DAY THREE-MORE IS...WELL MORE

Argh! I'm tired, but here goes!


Day three started out with the four of us dragging our tails behind us. We had collectively walked about four million square feet of merchandise, and with each booth we passed there was always someone clamoring for our attention.


We learned to avoid making eye contact--not to be rude, but so we could get through the entire building before the market ends. Sometimes I felt like we were in the Casbah (transliterated here to mean "market").

"Hi, how are you today" asked an eager Vendor.

I smiled politely, conscious not to make eye contact, "Fine, and you?", I answered.

"Having a good show?" He asked.

I simply smiled again, and kept on walking. I still can't figure out what they mean by asking, "Having a good show?"

I mean, I'm not the one having the show, they are. They are the ones making the show, don't they know if the show is good or not? I must be getting weary, because it sounds like Mean Guy is in the building.

Sometimes after we finished writing an order with a Vendor or had simply made an inquiry, they would say, "Have a good show".

"Have a good show?" How in the heck do I have a good show?"

Okay, let's move on, we have to be nice and talk about the "Christmas buy".


Ho Ho Ho...

It seems strange to be in the city, in the dog days of August, and be purchasing Christmas ornaments and holiday gifting.


I've had Thanksgiving here several times with my family, and the sounds and smells that are in the air; the visuals that are all about and holiday is in full swing. There is the ubiquitous line of tourist and locals alike, pushing forward in the stanchioned lanes in front of the store windows at Sak's 5th Avenue, all trying to get a glimpse of their annual and fantastical Christmas windows.

Stores are full of Christmas decorations, pre-wrapped gift ideas, the music wafting through the building out onto the streets, the chestnuts roasting on an open fire (actually roasting on a butane gas burner inside a wheeled cart on the corner of every block), and people in wonderful coats, hats and scarf's. It's magical to be in New York City at that time of year, and to think that what we're doing here in NYC is the kind of prep work it takes gives me a new appreciation for the Retailers of our country.

It's 100 degrees (farenheit) and muggy, people are wearing the very least (and somehow remaining legal). What has always looked so magical has somehow now been compromised in my mind by my new found knowledge of what it takes, and the mechanics, to create Christmas as we know it.

Our first appointment this day was with our California Sales Representative, Sally, one of the hardest working gals in her business. We started at the 7 West Design Building on the lower west side of Manhattan (hence my comment about the bad part of town). In our effort to separate ourselves from the competition, the four of us consulted together in order to create our vision for the Cabana Home Christmas Holiday color story for 2007.

Today we have a special guest here to share that holiday vision with you today is Leisa Snyder of the Cabana Home Mill Valley store:

Design Guy: Good morning Leisa! Welcome to the beautiful and legendary Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (a legacy left to the Hilton Family by the late Conrad Hilton, unlike that being created by his great grand daughter _ _ _ _ _.)

Leisa: Well good morning to you Design Guy! Its wonderful to be here with you in NYC.

Design Guy: Leisa, please share with our friends and customers our story (she looked at me puzzled).


Design Guy: Not that story silly, the Christmas color story.

Leisa: Of...uh...of course...uh, Design Guy. As many of you know, our unique perspective on the Christmas Season has become quite the tradition at Cabana Home. Noir Noel, as it has become known, is a combination of romantic and soft, a sophisticated honed-black, always juxtaposed with a forward color palette. This year our interpretation of a the holiday color is a green story.

Design Guy: Green, share with our readers what green it is that you're referring to.

Leisa: I was about to, but you fuc...

Leisa's Mean Girl was just about to emerge but she quickly stopped herself, and in a breath, lovely Leisa was composed and moved on.

Leisa: Oh Design Guy, I would love to share our perspective of the new green. First of all, its about tonality on one side of the equation, and texture on the other. That relationship between the two marries well with the Cabana Home concept about lifestyles of indoors and out. Freshness and the vitality in the greens we saw at this fall show, of course green reminds us of the holidays, of hearth and home. But when married with the sophistication of black, it becomes a combination that most of us wouldn't have thought of as pleasing, or as a holiday palette.

Design Guy: Well put, Leisa.

Leisa smiles, knowingly.

Leisa: We feel special being in that environment any time of year, but it is particularly special this time of year as we want to be embellish, to cherish oneself and others...

Design Guy cuts her off.

Design Guy: I see the perspective, and appreciate the description, but do tell what the colors look like.

She bristles, then a cool comes over her face. Mean Girl was about to jump into the fray, when Nice Leisa reinforced her presence.

Leisa: The palette is in hues of winter green's, from mossy to a silvery fern green with a warm pewter undertone. The colors will juxtaposed not only with a sophisticated black, but with the colors themselves through textures of velvet, satin and metallic finishes.


Design Guy: That's hot...Thank you for joining me this morning (in my suite overlooking the delivery entrance to the Waldorf Astoria).

I know our customers and fans will really enjoy your perspective on the upcoming Christmas Season at Cabana Home stores.

Leisa: My pleasure Design Guy, anytime.

You now have the inside scoop on this years Christmas Season. You'll see the colors of the season manifested at Cabana Home in velvet and double faced satin ribbons, table ware, Christmas Tree ornaments, in gifting, and in the gift wrapping. And remember, the Christmas Holidays always begin the day after Thanksgiving at Cabana Home, and not a moment before.

THE PEDI-CAB EXPERIENCE

As we exited the 7 West Design Building, we were approached by a casually dressed fellow, with clean shaven head, who announced that the 7 West building was offering free Pedi-Cab service to the Javitz Convention Center.
We were at once suspect, and hesitated to even acknowledge the guy. After quickly looking around I spotted at least two other pedi's, and saw that they had signs ,

"Complements of 7 West" taped to the side of their egg-shaped cabs.

"Great" I said, and I hopped in. Caroline was a little hesitant, but I motioned for Michael and Leisa to grab the other pedi-cab. Caroline hopped in beside me and off we went for what seemed like a new and unique experience in New York City. And, an experience it was.


These photos were taken before we pulled in front of NYC Transit Bus and into the bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Our pedi-peddler immediately pulled into the already present traffic jamb, and then to the front of the line of cars, trucks and buses. He then shared with us that the pedi-cabs were at war with the Taxi drivers. Now, having experienced outraged taxi drivers in Manhattan, his words were not particularly soothing.

Next, we pulled directly in front of a bus, with at least three inches to spare. If the bus driver had tried to see us, it would have been impossible, and I don't think the bus driver was trying to see us. When the traffic light changed, our pedi-cycler took off, going probably less than 1/5 of a mile per hour. The bus took off at a speed of at least five miles per hour. Our driver quickly gave way and jumped behind a semi parked car; the bus speed passed us, layering our skin and clothing in a fine mist of diesel fumes.

You know, I never realized how dang tall those buses really are! Michael and Leisa looked on in horror, even photographing us along the way. We too photographed them, do we look frightened? No because we took these pictures before we pulled into the traffic.

All in all, it took us about twenty minutes, and nearly cost us our life, when we could have possibly been safer in a New York taxi. Man...oh man!


WHAT'S NEW AT LAURA LEE (the lighting designer not the country singer)

We've always like the metal finishes at lighting designer Laura Lee's showroom. Hers are the most authentic looking "rusticated" finishes. She has a good eye for design and her lamp shades are the most unique in the market place. The lamps, chandeliers and sconces are the most expensive wrought iron in the market place, but I think they're worth it. New this year (actually I'm not sure when she introduced these styles since she apparently does not have Sales Reps--or at least not one that calls on our store) is a ceiling mounted fixture, which is a category in the lighting-world market place that is devoid of new and fresh styles. Pictured here is an Italian blown glass fixture with wrought iron frame--great looking, eh?

Also, the chandelier pictured at left, is a nice, clean take on wrought iron chandeliers, which tend to be mostly over done with curly ques, applied "leaves" and other things, and a dingle-berry or two.

This fixture is clean and the shades give it a sophisticated air which I think is could be equally at home in a Tuscan Villa or in an upper east side pied a terre.

The Ceiling Mount Fixture and Chandelier are available by special order from Cabana Home-Mill Valley and Cabana Home-Santa Barbara, allow 4 weeks for delivery.

A large selection of Laura Lee Chandeliers, Sconces, Table and Floor Lamps are available in stock at Cabana Home-Santa Barbara.


TODAY'S WORST OF SHOW..

Granted, topping yesterdays worst of show would be a miracle, as almost everything we passed today paled by comparison. However, by days end there was one item that stuck out in our minds. A Warholian Louis IV fauteuil chair. Fauteuil? What the he...

Okay, a little explanation before we go on with the "worst of"...

Fauteuil, French, is an arm chair (I know that this is a side chair, but if it were an arm chair...) that has open arms. Think of a typical dining arm chair.

As opposed to an closed-arm, arm chair, which in France is called a Bergere chair (see chair to the left of the Marilyn Chair). The sides of the chair, underneath the arm, are closed, or upholstered.

Okay, more than you wanted to know? Store it. You never know when your going to have to pull that little tid-bit of info out in front of your Client, or a snippy Showroom Representative.

Warhol Foundation run amuck? I think Andy would roll over in his Gucci's if he could see his iconic and much loved Marilyn image, reproduced with such ugly taste and execution. Uuuoo...Mean Guy! It's not exactly either of our idea of sitting on Marilyn.

I didn't ask, but I truly hope that this chair was not licensed by the Warhol Foundation, who have not been known of late to be discriminating when granting licenses to grantees.


ALL GOOD THINGS...

Tomorrow we blow this pop-stand and move on to the legendary D & D Building on the Upper East Side. This is where the most fabuous Vendors seem to be located. We have some incredible appointments sceduled, so I'll see you tomorrow.




Good Night Moon.

DAY TWO - NEW YORK INT'L GIFT SHOW

A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY ON THE BANKS OF THE HUDSON RIVER WITH JUST ME AND MY GIRL...

Oh how sweet is that title! Doesn't that read like a romantic day in

Paradise? Well more accurately, this Pier is just another venue for the Int'l Gift Show, which is held in a huge and somewhat run- down ship terminal on the banks of the Hudson River.

The views are of New Jersey, and not the pretty part. We were nearly killed as we emerged from our Taxi this morning, as we exited the door literally onto the Hudson Parkway (should be re-named the Hudson River Motor Speedway). We recovered quickly and decided using the cross walk after the light changed would be a prudent choice.

It's day two, and Caroline ditched her Cole Haans for tennis shoes, though her tennies were orange and grey, in just the right shades to match her Hermes scarf. It was a look, but a comfortable one. I ditched my sport coat and sported the dorky "conventioneer's" name tag, laced around my neck with elastic strings. We were a pair!

Michael and Leisa, the Managers/Proprietors of our Cabana Home Mill Valley store were dressed comfy as well, with Michael adding a pair of Dr. Scholl's gel shoe pads to his shoes. Could the AARP be far behind for the four of us?

TIME TO FOCUS...

Anyway, today's venue was quite different from the day before and more in line with what we came here to see. Though we found some great things yesterday at the Javitz Center, the venue tended to be more for those in the gift shop business (i.e., remember the gift shop at Stuckey's on those swell family car trips?).

Today's venue was focused more for the home furnishings or art and accessories retailers and interior designers. To say the least, we were in our element for ten straight hours. We took one fifteen minute break for lunch, woofing down a delicious pre-packaged (and God only knows when they were packaged) turkey sandwich. After paying a king's ransom for our delicious entrees, we were directed to the "cafe area" that was modestly furnished with stand-up bar tables and no chairs. How thoughtful of the event management.

On the very first aisle it quickly became apparent that today would be the day to name the "Worst of Show". You knew it was coming! I have to tell you, we spotted the winner within the first five minutes at a booth that was furnished with Roberta Shilling "antiques" (not so sure just how "antique" her things are). All day long we kept a wary eye out for an item that would top that. What made this selection so interesting was how it was displayed. Now let's think about this for a minute. Someone actually displayed this item in a way that they thought would attract Buyers, right? Okay, then just who were they trying to attract? I mean, what the hell is this item? It started out as a clay-type covered pot that was less than less than skillfully painted black. Then, it was topped with a hardly recognizable Crab-like figure, made of what looked like paper mache. It was available in two sizes, oh goody! And, please take a look at the snazzy back ground. Is it supposed to be the sand for a crab boil? A hay stack for...good God!? Regardless, it worked because it sure got our attention!

ON WITH THE GOOD...

Next, we rounded the corner to find the importer of the embroidered Dowry cloth, featured in the photograph on the left. Traditionally made by the bride and the bride's mother prior to her wedding. These works, from the nation of Uzbekistan (no silly, Borat was from Kazakhstan), which is bordered to the south by the beauteous nation of Afghanistan.

It is readily apparent that these cloths are a work of love, as evidenced by the care with which these are made. However, this love stands in stark contrast to the fact that these marriages are most often arranged marriages. Incongruous, don't you think?

It is the hope of this textile purveyor that these works of art will be appreciated, and saved from their almost certain demise in this war torn region of the world. The cloth pictured is approximately 60" x 60", and would sell in stores for about $1,495, including shipping within the USA.

We thought they were impressive in smaller sizes as well, so we bought the throw pillows, which were made in non-uniform sizes, depending on how much cloth could be salvaged from a larger damaged cloth. These pillows range in size from approx 24" long x 18" tall, and will sell for $525 at Cabana Home stores. Expect to see them in early September.

AN "IT" COLOR EMERGING?

Well, we had an inkling by the end of the day yesterday that there was possibly an it color in the making. It wasn't blatant or obvious to any of us, and it wasn't one that was dolloped onto every dern thing in the marketplace. There was just a hint. However, pretty early on this day, we began seeing this color again, a combination of dark green/turquoise/blue color. Not bright, not too dull, but rich and full. More serene than a jewel tone, but not a watery silvery/blue. From today's photos, we think the color of this Asian jar best exemplifies it.

Interesting though, we also noticed this color again, just a few moments later on an "ancient" (meaning a most excellent reproduction) tapestry (shown below left). Most of the colors were made to look like they had faded from years of exposure to sunlight and other elements, but the hue of the
"greenuoiseblu" (slang for green/turquoise/blue) woven into the tapestry was the same hue as the color in the Asian jar pictured above, left.

If the intent of this tapestry's weaver was to recreate this work of art with authentic period colors, could one surmise that the new it color is just a rehash of an it color that is centuries old? Are there any new colors? Stay posted with the Design Guy and we'll find out together. I've attached a couple of pictures of throw pillows that also had the color, below center and below right.

From left: Tapestry; Ankasa pillows, center and right.

COMING SOON TO A CABANA HOME STORE NEAR YOU!

Now, for some very exciting news: Da...Ta...Ta...Ta...Da! Cabana Home is pleased to announce that we will carry in stock in the Santa Barbara store, the beautiful Jan Barboglio Collection. We are so pleased, and it is terrific for Caroline, Leisa, Michael and myself to be working with Jan. Twenty five years ago (oh, where does all of the time go...) the four of us were employed by that bastion of fashion, Neiman Marcus, in the NM headquarters in Dallas TX. Jan Barboglio debuted her first clothing collection at Neiman's, which featured her signature white cotton dresses with ruffled necklines and skirts, she became known for making casual and loose fitting clothes that go from day into evening.

A few years later, we had all moved on from Neimans, and had pursued our fortunes elsewhere. I became a real estate mogul (particularly in my own mind), Caroline a full-time professional volunteer, Leisa an executive with Gap Inc, and Michael an exec with DFS (Duty Free Shops).

We ended up neighbors, living just across the Grenway from Jan, with our children car pooling together for school. Jan moved on from clothing, and began importing Mexican glassware and iron home furnishings products, and ultimately designing her line as we know it today, a major home furnishings and furniture importer and manufacturer. Today the Jan Barboglio line features forged iron accessories, serving pieces, candlesticks and candelabra, fireplace equipment and screens, iron canopy and poster beds, bar stools, benches, tables, chandeliers and, isn't that enough!? Anyway, it's fabulous and we are so pleased to bring this line to our stores. Look for it in the Cabana Home stores in late September.

From left: Forged iron fire screen and andirons; Center table with polished steel and turned base; Tall vases of concrete, steel and glass.

ITS EARLY 3:30 A.M.!

Okay, we're getting close to the end, but I wanted to tell y0u about a couple of other discoveries:

Run Run is a line of forged iron furniture very different from the rusticated Barboglio line above. Designed and made by a Maine craftsman, the furniture is clean and sleek, devoid of unnecessary decoration or detailing, letting the lines and planes stand alone.

Of particular interest were the "X" benches, beautifully tailored and upholstered in taupe leather, and the wonderfully proportioned and versatile dining table/desk/console. The slate topped cocktail tables were a nice take on a similar set of tables by

the venerable Belgian designer, Axel Vervoort.

The collection includes a bench, a narrow demilune console, leather upholstered occasional chairs with exposed steel arms, dining chairs, and small cocktail tables in both round and square , and a smattering of lamps.

The look is fresh and sophisticated, while taking raw elements into a new dimension. In both Cabana Home stores in mid-November.

and then...

there is the pillow and linen line designed by another husband and wife duo, Sachin (him) and Babi (her) Ahluwalia. Under the label of Ankasa, launched 22 months ago, this chic couple has opened their first flagship store at 135 E. 65th Street, in New York City

We were included in a very chic cocktail party there last evening, and enjoyed talking with fellow West Coast designers Jaimie Young and Barclay Butera. It was definitely a New York party with lots of the beautiful people.

Oh yeah, the pillow collection is offered in a beautiful color palette, and is rich in embroidered designs. We selected warm grays and silvers on one grouping, and navy and white on another.

We finally succumbed to some really tasty greens and yellows! As you come to know us better, you will see that we are not big into lots of bold colors, as we are usually interested in texture and softer more natural colors, but these just couldn't be resisted!

Other colors that are more often our choices include taupes, cremes and whites, black, and pinks, lilac and pale silvery/green.

The line includes beautiful outdoor pillows in Sunbrella fabrics. These pillows are embroidered with equal style and detail, and the threads are solution-dyed acrylic which are color fast, mold and mildew resistant.

Look for the Ankasa Collection in Cabana Home Stores in Mill Valley and Santa Barbara in mid-October.

ENOUGH!

Okay, I'm absolutely exhausted, again! So, are you ready for the Worst of Show! ?

Scroll on down and I think you'll quite agree.

Okay, here goes! The photo on the left is an actual, untouched photograph of a display in a booth that had its entrance covered in a tarp. I wasn't sure if the poor people had just given up for the day, or if perhaps they had been kicked out and shuttered closed by management. Our curiosity got the best of us, so we had to stand on our tippy-toes to look over the large blue, plastic tarp. We hadn't really expected to feast our eyes on a contender for Worst of Show, but there it was, in all of its dazzling, rhinestone splendor. At first our eyes had to adjust from the searing, sparkling light that this lamp (I think it's a lamp) generated.

It looks like the base of this thing may have originally been a stag horn from a very unsuspecting deer. Eek...if Bambi's mother could see this. Every centimeter of the base was covered in rhinestones, or as every Vendor of rhinestone covered home accessories claimed, their items were covered in Swarovkski crystals (yeah, yeah). It was then topped off with an electric blue laminated lamp shade. Ohhhh, pretty.

Is there more? Oh, but yes. To the left is the other side of this same booth. The wall paper is bright magenta flocked velvet on silver wallpaper. The Rococo mirror is painted silver, and the detailed carvings are encrusted with rhinestones. The shelves that flank the mirror are completely covered in rhinestones, as are the two very happy fish.

There's a saying that sums it up best when one is stunned, OH MY GOD!

Enough said.

We'll report on tomorrow's findings. Until then...

Good Night Moon.

NEW YORK INT'L GIFT SHOW--DAY ONE

This place is huge!

Whew! What a long day. We started at 9:00 A.M., and after almost 8-1/2 hours of grueling shopping, ok serious "editing", we walked out of the Jacob K. Javitz Center in lower Manhattan at 7:20 P.M., completing 3/4's of the building.

As we exited, I glanced to my left, through the building I spotted a Taxi line the length of a football field. We immediately made our way out the opposite doors, where we were greeted, more like accosted, by a bootleg limo driver in a Black, shined up, late model Lincoln. The front man wanted $30 to drive us back to Park Lane, to our digs at the Waldorf Astoria. We passed on that deal, and flagged down one of New York's finest, a horn honking, New York cabbie. We spent only $10. including tip. What a deal, and probably the only deal we'll get while we're here!


Back to the Show--

Here's the scoop: First of all, if there was a new color trend here, we're still looking for it. No particular color emerged as a "hey look at me" color. So, it's safe to keep your old throw pillows in silvery/sage; sea/eucalyptus; chartreuse; orange; and creme/neutral, for one more season! There was a color that caught our attention, a rich garnet red, on throw pillows by New Yorker Judy Ross. Her textured pillows are hand stitched and embroidered in India, with tasteful silhouettes of Pussy Willow, Coffee Beans, Magnolias, and some trendy, retro floral designs. Judy Ross Textiles also produces coordinating embroidered linen fabrics that sell for $800-$1,200/yard. You read it right, but if I were purchasing fabric in that price range, these would have to be at the top of the list.

You say, "Darn, Design Guy, I would love to have those patterns, but they're just too dang expensive"!

Well friend, have no fear, you too will be able to enjoy Judy's designs without taking a second mortgage out on the house. We bought the Throw Pillows, with Down filling, that will retail for
$245. each. These pillows are 22" square, and will be in the Cabana Home stores the first week of November.


Oui, Oui...

Oh, the French...they're here! I must say they're on their best behavior, and we had a lot of fun with them today. Our favorite was Yiouri Augousti, who along with his wife Ria, design the R & Y Augousti Collection, which is known for executing in beautiful detail, home furnishings covered in exquisite "Shagreen" (Stingray to you and me). We first met and ordered from this charming design duo at the Maison & Ob'jet Show this past January. However, an unfortunate fire in their factory, has delayed those orders until late September.

Just as we felt last January, we had a hard time containing ourselves of the excitement at seeing this line again, here, on this side of Lady Liberty. So, we didn't...we let it rip and added more to our order! So, on today's bender (spender), we bought the most incredible pair of Art Deco benches, the wood richly stained dark brown, and the Shagreen in the color of Mink. Wow, these are gorgeous! We couldn't stop there, so we ordered a custom made, beveled edge console table, in "Parchment", Shagreen. Then, as if that wasn't enough, we ordered a four-panel Floor Screen, 72" wide x 84" tall, in "Sand", Shagreen.

Other fabulous offerings included decorative Bronze bowls with interiors lined in Shagreen, photo frames, mirrors, and lidded boxes with edges trimmed in Ivory colored bone. They also do a line of lady's handbags that Caroline was carefully eyeing-but I managed to dodge that bullet!

We're really excited about bringing the Augousti line to our Mill Valley and Santa Barbara stores, and if we don't buy another thing while we're here in New York, I will consider this show a big success for us! Expect the furniture to be delivered in the Mill Valley and Santa Barbara stores the last week in November. Look for the announcement of the arrival on http://www.cabanahome.com/.


A Star is Born...

And what a star he is (in his own mind)! The star? Mr. Douglas Little. That's right, "Mr." Douglas Little, according to the D.L. & Co website. With a quick smile, bright green eyes, and thick red hair, Douglas is a twenty something taste maker, who is behind this company of elegantly overdone fragranced candles, and now chocolates, as to pair the senses with that of scent and taste.

The Motto of this designer is Modern Alchemy, which he defines as, Alchemy was the medieval pursuit to transform unprecious metals into Gold through a combination of Magic and Science. I'd say he thinks he's one-upped it!
Hieronymus Bosch' The Seven DeadlySins and The Four Last Things.

After the sticker shock, the candles with titles like Boston Tea Party, Opium Den, and Timeless, stand in stark contrast to the newly introduced Seven Deadly Sins, beautifully packaged in a round, silk wrapped, and satin ribboned, boxed set of 7 votive's, elegantly clad in black glass and emblazoned in Gold writing, with the sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride.

If you need explanation of the above, give Wikipedia a try!

The chocolate's, selected by Douglas, and made by a San Francisco based Chocolatier. Douglas treated us to a private tasting, our own little private party in full view of all the other Buyer's. Instructing us to, "Sip, taste, and sip" Douglas proceeded to pour three different vintage wines: Port, Sancere, and Sherry; each paired with a different chocolate nipple (yes that nipple)shaped morsel, in flavors of Chipolte/Chocolate, Cherry infused Chocolate, and Seared Caramel/Chocolate. And, so we did! We sipped, tasted, and sipped, though I didn't imbibe...someone needed to be the designated sheep herder to get us through the rest of this vast show!

Though the collection smacks of Goth, Douglas is quick to explain the romance of Alchemy. His is a sophisticated, and romantic take on the magic of his imagination.

He may look like "howdy doodie" in a purple suit, but this guy is no dummy!

Last but not Least--

Was an Italian company, Reviere...Style for Living. Newly launched, these elegant Italian matrons added a fresh dimension to the lacquer tray. These gals used fresh colors of Blue, Tans, Browns, and the fresh use of white lacquer. Tray handles were executed in woven Italian leather, and bamboo, the bamboo is made by the same people who manufacturer the bamboo handles for Gucci handbags. Tray bottoms and accessories were woven in subtle leather reminiscent as that of Bottega Veneta, the famed Italian leather goods house.

Lacquered tray with Woven Leather Handles.


They also did lamps in bamboo and others in metal, with woven leather that appeared at first glance to be cane.

This is a terrific line, and we plan to write our orders on it tomorrow.


Oh (yawn), I'm tired! It's 2:30 A.M. What am I doing up at this hour? It's time for beddy bye, so out with the lights and I'll be back with you tomorrow evening. Buena Noche!




Bamboo "Ring" lamp



Good Night Moon.

"SAY, WHAT?" OR, MUSINGS ON THE CALIFORNIA GIFT SHOW

We're just back from the CALIFORNIA gift show in Los Angeles, and like every trip to market, we look for the unique, the unusual, and most importantly good design. With the globalization of commerce and the rampant opportunities to market ones product to the general populace, what suffers the most is style, design and fabrication. Sometimes, I fear, that finding the unique may not have an audience after all. No matter, we forge ahead with our convictions that good design lives, though perhaps it just lives in fewer and fewer places. It's a little like a fairy tale, you have to kiss a lot of frogs. We saw the good, the bad, and the ugly, and even some things that were indefinable. This show was no different, and we saw some things that we would have been better off having not seen! I've got a sneaking suspicion that "Mean Guy" is just around the corner!


BEST OF SHOW...

The best of show may well have been a group of Chinese, Ming Dynasty vessels, in traditional blue and white porcelain. There were five pieces in particular that caught our eye, which were in beautiful condition, with handsome shades of blue that only centuries can effect. The sizes ranged from 6-10" in height, with diameters of 5-9". The collection was presented by John Lee, a Japanese- American antiques dealer based in San Francisco, and from whom we have purchased several Chinese and Japanese antiquities over the years.

Mr. Lee noted that these jars are becoming increasingly difficult to find, and that interest in this period (Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644) has continued to increase each year , citing recent auction records set in Japan for porcelain vessels of similar size, condition and age, selling at US $5,000. each.

Lee, the consummate Asian antiques dealer, known for buying more for his personal collection than he could ever resale, said that these were from his personal collection, and that he wasn't sure how many Ming porcelains he owned. He said he sells them as he finds them in his warehouse, and had we not personally visited his warehouse, one might think he was just another antiques dealer parroting the oft and over used statement, "they're from my personal collection". Look for these Ming rarities on the Cabana Home website in early August 2007 (http://www.cabanahome.com/).


THE OTHER GOODS...

Of particular interest were the collections from BO Tree, a California based importer of reclaimed exotic hardwoods, recycled into handsome interior furnishings. Most of the wood is found in Indonesia, but don't confuse this designer with the all too common and typical cheap Indonesian furniture importers that liter our streets of commerce. No bad copies of British colonial antiques here, but fresh and beautifully proportioned side and cocktail tables, consoles, and dining tables. Using virtually petrified tree stumps, our favorites were the square cocktail tables, finished with a clean and clear hand rubbed finish, that would be equally at home in a New York loft, or mixed with traditional antiques in a faux Tuscan manor house in Beverly Hills. The dark interior age rings of the former tree, are highlighted and illuminated in stark contrast to the lighter, outer edges of the trunk.

Old wooden gears, or cogs, standing approximately 22-24" tall, and 12-14" in diameter, had been highly waxed and polished, and were reborn as terribly unique and sophisticated chair side tables. Though somewhat diminutive as compared to the occasional tables reported on above, these tables weighed in excess of two hundred pounds each.

Huge slabs of old growth teak, mostly organic in form, were recreated as Dining tables, large enough to seat twelve persons. These tables cannot be delivered to your home by your average two-man delivery team, four to six persons are required to lift these beauties into place.

The occasional tables will be available on the Cabana Home website in early August, and the larger pieces will be available by special arrangement.


THE GOOD (ABOVE) THE BAD AND THE UGLY...READ ON!

Okay, now, I've been to many a home furnishings show in the last 3o years, and there is always a hideous something or other that we just cannot bear. Just as in a group of people gathered together, there's always one in the bunch that stands out from the others, and I don't mean in a good way. That's a doozy. The doozy can be a conversation overheard; a person--the Buyer or a Manufactures Representative; the Store or Shop, the Showroom, or the Item name or Label.

One of the first times I traipsed through a home furnishings show at the ginormous (you've got it--gigantic and enormous combined--and coined by the MTV set) Dallas World Trade Center and the attached Dallas Trade Mart, which total more than three million square feet (or 914,400 meters for you metro-metric purist). I thought wow, look at this place, what don't they have here? I was perusing the goods at one of the thousands of showrooms, and I happened upon a twenty-something man with big Texas hair (which was hard enough to take on the women). I watched him as he sashayed about the showroom, all in a twitter. I tried to read the name of his store, printed on the required name tag, and finally he slowed enough so I could make it our, it read, Let's Decorate.

Let's Decorate? What? Can you imagine telephoning that store?

"Let's Decorate, when and where? This is Bobby Dale Smith, How may I help you?"

I mean, really now!

More recently we were at the International Home furnishings show in High Point, NC, riding on the shuttle bus to the market center from our elegant Days Inn accommodations, though it was priced like the Pierre in New York.

The women seated in front of us was just having a wonderful time on her cell phone, and talking so loudly we could hear her entire conversation. As she began to hang up, she said, "Oh, girl, I'm so glad we connected. I was meaning to call you so we could get together and snyergize, and all."

Snyergize? What? Is that a word? An activity? I'm sorry! We lost it ojn that one; our complimentary Maxwell House coffee sloshed out of our thin-walled Styrofoam cups. Let's synergize! LOL.

Now, here's one from yesterday: We were sitting in the cafe at the Los Angeles Convention Center, enjoying an overpriced coke and an under-warmed hamburger. A couple sat down at the next table, and you know, I just had to look at the name of their store.

BABY CAKES DIAPER CAKES.

Suddenly, I wasn't hungry any longer. My sick head went straight to the Diaper Cakes part of the name. What are Diaper Cakes anyway?

Lastly, I spotted a banner hanging above one of the booth's as we were making our way out of a vast hall, which read Baby Gag. I have no idea what it is that these people sell, and I'm not sure that I shouldn't have whipped out my cell phone and called Child Protective Services, just in case. Lawsy me!

STAY TUNED as next week we're headed to the San Francisco International Gift Show, where we always find a jewel or two.

More tomorrow! Stick around with the Design Guy, because you'll never know what you didn't know before you got to know the Design Guy.

Good Night Moon.

IN AN LA STATE OF MIND....MUSINGS ON A DAY IN LOS ANGELES

ONLY IN LA!

Yes, I'm in Los Angeles. As a matter of fact, I've been in an LA state of mind since I got off of the 101 and started my decent into LA on the 405. Traffic was bumper to bumper even before I had hit the city limits, and the outbound lanes were as well. What, was this, rush hour? No, it was 9:55 A.M. and it's a typical day in paradise, albeit, life in the slow lane. An oxymoron, the fast life in LA, but traveling in the slow lane! Humph!

I Love Paris In The Spring Time ...(okay so it's summer and I'm in LA!)...

Okay, since we talked about outdoor foam in my last column, I thought I might spice it up a bit today, so hang onto your outdoor foam seat...

As I inched past the Hollywood Hills, I couldn't help but think of that pitiful Hilton girl. Did you catch her on the Larry King Show last week? She was commenting to King that she wants to help the girls that she had met while in jail, and about how their troubles stemmed from being given too much too soon.
Larry asked her, "Paris, have you been given too much too soon?"
Hilton, seemed surprised by this question, (humm, is this a trick...?) and she looked down at the desk-top, and the camera followed revealing several jumbled pages of notes.
There was silence as she fumbled through the pages, the answer though obvious to everyone watching, somehow wasn't readily apparent to her.
Larry's a pro, so he sat there in silence, patiently giving the poor little rich girl a chance to come up with the right answer, though one might have thought that he was giving her the proverbial rope with which to hang herself.
Finally, King asked her again, "Paris, have you been given too much too soon?"
Hilton looked at him blankly, whereupon King cut to a commercial.
I was just thinking about how little time we have for the important things in life, but how many millions of people (and I truly hope it wasn't millions or I'm going to be really concerned) sat riveted before our television screens to see how this white trash heiress fared in jail. I watched about three minutes of it, all the while hoping that my 19 year old daughter wouldn't walk in and catch me.
I could only imagine her surprise at seeing me glued to the television set.
"Daaaaad!"
"Oh, honey!", I'd respond quickly, calmly reaching for the remote control and carefully pressing the jump button so the screen would flip back to the sports channel.
"What are you watching?"
"I was just flipping through the channel's trying to find something to watch", I would answer, though it would have been easier admitting to her that I had been watching the movie, Best In Show.
"I thought I saw Paris Hilton on the screen when I came in" she said.
"Oh that, I just wanted to see her latest act", I fessed up, just in case she had seen Paris on the screen.
I cannot believe that just watching Paris, made me lie! I think I will do just fine in LA, today!


Why am I here?

We're looking for new product, and working with vendors; we're looking at new lines of merchandise, visiting a couple of direct importers, making price comparisons, and shopping the competition; The cross town traffic is so bad, that we can actually talk through entire business concepts or problems in between stops! My wife, Caroline, and our Mill Valley partner, Michael, are discussing our current business, future business, and the possibilities of opening another store (or two, or three, or five).
One thing that has been become readily apparent to me is how few wholesalers actually manufacture what they sell, though many of them claim that they are the manufacturer of the products they represent. More accurately, they are merely an importer; sometimes importing the same goods as one or more of their competitors, who are more often than not, located just blocks away from one another.

Know Your Product--

Perhaps its easier for us to spot differences in the market place, duplications, repetitiveness, and trends both good and bad, because we shop our tails off (a southern expression). We do see more than most buyers because of our exhausting travel schedule, sourcing the home furnishings markets, both domestically and internationally. We attend every major home furnishings show in the US. From High Point to Atlanta, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. This fall we'll be adding the Las Vegas show into our travel schedule (no, not that one, the furniture show!).
We shop for antiques across the US and in Europe; Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. We shop the flea markets in Paris (Saint-Quen and Porte de Vanves), Arezzo (Tuscany), Brussels, the famed Porto Bello Road (London), and even the Santa Fe "Flea" (New Mexico), adjacent to the famed Santa Fe Opera).
Side Note: I'm beginning to think that every piece of furniture we see in this country is made in China. And that's not a bad thing. We'll talk about that in the near future. More on this later, so stay tuned.

Comparative Shopping--

In just three hours, I found three different vendors who offered the same imported chair for sale. One was at $1,000; another one was $1,400; and one of them offered the chairs as a pair for $3,000. Our customers will save between $400-500 per chair, not because we're having a "sale", but because we did our home work. We shopped the market place for them.

Isn't this the damn'dest--

Even when attending the bi-annual Home Furnishings Market in High Point, NC, the grand daddy market of them all, and the largest furniture show in the world, we hear over and over from the showroom sales people, "Oh, your from California, your sales representative isn't here."
"Where is he/she?" I inquire.
"Oh, the California sales rep's never come to High Point because the retailers don't come all the way over here to High Point".
"Don't come? You've got to be kidding me! I'm here, whose going to help me?"
Well you can only imagine my surprise. But that surprise quickly turns to an adrenaline rush. Hummmm, my competitor's aren't here...goody for me!

LAST STOP...Hollywood--

Just kidding. Actually it was in Culver City (South of Beverly Hills and the 10). We overshot the street we were looking for, and had to make an "I dare you" u-turn on La Cienega Blvd (if you know this street, you know that is no small feat!). Our destination was located on a street that was more akin to an alley, so I double checked that the doors of the MB were locked before proceeding. We traveled about 25 feet, when, like a mirage, a spectacular green garden arose from what had most recently been an oil stained concrete parking lot. It was breath-taking, I'm telling you! Unfortunately for many of you, this oasis is "to the trade only" so to visit it you'll have to pay your decorator to take you.
The gardens were created by the owner, Charles Jacobsen. The plantings were wonderfully original in their combinations, and planted in large wooden tapered, square planter boxes which were painted flat black. Perfectly maintained specimen plantings prevailed throughout the exterior garden showroom. Intricately carved marble planters gave way to serene white marble fountains, all, tasteful and restrained in every way. One small garden was formed by placing an intricately carved, antique wood Indonesian doorway, raw from exposure to the elements over time, was flanked by tall columnar plantings. Other areas were divided or were designated by low rectangular boxes of varying dimensions, planted with perfectly coiffed green grass.
This location is a huge departure from the Charles Jacobsen, Inc., showroom at the Pacific Design Center (referred to as "the blue whale" by the trade), where the cool elegance of that showroom is usurped by the stunning gardens of this tasteful outpost. The gardens ultimately lead you to the warehouse showroom, where the exquisitely restored antiques are presented. The furniture is highly waxed and polished to absolute beauty. Old mirror frames with what appeared to be the original mirror glass (expect to pay more for old, faded mirror glass) graced the walls.
Charles Jacobsen's shop is a real testament to his exquisite taste and style. It is pristine to the point that I'm certain there is a bit of anal retentiveness being practiced here. This perfectly planned and executed presentation runs from the garden throughout the warehouse showroom, where brick walls exposed and others lined with matchstick blinds. The original wood framed ceiling, its framing rendering the ceiling bowed, was freshly waxed making the warehouse hardly recognizable as such.

Our salesman was obviously a bit uncomfortable with us, when suddenly he said, "You may want to see the far building as it will be closing first."
I glanced at my wife, "he's rushing us!" I said to her without speaking a word (an art perfected after twenty two years of marriage).

I asked the salesman, "What time is it?"

"It's 4:20" He answered.

"What time do you close?" I ask.

"5:00 o'clock" He responds.

You get the picture. It was so LA!
We did have ample time to see everything; and we did, we toured the two showrooms; spent time in the gardens; made notes on several items that we had admired, and we then sent our salesman to retrieve the information wee needed. Unfortunately my aloofness afforded us better service. He returned with the info I had requested, and we were on our way, the gates to the garden practically shutting on my wife's pricey little German auto--good thing I hadn't driven the truck!

More tomorrow! Stick around with the Design Guy, because you'll never know what you didn't know before you got to know the Design Guy.

Good night moon.

Is it an Innie, or an Outie?

Alright, alright, so I use made up words! You know what I mean. However today I'm not talking about belly buttons, I'm talking about outdoor cushions. Yeah, cushions are either Innies or Outies, and make no mistake about it or you may be sorry. Read on.


Outdoor Foam...

What a captivating subject, don't you think? Well, it is, I promise. Not only have outdoor
fabrics come into the 21st Century, foam for outdoor cushions has as well. In the old days, outdoor cushions were made from your regular old household foam, the same type used
for indoor cushions. We would upholster our cushions in outdoor fabric, say for that
treasure of a wicker love seat that once adorned Grandma's front porch. You know the
one, the one you found next to the trash after her estate sale. You thought it looked so
sad as you gazed upon it sitting there next to the garbage cans. Then suddenly, a light
bulb went off in your head.
"Why, I'll give that little love seat a new coat of paint and make a new cushion, and it will be wonderful again".
You proceed to try and get it into the back seat of your Eco-friendly sports car, to no avail.
Next, you try the trunk. It works, so you tie the trunk lid down to keep your new found treasure from bouncing out and becoming road kill. When you get home you appraise your
find.
"Oh, I didn't realize that so much of the wicker was broken". Or worse, your spouse or significant other rolls their eyes at you when you show it to them. There will be no approval forthcoming!

Next you...

So, you get an estimate from the local caner (the guy who repairs cane seats and backs
on chairs). It'll be $400. You reconsider your original idea, a coat of paint and a new cushion
will suffice after all. You begin the painting process, but get eleven splinters in the first three minutes of the process. You initially resisted spray painting, for the sake of the ozone, but
now it seems like a pretty good idea, for the sake of your hands.
When the painting is complete you make a template out of the Sunday newspaper for the
new seat cushion; you select one of the new outdoor fabrics at Cabana Home, and rush to
the upholstery shop to drop everything off. There is no discussion about indoor or outdoor
foam. Outdoor fabric should do the trick, right?
No. Not right.


The scoop on outdoor foam...

Okay here we digress again. Its not that the outdoor fabrics of old that didn't work, because after all they too were fade and mildew resistant. What didn't work was using indoor foam
for an outdoor cushion. Indoor foam retains water, becomes water logged, sours, smells, and
can take five to seven days to fully dry. While wet, the limits of an outdoor fabrics "mildew resistance" are tested. Yes, even outdoor fabric will mildew if left to dry on indoor foam.
And, outdoor fabrics are typically 100% solution dyed acrylic and they don't breath like a natural material indoor fabric would.


Now the Details...

So....science and technology have now given us the outdoor foam of our dreams. With catchy names like EZ-Dri, Evidri, Drifast, Dryfast (a different one), and Rain-Thru, all of which are mildew resistant outdoor foam.
Is there a difference? Yes but not as much as one would think, as the technology is virtually
the same for all of them. The main difference is the foam's density, or firmness. Evidri is a medium soft outdoor foam, while Drifast is very firm. EZ-Dri has a built-in fungicidal
additive which inhibits fungus, mildew--important for retarding stains and odor.
All outdoor foam has open cell construction in common. The open cells are large, completely open pores. The open pores are actually holes caused by reticulation; that is, holes created
by air pockets when the foam is manufactured. These holes are what permits rapid draining
and maximum air circulation for fast drying. Ah um...the last two sentences have a strong resemblance to a paragraph from one of the foam manufacturers websites. Okay, maybe
from all of the web sites consulted!


Now there...

Wasn't that interesting?
"No," you say?
Oh come on, you've got to know about this. I mean, think about one of those roadside
treasures that you've passed by, only to regret it later. Now, you can pick it up with new
found confidence gained from your knowledge about outdoor foam!

Stick around with the Design Guy, because you'll never know what you didn't know
before you got to know the Design Guy.

Later .

Good night moon.

OUT IS IN, AND IN IS OUT?

What's that you say? You ask.
That's right, out is in and in is out! What part of that don't you get?
Ah...yes, there is a word or two missing in the title, and a thought or two as well.
Try this: What has been commonly used indoors, is now being used outdoors. Likewise, that which is commonly used outdoors, is finding its way indoors.
Okay? You say, yearning for more...
Fabrics! Its about the new outdoor fabrics, that's what I'm talking about! The technology for outdoor textiles has moved light years ahead of where they were even two years ago. We're seeing velvets being made of solution-dyed acrylic fibers, aka Sunbrella, aka outdoor fabric. You got it! Outdoor velvets.
And, try this one on for size: Embossed faux-alligator in a new outdoor leather collection. Not only does it come in the normal range of reptilian colors, its now available in metallic colors of gold-now referred to as dirty gold, silver-referred to as Smoke, copper-referred to as copper, and a hundred other variations of pastel and primary colors.
There are terrific outdoor suede's with a realistic nap to the eye and the hand; and chenille's that are so soft, they feels like your skinny dipping when you touch it. Dive in baby-these fabrics are here to stay!

Hey, these are outdoor fabrics! Uunbelievable that they are fade resistant, as well as mildew and mold resistant, and mostly dog-proof. When they're soiled, simply zip the covers off the cushions and toss them in the wash, but do not put them in the dryer on a heat seating! In some instances, bleach can be used, but first check with the manufacturers cleaning recommendations.
These fabrics are so refined (now here comes the out-in/in-out part) that our clients are using these virtually indestructible fabrics in their family room, the media room, the breakfast room, and even in the kids rooms. I mean, can you imagine if your parents had used the old fashioned outdoor fabrics inside the home? Those original versions were as hard and scratchy as sandpaper; or worse, they were made of a non-breathable vinyl that made you sweat at first touch; and don't forget how your sunburned legs would so easily stick to it. No, the old fabrics were not exactly of the skinny dipping variety. Praise the lawd!

Please note that there is a huge variety in the type of foams used in outdoor cushions, and the price varies wildly. I will incorporate more about this in tomorrows Design Guy.

Just two years ago, few design houses offered outdoor fabrics. Back then most of us shared a similar understanding of outdoor fabrics, mostly those under the Sunbrella brand name. The colors were mostly brights, but they offered some dull Hunter and Forest greens and browns to broaden their appeal. If you really wanted to put on the dog, you could order a solid color fabric and have the cushions piped in another color; you could even order stripes, if you dare! Woo hoo...

Today, the venerable house of Donghia, headed by Angelo's niece Sherry, offers some of the most sophisticated, and sumptuous woven outdoor fabrics, that you might rival a vintage tapestry in both workmanship and number of threads used in their production. The collection, aptly named Soleil, includes matching outdoor trims, tassels, and even Cabana drapery tie-backs. There are outdoor velvets; fabrics that look like woven African bark; fabrics that look straight of an old loom, as well as printed fabrics. After the death of her cousin, Angelo Donghia, Sherry hasn't lived on the lofty laurels of the company. She has moved the firm into the enviable position of being an industry leader in the development of outdoor textiles, whereas many of the other fabric houses have merely been interpreters. Donghia recently released a book on textiles, Donghia, The Art of Luxury And Style, which has sold out in both of the Santa Barbara and Mill Valley Cabana Home stores.

One of the hottest designers to emerge in this outdoor fabric renaissance is Nomi. She's a first name only gal, as in Madonna, but this California designer has taste, and tons of it. Her color sense is chic and confident and her combinations of color and texture are fresh and sophisticated. Notable is her pique-like fabric bordered in a Greek key pattern. Nomi was first known for her indoor textiles, most notably the painted Fortuny esque patterns in modern fabrics and color combinations. Unfortunately, she has limited distribution, and to the trade only, through a smaller, wholesale outdoor-teak manufacturers showroom.

Not to be outdone, Scalamandre and Stroheim are in the game, as is Shumacher, Kravet, Robert Allen, even Laura Ashley (can't we let this icon rest in peace?), B Berger, and Joe Rugerio for Silver State (a huge Sunbrella distributor).

Now, we keep bating the Sunbrella name around, so here's my understanding of what it's all about. It's actually a process that is used on the actual fibers that make up an outdoor fabric. First every strand of fiber is solution dyed, before it is spun into a yarn and woven into a fabric. In this process, every fiber is treated the same. This is opposed to first weaving the fabric and then dyeing it in the solution dye. So, as in the brand names Coke and Kleenex, Sunbrella is the catch-all name for outdoor fabric. Truth is, most outdoor strands of fabric are solution dyed by Sunbrella, but they may be woven by any number of mills for hundreds of designers and manufacturers and sold under their own labels.

When a designer designs an outdoor fabric pattern, that design goes to the Sunbrella technician, who will analyze and dissect the design into fiber counts; he then specifies x number of fibers needed for each color in the design and pattern. The fibers are then solution dyed, and sent to the mill for weaving. So, that's my crash course on Sunbrella!

Whew, that was fun! See my Design Guy blog tomorrow for, THE INDOORS GO'S OUT!

Good night moon.