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