Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
April 9,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on April 10, 2013
Food celebrity Paula Deen and Guilford Technical Community College culinary students are teaming for a centerpiece design competition at High Point Furniture Market.
"Paulas Great Party Challenge," set for Sunday, April 21, 3 p.m. at the High Point Theatre, should present a mix of drama, creativity and pressure.
Deen will host the event along with Eric Chilton, host, anchor and meteorologist for the Good Morning Show on WFMY News 2 in Greensboro, N.C.
Im sure that many of the students participating in the competition got their love of cooking by watching their mothers, fathers and even grandmothers in the kitchen, similar to my boys who spent a great deal of time helping me, says Paula Deen. Holidays and other family celebrations are such special times for everyone. I cant wait to see the finished works of edible art. I know we are sure to be entertained.
The 18 students currently enrolled in Chef L.J. Rushs second level culinary skills course at GTCC have been divided into five teams for the competition. Each team will design and prepare an edible centerpiece inspired by one of five family parties.
Over the many hours of practice, each team member took on a specific role in the centerpiece creation, says Chef Rush, interim department chair of the School of Culinary and Hospitality Management at GTCC. In some ways, it is like a choreographed dance, since each step needs to follow the next in a logical order. Students have spent a combined 360 hours practicing for this competition since they will have under an hour to put their centerpieces together. There is little room for error.
The five party themes are New Years Eve, graduation, a childs birthday party, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving.
"On the Horizon" celebrates New Years Eve with a sculpture consisting of a tree representing the upcoming year with 2014 spelled out, bordered by numbers for the current year of 2013 and a rising sun over it all. It will be made of pulled sugar, poured sugar, deco sugar and gummy bears. The team members are Emeka Anumba, Nitaya Blakeney and William Frasier.
"Success" honors graduation with a large chest of drawers on top of which will be a graduation cap as well as other items found on a grads nightstand the night before graduation such as keys, phone and a wallet. There will be a sash across the dresser honoring different area schools. The chest and items will be composed of flour, salt, water and egg white. The team includes Matthew Capozio, Jacob Gordon, Johnny Layton and Tim Thompson.
"Lil Rascals" celebrates a childs birthday with a red wagon featuring a clown and many gifts inside for the childs party. Ingredients are pastillage, rice cereal and royal icing. The student teammates are Nadine Elie, Alycia Flynt and Megan Searcy.
"Red Hot Freedom" pays tribute to the Fourth of July with a carved eagle and American flag. The word Freedom will be inscribed overhead along with fireworks. The centerpiece will be carved out of fruits and vegetables including watermelon, cantaloupe and squash. The four students on this team are Zachary Foster, Amanda Hart, Shaina Jenkins and Jerry Marsh.
"Wild Turkey" celebrates the Thanksgivings of yesteryear by showcasing a wild turkey with colorful feathers in a corn field along with a miniature pilgrim getting ready to go hunting, made of marzipan. This team of four is made up of Rahshar Darden, Reginal Harris, Shakera Reed and Willie Simms Jr.
The Culinary Arts curriculum at GTCC provides students with specific training required for positions as trained culinary professionals in a variety of food service settings, including full service restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs, catering operations, contract food service and health care facilities.
Students in this competition come from as far away as Haiti. Some are new cooks while others are looking to hone their skills. Their long-term goals range from owning a restaurant or a bakery to operating catering services and food delivery services.
The event, which is only open to attendees of the High Point Furniture Market, is sponsored by the High Point Market Authority with Universal Furniture.
April 9,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on April 10, 2013
Occasional and accent furniture vendor LaurelHouse Designs is expanding its High Point Furniture Market showroom by 50 percent for the April 20-25 show.
The 2,600-square-foot expansion brings the total size of the showroom to 7,600 square feet. LaurelHouse Designs shows in the International Home Furnishings Centers Green wing, Space 782.
We are thrilled that after our first year, the response has been such that an expansion is needed to satisfy our expanding dealer base, said John Labarowski, president and CEO. The larger showroom will give us the opportunity to continue to grow our assortment of better occasional and accent furniture.
Labarowski, the former president of Hammary Furniture, a division of La-Z-Boy, founded LaurelHouse Designs in 2012. The company debuted at the April 2012 High Point Market.
This market, LaurelHouse Designs is introducing 15 to 17 new table groups and adding 50 to 55 accent pieces to its Inspirations line. The introductions include a mix of contemporary, transitional and traditional designs with relaxed and rustic finishes in combinations of iron and wood, stainless steel and wood, and nickel plating with both wood and glass. Designed in America and the Philippines, LaurelHouse Designs line is produced in India, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, the Philippines and Mexico.
LaurelHouse Designs occasional furniture is designed to correlate with better upholstery in both the living and family room, and the accent furniture is designed to create interest in every room in the home, said Liz Wilson, creative director.
Having this additional showroom space will enable us to show a better representation of our complete line--introductions as well as current best sellers, she said.
Priced at the medium to upper-medium price points, LaurelHouse Designs targets better department and furniture stores, as well as the design trade. The company is based in Valdese, N.C.
LaurelHouse Designs is a good example of a growing company taking full advantage of the many opportunities presented by the High Point Market, said Julie Messner, vice president of leasing for International Market Centers. The High Point Market is a prime venue for new companies to attract attention, because it draws top retailers and other leading buyers from throughout the world looking for fresh ways to stimulate new business.
April 9,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Business Strategy on April 10, 2013
Contemporary furniture specialist Modloft has collaborated with e-commerce company Fab to unveil a modern furniture collection to sell via the Web site.
The Modloft x Fab collection is sized for small spaces and features bedroom furniture that the two companies worked together to design.
"This collaboration between two design-obsessed companies reflects a disruptive change in the furniture industry," said Ted Toledano, managing partner of Modloft. "The idea of creating a furniture collection based on real-time consumer demand with fast and agile designers is the future of furniture retail. We believe this unique cooperation results in superior design concepts and accessible pricing to the modern shopper."
The co-branded line features an exclusively designed collection of bedroom furniture that includes contemporary platform beds, dressers, and nightstands. Highlighted in this collection is the Vera Hybrid dresser/media cabinet. The contemporary bedroom dresser offers built-in media compartments, conceals audio/video components, and solves the issue of cluttered electronics in a bedroom while providing proper dresser storage for linens.
"Modloft and Fab working together is shifting the focus from an industry standby towards what the modern consumer wants," said Bradford Shellhammer, founder and chief design officer at Fab. "It's design, it's passion, and it's the future. It's It's contemporary furniture at an affordable price and it proves that two heads really are better than one. Mae West was right. Too much of a good thing is wonderful."
The Modloft x Fab sales event is currently running online.
April 9,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Special Events on April 10, 2013
Rug and home accessories vendor Surya has set its schedule of showroom events for the upcoming High Point Furniture Market.
This year's theme, "Be Inspired," will be explored through a series of design events and training, as well as themed merchandising displays spotlighting the latest colorful trends.
Surya continues to raise the bar when it comes to delivering the best showroom experience. This market, we have our strongest line up of events that are both, inspiring and informational. Were striving to create an environment where market visitors can preview the newest products while strengthening their product and merchandising knowledge in the company of like-minded peers, said Surya President Satya Tiwari. Our goal is for all visitors to go back home with relevant information that will make them successful in accessory sales.
All visitors are invited to stop by the Surya showroom, Showplace 4100 throughout Market for several events.
On Saturday, April 20, at 1:30 p.m., at "Solving Your Design Challenges: A Conversation with Candice Olson," interior designer and HGTV host of "Divine Design" and "Candice Tells All" Candice Olson will answer questions about the design and merchandising challenges market visitors face. High Point attendees are invited to RSVP for the event and submit their questions by registering here(http://surya.com/market-registration/). The top 10 questions will be selected prior to the event. Everyone who submitted a chosen question will be invited to speak with Candice at an earlier event and will receive a copy of her latest book, Favorite Design Challenges.
On Sunday, April 21, at 4 p.m., during "Apartment Therapy: 5 Inspirations for Small Spaces", author and Apartment Therapy founder Maxwell Ryan will share tips for creating impactful rooms where space is a key concern. The first 25 guests will receive autographed copies of his best-selling book, Big Book of Cool, Small Spaces.
On Monday, April 22, at 2 p.m., "Retailer Tactics for Maximizing Accessory Sales" will feature A panel of leading retailers from across the country discussing their views on the home accessory category and share strategies for building a profitable accessory program. Key areas of emphasis will include merchandising, promotion and cross-sell tactics using the Surya toolkit of support materials. Panelists include: Ron Werner, president of HW Home, and NHFA 2013 Retailer of the Year; Matt Huber, vice president of merchandising, Belfort Furniture, NHFA 2012 Retailer of the Year; and Elisa Watson, accessory buyer at Hill Country Holdings (Ashley Furniture).
April 9,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on April 10, 2013
Furniture supplier American Drew and fashion designer Bob Mackie have teamed up again. This time for a Hollywood-inspired home furnishings collection to debut at the Spring High Point Market.
The initial collections of Bob Mackie Home by American Drew have been a resounding and continue to sell well, according to the company.
The new Bob Mackie Home collection by American Drew reintroduces sculptural, Hollywood-inspired pieces that bridge Bob Mackie forms featured in his earlier collections. The fashion-forward collection has a relaxed modern aesthetic - essentially blending the lines between classic and modern forms.
The collection features vertical Prima Vera grain across shaped fronts and inlaid tops with Bees Wing borders. A woven carving motif featured on undertop moldings and feet, ring pulls and knob hardware are echoed throughout the collection.
Other styles and materials include curved fronts, faux embossed crocodile, mirror, glass, steel pieces woven as ribbons and peacock tails, opulent accent finishes, as well as travertine and granite tops.
The collection can be seen during the market in the American Drew showroom in the IHFC, C926.