Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
June 11,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Las Vegas on June 2007
The World Market Center has appointed William Grenewald as general manager of the Las Vegas Design Center, a year-round resource for designers with 400,000 square feet of showrooms featuring furniture, lighting, floral products, accessories, rugs and wall décor.
The Las Vegas Design Center currently consists of 70 showrooms on the first and second floor of buildings A and B, and it will add an additional 500,000 square feet of showroom space with the opening of Building C in July 2008.
Grenewald has over 25 years of experience in the home furnishings industry. Prior to joining the World Market Center, he was vice president and general manager of MDS Group Publishing, an advertising, publishing and marketing consulting firm in Miami that specializes in home furnishings. He also had been involved in pre-construction leasing and the opening of the International Design Center in Naples, Fla.
World Market Center CEO Harvey Dondero said, “Las Vegas Design Center is a growing resource, and Bill’s background will be a huge asset to its continued growth.”
June 10,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on June 2007
Furniture industry, take note--Microsoft is rapping on the table to get your attention.
At the Wall Street Journal’s recent D: All Things Digital conference, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled Surface, a 30-inch table-like computer interface that works without a traditional mouse or keyboard. By the end of this year, consumers will be able to test out Surface for themselves in hotels, retail establishments, restaurants and public entertainment venues.
Surface offers a lot of potential in furniture, especially as manufacturers explore the convergence of technology and furnishings.
“With Surface, we are creating more intuitive ways for people to interact with technology,” Ballmer said. “We see this as a multibillion dollar category, and we envision a time when surface computing technologies will be pervasive, from tabletops and counters to the hallway mirror. Surface is the first step in realizing that vision.”
Through a simple touch-screen interface, Microsoft says Surface will make everyday tasks entertaining, enjoyable and efficient. For example: ordering a beverage during a meal with the tap of a finger; browsing through music and dragging favorite songs onto a personal playlist by moving a finger across the screen; or creating and sending a personal postcard of vacation pictures instantly to friends and family.
Surface also has the ability to recognize physical objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes. This means that when a customer simply sets a wine glass on the surface of a table, a restaurant could provide them with information about the wine they’re ordering, pictures of the vineyard it came from and suggested food pairings tailored to that evening’s menu. The experience could become completely immersive, letting users access information on the wine-growing region and even look at recommended hotels and plan a trip without leaving the table.
Surface will be shipped to partners with a portfolio of basic applications, including photos, music and virtual concierge applications that can be customized to provide their customers with unique experiences. Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., and T-Mobile USA Inc. will be some of the first companies to provide unique Surface experiences for their customers.
June 10,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Casual Furniture on June 2007
Laneventure, Conover, N.C., announced that it will debut a new “Leeds Castle Collection” of indoor and outdoor furnishings inspired by a 1,000-year-old British estate that is one of the most popular heritage tourist attractions in the United Kingdom.
The Leeds Castle Collection, including cast aluminum and teak furniture for outdoors, will debut in July at the Casual Show Pre-Market in Chicago and The International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market in Chicago in September. An indoor collection will also be shown at the High Point’s Market in October. Leeds Castle is set on two islands on the River Len in the heart of Kent. Operated by the Leeds Castle Foundation since 1974, the castle was formerly owned by heiress Lady Baillie, whose parties at the estate attracted European royalty and film stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Errol Flynn. It was the site of the G8 Environmental Ministers meeting in 1998 and the North Ireland peace talks in 2004.
Victoria Wallace, the castle’s managing director said, “We are delighted to join forces with Laneventure in continuing the wonderful relationship Leeds Castle has had with the United States during the past 400 years... This collection will reflect the spirit of both countries.”
Arthur Thompson, president of Laneventure, a division of Furniture Brands International, said, “From the first moment I stepped onto the grounds I was enthralled with both the beauty and history of this spectacular setting. This collection will be far more than just furniture ... it will be the continuation of a lifestyle.”
June 10,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on June 2007
Minneapolis-based Gabberts announced Friday that it will open a Gabberts Odds & Ends outlet store in the same Galleria shopping center that houses the 61-year-old furniture retailer’s flagship store.
An announcement said Gabberts first launched an outlet department in 1959, and it was recognized by many as “The Oldest Furniture Outlet in the Twin Cities.”
Gabberts completed a $5 million renovation in February that added a design-oriented Inspiration Center to the store, as well as a conference center for events.
June 10,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on June 2007
Case goods importer ART Furniture, Ontario, Calif., will move its High Point showroom to a new 37,000-square-foot space on the second floor of Plaza Suites on Main Street in time for this fall’s High Point Market.
The 4-year-old company had occupied 28,000 square feet in Market Suites.
CEO Ed Grund said the decision to expand in High Point is a response to ART’s success in attracting key retailers to its 18 original design collections.
“The powerful reaction we’ve enjoyed from the very first sale to Weir’s Furniture in Dallas of our American Sampler Collection, (which continues in its popularity) to our new introductions at each subsequent market, has compelled us to continue to expand our showroom space,” Grund said. “This investment reflects our commitment to the High Point Market, and an ongoing desire to increase the convenience of our location.”
ART had doubled its space within two years of opening its High Point showroom in 2003, Grund said. Expanded amenities at the new showroom include a free limo service, and daily catered lunches and cocktails served in a large, well-appointed area.
In addition, ART Furniture is scheduled to move to Building C of Las Vegas’ World Market Center in July 2008, when it will increase its showroom size at the Las Vegas Market from 8,000 to 22,000 square feet.