Time For A Modern Bathroom?

You know your bathroom needs a remodel if you have a spa-tub with jets, or if your bathroom has small, eight-sided tiles anywhere. You know your savings will decline if your toilets and showers use lots of water. When you and your mate see what Modern Bathroom offers in new eco-friendly bathroom fixtures, featuring dual-flush toilets and bidets; and when you learn that you can have low-flow showers, yet receive a high, water pressure feel through air injection, then you know you are ready for bathroom renovations that will significantly enhance daily living and quality of life for you and your entire family.

Someday, soon, we intend to rip out our bathroom linoleum flooring and have new marble floors installed. Our house was built in 1929, so you might imagine the old tub and shower system could use an upgrade. A new glass enclosure for the tub and shower would be a handsome addition. In the finished basement (lower level as we now call it), the bathroom could use new tile and a bidet. With a bidet, we could live like the French, seen on those House Hunter TV shows. While it takes money to upgrade a bathroom, most renovations are so much cheaper than the cost of a new house.

When we are ready, we will investigate Modern Bathroom, headquartered in Southern California. Originally, they only sold their Modern Bathroom fixtures, but now have added such quality brands as Wyndham Collection®, Christopher Grubb, Americh, Avanity, Bath Authority DreamLine, Cole & Co, Design Element, Fluid, Fresca, HANSA, Hansgrohe, Hydro Systems, JADO, Jason, Madeli, mr. steam, MTI, Ronbow, Stufurhome, Victoria & Albert, Vigo Industries, Virtu USA, and many more. In addition to the showrooms in the Greater Los Angeles area and the low-price guarantee, you can save even more with free shipping, when you order on line.

This sponsored post for Modern Bathroom was paid for by our friends at Modern Bathroom.

Reclaimed Great Salt Lake History At Trestlewood

New Client: Trestlewood
 

The Great Salt Lake blocked the Central Pacific Railway from reaching California. The solution was a 145-mile route through the mountainous northern shore from Lucin to Ogden, Utah.  The journey had many steep grades and sharp curves. As traffic picked up, railroad engineers looked for a more direct route that would be faster and save wear and tear on their engines.
  

The engineers mapped out a straight path from Ogden to the lake, over the water to a tongue of land, known as the Promontory, then on to the opposite shore for an easy run into Lucin. In 1902, 3,000 men gathered to build the longest trestle in the world over the water to save time and 41 miles. 38,256 trees, representing two square miles of forest, were cut down for the pilings. In the 1950s, a causeway was built that replaced the trestle and the whole structure was abandoned. Then, in 1993, Cannon Structures Inc. (dba Trestlewood) of Blackfoot, Idaho, acquired rights to salvage the wood.
 

The wood that is salvaged has character. It braved great storms that generated four to eight foot waves of dense salt water. It may have nail stains, and saw marks and old growth grain patterns not seen on new lumber. Today, our friends at Trestlewood use the recycled wood for flooring, siding, timbers and Trestlewood mantels.

I visit friends in and around Bend, Oregon that have mantels over fireplaces made from the timbers steeped in salt and history. I wonder on a quiet, chill evening with a fire roaring, if we will see movement in the grain, hear the voices of those 3,000 men working and locomotives crossing the trestle bound for California.  I wonder, as I place a candle on the mantel, if we will experience the trestle’s history. Will we faintly smell the Great Salt Lake and coal fired engines? I wonder if the salvaged wood from pickle vats and water tanks, barns, corncribs and stables could fill a large book with stories.

 Why not contact Trestlewood to receive a story for your home at 877-375-2779 (toll free) or

Email Them

Gold Rush!

There have been two Gold rushes in the United States. We are about to enter a third!

By Mike Landfair

I’ve recommended buying Gold since 2004 and I always get the look.  Are you crazy? Or Gold? Isn’t that risky? Or, How do I buy it? Or, Hasn’t it already moved? They may ask how much should I buy and I’ll give them a percentage and they will say, Where do you I buy it? Should I buy Gold or stocks?  What are you doing with your money?

Then a year or two later, I’ll meet them again and they’ll say, “Do you still own your Gold?”  I’ll say yes I do.  And they will say, “I wished we’d bought it when you told us.  We just took a big hit in the market.  Of course Gold is too high now, isn’t it?”

Here we are at $1775 as I write this and I think Gold will double from here and Silver could be at $100 or more, maybe in 2013.  When I suggest this to anyone who asks me what I’m doing to get better returns than CDs, I always get the look.

This Gold market has been rising in stealth mode for 12 years and one of these days, people I meet will finally say, “Did you see Gold?  I’ve got to get some before it goes higher!”

I believe we are on the edge of our third Gold Rush.

The first Gold rush began in 1848 with the Gold discovery in California and sparked radical change in America. The cry, “Gold!” went up and thousands of men and women dropped everything and moved to California to search for riches beyond their imagination. By the end of 1849, the non-native population of the California territory exploded from less than a 1,000 to 100,000 people. “A total of $2 billion worth of precious metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush, which peaked in 1852.”

The second Gold rush began after President Nixon closed the Gold Window in 1971.  Gold had been pegged at $35 an ounce since FDR confiscated our Gold at $22 in the 1930s.  After confiscation, FDR immediately raised our dollar peg to $35, the price that we told the world we would exchange for U.S. Dollars. By the late 60s, we were losing gold at that price and the price accelerated to $65, when Nixon said enough and stopped any exchanges of Gold for dollars.

I was a stockbroker registered in 1968 and lived through the second Gold rush when Gold rocketed to $850 an ounce, a 38-fold increase from $22 and a 25-fold increase from $35. If you owned 1,000 ounces of Gold at $35, you would have seen its value increase to $850,000. American citizens were not allowed to own Gold until 1975 when it was legalized. So they bought gold stocks.

Andrew C. ("Ranting Andy") Hoffman, CFA sent me the following information showing the performance of Junior gold mining stocks and Producers from December 1978 to the peak in 1980.

Junior Miners:

Carolin Mines went from $3.10 in 1978 to $57.00, up 1739%.

Mosquito Creek Gold went from $0.70 to $7.50, up 971%.

Northair Mines went from $3.00 to $10.00, up 233%.

Silver Standard went from $0.58 to $2.51, up 333%.

Lincoln Resources went from $0.78 to $20.00, up 2464%.

Lomax went from $15.00 to $85.00, up 467%.

Imperial Metals went from $0.36 to $1.95, up 442%.

Anglo-Bornarc Mines went from $1.80 to $6.85, 281%.

Avino Mines went from $0.33 to $5.50, up 1567%.

Copper Lake xploration went from $0.08 to $10.50, up 13025%.

David Minerals went from $1.15 to $21.00, 1726%.

Eagle River Mines went from $0.19 to $6.80, up 3479%.

Meston Lake Resources went from $0.80 to $10.50, up 1213%.

Silverado Mines went from $0.26 to $10.63, up 3988%.

Wharf Resources  went from $0.33 to $9.50, up 2779%.

The average gain of these 15 junior mining stocks was 2314%!

Producing Miners:

Domes Mines went from $92.50 to $154.00, up 66%.

Campbell Red lake went from $35.50 to $94.75, up 167%.

Dickinson Mines went from $6.88 to $27.50, up 300%.

Sigma Mines went from $36.00 to $57.00, up 58%.

Giant Yellowknife Mines went from $11.50 to $39.00, up 245%

The average gain of these 5 producing miners was 167%.

I said there is a third Gold Rush about to take place.  Most people are unaware that Gold has been rising for eleven straight years and if Gold closes out the year above $1,566, it will make it the 12^th year in a row. It is currently $1,775!

Here’s the yearly gold:

2000 -- $273.60

2001 -- $279.00

2002 -- $348.20

2003 -- $416.10

2004 -- $438.40

2005 -- $518.90

2006 -- $638.00

2007 -- $838.00

2008 -- $889.00

2009 -- $1096.50

2010 -- $1421.40

2011 -- $1566.80

2012 -- $???

The new book “Gold Rush!” answers the question “How do I buy Gold?” and is written from the perspective of a guy who lived through the second gold rush.  It is written for the novice who wants to protect his or her wealth, but doesn’t know how. Mike Landfair has been writing about Gold (and Silver) and making predictions about future precious metal prices for almost a decade. He wants to help you to survive the collapse of fiat currencies. He’s tired of the “look!”

My Kindle Book

I'm outlining and writing my book this weekend for Kindle!

Claiming My Blog

Technorati follows all blogs, however you need to claim your blog. One way to claim your blog is post something and insert a code that can be found. This is a claiming post for Mike Landfair Freelance using the following code: WQP49GF54N2X

Amazing!

Wow!

Ah, Italy!

Here I was hired to promote London Apartments:

One of our favorite shows on TV is HGTV's "House Hunters International." We are so envious of families that just pick up and move to warmer climates, or move to a country because of their love of its beauty and history. Most advice concerning moves to another country are to rent first before buying.

Now there's another reason to seek short-term accommodations. The summer Olympics are coming to the UK beginning July 27th through August 12th. Wouldn't it be grand to take in the two weeks of competition?

Londoners Robert And Polly Arnold with their three children Rachel, Jonny and Mike have a vast knowledge of Central London. Through their company London Apartments, they can help you find the perfect place for short or long term apartments and hotels stays. They can also provide relevant information about locations and places of local interest.

Let's face it, when you go online searching on your own pictures can be misleading. Wouldn't it be great to have an adviser to steer you toward the valued B&B's and apartments not only in London but in Europe and Worldwide. I know I would!

You can email Robert And Polly Arnold at London Apartments or just call. Let go of the aggravation and enjoy the Olympics. Use London Apartments when you visit the UK.

A recent post about client Bar Stools AtoZ:

We have ordered a lot of barstools for our interior design clients over the last ten years.  They have been either wood or metal and have come in many styles and many heights.  We were looking at the website of our friends Bar Stools AtoZ.  We noticed that the site has some great information about bar stools on the page titled Barstool Buying Guide:

If you are buying real estate, one of the first questions is, “What’s your budget?”  When you are shopping for bar stools one of the first questions is, “How often will the bar stools be used?”  If the answer is every day, then you will need either metal stools or something in wood that's well made.

One more thing, metals stools while offered in many finishes and are are sturdy, can be heavy to move. Wooden stools can match any décor, but if used in direct sunlight can dry out and fade.

Do you want a bar stool that is stationary or swivels?  Bar Stools AtoZ says the choice comes down to the users.  Is it for the mother-in-law who may want easy access or a child who needs focus. Then there’s the question of how many bar stools do you need for your space and the height of the table or bar.  Bar stools run from 15 to 24 inches wide, and the person using the bar stool needs about 25 inches, so a six-foot plus counter could use up to three stools.  Stools with swivels or arms would need more space. 

There are basically three bar stool heights: Dining is 18 to 20 inches high, Counter is 24 to 26 inches high and Bar is 28 to 30 inches high.  So be sure to measure the height.

Finally, you need bar jokes.  Our friends at Bar Stools AtoZ have some great examples, but they’ve missed a few. In a recently read book titled "Dove Season" by Johnny Shaw, a father and son play a word game called “Walks Into A Bar” in which you pick a subject and then make up jokes about it.  For example the subject is “A Boat.”

A boat walks into a bar.

The bartender says, “I’m sorry we don’t serve boats here!”

The boat says, “But, I’m about to keel over!”

A boat walks into a bar.

The bartender says, “I’m sorry we don’t serve boats here!”

The boat says, “But, I heard you serve schooners!”

Here's a recent post about client Bunk Beds A to Z:

I have had a fondness for the Bunk Bed as a solution for space problems ever since I was in the army.  There for six months, at Ft Lewis and Ft Ord, I lived with a platoon of men where we spent hours in the evening polishing our gear and arranging our foot lockers for inspection.  We smoked and laughed, played cards and told stories about our girls back home. Every morning we made our beds so tight that our drill sergeant could bounce a quarter on the army blanket that encased our mattress.

Again a Bunk Bed came to mind as Bev and I watched HGTV’s “House Hunter International.”  Sometimes a family moving to Milan or Puerto Vallerta or New Zealand needs more bedrooms than fits their budget and a solution is to double up the kids in a room using bunk beds. It’s an elegant solution.

According to our friends at BunkbedsAtoZ, these great beds are manufactured in metal and wood; in a variety of finishes and can be twin over twin, twin over full, full over full and even futon bunk beds.

There are some safety items to keep in mind:

1.     The upper bunk should have guardrails and should be close to the wall.  The army violated both of these rules, yet I never saw a tipped over bunk bed and no one ever fell out of bed in their sleep.

2.     The top bunk should be for the older child.

3.   There should be cross ties under the mattress of each bed.  Again, the army violated this rule.  I went to sleep at night with those coil springs of the top bunk sagging in my face.

4.     There should be a ladder and the children should be taught to use it.

5.     No roughhousing or jumping on the beds!

6.     Use a night light so the ladder can be seen for use in the night.

Call us if you have a particular need for Bev to research.

Something To Remember

[Infographic provided by Grammar.net]

MailBoxPoint Client

Beverly and I want a new mailbox and new house numbers for the porch. We’ve been to the big box stores looking at their numbers, but we weren’t thrilled with the selection. We wanted something with a little more style. Today, we came across MailBoxPoint. Lo and behold, they had what we were looking for, contemporary house numbers. And you can compare prices to similar products elsewhere.

When I looked at the wall hanging mailboxes to replace our current mailbox, I couldn’t believe the choices: 537 items starting at $52.90. This is also the place to go for multi-unit mailboxes, slots and mail drops, signage, and décor like doorbells and weather vanes.

Finally, what about service? The website says the manufacturer of each product is readily available, along with weights, dimensions, and all other statistics related to the product. There is “zoom in” feature on the website which allows you to examine details and features that are important to you. Finally, MailBoxPoint has a Customer Service Team that is available via Live Chat, a “Contact Us” e-mail, or you can just call them..

New Rattan Furniture Client

Monday is the first day of spring and our thoughts turn to living outside as soon as the sun warms us. Spring is also the time when we go out on our deck and assess the winter rain and snow damage. For many of us after we refinish the deck and replant the planters with colorful flowers, we realize that the outdoor furniture is looking a little shabby. Rather than take that high-gas price road trip, we decide to shop for new deck furniture. The home décor magazines stimulate us with pictures of rattan garden furniture in light and dark shades.

A little research reveals that rattan and wicker are used, interchangeably. People may say they have  rattan furniture or a wicker chair. They shouldn’t be confused. Rattan is a relative of the tropical palm tree that grows along the ground. The vines can be as long as 500 feet long. There is no material on Earth called wicker. Wicker is the result of weaving rattan or some other fiber to form furniture.

Rattan is considered to be one of the strongest woods available, since its grain grows vertically instead of forming the concentric rings of most other hardwoods. Rattan vines may also be peeled mechanically to form thin slats for weaving. The straight rattan is usually steamed and then bent into the desired shape through the use of specialized shapers. Once the rattan has dried, it will retain its shape forever.

Rattan is ideal for outdoor use, because it is lightweight and easy to clean. Just wipe it down with a cloth dipped in warm-soapy water. However, synthetic rattan should be considered, if the furniture will be out in the rain. Rain will ruin natural rattan.

One of the new innovations is the rattan cube set. The Cube Four set is a modern four-seater dining set that packs away in to a neat cube form. The Seville Sofa set pictured here includes a rattan sofa, two armchairs and a coffee table.

A New Bedding and Bedroom Furniture Client

Start With A Pillow (Reprint from Landfair on Furniture)

I sold Thom McAn shoes through high school and in college sold shoes at Nordstrom's. After the sale I tried to sell a pair of sneakers with the dress shoes, or a purse with pumps or polish. With men I tried for shoe laces and polish. 

What fascinates me about the selling process is the point where you try to add bedding  to the mattress sale. Is the customer upgrading from full mattress to Queen or Queen to King sized mattress, then they need mattress covers and sheets and pillows and blankets. Then where do you bring up the health issues of bed bugs and dust mites and how to protect the sleep environment from these pests, and also the air in the room. If you wait until the end to discuss add-ons the customer is going to start screaming, "Get me out of here!"

In the latest issue of "Furniture World" there's a fascinating article titled Sleep Essentials about the sleep industry and bedding.

We know from a recent study that 60 percent of consumers within two to three weeks of buying a new mattress end up purchasing new pillows, a mattress protector, sheets and other top of bed items. It’s just natural for them to want to start with a cleaner, healthier environment.

 “We’ve found that about 28 percent of customers, when they buy a new mattress, also end buying a whole bunch of new stuff that day...Once they’ve purchased the mattress, this group is going to buy a pillow and a new set of sheets somewhere. That’s just what they do anyway. They would never dream of putting old stuff on their new bed.”

The author Russell Bienenstock says retailers have had great success starting with the pillow. Give the customers a choice of pillows at the start. In fact the pillow they choose gives a good indication of what kind of bed they will choose. Provide freshly laundered pillow covers for the pillows, then let the customers carry the pillow around as they try different beds.

Some retailers throw in pillows for free.  The study says watch how your customer holds the pillow.  If the customer holds it by the top, then not much value is placed on the pillow. However, if the customer cuddles the pillow or carries it like a baby, then you have a pillow sale.

Now it feels like you are a professional, selling a healthy sleep system rather than just a mattress. I know the successful Bedroom furniture retailers sell that way.

Posted by Mike Landfair at 5:58 AM

Mike Landfair Hired By Sara Palacios

Featured at Landfair on Furniture:

Gerald Celente is one of the foremost trend forecasters.  He expects the emphasis going forward in this economy will be on Quality and Style.  He believes that today’s economy is like the 1930s, a time when people dressed to the nines and danced to the hottest, happiest music.  A period of affordable sophistication! What better time to take note of our newest advertiser SaraPalacios Designs.

The proud owner of any of Sara Palacios’ pieces knows with absolute certainty that there is none other like the one they own.  There’s an evocation of The Renaissance and the Baroque eras infused with elements of modernity and the avant-garde.

Each panel of fabric in her creations is viewed primarily as a work of art, which, in turn, is made into functional objects; window coverings, pillows, wall hangings, tablecloths, lamp shades, upholstery, chairs, sofas, etc. A wonderful dialogue results from her fabrics on upholstered pieces, whether traditional, transitional or contemporary. 

While most of Sara’s designs are sold at retail, she does have an interior designer policy.  Interior designers share their specific color palette with Sara who then provides hand-painted samples from which the designer can choose.  She may work with pieces brought to her by a designer seeking an upholstered piece in her fabrics that will create a unique accent to a room.

Cuban artist Sara and her husband Rodrigo Palacios arrived in Los Angeles after spending four years in France and Italy. They hand paint silks, linen and cotton resulting in textiles that are transformed into one of a kind pieces.  Their designs have been featured in Home Accents Today and they have collaborated with Cisco Home and an American interior designer and fashion designer Kelly Wearstler.

Sara and Rodrigo would like to think that collectors of their pieces do not want to be bound by trends, but want to express their unique selves by surrounding themselves by art. Isn’t that what quality and style are all about?

Mike Landfair Hired By Sealy Rep

Featured at Landfair on Furniture:

Sealy is the bedding industry’s largest global manufacturer with sales of $1.23 billion in fiscal 2011. The Company manufactures and markets a broad range of mattresses and foundations under the Sealy®, Sealy Posturepedic®, including SpringFree™, PurEmbrace™ and TrueForm®; Stearns & Foster®, and Bassett® brands.

Sealy, available globally, is striving to help the world sleep better. So no matter if you’re across the globe or across the street, you can expect their legendary commitment to excellence in everything they do for you. Be it the comfort, durability or affordability in their mattresses or their customer service. Their aim is to meet customer needs, wherever they’re needed.

Recently, I posted about the fast-growing gel bedding arena.  Sealy is debuting two new lines in Las Vegas Market this week. One new line uses an innerspring core and the other a foam core. Both deliver optimal temperature, comfort and support levels for the best sleep experience possible. The new lines feature Opticool, Sealy’s name for a gel memory foam that is fused with Outlast, a phase-change material, in an application that is a Sealy exclusive. 

Some owners of plain foam complain that the bed is too hot during their sleep.  Sealy claims Opticool is 12 times more effective than standard foam or gel alone in removing excess heat during the night.

In the UK the place to go for Sealy mattresses is Furniture Choice where they also have a large selection of sofas. Is this a great place to shop?  Why not read their customer comments here.

Mike Landfair Hired By GLASS RECYCLED

Featured on Landfairon Furniture:

Sustainability is very important to GLASS RECYCLED. Their terrazzo is easy to maintain and lasts as long as your building or home stands. By mixing crushed glass with an epoxy resin, they’ve created over 400+ sparkling terrazzo designs.

Durability and low maintenance are at the core of green construction. Terrazzo flooring can be refinished repeatedly, reusing instead of replacing materials. It can be restored to its original luster at a fraction of the cost of replacement. Routine maintenance for Terrazzo flooring (both cement and thin-set epoxy) is easy; just dry and damp mop.

With no VOCs, GLASS RECYCLED earns further points on indoor air quality ratings. Both cement-based and thin-set epoxy Terrazzo systems are made of zero VOC materials. Terrazzo produces little or no off-gassing over the life of a cured floor. The non-porous Terrazzo finish resists microbial growth and moisture.

The potential for local sourcing is another environmental strength of Terrazzo. Manufactured on site, Terrazzo installations generally produce minimal post-commercial waste and save on transportation costs.

Please welcome another of our quality advertisers. We invite you to imagine the possibilities of GLASS RECYCLED. Browse their gallery of eco-friendly designs, and request a sample to see how their recycled glass countertops and recycled glass flooring will look in your home or office.

Mike Landfair Hired By Pummer

Featured at Landfair on Furniture:

Pummer is a strange name here in the U.S. Wikileaks describes Pummer as a “solar powered self activating LED flasher. Pummers are nocturnal critters that soak up sunlight during the daytime, then, get active at night. Their nocturnal activity can either consist of a light show, or some pattern of sounds.”



There’s another Pummer I’d like you to meet. His name is Pummer, Claus Pummer and he lives in Ontario, Canada. Over the next 12 months, Claus Pummer is going to share the latest information about furniture and design coming from Europe. Three great furniture shows are coming up: Meuble Paris 2012 and the New York International Gift Fair in January and Ambiente Frankfurt 2012  in Mid-February. Claus Pummer is the exclusive distributor of international furniture and accessories from Lambert under the Pummer name. We’ll be some of the first North Americans to see what’s hot.

His passion for design started in Germany where he became a Master Cabinet Maker. He has made it his mission to personally search the world for the best “hand-made” furniture and accessories.



Today, Pummer® uses the most basic elements to create his pieces, avoiding unnecessary chemical treatments for a fresh new approach to environmental conservation. That is why Pummer offers a dedicated line of organics.

We will learn about the worst threat to health, according to the World Health Organization, is indoor air pollution and electronic smog. We will learn why Claus Pummer recommends the Samina bed or Healthy Sleep System he imports to the U.S. He believes it’s the answer for back pain AND a healthy sleep.

The SAMINA sleeping system is made exclusively from natural materials such as wood, natural rubber, virgin sheep wool and cotton. Only the best quality raw materials are used and great care is taken to preserve the integrity and conserve the subtle energies of these natural materials.

Unlike most mattresses and beds, the SAMINA system provides active support, fulfilling the orthopedic needs of the body during sleep. The natural S-shaped curves of the spine are maintained and there is an even distribution of pressure in any sleeping position.



Please welcome our newest advertiser and check out his website: http://www.pummer.com/index.php