson Hole) and they come in fast, take a quick picture of themselves against a tower and whisk out to another city in the triangle.“Some people, jokingly, say that we have to get out of the ‘Bermuda Triangle,’ a reference to the hordes of tourists in

Do you love Watermelons?

Are you frustrated with the fruit because they roll around when you are slicing them? Do you hate it that they roll around in your fridge? Well Brazil has come up withSquare Melons! Tesco exotic fruit buyer Damien Sutherland: 'We’ve seen samples of these watermelons and they literally stop you in their tracks because they are so eye-catching.'Melons are among the most delicious and refreshing

Is it time for wallpaper again?

Pure Contemporary thinks so in We're Stuck on Wallpaper all over again! Button Up from Tracy Kendall is a bespoke look with buttons (large or small, plain or detailed, delicate or chunky) and their holes sewn into plain or textured wallpaper.Caroline Kooshoian writes ...wallpaper's surging toward a comeback, and it’s left the brash, fussy and fuzzy behind.[...]It gets bold with stark geometric

Bridget Otto Thursday

Can we get a hooha! for Bridget Otto Thursday? Hooha!Her latest article is in today's Oregonian Homes & Gardens section entitled Pattern Recognition. She writes Decorating with patterns takes an even hand and a trained eye.Designers with the magic touch talked with me about what it takes to pull multiple patterns together to make one fabulous room, and I'm here to pass along their wisdom.She

To Market, To Market!

Bev is off to Las Vegas tomorrow, Wednesday, for the Home Furnishings Market. "I am excited to see Dinec'," she says. Dinec' is relaunching the company at market after seeking court protection and then being sold to Bermex in April. Dinec' will be offering three new bedrooms and 10 new dining chairs. Apparently they have simplified their offerings and stress that they are one of the most

ASID IP Focus: Merridy Gerlach

IP FocusBy Mike and Bev Landfair, Allied Member ASIDThis quarter the IP focus is on Merridy Gerlach of Tufenkian Artisan Carpets. The interview took place in the Tufenkian showroom on 21st and W. Burnside. When we walked in, two golden retrievers greeted us. Henry is the lighter colored golden, ten years old, and Lucy is darker and eight years old. Merridy is a beautiful, tall blond,

1.25 Million Coming to Portland

We are going to need all those condos according to David Nielsen of the Home Builders Assn.. In New Home Monthly, a special advertising section of The Oregonian, he writesContrary to those who thought that Metro's growth projections were inflated and thus no Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion was needed in 2002, Metro now acknowledges that they underestimated how quickly the million new

New Condos in Portland are Green

Today, New Home Monthly, a special advertising section of The Oregonian, is an interesting article about the lengths designers and builders are going to make "Green" the South Waterfront condos in Portland. South Watewrfront Condos reach for the sky but design favors the Earth by Jeff Kuechle tells us soecial roofs of dirt, gravel and plants capture as much rainwater as possible before it

Casket Furniture

Browsing the net, Mike found this unusual and possibly "green"idea:At CasketFurniture.com, our products can last you a lifetime, and still be the perfect vehicle to carry you to the great beyond. Whether it's a couch, shelf, or end table, our products are designed to blend effortlessly into most contemporary interior designs. Every product can also be transformed into a high-quality casket at

A Wooden Severance Agreement

Hat Tip to Footnote.org for this furniture related item: a strange severance agreement that includes the office furniture. The former chief legal officer of Mannatech (MTEX) asked for — and received — her office furniture as part of her severance agreement. That’s in addition to a consulting agreement that will pay her $10K a month for the next year. Oh, and there’s also her company car thrown

Adding to the Blogroll: Article Dashboard

We added another resource to our blogroll Article Dashboard.Article Dashboard is an online article directory for both publishers and authors. Formed in August of 2005, ArticleDashboard.com strives to become a leader in the world of online publishing by providing syndication services to website owners, ezine publishers, and more.Here are a few of the directories:Arts & EntertainmentFashionFood &

Adding to the Blogroll: Home Decorating Reviews

Here's another new resource for interior designers, their clients and homeowners: Home Decorating Reviews (HDR).What is special about HDR?Home Decorating Reviews.com is an online magazine on interior design projects.With detailed product reviews on a wide range of attractive and creative decorating products and accessories.One of the first freebies we found at the site was this reportfree with a

Adding to the Blogroll: DesignTalk

We are working on our Blogroll and investigating new resources on the web for interior designers and their clients. We have come across DesignTalk run by Karalee. On her blog she saysWe’re about solutions, ideas, sharing and community. Whether you’re an experienced designer looking for home décor tips, or a college student trying to set up your first apartment, we have something for

Gretchen Schauffler to Make Presentation

If you are a member of NWSID or a guest you are in for a treat at the NWSID General Meeting on July 13th. Gretchen Schauffler will be speaking. Schauffler is the creator of Devine Color, a paint line, a color solution, sold at Miller Paint and many stores across the country and she says on her web siteI created Devine Color as my personal confirmation that wall color impacts the way we live.

Nanine Alexander writes about Mark Downing

Don't miss the article in Homes & Gardens section of The Oregonian entitled Grace ingrainedWoodworker extraordinaire Mark Downing infuses his creations with elegance and a touch of whimsy by Nanine Alexander. The first thing that caught my attention was a picture of a classic garden bench inspired by British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, built by Downing to fit a curved wall in a Portlander's

John Galliano and Haute Couture fashion show in Paris

Mike and I saw The Devil Wears Prada this weekend and it was a hoot, with some gorgeous clothes. You want to go shopping after this show, and if you take your significant other, he will gladly foot the bill if you look like some of the models in the show, although my husband does not want me to wear a size zero or a two. This is the week of the Autumn/Winter 2006-2007 Haute Couture fashion show

The "New" Hekman Furniture Company

Last week, we sat down with Tim DeLauder, manufacturer's rep for Hekman Furniture, to preview the new lines and go over the offerings for Las Vegas Furniture show coming up in July. Mike had searched the Hekman web site for dealers in the state of Oregon and besides Landfair Furniture, which wasn't listed (and Tim says that will soon be corrected), we found only Kuhnhausen's in the Portland area

Paul Klee Exhibit

Are you going to be in Washington D.C. sometime before September 10th? You might look in on the Paul Klee exhibit at The Phillips Collection....the Swiss-born artist's fame came easily enough in Europe -- where his career flowered in the decades before his death in 1940 from scleroderma.[...]When Klee worked in abstraction, as he did in "Gradation, Red-Green (Vermilion)," a 1921 watercolor on

Tips for Entertaining at Home

In a column called Ask the Barefoot Contessa in House Beautiful, author Ina Garten answers questions about entertaining at home.What's the best size table for a dinner party?I like small parties. With 6 people, you can really get a conversation going. The ideal table for 6 or 7 is a 48-inch round, because everyone is equally engaged in the conversation.Do I need to make place cards?I don't think

What is Synaesthesia?

Synaesthesia, a harmless condition that allows a person to appreciate sounds, colours or words with two or more senses simultaneously.Murnau - Castle Courtyard I, 1908 by Kandinsky Wassily Kandinsky is believed to have had synaesthesia. In his case, colours and painted marks triggered particular sounds or musical notes and vice versa. The involuntary ability to hear colour, see music or even

The Neighborhood

The Neighborhood started June 10th and will run to July 2nd from July 2 - 11 am - 9 pm and is closed Mondays & Tuesdays. The Neighborhood was formerly the RE/MAX Street of New Beginnings.www.theThis year Suzie Buchanan of Buchanan Associates and Michelle Barnes of Timeless Interiors gave their time with the Wysteria. built by Homes with Style. Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery is proud to

Portland Condominiums

There's a new web site called Discuss and Find Portland Condominiums. It's advertised as:"Your most important resource to find anything about Portland Condos and PDX lofts."The site has information available about the new projects:McCormick PierThe MeriwetherThe John RossThe Strand at RiverPlaceWaterfront PearlMcKenzie LoftsNorth Park LoftsPearl DistrictRiverscape TownhomesOld Town LoftsOrenco

McMahan’s to Close two Oregon Stores

FURNITUREToday reports that Top 100 chain McMahan’s will close a 16,000-square-foot store in Astoria and a 30,000-square-foot store in Salem.“We’re going to be liquidating our inventory in an orderly fashion,” said Taylor Ganz, vice president of the Los Angeles-based retailer, which will have 17 stores in California and Oregon when the closings are completed.He would not elaborate on the sales,

New Uttermost Website

From Home Accents Today, Uttermost, a leading accessory and lighting manufacturer, unveiled an easy-to-navigate virtual showroom on its new Web site at http://www.uttermost.com/.The new Uttermost virtual showroom is a great example of where art and technology have come together to create the ultimate shopping tool that meets the business needs of today's retailers.The site has sophisticated yet

BermanFALK Acquires LDC Design Studio

From FURNITUREToday comes news that BermanFALK has acquired the rights to produce the furniture designs of California-based LDC Design Studio.LDC, a 10-year-old contemporary bedroom, dining and occasional furniture producer based in Palm Springs, will stay in business, and owner Joel Bessaules will continue to provide input on design, but its collections will be made at the Bermanfalk plant in

Palecek Outdoor Furniture

From Copley News Service, Indoor-outdoor furniture should be weatherproof, stackable, by Christine Brun.If your place is small and has little space for storage, look for furniture pieces that work as well inside as out. That way, you expand your entertaining capability for every season.Shopping for such indoor-outdoor furniture requires patience and restraint because some beautiful garden

Decorating Dead Zones

It's Bridget Otto Thursday and her column today in The Oregonian's Homes & Garden section, concerns those hard to decorate little areas, she calls "Dead Zones".Every house has one or two. Sometimes there are more.We're talking dead spots, those puzzling areas that are often not furniture-friendly but look vacant without something. It can be a small landing on a staircase or a transition spot from

Synthetic or Wood, How's Your Deck?

It's Bridget Otto Thursday and today Bridget writes about outside decking in a two part article. In the first part, she writes about choosing decking, wood or synthetic?Synthetic decking, once the ugly stepchild that looked like the plastic used to make it, has grown up and is becoming a popular deck-building material.One big advantage of synthetic over wood is maintainanceAlthough not zero

10 Tips: Carpet Colors

From House Beautiful, 10 Tips: Carpet Colors By carpet and textile designer Christine Van Der Hurd.1. Go with your gut feeling when choosing a carpet. I think color is more important than design; if you don't love the hue, the pattern, however pretty, won't matter.2. Consider whether you want your carpet to be a focal point of the room or to blend in unobtrusively. Highly patterned, brightly

BermanFALK Dining Table with Classic Lines

Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery recently added BermanFALK and I was searching for a way to show the stunning dining room table with a four legged curved pedastal.(Click on Image for larger picture)You can see the BermanFALK table tends towards the traditional, has classic lines, but is “still modern”. The chairs have contrasting horizontal slats an interesting architectural feature. In this

Dining Room Furniture Guide

Furniture WORLD has an informative article about Dining Room Furniture. While it is product knowledge for salespeople, it gives a good insight into how to spot quality.Dining Chair QualityQuality dining chairs feel heavy, substantial and rigid. Chair quality is easy to see and demonstrate since every rail, post and joint is exposed and easily examined.Chair comfort is one of the most important

Feng Shui Made Simple

House Beautiful has an interesting section in their magazine entitled Feng Shui Made Simple Feng shui (pronounced "fung shway") is the Chinese discipline that teaches us how to attract and enhance our life energy (called chi) according to how our homes are arranged. Do you know how to attract or enhance the Chi in your home and life? 1. What is a bagua and how do I use it? A bagua is a

StyleCraft adding Terry Redlin line

From Home Accents Today, Well-known artist Terry Redlin is adding lamps and accessories to his furniture line at this High Point market. The new lighting and accessories program is debuting with StyleCraft Home Collections. Redlin’s furniture is with Austin Gray. (Terry Redlin Amber Waves of Grain)For more than 45 years, Redlin has captured the American spirit on canvas through his nostalgic

Pull a fast one by Bridget Otto

Cabinet knobs change out in a snapIt's Bridget Otto Thursday in the Homes & Garden section of The Oregonian. Bridget writes about the simple idea of changing your cabinet knobs in the kitchen or bath, changes the style of the room or freshens the look.Oodles of options line the aisles of home improvement stores, while some artsy boutiques carry limited one-of-a-kind creations. Pages of Web sites

Interior Designer: Kathia Emery

There is a very nice article by Cathy Lamb in the Homes & Gardens section of The Oregonian entitled delicate Merger. It features local interior designer Kathia Emery. Emery describes her decorating style as "traditional, with a strong emphasis on country French and English-with a romantic overlay. She recently combined households with ex husband of 2 1/2 years James Kahan. They had divorced,

Gas-powered Tankless Heaters

It's Bridget Otto Thursday and today she writes about Going tankless, tankless water heaters. In a follow up to her December article about tankless water heaters, Otto writesSeems there's no market for electric systems here. But there is for gas-powered, and those readers with gas-powered heaters felt I'd given the product short shrift.Now, knowing what I know, I agree with them. But my bottom

IP Focus: Susanna Bassanini

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is a community of people—designers, industry representatives, educators and students—committed to interior design. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach, the Society strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change

Bar-B-Qued Pork Chops

From MercuryNews, Timing is everything in cooking pork chops So you're standing at the meat counter on your way home from work. The pork chops look terrific, and they're priced right for a family dinner -- but how are you going to cook them?Donna Deane of the LA Times recommends ...four quick steps: Season the meat, sear it, make a sauce as you deglaze the pan and finish the meat in the

Two New Blogs

I've come across two new blogs. For a long time there have been few blogs oriented to the design community. Now we have Natural Area Rugs blog and ArtCorner.com blog.Natural Area Rugs is written by Mike Dennis, publicist for Natural Area Rugs, posts about the inner workings of Natural Area Rugs, a national leader in natural area flooring. Topics include business strategies, new products, and

Wood Floors

In case you missed it Pure Contemporary has a short article on Jan. 30, 2006 reproduced here entitled Types of Wood: How to ChooseIt's a question many of us ask ourselves before changing the floors, cabinets and furniture in our home - what wood should I use? Can I mix maple cabinets with oak floors? Is Teak the current wood of choice? Which wood is the warmest?WoodSunset Books helps define wood

Do You Sleep With Your Pet?

Bedtime's gone to the dogs by Gina KimThey snore. They scratch. They shed. They paw at the sheets and have no sense of personal space.But people love their dogs anyway - and increasingly, they are letting them into their beds.About 21 percent of dog owners admit to sleeping with their pets regularly while another 16 percent say their dogs sneak into their beds at least once in a while, according

"Know Your Client" Professional Paper from ASID

It's Saturday, April 8th. It's a quiet morning, so I thought I would pass on some information I received from ASID. How many times have you thought, "if only I could get inside my client's head so that I could do a better job," or for that matter, get the job!There are some new professional papers available to members of ASID, for free, and priced at $15 to $25 apiece, for non-members. One

Women Will Be Online More Than Men!

Within the next year European women will be online more than men according to a new study by The Center for Media research.The report shows how women's use of different media is evolving as they are interacting with the internet through blogging, ecommerce and instant messaging. As today's consumers are more sophisticated and demanding, the internet offers advertisers the opportunity to engage

R. Wagner Company

We meet some of the most interesting people at the dog park. Some time ago Mike met a woman with a Spinone and the dog's name was Romeo.A Spinone is a working breed dog, pointer and retriever with hair instead of fur. Romeo has a particularly good disposition. Mike always thought the owner, Nani, sounded like his cousin Ginger when she spoke and wondered if she was from Idaho, where his

The Origins Theme

Folowing up on the Origins, back to nature theme in Color Trends of 2006, Whether it’s an accent table or a bedroom set, consumers can use bamboo furniture to add relaxed, exotic flair to their homes. Following the lifestyle trends of world travel and global awareness, bamboo is sure to appeal to those who appreciate nature—or long for faraway lands.Hammary, which is carried at Landfair Furniture

Color Trends for 2006

Our last post was about color and our personality. Furniturestyle has an article about the use of color and trends for 2006.Homes will evolve to become places where culture, fashion, technology and comfort converge, according to Cinzia Black, Director of Special Projects North America for The Mix-Global Color Research Ltd., a London-based trend forecasting firm.Consumers’ color choices in 2006

The Personality of Color

Pure Contemporary is out with an article entitled The Personality of ColorColors have personalities too. Some of them very strong, strong enough to make you think you're famished or full, sleepy or wide-awake. Some might spark your hospitality, or your love life.And getting a handle on what colors say to you can be a great help when you're choosing paint colors for your home.Check out the article

My Dog Park Friend - Kate Nason

Imagine my surprize when Oregon Home, in the March-April edition, ran a story about N.E. Broadway in [Shop Talk] and there is my friend Kate Nason from the dog park. Almost every day Ralph our Golden plays with Kate's dog, Jackson. If Jackson is not playing with his buddies, he's squeaking his squeaky toy.Getting back to [Shop Talk], a number of stores from 29th and Broadway to 15th and

Bridget Otto - Spatial equality

Bridget Otto is up this Thursday with an article in The Oregonian's Homes & Gardens section. Her article entitled Spatial equality is about positioning furniture in a room to achieve balance.The best way to start positioning furniture in a room -- whether it's to achieve balance, a better traffic flow or most efficient use of space and focal points -- is to sketch the room on graph paper,

What Makes a Chair or Sofa Comfortable?

Barbara King in the March issue of House Beautiful writes an article entitled Comfort, Inc What makes a chair great? There's more to picking a chair or sofa than looks. It has to feel good, too. When it comes to seating, one size-or shape-never fits all. So we paid a visit to Steven Jonas in New York to learn the essentials of comfort, quality, and sitting where you ought to sit. He is

Are you taking your Manganese?

If you are like me, you take your vitamins daily and try to get your husband to do the same. Good luck with that!I read that magnesium is a trace mineral that our bodies need in order to maintain normal muscle and nerve function. It also keeps our hearts' rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, ensures the integrity of our arteries by controlling blood pressure, and helps to maintain

Kimberlee Jaynes Uses Color

Yesterday, we posted here, about the article in Pure Contemporary written by Caroline Kooshoian entitled Choosing the Right Colors for Your Home and Yourself. Today, we want to direct your attention to Kimberlee Jaynes web site. Jaynes is an interior designer and her site has some great examples of the use of color. She writes Color is the first element the eye registers. Color is the

Choosing the "Right" Colors

From Pure Contemporary, Caroline Kooshoian has written an article Choosing the Right Colors for Your Home and Yourself that is an excellent start to the use of color in your home.The article is for those "do it yourselfers" or DIYs. So why is Landfair Furniture, which caters to the design trade, featuring such an article? First of all, every time you turn around there is a show or article about

The New Reds!

From Casual Living, Red Unraveled by Courtney Mueller Reds have been toned down lately. Instead of the bright, eye-catching reds seen over the last few years, this year's red shades are more subdued and rustic. From kaleidoscope and paprika to crimson and mandarin, many of the new shades incorporate hints of orange. Again, geometric and tropical patterns are noticed.Sunbrella by Glen Raven;

Ottomans in the Home

In case you missed it, Nanine Alexander in the Homes & Gardens section of The Oregonian on Feb. 16th writes about ottomans:Ottomans, no longer content with supporting roles as footstools, are edging coffee tables offstage in Northwest living rooms. In fact, their fans are giving them the run of the entire house -- from living room to bedroom, foyer to dressing room.Alexander offers Five Shopping

Celebration of Creativity

On march 2-5, 2006, come to the 28th Annual Celebration of Creativity Fine Art Exhibit & Sale.Southminster (Presbyterian Church)'s annual "Celebration of Creativity" fine art show and sale is a reflection of our belief that artistic creativity is a manifestation of God. The show occurs the first full weekend every March and features painters, sculptors, potters, jewelry-makers, fabric designers,

How Do You Feel About Discounts?

An article at Jim Logan got me thinking about the traditional retail industry. I noticed in the paper today that our competitors are offering special discounts and I got a flyer in the mail from Macy's (Meier and Frank) about a sale and on the radio was a sale for Gold Toe socks at Fred Meyer. I know that people wait until just before Christmas to shop because of the discounts. What Jim Logan

The Portland City Grill

Here's a restauranteer on the top of his game, Walt Holman at the Portland City Grill.For those of you outside of Portland, Oregon, the Portland City Grill sits on the 30th floor of the second tallest downtown office building, affectionately known as "Big Pink" for its light pinkish color. Your dining pleasure is enhanced by the view of the city at your feet. We have had several wonderful

Night Out at Lucy's Table

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner last night with friends at Lucy's Table on NW 21st and Kearney. There is a nice bar inside the front door where you can sip and eat. Inside the restaurant, the space is lit in a pinkish hue, very flattering. It was busy, perhaps the tables a touch too close together, but with all the people still not overly loud. Maybe its the drapery and carpeting. The wait

Glass Furniture

We are seeing more glass used in furniture everyday, especially in contemporary furniture. The magazine PURE CONTEMPORARY has an article entitled Furniture of a Better Glass by Caroline Kooshoian. The curves of Curvet's Fiocco table take a delicate design detail and make it useful: the bends double as magazine racks.The magic of glass has been admired since its discovery in about 5,000 BC and

BERMANFALK Coming to Landfair Furniture

We are adding a new line, BERMANFALK at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery. Located on Canada’s west coast in beautiful British Columbia, BERMANFALK has been designing and manufacturing high-quality, all-wood furniture for over 20 years. Gary Berman and Paul Falk have assembled a team of experienced furniture makers who carefully translate their clean, distinctive designs into furniture that

Future Colors

In case you missed it, in todays Oregonian, in the special advertising section Autos/DriveTime, Dee-Ann Durbin writes Auto colorists paint future in shades of blue, brownOnly a handful of people know what new vehicles will look like in 2009. But automotive paint supplier PPG Industries already has a good idea what colors those vehicles will be.Blue will get more popular in the next four years as

Who is Maryann Fielder?

Are you familiar with Maryann Fielder? Nancy Zieg and I have worked with Maryann on several projects. Nancy is the interior designer, we provide furniture and Maryann is commissioned for art for some of the walls. I just added her web site to our blogroll and was captivated by some of her original paintings. Maryann Fielder asks:What is the sum total of one's life, knowledge, observations,

CBK and Cristina

From Home Accents Today in Las Vegas, CBK expands Casa Cristina line. Casa Cristina is the line of accessories licensed by Hispanic superstar Cristina Saralegui.CBK has expanded its Casa Cristina line by adding pieces to the most popular styles. The pieces added about 110 SKUs to the collection. Pulaski Furniture has added a new bedroom group to the Casa line, called Urbana, which is geared

Mirador Chosen for Design Gallery

From Home Accents Today, Design Gallery focal point for trendy looks in VegasThe Design Gallery, a juried exhibit area featuring stylish products and displays of up-and-coming trends, was created as the centerpiece of the temporary venue at this week's Las Vegas Market. The Design Gallery will be located in a dedicated section of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and will feature a broad

Flat Screen for Super Bowl XL

From the SacBee (registration required), The new dilemma in home decor: Finding the right spot for flat screensThe 55-inch plasma screen at Joe and Patty Caldero's house in Elk Grove found a home over the fireplace. Increasingly, new houses are being built to accommodate both flat-screen TVs and the hidden wiring they require. Sacramento Bee/ Lezlie SterlingBefore opting for over the fireplace,

Eight Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Interior Designer

It seems that every day a new magazine comes in the mail detailing home decorating ideas. I'm having trouble keeping up with my reading! Home, in their January 26th issue has an article entitled Hire It Out: Interior Designer. The lead paragraph asks a great question:If you're a regular Home reader, you may be thinking, "Interior designer? Why?" After all, each month our editors work to give

It's Bridget Otto Thursday!

Thursday is becoming "Bridget A. Otto Thursday". Today via The Oregonian's Homes & Garden section, Otto captures our attention with the article Color vision, Forecasters home in on future trends.Color is big business.Steve Noble, with the Luxury Marketing Council, told people at a 2004 interior design seminar in Seattle that accurate forecasting translates to fortunes. He talked about an ad

Online Spending in 2005 Up 22%!

Here's some very heartening news for our on-line furniture and accessories store, Landfair Furniture Annex, from comScore Networks. comScore Networks just released holiday season and annual online spending figures for full year 2005, concluding that total Internet spending for the full year, including travel, reached $143.2 billion, up 22 percent over the $117.2 billion spent online in 2004.

New Items: Sonoma Large Urn with lid

New Items: Sonoma Large Urn with lid Originally uploaded by gily122000.Yipes Stripes!Absolutely stunning color. If you need a punch for your room, this is it.Bev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design Gallery

New Items: Three Vases

New Items: Three Vases Originally uploaded by gily122000.16" orange orangeand two 20" one is orange orange and the other is orange red.These vases would be great in any setting from mid-century to now.Notice the colors, Orange, light blue and Chocolate are the latest interior colors.

New Items: Three Vases

New Items: Three Vases Originally uploaded by gily122000.16" orange orangeand two 20" one is orange orange and the other is orange red.These vases would be great in any setting from mid-century to now.Bev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design Gallery

New Items: Two Ceramic Canisters

New Items: Two Ceramic Canisters Originally uploaded by gily122000.One is 22 Inches high with lidSecond is 16 Inches high with lidColor: CaramelThe lids are cool and impressive.Lamp can be used with Asian or Transitional. Ask for details.Bev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design Gallery

New Items: 22" Ceramic Charger with Stand

New Items: 22" Ceramic Charger with Stand Originally uploaded by gily122000.Caramel in color on stand, 22 inches in diameter.Great large accessory for transitional to European environment.

Do you send enough "Thank You" notes?

I was impressed recently, by my brother's fiance. She held Christmas dinner at her house for the whole family of about 30 people. She asked me to bring a salad. Three days after the dinner, I received a thank you note in the mail for bringing salad. Now here's a woman with three girls, she's an emergency room nurse, she's planning her wedding on January 1st, hosting a large dinner, and she

New Items: Empire eliptical bowl

Empire eliptical bowl Originally uploaded by gily122000.Exotic wood inside, hammered finish outsideThis would make a dramatic transitional to contempory statement.29 inches longBev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design Gallery

New Items: Sonoma Collection Box with Lid

Sonoma Collection Box with Lid Originally uploaded by gily122000.Yipes Stripes!Keep your secrets here.Bev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design Gallery

New Items: Large Orange Orange Bowl

Large Orange Orange Bowl Originally uploaded by gily122000.19 1/2 inches in diameter, 4 1/2 inches high.You can see light through this big bowl.Forget football. This is the real Orange Bowl!Bev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design Gallery

New Items: Lorenzo Collection:Two Candalabras and Table lamp

Lorenzo Collection:Two Candalabras and Table lamp Originally uploaded by gily122000.20 inch and 16 inch Candalabras and Table Lamp, color is champagne goldGreat way to unite a theme in one room.Bev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design Gallery

New Items: Nambia Charger with Metal Stand

Nambia Charger with Metal Stand9 Originally uploaded by gily122000.Target this!Black and cream in opaque ceramic.Use in contempory loft space or setting or update your accessories.Bev & MikeLandfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Decor8, the Blog

We discovered a new blog, Decor8, written by Holly from Boston, Mass. It's a very interesting blog with lots of great ideas and interesting pictures. We were struck by this photo of a poster:The poster, "The Illustrated History of Rocking Chairs", is available from Design Boom for $10. Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery has to have it.Bev & Mike

California Olive Oil?

January 18, 2006From MercuryNews.com, Golden State's olive presses yield bottles on par with world's best.For the most part, California olive oils aim for the high end of the market. The best -- handpicked, cold-pressed and unfiltered -- compare favorably to the most respected in the world, taking top honors in international competitions.California's production is still small, about 400,000

DailyCandy

January 17, 2006Are you going to be traveling to one of these cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco or Washington D.C.? Check out DailyCandy!We first learned about Daily Candy as most do: from a friend who was traveling to New York and wanted to know where to find those hidden treasures only insiders know about. The web site is filled with tips

Bridget A. Otto on Furniture Folly

Jan 5, 2006Bridget A. Otto has an article in The Oregonian of Thursday Jan. 5th, about buying furniture, Furniture follyDon't sit down on a costly mistakeJennifer Litwin's frustration drove her to write a book.Even though Litwin is an antiques expert who trained at Sotheby's and reports on furniture for Consumers Digest, the Chicago-based author discovered the pitfalls of furniture shopping while

Link Requests

We get "link requests" from time to time and we actively solicit links to our blog. On our right side or sidebar you can see the web sites we link to. Links drive traffic to your web site or blog. There may be 25,000,000 blogs, but only a few hundred are getting large amounts of visitors. For instance: #1 Daily Kos: State of the Nation averages 445,240 visits/day; #50 BTF's Baseball Primer

Placing Ads in Surprising Places

Brian Carroll, e-business editor for Furniture|Today in his blog Tecnology Today writes in Placing Ads in Surprising Places...advertising on blogs is a a huge growth category, giving advertisers a laser-like ability to target certain readerships that traditional mass media cannot provide. One example is Budget, the car rental company, which at last count is advertising on 177 blogs.Budget says