Seth B

Archive for 2009|Yearly archive page

Good Blogs for Interior Designers

In Home Furnishings Trends on November 20, 2009 at 12:13 am

In Part Two of GoodFactoriesFREE resources for interior designers, we have listed some great blogs.  These blogs are updated almost every day by passionate writers, often feature more interesting concepts, and make it easier to view the latest trends that you may have missed.  If you follow all these blogs, you should not miss another trend!

Emmas.blogg.se

Emmas Design Blog is one of the best European home furnishing/design blogs that I’ve run across.  While designs here tend to be modern, they are not over the top, and have inspiration from new and old Scandinavia.  Also I’d say the writer has an eye for softer colors with clean and soft designs that really look great.

modern chair

Emmas blogg

Hollysview.blogspot.com

The blog named “As I see it…“ is continuously updated with room designs, color ideas, and fantastic home furnishings.   I’m not sure what Holly’s exact job is, but I’d guess she is in interior design.  She sifts through hundreds of websites and pulls out the gems in a fun-to-view blog.

DesireToInspire.blogspot.com

If the name isn’t enough to draw your attention, the product surely should be.  There are two writers who sift out ideas and home settings they love.  You’ll find lots of unique furniture and home décor, mostly photographed in home settings.

black and white living room

Desire to Inspire

JustImagineDesign.blogspot.com

Beautiful colors don’t go unnoticed by the Just Imagine Color Consulting firm in Sydney, Australia.

Printpattern.blogspot.com

People looking for the latest patterns at the retail level should check these out first.  Featured are printed patterns and designs on all sorts of mediums, from lighting and dinnerware, to towels and coffee coasters.

Mocoloco.com

MoCo Loco is possibly one of the coolest websites/blogs to visit.  With a very modern eye for design, they have fantastic images and even their website layout fits this theme.  Users are taken to a horizontal scroll page, which is a bit confusing, but can be switched via the click of a button.  The design pages feature modern architecture, furniture, lighting, and more.  Manufacturers can also submit their own designs to the editors via their website!

Mangrove Vase

Mocoloco

Inhabitat.com

If you are into eco-friendly homes, you should not miss this website.  It is one of the fullest blog/websites for environmentally-friendly home furnishings that is updated every day with ground-breaking products and concepts.  Also consider subscribing to their newsletter.  I get the weekly version and always find the articles fascinating.  Look for the “Interiors” button to see home furnishings.

UrbanLifeStyleDecor.com

Susan Rapp shares her “Sin of Furniture” with the world.  Her posts are categorized into many groups:  bohemian, vintage, avant-garde, urban, glam, rustic, clean-line modern, just to name a few…

ecletic chair

Urban Lifestlye Decor (European Ecletic)

Style-Files.com

The Style Files is Danielle de Lange’s daily weblog about design and (life) style. The Style Files is dedicated to search the globe for inspirational finds. Observations and ideas related to design, interiors, art and other life enhancing subjects are posted daily.   It is based in the Netherlands, and it gives worldwide coverage from a European viewpoint, with an emphasis on Dutch and the “not-so-standard” design.

style files

Style-Files

DoseOfDesign.blogspot.com

Those of you who are more focused on home accents and home décor will appreciate Dose of Design.

Textile-Blog.com

Karin Miller shares her favorite fabrics, designs and patterns with the world.  From apparel to fabrics to rugs, she keeps an eye out for new and old designs that are becoming hot.  Interior designers will like the home textile and outdoor fabrics category of her blogs, but may also gain inspiration from other categories.

Eco-Friendly – Refurbished Furniture!

In Eco Friendly Furnshings on November 6, 2009 at 8:09 pm

What could be more environmentally friendly than bamboo, less wasteful than cardboard, and more recyclable than aluminum?  Your old furniture!  Forget about throwing away furniture, the guys at Purpose Furniture Restoration have shown how an outdated worn piece of furniture can be transformed into something new and beautiful!

Refurbished Dresser from Restoration Furniture

Refurbished and redesigned dresser

Original Dresser

Original Dresser

This really makes me think about all the furniture that is available in antique and second hand stores.  Is there a market for artists to refinish and sell beautiful furniture, which would both eliminate cutting down trees, and also help others by hauling away their old furniture?  Afterall, this eco-friendly furniture is 100% recycled from a previous owner.

A quick google search found a few companies who offer this service, and there are a lot more websites dedicated to Do It Yourself.  In the hospitality industry, this has been a somewhat popular option as it can be a good way to reduce costs. Upholstered chairs, lamp shades, and beds can be brought back to life with fresher-looking new fabrics.

So, what does this mean to suppliers in home furnishings?  Is there a niche for people with a good eye and skills to remake second-hand furniture?  I think there is, and below are two suggestions…

#1.  People could buy antiques and update them.  I’m sure this is happening, but perhaps some people could get together and open their own store on 1stDibs.

#2.  For the creative types, I think a market place of refurbished furniture could be really cool–a store where designers could sell their one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture.  This may be considered more art than furniture, and could command high prices as Jason Fox is doing at Purpose Restoration.  Jason is also selling his goods on etsy.com.  I’m curious to see how he does.

Any ideas about how to get more people recycling furniture?  Email seth@goodfactories.com

Looking for new suppliers of Eco Friendly Furniture?  We have a directory of some of the best Eco Friendly Furniture Manufacturers

Material Costs Bouncing Back?

In Uncategorized on October 23, 2009 at 6:46 pm

I recently received a very interesting report on raw material costs from a lighting factory.  I’ve been aware of the major drop in material costs over the last year, but I did not anticipate that they would be climbing back so quickly!

Iron Cost in RMB

Iron Cost in RMB

What I really find interesting is the urgency that this factory seems to have when you compare costs to the recent raw material spikes in 2007-08.  We are still more than 50% below peak prices.  It seemed that all suppliers are quick to raise prices, but slow to drop them.  I understand their concern with recent trends not looking optimistic; but let’s hope that the speculators calm down and real business can run smoothly. (Please see the bottom of Oil Price Graph, to see how trading volume has more than tripled since 2000!)

Oil Price and Trading over time

Oil Price and Trading over time

It appears to me that this email is a marketing attempt to drive more sales over the slow summer season.  This might actually prove to be a smart approach to push companies who will be buying product in the near future.  Overall, I do believe the numbers they are relaying to us are accurate and all buyers should be aware.

Another concern I have is labor costs in China.  Currently, we are hiring another data entry position, and it seems that we will have to pay about 2400 RMB per month to hire someone with decent English writing skills.  Also, just a few months ago when we were looking for factory workers, labor wages in Guangdong had risen to around 1100-1500 RMB per month, and the total cost per month for an average factory worker now costs over 200 US Dollars.  There may have been some increase in efficiency over the years, but value-oriented experts have been buying more and more outside the developed industrial regions in China,  looking to other countries instead.  My impressions from Vietnam, Indonesia, and India were that the total cost for an average factory worker is still below 100 US Dollars.

Below is the email from the factory, World of Lights.

Dear valuable customers:

The material price dived greatly causing by financial crisis last year. After one year’s consolidation by stock market and oil price, which is slowly drive to the previous high point.

The above 4 charts are the price trend for our materials, actually, almost all the materials we need are going up in the last few months, However, all our quotation until now are still keep on the bottom on Feb. 2009 when all the material costs at the lowest point.

Copper Price Graphs

Copper Price Graphs

We quite understand what situation our clients are, while the financial crisis still not released completely, market just turn to be a little better, if increase the price, we know this will be a great hurt to all our clients. So from March 2009 to August 2009, our factory and our suppliers endures material slowly rise, we try out best to digest the price increasing by ourselves, Meantime, we always keep the lowest quotation same as this Feb., 2009’s while the material cost at the bottom, to assure all our clients can move forward in the crisis. But now we can see the future that we may have to endure more and more pressure.

From the attached 4 charts we can see, our material cost are continually going up, the increase percentage even up to 40% at lease for iron. Of course, we still have to keep Feb.’s lowest price in this August and September. But what we worried about is that the coming traditional midseason after Nov. and the coming year, if the material still continually go up 20%-30% again, I am afraid that we will really have no ways to endure any more, so we write this email to communicate with all our clients, if you have any purchasing schedule, we suggest you deal with the stock as soon as possible or prepare in advance. We will still keep the Feb.’s lowest price in this Aug. and Sep. Thanks!

Nickel Price Graphs

Nickel Price Graphs

Great FREE Resources for Furniture and Home Decor Designers

In Home Furnishings Trends on September 28, 2009 at 10:35 pm

Who doesn’t love FREE design information.  Recently in one of the groups we belong to in LinkedIn, the CEO of Mudpie Design (a trend forecasting company) posted a great discussion.  “Great resources for designers – FREE!”   This inspired us to take some websites from this discussion and add some of our own favorites to help designers and furniture manufacturers looking for freebies.   This first list of a 2-part series is websites.  Next month we will feature the top home furnishing blogs.

1stDibs.com

Picture 4

Why not look at the past to predict the future!  1stDibs is an antique website, focusing on high-end antique furniture, home décor, lighting, and has now added fashion and jewelry.  We’re constantly amazed by this website, and there is no harm in getting inspiration from 70 year-old designs that are surprisingly on trend for 2010!  Also, we recommend subscribing to their newsletters.  The writers at 1stDibs have fantastically interesting comments on different styles and how interior designers should use them today.

2modern.com

Picture 10The name pretty much says it all.  This website has some of the best looking modern furniture, lighting, and home decor, on the web.  The site’s design and feel are fun, and the editors are constantly adding new modern products.  Also be sure to visit their Design Blog, which is also a fantastic source for wildly creative ideas in home furnishings.  They have “Eco Friendly” and “Made in the USA” product sections, and a newsletter + RSS Feeds.

HomePortfolio.com

Home Portfolio is the largest database for home furnishing suppliers in the USA.  This site is simple to navigate, featuring all types and styles of home furnishings to help interior designers find the right furniture for their products ( customers?).  It works like an online catalog and is really simple to use.

Tréndir.com

Tréndir is a Home Decorating Trends Magazine.  The Tréndir Interiors website has fantastic posts; and although they call themselves “modern” interiors, they also feature some beautiful traditional home furnishings.  They cover all items for the home, from bathroom hardware to outdoor living, and also cover architecture and appliances.

ElleDécor.com

Picture 11The popular fashion magazine has made it easy for web users to dig through their past stories and images of products.  The PointClickHome.com website features images from both Elle Décor and Metropolitan Home.  Users can view great designs in the “Room Finder” and select the type and style of  home.  Home Furnishings can be found in the  “Decorate” tab, and housewares are in the “Entertain” tab.  Also, the blogs on this site are good: Savvy/Chic, Design Daily, Word on Modern Style, I on Design, Stylemonger, and Deal of the Day.

Thecoolhunter.co.uk

Picture 12This website focuses on ground-breaking design.  Probably more for interior designers and architects, we think that everybody will enjoy the products, buildings, and fashion concepts these guys bring to a fun-to-use website.  The most relevant area is the “Design” section, which can be found on their navigation menu.  This site tends to feature the bright and exotic and is really fun.

Inmod.com

Another modern design focused retail website is Inmod.  The coolest feature here is the “Design Your Own”.  You can design your own pillows and bedding!  Overall, this site very is similar to 2modern, and they have a blog, newsletter, and RSS feed.  If you like modern, this site is a must see…

TODL.COM (Trade Only Design Library)

Picture 13The Trade Only Design Library is another large database of products for home décor, furniture, and housewares.  This site is operated by the same company that sets up the HD Expo in Las Vegas, for hospitality and commercial furnishings.  While you cannot normally view this website if you enter directly, if you click this link to Hopitality Design, I have found a secret way to access the website!

Dwell.com

Dwell is a modern home magazine (print) but they also have a great website.  It has a dedicated product section, which allows users to select what to view by product category, ranging from clocks to wall coverings.

ArchitectualDigest.com

Long one of the most prestigious architecture and home design inspiration magazines (print), Architectual Digest now has a decent website that allows free access to the design features and beautiful images that have kept this magazine on the shelves for almost 90 years!  It is not as easy to navigate products on this site, as it shows the latest stories as features, but if you type in the name of the room or type of furniture into the search box, you should come up with some nice design concepts.

Walmart Developing Worldwide Sustainable Product Index

In Eco Friendly Furnshings on August 28, 2009 at 12:09 am

Who would think that Walmart would take the first step towards developing a worldwide sustainable product rating?  For a long time Walmart was considered by many environmentalists as the leading polluter and local job loss creator.

wmLast week, Walmart released a press statement that “reaffirmed its commitment to the environment, by incorporating sustainable business practices throughout the entire consumer business supply chain.”

Inhabitat has written a great overview of the system, and their opinion is “Yes. Walmart’s sustainability index may be a game changer, and it could easily have as much impact as a cap and trade program. With over (7200 worldwide retail stores), the mega-corporation has the power and reach with manufacturers worldwide to get them on board with this program.”

The goal with the Sustainable Product Index is to clarify the abundance of Green Labels that are already in the marketplace, and help consumers choose products that are more efficient, last longer, and perform better.  The system will index and quantify the sustainable attributes of a product by examining them from raw materials to disposal.  The main term is called Life Cycle Assessments, which will take into account not only the product, but also what the supplying companies are doing to monitor and reduce and improve their environmental and social impact on the world.

scThe Sustainable Product Index is being developed by Walmart, Arizona State University, and the University of Arkansas as an “open source” sustainability consortium that will also work with other businesses, NGOs, and governmental agencies.  Walmart emphasizes that they will not “own” the index and considers the strength in success to be its design as a globally shared and open platform tool for all.

Walmart says, “The final step of the index is to provide customers with product information in a simple, convenient, easy to understand manner so they can make choices and consume in a more sustainable way.  This will provide customers with greater transparency in to the quality and history of products than they have today.  How that information is delivered to consumers is still undermined.”

“Developing indices to reliably compare products on their environmental performance, in addition to an open source database to support this, is a key step in the transition to a green economy. The EPA is very interested in this project and will follow it closely,” said Clare Lindsay of the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.”

Currently, they are asking more than 100,000 suppliers to briefly evaluate their  own companies’ sustainability, focusing on top-tier suppliers in the U.S. to complete the survey by Oct. 1st, 2009.   The 15 questions are grouped in 4 categories: energy and climate, material efficiency, natural resources, and people and community.  You can see them here.

You can also see the whole Walmart Sustainability Index: Version 1.0 here it is a 6 page document that also includes FAQ’s, terms, and definitions.

Walmart also has a video of Mike Duke, president and CEO, Walmart Stores, Inc. explaining the sustainability index and why transparency is needed in the supply chain.

Importance of Sustainability – Walmart EVP Corp. Affairs – Leslie Dach

Sustainability Index – Walmart CEO – Mike Duke

Sustainability Index – Walmart EVP and CMO – John Fleming

Looking to the Future of Lighting

In Home Furnishings Trends on August 13, 2009 at 3:36 pm

Finally some more innovative lighting manufacturers concepts are coming to the home!  As seen in the Mocoloco blog, Modula has created an innovative modern fixture, which breaks ground with its innovative use of LEDs, shapes, colors, and an integrated control system that works with mobile phones!

Remote control color chaning LED fixture
Modula Remote Adjustable Color LED Fixture

View the video.

This brings up a much larger topic in lighting design–where and how will LEDs change how we decorate our homes?  Light up wall art has already been developed, where rather than illuminate from a table lamp, people can integrate beautiful lighting directly into their walls.  This not only works for the home, but would have some stunning effects in commercial spaces, especially restaurants.

Jonas Samson LED Wall Art
Jonas Samson LED Wall Art
Jonas Sampson LED Wall Art 2
Jonas Sampson LED Wall Art 2

Personally, I have imagined lamps that don’t have any shades, but are pieces of artwork that directly illuminate from the body.  I would like to hear if anybody else has seen more innovative concepts in lighting that have recently come out and are truly original.

The Internet Radio Light, by Daria Shashorina, is really innovative and beautiful, and can be adjusted in countless ways.

AM FM Internet Radio LED Light
AM FM Internet Radio LED Light

Or, why not hang your designs above your head?

Decorative LED Hanging Fixture
Decorative LED Hanging Fixture

What I love about the Modula concept is that we no longer need to be stuck to one color in our home!  Why not be able to change the atmosphere to your favorite color that compliments your desired mood?

The Doorknob of the Future

In Home Furnishings Trends on August 4, 2009 at 2:33 pm

While I was at the HD Expo Contract Furniture Fair, in  Las Vegas last May, I ran into a company who may just change how we open and close doors!

SOSS UltraLatch

SOSS UltraLatch

The company SOSS has coined the handle the UltraLatch.  They had a product on display with a door, and were actively getting buyers to test it out.

I was actually suprised by how much easier it was to use this handle than a door knob!  That is why I am writing about it in our blog…

After the show, I actually went to their website to write about it, but unfortunately, there is not any details on their website.

Overall, the door opening, was super smooth, and as the photos below show, it can be opened without hands.  I’m not sure how fast this will catch on, since door handles have been around so long, but is good to see that somebody is actually improving how we move around the house.

No Hands

No Hands

Innovative Task and Office Chairs at NeoCon 2009

In Home Furnishings Trends on July 8, 2009 at 2:30 am

While it seemed that nobody could out-design Herman Miller’s world famous Aeron chair, designers have been hard at work and just may have done the impossible.  These new chairs flex in ways not thought of bKNOL_GENERATI_radBBBB8y managers in stuffy offices, and they truly conform to all types of uses in the office.  Also, chair designers are starting to realize that people do not sit in one position all day, and that doing so is actually not so healthy.  See the top ergonomic task and desk chairs below!

The Generation, by Knoll (Gold)


The Generation by Knoll Flex Back, Flex Top and Flex Seat, combined with the unique Dynamic Suspension control, facilitate comfort and a range of postures, including side sitting, throughout the work day.

“Generation by Knoll moves as you move and is designed to respond to the way people really sit, including seemingly unconventional postures,” he added. “Generation by Knoll is all about being able to express yourself and your individuality.”

Knoll Generation chair flexing

Check out the video from the wall street journal, you need to watch the video to really understand how this chair works and why it won.

Knoll Generation chair flexing

Herman Miller Embody (Silver)

HERM_EMBODY_rad9E650

Herman Miller Embody

The Embody is made from non-toxic and sustainable materials (42% recycled content), which makes the entire thing 95% recyclable. It’s an extremely embody2beautiful chair when viewed as a whole, but if you zoom in to look at each individual edge, joint and connector, it gets even more amazing. Check out the gallery and read the full review at gizmodo.com.

ITOKI Design’s SP task chair

Itoki Design's SP Task Chair

Itoki Design's SP Task Chair

96%  recyclable, BS EN ISO14001-certified chair  uses  cutting-edge  mechanisms  like  “Passive Seat Slide” and “Active Lumbar Support”  features,  which  eliminate the need for  manual  adjustment.  Another  groundbreaking  element  is SP’s backrest, composed of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) – the  same  material used on the inner wall  of  some  automobile  tires  to  insure  durable rigidity with rebound. Itoki’s  proprietary  compound  was  created as a result of extensive  research  done  to  push  the  material  further inperformance and capacity.

Design Your Own Furniture Online!

In Home Furnishings Trends on June 25, 2009 at 11:26 pm

Companies are making custom furniture simple for consumers to buy.  Furniture manufacturers have started to catch onto a trend that until recently has only been available to higher end designers with an eye for style. The new trend is an online system that allows consumers to custom design upholstered furniture.  The internet is effecting every business these days, and don’t count home furnishings out.

Custom Chair from Bassett Furniture

Custom Chair from Bassett Furniture

What does this really mean?  It means that American manufacturers can gain some ground on overseas suppliers by offering more customized furniture directly to consumers!  I’ve seen websites for T shirts, apparel, promotional gifts, and individual gifts; and from what I have read, they are doing VERY well.  People want to be able to make their own choices, create their own clothes, and now, design their own sofa.

This effect has become known as the Long Tail, and for the first time, we as manufacturers in home furnishings can start to take advantage of this.  For those of you who can’t tell what I’m really talking about, please visit Henredon’s website, and click on the “Create Your Own” link.  It allows users to select the shape, size, pillows, arms, legs, and fabrics.  Basically a 100% custom sofa from Henredon can be delivered to your door.  The best part is that you can see it as you build it.

Henredon is leading the way with not only the best performing Design-Your-Own system, but they offer the most products: sofas, benches, chairs, ottomans, stools, and any item that can be upholstered.  Please note that you need to select items whose images’ appear in grayscale, not color.  Grayscale items can add custom fabric and wood finishes.

Custom Chair from Henredon

Custom Chair from Henredon

My suggestions going forwards are that Henredon and Thomasville give their sites an option to sell to the consumer.  You can buy from the Bassett Furniture custom upholstery website, delivered in 30 days.   (Henredon and Thomasville just need to add enough markup on their online sales, so people buying from stores get the same price) Also, to improve the user experience, both manufacturers should allow users to request fabric samples.  Most people want to touch the fabric before buying.

I also see a future for this tool in furniture stores.  Any store selling Henredon and Thomasville should make this a prominent feature, with a coisk?, so the user can sit in a Henredon sofa, but then use this tool to design their custom version of the same piece of furniture and actually see what it will look like.

Modern Custom Sofa from Henredon

Modern Custom Sofa from Henredon

Manufacturers of home textiles should check out what Inmod is doing.  They are allowing consumers to design their own pillows and duvet covers from selected patterns and colors.  They also have organic options and a very cool looking retail website.

If you are interested in adding this feature to your website I’ve heard it costs around $50,000.  I know 2 companies currently doing this , MicroD and BondCarr.  So, if you want to take advantage of one of the benefits of manufacturing in the States, you might also consider doing this.

Baby Cribs vs. Transformers

In Home Furnishings Trends on June 16, 2009 at 5:46 pm

It seems that consumers will no longer accept a baby crib as a stand-alone product.  Most of the featured designs High Point were transformers!  No, these are not the robots that you see in the movie theaters.  They are new crib designs that offer multiple add on features, which allow your crib to grow into a toddler bed, a day bed, and finally into a full size bed for kids.

The same crib turns into multiple items

The same crib turns into multiple items

These are known as convertible cribs, and often also feature options such as adjustable height mattresses, storage drawers, and trundles.  But, if you look at these cribs, you may not even be aware that they are convertibles! Having a crib that will be functional and look great until a child reaches their teens certainly creates VALUE.

Featured Crib in Kids Today Magazine

Featured Crib in Kids Today Magazine

Other key points covered in Kids Today, are that value is HOT.   People right now are looking for lower priced goods, and retailers want a fast shipping program from their suppliers, so they do not need to stock as much and have more free cash.

You can customize the furniture colors!

You can customize the furniture colors!

More trends include adding drawers below the crib for storage (see image on right), adjustable height mattresses, and using 100% certified non-toxic materials.

Notice the drawer at the bottom of the Crib

Notice the drawer at the bottom of the Crib

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