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Consumer confidence index rises

By Aggregated Content in on September 26, 2012 from https://newsdesk4.moreover.com/click/?p=Qy83Mjc3MzU4MzM4Jm49TkFQQ08&a=MTE3NTM4MDkxOTY&f=TmV3cw&s=cmljaHhtbA&u=YWNyZW5zaGF3QG5hcGNvLmNvbQ&c=TkFQQ08&i=MA&e=U291dGggQmVuZCBUcmlidW5l&d=1989&t=1 WASHINGTON -- Consumer confidence has risen this month as people said they are more optimistic about their situation and the short-term direction of the economy, the Conference Board reported Tuesday. The group's Consumer Confidence Index was up 9 points...

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Celerie Kemble Teams up with Henredon, Maitland-Smith

By Home Furnishings Business in licensing on September 26, 2012

High-end furniture vendors Henredon and Maitland-Smith will launch collections with interior designer and author Celerie Kemble at April High Point Furniture Market.

Celerie Kemble for Henredon will feature a complete line of case goods and upholstery.  Celerie Kemble for Maitland-Smith will feature complementary decorative accessories and lighting.

€œBoth brands will benefit from our association with Celerie," said Dan Bradley, president of both Henredon and Maitland-Smith. "She shares our goal to produce the most beautiful high-end furniture and decorative accessories in the industry. She has a keen eye for detail and a passion for creating unique, fresh designs, and we are thrilled to be associated with her.€ 

Kemble is finalizing the designs for the new collections with Todd Sessa, vice president of merchandising and design for Henredon and Maitland-Smith, to ensure that all products work together to create an environment true to the Celerie Kemble vision. Sessa is €œconfident the results of our collaboration with Celerie will appeal to interior designers, retailers and consumers alike because each design stands alone, yet the mix is very well merchandised and works together as a cohesive whole.€ 

As an interior designer, Kemble endeavors to fuse subtle luxury with comfort, current fashion, and an understanding of what will be enduring design.

"Because much of what I do is custom, site-specific and bespoke, it has long been my dream to bring these imaginative designs and intriguing objects to a wider audience,€ she said.

For Kemble, one way to achieve this goal is through these licensed programs.

She said it's €œa privilege to team with Henredon and Maitland-Smith and to work with some of the most capable craftspeople in the furniture manufacturing industry. Both Henredon and Maitland-Smith have production capabilities that are as vast as the spectrum of my design vision, and we share respect for the nuances that make furniture beautiful and lasting. I am ecstatic about the team we have formed, and the process has been delightful and inspiring.€ 

Kemble is a principal of Kemble Interiors, based in Palm Beach, Fla., and New York City. Kemble€™s design work has been widely published in the United States and internationally. Her latest book, €œBlack and White (and a bit in between)€ is published by Clarkson Potter.

Kith Commits to High Point

By Home Furnishings Business in Bedroom on September 26, 2012

Domestic bedroom furniture producer Kith Furniture has signed a lease for a 5,247-square-foot permanent showroom in the International Home Furnishings Center.

For the past two markets, Kith Furniture has been showing in this same area, Space 208 of the IHFC's Main wing, currently part of the Bernards showroom, where it will continue to do for the Oct. 13-18 High Point Furniture Market. Kith will take over its permanent space for April Market.
 
€œAs a new company that€™s rapidly expanding, we need a strong presence in High Point,€ said Brett Tilley, sales manager. €œThis location has worked out great €” it€™s in a convenient location just one floor up from the lobby, which makes it easy for retailers to visit us. And being next to Bernards has been a plus that increased traffic for both companies.€
 
Launched in 2011, Kith Furniture specializes in promotional bedroom and entertainment furniture. The company currently has 18 bedroom groups in its line, with styles that include traditional, country, Mission and contemporary. Prices range from $399 to $999 retail for a four-piece group.

Kith Furniture€™s principals are Craig Smith, president and CEO; his brother Ken Smith, executive vice president, secretary and treasurer; and Bo Knight, executive vice president and chief operating officer. The Smiths were formerly executives with Harden Mfg., a bedroom producer founded by their father Joe Mac Smith in 1972. The family sold a majority stake in Harden Mfg. to Linsalata Capital Partners, a Cleveland-based private equity firm, in 2006.
 
Kith produces its line, which includes residential kitchen cabinets, at five plants employing 260 people in Haleyville, Ala. The company currently has 1,000 accounts in the South, serving as far north as Maryland and as far west as Texas. Orders are shipped on company trucks within five to 10 working days.
 
€œWe€™ve gotten a number of requests from dealers in other areas, so we€™ve decided to expand our service in the North and West,€ said Tilley. €œDealers like the fact that we€™re made in the U.S. and that we consistently provide a high level of quality and customer support.€
 
At market, Kith will add three new bedroom groups in traditional, transitional and contemporary styling. The company also will add eight-drawer storage beds priced at $499 and new entertainment consoles priced at $179 to $199.
 
While this market€™s product presentation is shown in an area next to Bernards, next market Kith will remodel its portion of the space to make it a stand-alone showroom.
 
€œIt will be a brand new showroom designed specifically for our line,€ said Tilley. €œWe€™ll be able to decorate it in a way that highlights our strengths.€
 
said Julie Messner, vice president of leasing for International Market Centers, said High Point offers new companies such as Kith a valuable platform for expanding distribution.

€œHigh Point attracts the nation€™s leading retailers," she said. "It€™s where they come to see new lines and make key buying decisions.€

West Elm Opening in Salt Lake

By Home Furnishings Business in Store Openings on September 26, 2012

Home furnishings retailer West Elm will open a new store on Oct. 11 in Salt Lake City.

Located in the City Creek Center, the new store will open with the brand's Fall collection and an early preview of the Holiday assortment. Through a partnership with Etsy, the store also will feature a collection of decorative accessories and art made by artists from the Salt Lake City area. The local Etsy assortment is a first for a West Elm store in the United States.

To celebrate the store opening, West Elm will hold a sweepstakes offering a chance to win a $2,000 shopping spree and access to the store's Oct. 10 pre-opening event, hosted in partnership with Craft Lake City, a Salt Lake City-based non-profit dedicated to educating, promoting and inspiring local artisans, while raising awareness around the vibrant creative culture of the Utah arts community. In addition, the first 300 shoppers on opening day will receive a free West Elm Salt Lake City tote bag.

"Salt Lake City has an amazing art and design community that we're excited to support and participate in," said Jim Brett, president of West Elm, a division of Williams-Sonoma. "We are thrilled to be opening at City Creek Center, and proud to be partnering with Craft Lake City and Etsy to showcase local artists within our store."

Chairtech Moves to IHFC's Hamilton Wing

By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on September 26, 2012

Modern furniture vendor Chairtech is moving its High Point Furniture Market showroom to the International Home Furnishings Center.

The Toronto-based company, which had been showing in Market on Green, will exhibit in a 5,200-square-foot showroom in Space 504 of the IHFC€™s Hamilton wing. The move to the centrally located building will enhance the shopping experience for Chairtech€™s buyers, said Michael Rewucki president.
 
€œWe wanted to be in the heart of all the market action, and this new showroom is much more accessible,€ said Rewucki. €œWe€™re now located near a number of other modern furniture sources, which also makes us more convenient for the types of customers that shop our line. We€™ll be better positioned to help our existing customers and reach new clients.€
 
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Chairtech is both a producer and a distributor of contemporary and modern furniture. The company sources dining and occasional tables, desks and chairs in metal, leather and glass from its own factory in China. Products are designed in Italy through a private designer.
 
Along with its own designs, Chairtech also distributes select lines of other products--including bedroom, recliners and entertainment furniture--from other manufacturers worldwide.
 
For large quantities, it offers container-direct service. Smaller orders are shipped on a two-week, quick-ship basis from warehouses in Toronto and Los Angeles.
 
Chairtech€™s China factory is totally owned by the company, said Rewucki, €œwhich gives us a level of control over quality, service and working conditions that we wouldn€™t otherwise enjoy.€ He added that Chairtech participates in the United Nations€™ Global Compact, a set of 10 principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption.
 
€œOur products are not only well made for the long term, they are manufactured ethically,€ said Rewucki. €œAnd we expect the companies that we work with to also subscribe to our philosophy of ethical manufacturing.€
 
At the October market, Chairtech will introduce three glass tables with extension surfaces and legs, several round dining tables, a group of glass-top desks with a unique micro-etched finish and at least 10 dining and occasional chairs, with enhanced ergonomics.
 
The company also will showcase the Kube lmport line of outdoor garden/patio furniture; and a new line of modern sofa-sleepers by Domital.
 
Julie Messner, vice president of leasing for International Market Centers, said Chairtech€™s decision to relocate makes good sense for both the company and its buyers: €œThey will share traffic with other tenants in the building that specialize in modern furnishings and make it simpler for contemporary minded retailers to visit their showroom.€

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