Permanent Botanicals Business Update
"We've seen a lot of revolution in the technology of the flowers and foliage," said Tom Hoffman, vice president of Distinctive Designs. "It can make the premades look better or it can be an opportunity for people importing components to do better custom designs. "We've seen the growth of home accent specialty stores that have a custom floral bent, they're essentially interior designers with a s...
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Improvements to components give permanent botanicals a designer boost
Despite the rising costs of transportation and materials due to petroleum prices, the permanent botanicals industry is seeing a welcome boost to business due to increased interest from designers and specialty stores. The recent improvements in technology and the look of floral components for more realistic flowers and greenery have brought emphasis back to permanent arrangements for many design...
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Accent furniture vendors hope retailers will look for quality
Accent furniture vendors continue battling the price war at retail and hope consumers will put more emphasis on quality and style than simply the lowest price tag. With fuel prices soaring and everyone paying more for domestic and international shipping, price seems to be on every vendor's mind. Dan Sumner, vice president of sales and marketing for Butler Specialty, believes the biggest challen...
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Tabletop vendors pressured to compete with big box market
Tabletop vendors are feeling the pressure from big box retailers who continue to reinvent themselves with better product design and higher quality goods. Vendors are refocusing their lines to capture customers by staying ahead of the curve design-wise and building their brand image. "The big box retailers are getting smarter and smarter all the time," said Adam Taylor, vice preside...
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Permanent Botanicals: Blue Hue
With coastal looks gaining momentum in the marketplace, blue brings floral arrangements a casual flair that easily blends with interior trends. Blue and purple gain popularity in natural arrangements that incorporate water garden designs and a soft, fresh-picked feel. Pale blue versions channel country charm while stronger purple adds vibrancy to contrasting greenery.
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Permanent Botanicals: Tropical Taste
Exotic floral designs bring the tropics closer to home with vibrant orchids and oversized palms. Simple containers bring a contemporary edge to these foreign species while angular leaves and creative shaping add a sculptural effect. The spicy palette ranges from bold magentas to fiery reds with glossy greenery lending a touch of authenticity to the island-inspired designs.
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Permanent Botanicals: Modern Arrangements
Modern design takes on permanent botanicals with chic, architectural style. Containers range from geometric black ceramics to metallic finished vases with little added decoration. The arrangements offer stem-heavy styles with a single variety bloom and sparse filler for minimal fuss.
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2007 Color Forecast: Home grown
The color forecast for 2007 implies the rejection of anything mass-produced, a return to homemade handicrafts and indigenous flavors. While it's not reasonable to expect manufacturing habits will follow suit, it does mean vendors are going to have to produce quality goods that will add value to the home, as consumers look for differentiated pieces with personal significance.
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2007 Color Forecast: The 'green' movement
The green movement, this time meaning environmental rather than color, is affecting the color forecast for 2007 in numerous capacities. As people experiment with environmentally safe practices, they want their homes to incor-porate the same principles. "I think the green movement is picking up speed right now, the velocity is almost tactile" said Michelle Lamb, senior editor of the...
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2007 Color Forecast: Cooling off
While the spa colors of 2006 brought an air of pampering to the color palette with sterile white, subtle greens and airy blues, this year the colors tilt ever so slightly to a brighter palette incorporating more earth tones with silvery tints of gray or rose. "The middle of this decade has been dominated by a lot of blues, greens and blue-green," said Chow, of the Color Association...
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2007 Color Forecast: Purple reigns
Purple is kicking things up a notch in 2007 casting its magic on a range of colors from pink to red to brown for an earthier, but dreamy look. While new shades like lilac, lavender and purpled grays emerge in the lighter hues, the darker shades seem to be garnering more attention as they gain strength for the coming year.
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Jill Rosenwald licenses with Magenta
Designer Jill Rosenwald has joined forces with Magenta, a Berkeley, Calif.-based home accent manufacturer, debuting a chic new home collection at the winter markets in Atlanta and New York.
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Jill Rosenwald debuts home collection with Magenta
Designer Jill Rosenwald has joined forces with Magenta, a Berkeley, Calif.-based home accent manufacturer, debuting a chic new home collection at the winter markets in Atlanta and New York. Rosenwald, a ceramics designer for more than 20 years, has been recognized for her ability to combine unexpected colors with lively design combinations and patterns.
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Retailers expecting a good 2006
The year 2005 was a roller coaster ride for many retailers filled with natural disasters, astronomical fuel prices, heated political issues and the war in Iraq. Though some said they kept their heads above water, they had either single digit growth or remained flat.
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Business sees growth despite economic challenges
While war, hurricanes and oil prices have greatly affected the general economy for 2005, the permanent botanical business has seen continued growth and is looking forward to an even better 2006. "We've seen growth of 20% to 22% easily this year," said Kathy Albright, vice president of Atrium Foliage.
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Promosedia: Traditional elements and modern colors dominate show
Cane chair backs, nailhead trim and linen upholstery lend a sense of tradition to designs showcased at the 29th Annual Promosedia exhibition, a show dedicated entirely to the chair world. Burnt orange was the color of the show, most often showcased in upholstery, whether leather, linen or nubby tweed-inspired fabrics.
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Cover Story: High Point brings art to the everyday
Once stark and cold, contemporary design is warming things up in High Point this fall with sculptural interest and subtle artistic influence. While decorating with gallery pieces is a passion for many high-style types, this look allows art into the homes of the not-so-rich-and-famous with practical home decor offering sculpted forms, unusual patterns and avant-garde materials.
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Architectural Archetype
Perfect for an art collector's dream home, function follows form when sculptural influences mix things up with once-stark contemporary designs. Simplistic lines create a clean canvas where details such as sculpted metal, arching curves and puzzle-like shapes meld in refreshing harmony. Colors remain neutral and earthy, leaving the imagination to the design and interpretation of artistic forms.
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Geisha Grace
Asian styles update with a feminine flair as trendsetters anticipate a pop-culture shift coinciding with the cinematic release of Memoirs of a Geisha this December. Floral blooms, delicate motifs and kimono-inspired details offer Japanese influence to the ubiquitous Asian design category. Red dominates the style, carrying significance as a good luck color in Asian tradition.
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Grande Dame
With the recent revival of classic decor, it is inevitable that traditional looks return with the grandeur and embellishment that have served as a cornerstone through countless style revolutions. Damask prints, over-the-top gilded mirrors and timeless inlaid wood step up the style quotient with a splash of French undertones.
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