Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
May 16,
2007 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on May 2007
Proposed legislation in Congress aimed at preventing commerce in illegally sourced wood--and products made from that wood--in the U.S. market could outlaw the sale of furniture made from such materials.
H.R. 1497, or the “Legal Timber Protection Act,” extends provisions of amendments added in 1981 to the Lacey Act of 1900 that prohibit trafficking in illegally sourced wildlife to include plants, including trees, illegally harvested outside the United States, as well as products made from those plants, such as furniture.
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)--joined by Jerry Weller (R-IL) and Robert Wexler (D-FL)--introduced the LTPA March 13, and it was shortly thereafter referred to the House Subcommittee on Fisheries Wildlife and Oceans.
According to the Library of Congress, the proposed legislation has 21 co-sponsors.
May 16,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in on May 2007
Furnishings and lifestyle designer Barclay Butera will create a special room vignette for Housing Works Thrift Shops’ third annual Design on a Dime charity event in New York City, sponsored by Real Simple magazine. The three-day charitable event commences with a VIP benefit on May 17.
Butera’s room will combine a relaxed beach feel with a look of sophistication by incorporating clean-lined glassware and tabletop with red as the accent color, orchids, and coral and sea shell accents. Natural fabrics and elements will be used.
Following the May 17 benefit is a two-day sale of merchandise from the participating interiors designers and brands at 70 percent off retail prices. The sale runs through the May 19 and is free and open to the public, with all proceeds from the benefit and sale go to Housing Works, a major community-based AIDS service organization helping to improve the lives of people living in New York with HIV/AIDS.
May 16,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Accessories on May 2007
Decorize, Springfield, Mo., which supplies home accents to large furniture companies such as Broyhill and Rooms To Go, reported Wednesday that its revenues for a nine-month period ended March 31 increased 62 percent to $11.53 million.
In the company’s third quarter, revenues increased 14 percent to $3.86 million over 2006. It had operating income of $14,000 during the quarter. Over nine months, the company had operating income of $126,000 after posting a loss of $948,000 during the same period a year earlier.
“We believe that our continued improvements in our operating results are a clear indicator that we are making tremendous progress and that our business model is working sell,” said CEO Steve Crowder. “Decorize’s leading design team and our vertically integrated platform are successfully bringing differentiated decorative home accents to the marketplace that consumers have embraced.”
May 15,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on May 2007
Richard L. Platt Jr. has been named president of the Waverly brand and NexCen’s home division.
NexCen recently completed its acquisition of Waverly.
Prior to joining the company, Platt was managing director for Official Pillowtex where he oversaw brand direction and merchandising strategies for Cannon, Fieldcrest, Royal Velvet, Charisma, Bugle Boy and Delia’s. He has also served as senior director of retail sales and marketing for the National Football League Properties.
“NexCen Brands is committed to increasing brand presence and profitability for each of our consumer products brands through our marketing, operations, merchandising and licensing expertise,” said Robert W. D’Loren, NexCen president and chief executive officer. “Richard Platt exemplifies the superior leadership we commit to our family of brands. We are confident that he will successfully manage the team of home products designers and licensing professionals at Waverly to grow and elevate the company’s leadership position in the home furnishings industry.”
May 15,
2007 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on May 2007
Bedding retailer Sleep Country USA is once again pitching in to help foster children in the Pacific Northwest.
The chain, with more than 60 stores, gathered more than 3,100 articles of new clothing to help the region’s more than 23,000 foster children.
Contributions of shoes, pants, tops, new socks, and packaged undergarments in all sizes were accepted during the company’s more than month-long drive to help provide foster kids with some of the key material needs they must often go without. Sleep Country USA is also hosting a new Pajama Bowl for its Portland community on May 20th—driven largely by the success of the same event it holds in Seattle. The company will then kick off summer with its second annual Pajama Bowl in Seattle, hoping to increase donations from the $40,000 received last year in pledges.
“Our Sleep Country Foster Kids program continues to grow in size, scope and most importantly effect,” said Terry Horsley, executive vice president of marketing and merchandising. “We are incredibly excited about the response from our communities in both Washington and Oregon, and proud to be able to provide area foster children with these seemingly simple, yet very important, items.”
Individuals and businesses can help and have fun by signing up today for the company’s upcoming Pajama Bowl event. Sleep Country USA will also begin collecting Outdoor Games and Sporting Equipment on June 18 for its annual summer drive. People can participate by donating items like hula hoops; basketballs; outdoor chalk buckets; baseball gloves, balls and bats; soccer balls; rollerblades and skates; tennis and badminton racquets and pool toys.