Getting a handle on the industry
Coming into this new position as assistant editor for Home Accents Today, I knew I would be getting to know lots about all sorts of different product categories, with a little more time spent on...
View ArticleEasy as 1, 2, 3D print?
A constant stream of press releases flows through my inbox, from the significant to the strange, but one in particular caught my eye recently. The subject line touted "the world's first full color...
View ArticlePersian rug fetches record price at auction
A Persian rug that once belonged to a U.S. Senator fetched a record price of almost $33.8 million at auction on June 5. The 17th Century Persian Kirman rug, which once belonged to Senator William...
View ArticlePolish your press writing skills: The pitch and release
WHETHER YOU'RE A RETAILER announcing a store opening or a vendor announcing a market event, knowing the difference between a press release and a pitch, when to use them, and how to write them...
View ArticleTrending in textiles
A few weeks ago I attended my third Showtime, the semi-annual fabric fair held in High Point. I'm always excited to see the colors, patterns, textures and other creative elements on display, first...
View ArticleTen points for successful celebrity licensing
Licensing is a major staple in the home furnishings industry. From HGTV to Kathy Ireland to Angelo Surmelis to Biltmore to Tommy Bahama to the Duck Dynasty crew to Paula Deen (as of this writing),...
View Article360 degrees of engagement
If you're a retailer or operating an interior design showroom and you're not familiar with Google Street View and Google Business Photos, you may want to check them out. The Street View program...
View ArticleThe Future is Now
Look around. Do things look different than they did 10 years ago?From the technologies we use every day that seemed oh-so-remote a decade ago, to the evolving demographics of the United States, to...
View ArticleRug pays homage to Punk era
The anti-establishment Punk movement shook popular music to its core in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Its fast and loud sound and attitude were intentionally opposite from the musical stylings...
View ArticleInside Out
It's difficult to believe it's been a full year since my first trade show, the July 2012 Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market. I can still recall vividly how in awe I was of...
View ArticleNew and Old
My recent travels took me on two completely divergent tracks.I started out in June at the Underwriters Laboratories facility here in North Carolina, where I took part as a judge in the Lighting...
View ArticleMecox's Dave Benbow talks shopping
Last month, in preparation for summer market coverage, I had a lengthy chat with Dave Benbow, manager and buyer for the Los Angeles location of Mecox Home and Garden. Mecox has been on my retail...
View ArticleBringing the essence of Scalamandré to consumers
For more than 80 years, Scalamandré has provided fabrics, wallcoverings and trim to the upper echelon of the interior design community. But with its recent moves toward consumer branding and...
View ArticleNew Simon Pearce bowl funds brain injury support/resources
Vermont-based pottery and glassmaker Simon Pearce and his wife, Pia, are the parents of Kevin Pearce, a former professional snowboarder who survived a traumatic brain injury from a near-fatal fall...
View ArticleUpdating our social media profile
The world of social media is continuously evolving these days. In addition to powerhouses like Facebook and Twitter, we now have Pinterest, Linkedin, Google +, Instagram, Reddit, Tumblr, Vine,...
View ArticleHail to the Rug!
In order to be sure I'm doing my best to stay on top of industry news, from time to time, I'll do a quick Google News scan for items containing the keyword "rug." Often, the stories I find are...
View ArticleTo Each Her Own
A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about my experiences in redecorating my master bedroom. I mentioned in that post that while I had access to far more choices than most consumers, there was...
View ArticleShopping behaviors, omnichannel tactics, technology explored at IRCE 2013
I came across an interesting graphic while reviewing session materials from this year's Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition, held in June in Chicago.The graphic, based on a national survey...
View ArticleLooking to 2014
Late summer/early fall is always a critical time for the Home Accents Today staff as we get our next year planning under way.We think 2014 is going to be a great year for the industry. The economy...
View ArticleEmotionally durable ideas at work
At the Sustainable Furnishings Council's Innovations in Sustainable Furnishings forum at Elon University on Sept. 20, keynote speaker Dr. Jonathan Chapman presented his thoughts on emotionally...
View ArticleAs Seen on TV
The fall television season kicked into full gear this week, and the available space on my DVR is already shrinking drastically. You see, I'm a huge movie and TV buff, an entertainment nerd if you...
View ArticleRetailers readying for stronger holiday season
For the Nov.-Dec. 2013 holiday shopping period, the International Council of Shopping Centers is forecasting a 3.4% sales increase over last year at stores selling general merchandise,...
View ArticleGen Next
Early on in my career with the Home AccentsToday/Furniture Today family of brands, I was asked to join the board of directors of the Young Home Furnishings Professionals. Though I had been with...
View ArticleTop Trends from the Summer Shows
With the days still warm, long and sunny, it's hard to imagine that fall is right around the corner. Here's a roundup of my favorite fall trends from the summer shows, infusing the largely modern...
View ArticleMy 52-year-old eyes love Google Glass!
Google Glass launched its nationwide promotional tour today in Durham, N.C., and I was there. And now I really, really want a pair.Several months ago, I applied to be an early user in Google's...
View ArticleMarketing the sensory experience
Dr. Aradhna Krishna, considered a pioneer in the field of sensory marketing, is the author of Customer Sense (Palgrave Macmillan), a new book that pulls together past research and new findings...
View ArticleAmerican Spirit
There are plenty of reasons for Americans to feel frustrated today. An October Gallup poll states that 85% of respondents disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, thanks to a vitriolic...
View ArticlePartying with the Stars
On Saturday, Oct. 12, I attended a great in-store party at Mary Sherwood Lake Living, a lifestyle retailer located on the North Carolina side of Lake Gaston (the lake is situated on the N.C.-Va....
View ArticleMany paths can lead to success
Color wasn't the only thing bright coming out of rug showrooms near the end of the Oct. 19-24 High Point Market. In many spaces, outlooks matched the cheery displays hanging on rug racks. A number...
View ArticleMy day at the beach: Paysage, and Venus Flytraps
In December, 2011, I wrote a retail profile of Paysage Home, a high-end home and interior design store with locations in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and Wilmington, N.C. Page space and time limited...
View ArticleWhat Year Is It?
Gary Vaynerchuk, founder of Vayner Media, gave the opening keynote at the Internet Summit, taking place in Raleigh, N.C., today and Thursday, Nov. 14.Don't know who he is? Got 20 minutes? Check...
View ArticleOSHA issues safety guidelines for holiday crowds
In advance of the holiday season, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is encouraging retail employers to take precautions to prevent workplace injuries...
View ArticleBeing human in a digital world
A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to attend the Internet Summit, an annual technology forum held in Raleigh, N.C., that attracted speakers from Google/Youtube, Twitter, LinkedIn,...
View ArticleRetailers are getting the picture
Savvy Retailers and marketers know that good product photography can be a powerful tool when it comes to moving product. If you're selling online or promoting your products via social media, it...
View ArticleThe Good Old Days
I am working on the 2014 Industry Outlook report for Home Accents Today's January issue and have spent much of this week conducting interviews and collecting comments from industry leaders about...
View ArticleDonny Osmond Home Collection: The interview
In less than a month, Donny and Debbie Osmond will be making their home furnishings industry debut at Americasmart Atlanta. The Donny Osmond Home Collection, a "family and home" themed offering of...
View ArticleEverything's coming up orchid
I've developed an avid interest in color trends since joining the staff of Home Accents Today - the inspirations they stem from, how designers use them, how they evolve over time. So naturally I...
View Article'I Love Lucy,' especially in living color
I love Lucy. And I am so looking forward to Friday night's I Love Lucy Christmas Special in which I'll get to see Lucy and Ricky's New York apartment in hi-def clarity and color!I'm sure there are...
View ArticleDownton Abbey home decor collection: A closer look
Downton Abbey fans might enjoy seeing a few more photos from the new home decor and textiles collection Heritage Lace will be debuting at the Atlanta market in January. As reported earlier this...
View ArticleThe final word
First of all, let me say that in no way do I claim to be a master of the English language. Especially when it comes to the spoken word, which tends to give way to lazy habits established in my...
View ArticleReaction to Shaw's decision to exit rug business
With word getting out about Shaw's impending exit from the area rug sector, we thought it would be a good idea to collect the thoughts from people in the industry. This blog post will be updated...
View ArticleGoing to the dogs
As an avid sports fan, one of the biggest days of the year in my home is Super Bowl Sunday.But with a small child present, it's important to find balance (plus, it's always good to step away from...
View ArticleReally BIG stuff at Retail's BIG Show
I just got back from Retail's BIG Show, the National Retail Federation's annual convention and expo, held this year at the Javits Convention Center in New York. Now I understand why the event's...
View ArticleSouth African Artistry
During the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market last week, I had the pleasure of spending some time at South Africa's Lifestyle Hub, located at Americasmart in Building 1, suite...
View ArticleSee ya, 60-watt
Those who know me well know that I have a fascination with light bulbs. It's a nerdy obsession, to be sure, but one that I have grown quite passionate about over the last several years as I've...
View ArticleColoring the way we view the world
It goes without saying that color is one of the most prevalent powers in this industry. Never is that more apparent than shortly after color authority Pantone reveals its color of the year every...
View ArticleLust for lists
I like lists. I've recently developed a fancy for "Top 10s," especially those that narrow down a year's worth of blog posts into a nice, efficient list of the year's most popular reads. One of the...
View ArticleOn trend at Ambiente
Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Ambienteconsumer goods fair in Frankfurt, Germany. It was my first international tradeshow, and it did not disappoint. When I first arrived at...
View ArticleHow do we reinvent retail?
Next week, on Thursday, Feb. 27, I will moderate a webinar, "Bricks and Clicks - Reinvented Retail in the Digital Era." This webinar is hosted by Pop-Up Artists, a marketing agency for turn-key,...
View ArticleMeet me at the Messe! Ambiente 2014 photos
The first tradeshow I ever attended at MesseFrankfurt was Collectione, in the summer of 2007. I knew nothing about the fairgrounds, nothing about Frankfurt, was nervous about going, and knew no...
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