August 14,
2011 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Legal on August 15, 2011
Brando Enterprises has filed a lawsuit alleging unlicensed use of Marlon Brando's name against furniture retailer Rooms To Go.
Los Angeles-based Brando Enterprises is the operating entity created by the Marlon Brando Living Trust to manage business interests on behalf of the late actor's beneficiaries. The Rooms To Go suit alleges unlicensed use of the Brando name in connection with a line of sofas and sectionals marketed by the Seffner, Fla.-based furniture retailer.
The suit was filed Friday in the California Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, West District.
"Part of our continued efforts on behalf of Brando Enterprises is to rigorously monitor the manufacturing and retail marketplace to ensure that any commercial use of the Brando name, image or trademarks is licensed through a negotiated agreement with Brando Enterprises' duly appointed licensing representatives," said Jeffrey Abrams of the Los Angeles-based law firm Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin. "We will not tolerate any company's infringements on the rights of Brando Enterprises and will pursue economic recovery aggressively against companies violating these rights."
This is the second lawsuit this summer involving the Brando name and furniture. In June, Brando Enterprises filed a similar lawsuit against Ashley Furniture over sales and marketing of unlicensed "Brando" sofas and ottomans.
August 14,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Store Openings on August 15, 2011
Austin, Texas, furniture retailer Town & Country Leather has opened a second leather furniture store in Houston.
The new location in Houston's Galleria district in the Post Oak Plaza shopping center is near other prominent furniture stores such as Meredith O'Donnell and The Arrangement.
According to Town & Country, its Austin store has experienced double digit sales growth each year despite opening in 2008 during the peak of the recession. The new Houston location is slightly different from the Austin store, including a wider range of statement accessories as well as and expanded contemporary leather selection.
Both stores feature a large selection of modern, traditional and transitional major brand name leather furniture from Natuzzi, Palliser Furniture, Bernhardt Furniture, Klaussner Home Furnishings, Flexsteel, and Artistic Leather. Domicil, a high design German contemporary leather collection, was recently added to the showroom. The stores also carry a full line of coordinating tables, rugs, decorative accessories, lighting as well permanent native cactus and succulent arrangements.
August 14,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Business Strategy on August 15, 2011
Home furnishings importer
Aico has created an accent furniture division called Discoveries, Accents by Michael Amini.
The division is inspired by the travels of Amini, Aico founder and CEO.
"For years, Aico has been creating unique items within our collections," Amini said. "We felt it was time to focus on a new line of product offerings that targeted customers looking for products that address the needs their customers have for unique style, size and scale."
The pieces in Discoveries can work in any room and include accent tables, consoles, storage items, trunks, trunk cocktail tables and foyer tables, said Chuck Reilly, senior vice president of sales and marketing. Materials used in the products include shell, stone, and tile, and other exotic materials, along with ornate finishes and carvings. Discoveries has more than 50 items, showcasing designs from different parts of the world and different eras, Reilly said.
Its not a matchy-matchy kind of ensemble of product," Reilly said. "Its a real eclectic mix of problem-solving tables and accents that people can discover on their own and fill voids in their assortment, or fill voids in their home."
August 14,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Advertising on August 15, 2011
Home furnishings retailer Ikea
http://www.ikea.com is at it again with its creative advertising.
The Swedish company has launched a campaign in the Austrialian market using the fierce battle scene from the movie
"Braveheart" as inspiration.
The 60-second television spot shows an army of people brandishing Ikea products and rushing from the woods and fields into poorly furnished homes. The plan -- wage war on boring interiors with Ikea's home furnishings.
Enjoy the show.
August 14,
2011 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Youth, Juvenile Furniture on August 15, 2011
Universal Furniture has entered the youth furniture market with a new brand called Smartstuff.
The program launches with four kids' collections, all providing innovative features and pricing in keeping with the company's good, affordable, smart design mantra. Smartstuff will be introduced at the September Pre-Market in High Point. The four initial collections--Gabriella, RoughHouse, Free Style and Classics 4.0--have about 25 pieces each. Similar pieces cost the same across all collections.
Priced at 20 percent above Universal's sister company,
Legacy Kids, and 20 to 40 percent below premium brands, Smartstuff features drawer interiors with English dovetail joints on the front and back, full-finish 9/16th inch oak plywood, and drawer operation on a pair of ball bearing, full-extension, soft-closing, under-mount glides.
Bedrails are 100 percent bolt-together construction for sturdier, wobble-free beds. All finishes are lead free and the product complies with the latest guidelines regarding lead parts per million. Bunk beds feature ladders with wider steps and deeper mattress openings, are bolted at every joint, and are tested by the independent third-party lab, Intertek.
"In today's challenging environment there is the tendency to want to race to the bottom and chase price," says Jeff Scheffer, High Point-based Universal Furniture CEO. "Smartstuff, on the other hand, is a race to the top in terms of styling, construction, function and fun. Just as it is hard to imagine buying a car today without electric locks and cup holders, we believe that many of our Smartstuff features will set new standards in youth furniture."
Other features include:
* Patented charging stations for cell phones, iPods, iPads, computers, televisions; or the vacuum sweeper when it's time to clean up.
* Removable partitions in the drawers provide simple organization to help mothers and kids bring order to busy lives.
* Each dresser includes a hideaway for special treasures or a girl's first jewelry.
* Built-in lighting is strategically placed for studying or as nightlights.
* A tray for the upper bunk creates a "nightstand in the sky" for an iPod, cell phone or alarm clock.
* Beds are available in twin and full with bunk beds available as twin over twin, twin over full, and full over full.
Fun teaching elements to expand young minds are included with select pieces:
* Nightstands feature coasters for sweaty glasses, urging kids to "Respect the Wood" and protect the furniture.
* A folding board makes it easy to keep shirts looking tidy and kids looking smart.
* Maps of the world and a star chart foster a love of exploration and discovery.
* Desks feature an easy guide to ergonomics and proper posture when sitting.
* Every chest includes a Smart Moves sheet of easy exercises to keep young minds sharp, nimble and quick.
Manufactured in the company's dedicated factory in China, Smartstuff will be warehoused in both Shanghai and High Point. Smartstuff can be purchased one piece at a time from High Point. From China, it can be mixed with all other Universal Furniture product by full container or through the company's Smart Mix 500 program by ordering as few as 500 cubes. Smartstuff will begin shipping to dealers late this year.