September 25,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on September 26, 2012
Reclaimed teak furniture vendor Groovystuff and North Carolina State University will collaborate on an education-to-industry cooperative for the fall of 2012.
The Groovystuff: By Design Product design Challenge with N.C. State provides retailers and interior designers a first look at the next trend of products made specifically for the emerging Gen Y consumers and buyers entering the workforce after graduation in 2013. In addition, the collaboration with N.C. State gives undergraduates real world exposure to the residential home furnishings market prior to graduation and a reason to join the home furnishings industry.
Fifteen students under the leadership of Professor Bong IL Jin of the university's Industrial Design Department are charged with designing a furniture, lighting, or home décor product that emphasizes form, structure, and sustainable manufacturing practice using the reclaimed materials found in the Groovystuff brand.
Utilizing an educational platform that emphasizes a Balanced Contrast, Professor Bong disciplines future design graduates on the considerations of more vs. less, simple vs. complex, abstract vs. tangible, and proven vs. unproven design when tapping into functional Design First products for the next generation of consumers. The student design must be aesthetically pleasing, expressive, innovative, and competitive enough in actual sales to be considered for mass-production and inclusion in the exclusive, celebrity endorsed, Dick Idol Legends Collection.
In addition to holding a previous chair position for the industrial design department at the Narai Academy of Industrial Design in Seoul Korea, Professor Bong IL Jin has worked extensively within the Korean automotive industry at both Kia Motor Company and GM Daewoo Motor Company and was recognized by the government of South Korea from 1995-1997 where he served as a Design Advisor for the Korean Institute of Design Promotion.
Since joining the faculty at N.C. State in 2000, Professor Bong has been recognized for leading students from the Industrial Design program through national and international education to industry sponsorships and exhibitions that have directly contributed to the ability of his graduates to gain employment after graduation.
To introduce future graduates to the residential home furnishings market, the Groovystuff: By Design Challenge is set up as a two-stage process. Stage one of the contest, students will be competing for the Popular Vote at Market and a cash prize by submitting a 20 x 30-inch product board, a ¼ scale model, and a 42-inch tall pedestal for display and presentation of their models to the retailers, designers, and trade professionals attending the Spring High Point Furniture Market, April 20-25.
In stage two, Groovystuff will put these designs into production and launch the finished goods six months later at the October 2013 High Point Market. Students then will compete for the grand prize: Most Written Orders at Market and rewarded with an additional cash prize, inclusion in the Dick Idol Legends Collection, permanent royalties for life, and a reason to join the residential home furnishing industry.
September 25,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in economic news on September 26, 2012
from http://www.southbendtribune.com/business/sbt-consumer-confidence-index-rises-20120926,0,3975851.story
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 in September to 70.3 after declining in August.
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September 24,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Aggregated Content in Furniture Retailing on September 25, 2012
from http://www.omaha.com/article/20120925/MONEY/709259957/1707
Nebraska Furniture Mart broke ground Tuesday near Dallas on a project more ambitious than any it has attempted before, risking its resources and reputation to create a shopping experience it says will be unique in the country.
Not only is the Mart building its biggest store yet, with 20 percent more showroom space than its sprawling Omaha campus, but it's also taking the lead role in developing a 433-acre retail, dining, hotel and entertainment destination.
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September 24,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on September 25, 2012
Pillow and throw vendor Dallas A. Saunders will join the expanded Salon showcase in Suites at Market Square for High Point Furniture Market.
Working with a coterie of individual artists, museums and rare book libraries, Dallas A. Saunders creates unique pillows and throws.
Innovative technology in combination with natural fiber fabrics enables Dallas to create delicate reproductions of hand painted original artwork and photography as textiles that bring to life the depth and detail in each distinctive piece.
Materials include Belgian and Irish linen, silk linen blends, Italian cashmere, Dupioni and Charmeuse silk.
This American printed and sewn line features atelier quality materials and sewing, an American made, double lined, fine cotton covered goose down/feather pillow fill and even a zipper made in America.
September 24,
2012 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on September 25, 2012
Upholstered furniture vendor Luonto Furniture will hold a drawing for a luxury electric hybrid sports car at the Oct. 13-18 High Point Furniture Market.
A lucky winner will have a chance at winning a 2012 Fisker Karma automobile that retails for $113,000. The Fisker Karma is an ultra-exclusive plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan whose owners include Colin Powell, Al Gore, pop singer Justin Bieber and Leonardo DiCaprio, who received the very first Fisker Karma ever made.
The Fisker Karma drawing is open to all furniture buyers who register at the Luonto Furniture Showroom 306, located in the 220 Elm building(http://220elm.com/) in High Point. A 2012 Fisker Karma will be on display for all six days of Market in the courtyard near the entrance to the 220 Elm building, courtesy of Flow Auto, the local Fisker dealer in Winston-Salem, N.C.
We are thrilled to be a part of Market at High Point, and we wanted to celebrate our new showroom at 220 Elm by doing something special, said Luonto Furniture president and CEO, Chuck Rudwall. The Fisker Karma is a special automobile--an environmentally friendly product that is handmade in Finland. Our furniture products are also environmentally friendly and handcrafted in Scandinavia. We look forward to exhibiting our latest upholstery collections, having buyers sit in our furniture and discussing our newest In-Stock Warehouse program here in North Carolina. Of course, we will make sure every buyer who stops by the showroom gets registered for a chance at winning the car.
Luonto Furniture is a manufacturer of handcrafted high-quality Scandinavian furniture. The company is a division of Pohjanmaan Kaluste Oy, Scandinavias largest upholstery manufacturer.