|
Archived December 21, 2008
Enough Edging: A German online calculator, courtesy of schreinerwissen.com, determines the metres remaining on a roll of edgebanding. Enter dimensions "D" (banding thickness), "A" and "B" (in mm), then press the button labelled "Rechnen!" - the answer (in metres) displays above the diagram.
Archived December 21, 2008
US Design Summit: Leaders of major US professional design organizations and government agencies met November 11-12 in Washington, DC, to develop a US national design policy blueprint, as observed by summit organizer Dr. Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall on her blog.
Archived December 21, 2008
Open or Closed: "Designing office space for an ageing workforce in the 21st century knowledge economy," a Royal College of Art study that makes recommendations on the appropriateness of open-plan office design for all workers, should be required reading for office planners, designers and CEOs.
Archived December 21, 2008
Obama on Design?: Business Week columnist Bruce Nussbaum fears Barack Obama hasn't grasped the important relationship between "creativity skills" and positive economic development, as plans outlined on the president elect's website exclude support for art and design education.
Archived December 21, 2008
US sales: Smith Leonard's monthly newsletter, Furniture Insights, states year-to-date new orders for US furniture were ten per cent below the first nine months of 2007.
The Grand Rapids Press reports the US office furniture sector also faces challenges, resulting in Steelcase "trimming" 600 jobs and closing a plant in Atlanta.
Archived December 9, 2008
Prototype Spaces: Designers whose furniture prototypes are selected for ICFF Studio will be awarded free display space at ICFF, New York, May 16-19, 2009. Submission deadline December 15, 2008.
Archived December 9, 2008
LEED Reviewed: The US Green Building Council has passed LEED 2009, the long-awaited update to the internationally recognized LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification program.
Archived December 9, 2008
Ron Arad Talks: Marie-Laure Jousset of ArtDaily interviews Ron Arad about his current exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Archived December 9, 2008
Backs to School: The Guardian reports on a two-year UK study by the Furniture Industry Research Association into the ergonomic requirements of school furniture.
Archived December 9, 2008
UK Seminar: The British Furniture Manufacturers Association presents a one-day seminar on proactive environmental strategies for the furniture supply chain. December 9.
Archived December 9, 2008
Millions Seated: Alice Rawsthorn of the Herald Tribune pays tribute to Thonet's 1859 classic model 14 bentwood chair that consists of six steam-bent components, seat panel, ten screws and two nuts.
Archived December 9, 2008
Inside Ikea: Time Magazine's interview of Ikea CEO Anders Dahlvig offers a peek inside the Swedish company's empire.
Archived December 3, 2008
UK Pure Award: Design students worldwide, between the ages of 18 and 28, can enter the Pure Creativity competition of designs generated with 3-D modelling software and inspired by the possibilities of stereo lithography. Deadline December 31.
Archived December 3, 2008
US Job Cuts: The Chicago Tribune states Herman Miller will eliminate 400 to 650 jobs (mostly in Michigan) because of decreasing sales worldwide.
Archived December 3, 2008
Danish Research: A recent Mind Design report outlines the goals of Creativity and innovation in the Danish furniture industry, a research project undertaken by professor Anders Brix.
Archived December 3, 2008
Global Design: Gina Lovett reports for Design Week on the results of a recent Turin conference about global design policy.
Archived November 24, 2008
Panel Seminar: Virginia Tech, equipment suppliers and international partners sponsor a seminar on lightweight panel use for the wood products industry. Grand Rapids, MI, November 17-18 and November 19-20.
Archived November 24, 2008
Free Networking: Exchange, London's design/business network, hosts a free presentation by Magnus Long and Charles Trevelyan of the design studio Viable London at Metropolitan Works. November 26.
Archived November 24, 2008
Teknion Award: Canadian Architect magazine reports office furniture maufacturer Teknion Corporation received the Recycling Council of Ontario's Waste Minimization Award for the past two years.
Archived November 24, 2008
Office Sales: Reuters provides a summary of current US office furniture shipment statistics and rates the future performance of several major manufacturers.
OCAD Event: Design for the Other 90%, a touring exhibition organized by the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, runs until January 25, 2009, at the Professional Gallery, OCAD, Toronto.
(David Stairs reviewed the exhibition for the Design Observer in September 2007.)
Archived November 24, 2008
RCA Incubates: Portfolio.com describes plans for London's Royal College of Art Battersea campus that include space for design incubator studios where design, engineering, and business students can "flesh out ideas and launch companies."
Archived November 24, 2008
Software Stand: The latest INNOVAFUN newsletter recounts the progress made toward development of an open standard for furniture trade software and other related projects.
Archived November 24, 2008
AGO Furnishes: When Frank Gehry's renovations to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) are revealed to the public on November 14, visitors can use the $1.5 million of furniture designed by Denmark’s most acclaimed designers, including Arne Jacobsen. Teknion, Toronto-based office furniture manufacturer, supplied furniture for the entrance lobby, offices and selected galleries.
Archived November 18, 2008
Museum Move?: Design Week reports London's Design Museum may be moving to the former home of the Commonwealth Institute, with its renowned grade II listed parabolic copper roof. Opened in 1962, the building and its site on Kensington High Street are under redevelopment by OMA Architects based in Rotterdam.
Archived November 18, 2008
Design Support: Mind Design reviews research by Gisele Raulik-Murphy at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, on various design development strategies adopted by the governments of Finland, South Korea, Brazil and India.
Archived November 18, 2008
Portable Edger: Adwood Corporation of High Point, NC, introduces "Adamik," a small portable edgebander compatible with ABS, wood veneer and melamine edging materials from 0.3 to 3 mm.
Archived November 18, 2008
Brooklyn Shares: Designer/makers in the area of Brooklyn, NY, can join 3rd Ward, a member-based co-op that provides shared access to media and manufaturing faciliities, including wood and metal fabrication shops and finishing room.
Archived November 18, 2008
Crash Survival: Designer Edgar Blazona of Berkeley-based True Modern, who manufacturers offshore to lower costs but is not immmune to the US economic downturn, explains his company's position and survival strategies to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Archived November 18, 2008
Hot Seats: The chair design competition Hot Seat 3, is sponsored by OFS Sales Corp. and Metropolis magazine. Deadline December 26.
Archived November 11, 2008
California Lawsuit: The Orange County Register reports that California Attorney General Edmund Brown filed a lawsuit alleging Child Craft, Delta Enterprise Corp., Stork Craft, South Shore Industries and Jardine Enterprises manufactured formaldehyde-emitting baby furniture such as cribs and changing tables. Brown's action is taken under California’s Proposition 65, which requires manufacturers to provide "clear and reasonable warnings" of chemicals in their products known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Archived November 11, 2008
UK Training: The UK's Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) offers a free workshop to explain its programs that help companies and suppliers identify sustainable development policies and practices. November 25.
Archived November 5, 2008
Wright Designs: Eco-conscious Copeland Furniture, based in Bradford, Vermont, holds the exclusive licence to manufacture the furniture designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, including his Taliesin Barrel Chair and Dana-Thomas Side Chair.
Archived November 5, 2008
DeFehr Update: Although last month Winnipeg-based DeFehr Furniture announced plans to close one of its plants and lay off over 300 workers, the Winnipeg Free Press reports DeFehr filed for and received bankrupcy protection, "a move which protects them from more than 100 creditors to whom they owe more than $2 million."
Archived November 5, 2008
SketchUp Skills: Woodstock, Ontario's Maglin Site Furniture Inc., manufacturer of public street furniture that includes benches, receptacles, bollards, bike racks and planters, uses Google's free 3-D modelling software SketchUp to effectively promote its products.
Archived November 5, 2008
Fresh Canada: The National Post compiled its list of 40 young Canadian designers with fresh ideas, which includes Patrick Messier featured by VCR in 2004 and 2006.
Archived November 5, 2008
Cultural Cuts: Samantha Sannella, president and CEO of Toronto's Design Exchange (DX), is "steamed" at Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his government's recent funding cuts to cultural programs. In particular the loss of financial support to emerging Canadian designers exhibiting at foreign trade shows, such as London's 100% Design, where Canada's "foreign opinion" and "brand" on the world stage is formed.
 Read her full message:
Archived November 5, 2008
Maeda Speaks: In this FastCompany.com article John Maeda, RISD's new president, dispels fears of a "digital makeover" of the school's programs by stating his concerns about how we are (and are not) "making things."
Archived November 5, 2008
Swiss Awards: CBC reports the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction recognized three Canadian projects in its annual awards - Living with Lakes Centre in Sudbury, Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto, and North Vancouver Outdoor School.
Archived October 27, 2008
National Design Week: New York's Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum holds its third National Design Week with numerous programs to engage school teachers, students and design organizations across the USA. October 19-25.
Archived October 27, 2008
Steelcase: Greenbiz profiles Michigan-based office furniture manufacturer Steelcase, recipient of the Forest Stewardship Council chain of custody certification for its solid wood components. Its plant in Markham, Ontario, also received the Pollution Prevention Award from the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.
Archived October 27, 2008
Veneer Online: View high resolution images of complete veneer flitches before purchasing online at Danzer Veneer.
Archived October 27, 2008
UK Standards: The UK's Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) recently published a suite of standards for children's furniture that addresses serious shortcomings in current British and European standards.
Archived October 27, 2008
CARB's Panels: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) released a list of panel suppliers who have approved third-party certification as producers of CARB-compliant composite wood products - 24 particle board mills, 39 MDF mills and 51 hardwood plywood mills.
Archived October 27, 2008
JAM Session: London's Metropolitan Works features a free presentation by Jamie Anley, co-founder with partners Astrid Zala and Matthieu Paillard of the interdisciplanary design studio JAM in 1995. 41 Commercial Road, October 29.
Archived October 27, 2008
Green Top 20: Eco-design expert Marcus Fairs included the Strata chair, designed by UK's Ryan Frank, when the Independent asked for his top 20 green designs.
Archived October 20, 2008
Reconfigured: Jamie Ward, a design student at UK's Manchester Metropolitan University, rescues structures and components of discarded furniture and recycles them with new identities.
Archived October 20, 2008
Silent Majority: New York Times design columnist Alice Rawsthorn confronts the history of sexism in design professions from Le Corbusier to Philippe Starck.
Archived October 20, 2008
Dyson Debates: The Guardian interviews Sir James Dyson about the opposition from various factions in the UK over his plans to build the Dyson School of Design Innovation in the historic town of Bath.
Archived October 14, 2008
London Festival: Ellen Himelfarb of the National Post gives an insider's view of this year's London Design Festival activities and exhibitions.
Archived October 14, 2008
Gibbard Goes: The Brantford Expositor affirms the closure of Gibbard Furniture, established in Napanee, Ontario, in 1835. Challenged by the rising dollar, imports and loss of retail outlets, its sales fell by half over the last two decades, with a corresponding drop in employees from 160 to 80.
Archived October 14, 2008
Tool Choice: Occupational Safety magazine details guidelines for choosing hand tools with good ergomomic design and matching them to a range of manufacturing processes and activities.
Archived October 14, 2008
Desk Certification: Michigan's Business Review outlines steps being taken to draft national sustainability standards for the American office furniture industry.
Archived October 14, 2008
Amisco Sales: Tubular steel residential furniture manufacturer Amisco Industries, based in L'Islet, Quebec, provides figures showing its sales from December 2007 to August 2008 totalled $18.1 million, down 19.7 per cent from the $22.6 million recorded in the same period in 2006-07.
Archived October 14, 2008
FSC Qustions: Friends of the Earth (FoE), a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) founder, withdrew its support, stating it is "deeply concerned by the number of FSC certifications that are now sparking controversy and threatening the credibility of the scheme."
Archived October 7, 2008
Target Scouts: Reena Jana in Business Week follows the success of New York-based design consulancy Culture & Commerce in scouting innovative designers and then connecting them with retail giants such as Target Corporation.
Archived October 7, 2008
Canadian Design: he Ottawa Citizen interviews Klaus Nienkämper, founder of one of Canada's leading office furniture manufacturers.
Archived October 7, 2008
Verner Panton: The official web portal and archives of Danish designer Verner Panton (1926–1998) includes his innovative furniture designs.
Archived October 7, 2008
Finnish Prize: Design Forum Finland's biannual Fennia prize includes a product design category and an "open" category for concepts and environments. Deadline October 31.
Archived October 7, 2008
Carpet Scraps: Interior Design magazine lists the winners of its Ample Sample design contest that challenged designers to recycle carpet samples into new products. The Rocking Horse Stool by Vala Abolghasemy of Potomac, Maryland, won the Judge's Choice award.
Archived October 7, 2008
Red Dot Winner: Karim Rashid, Carlton University industrial design alumnus, received this year's Red Dot Award for his Poly chair manufactured by Bonaldo in Italy.
Archived October 7, 2008
London Festival: Nicole Swengley of London's Financial Times interviews Sir John Sorrell, London Design Festival chair, on how "Good design creates better-quality living."
Archived September 29, 2008
INDEX Awards: Claimed as the world's largest design award competition, with prizes totalling € 500,000, this year's INDEX Award deadline is December 8.
Archived September 29, 2008
Canadian Closures: Domestic furniture plants in Canada continue to cut back production. Case goods producer DeFehr Furniture will shutter one of its two Winnipeg factories and lay off as many as 200 workers, as reported by Furniture Today, while the Toronto Star recorded the bankruptcy of Sklar Peppler Furniture plant in Ajax, Ontario, affected 174 workers.
Archived September 29, 2008
Flexsteel Closures: Furniture Today announced that Flexsteel will close two of its US plants, including one in New Paris, Indiana, that produced residential seating. Both closures mean the loss of 250 jobs.
Archived September 29, 2008
Sleep on It: Sponsored by Architecture for Humanity and Rubicon National Social Innovations, the Discarded Dreams competition invites entrants to create innovative new products from used mattresses. Deadline December 5.
Archived September 29, 2008
Eco-foam: Soyatech newsletter reports on soy-based upholstery foam technology research at the Hickory Springs plant in North Carolina.
Archived September 22, 2008
UK Design: In their recent publication, The Good Design Plan, the UK's Design Council outlines a three-year national strategy to "make the best use of design".
Archived September 22, 2008
George Nelson: International Herald Tribune columunist Alice Rawsthorn reviews the Vitra Design Museum's retrospective exhibition of George Nelson's work. Opens September 13.
Archived September 22, 2008
Promosedia: Tomás Alonso's Nube chair won the 2008 Promosedia International Design Competition.The piece "is innovative in its reinterpretation of tradition, with a reference to the Thonet classic chair," stated the jury.
Archived September 22, 2008
Office Sales Down: The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) predicts a 3.9 per cent downturn in office industry shipments in North America for 2008 and a further decline of 10.4 per cent for 2009. (Courtesy of ISWOnline.)
Archived September 22, 2008
NZ Incubator: New Zealand's furniture design incubator Cicada Studios receives funding and support from the.Hawkes Bay Design Trust, government agencies, local manufacturers and educational institutes.
Archived September 15, 2008
FSC Bamboo: San Francisco-based Smith & Fong Co. announced its Plyboo brand bamboo plywood was awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification by ensuring its bamboo plantations meet the same ecological criteria as an FSC-certified tree forest.
Archived September 15, 2008
Design Collection: The Wolfsonian collection at Florida International University in Miami includes the furniture of Donald Deskey, Kem Weber and Walter Dorwin Teague.
Archived September 15, 2008
Made from Wood: The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) hosts two Materials and Design Exchange (MADE) lectures, Making the Most of Wood and Natural Composites, at its London headquarters September 16-17.
Archived September 15, 2008
Herman Miller + POSH: Michigan-based Herman Miller Inc. and Hong Kong-based POSH Office Systems entered into an agreement that provides reciprocal access to each company's product portfolio and distribution network.
Archived September 15, 2008
NY Eco Forum: Sponsored by NY Designs, Green Forum in Long Island, New York, includes a session on Product Design Using the Principles of Biomimicry September 17.
Archived September 15, 2008
Eco Lecture: The Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO) hosts Cradle to Cradle: The New Design Paradigm, a free lecture by Michael Braungart at IIDEX/NeoCon, Toronto, September 26.
Archived September 7, 2008
UK Winners: Russell Pinch of Pinch design won the UK's 2008 Classic Design Awards for furniture with his Alba armoire entry. Sponsored by Homes & Gardens maagazine and the Victoria and Alberta Museum. the awards include a young designers category won by Giles Wilson-Copp.
Archived September 7, 2008
Kastella: The Gazette covered the fifth anniversary of contemporary furniture designer Jason Burhop's Montreal-based workshop and retail store Kastella.
Archived September 7, 2008
Green Contacts: 3M introduces a range of water- and solvent-based contact adhesives with Greenguard "indoor air quality" certification.
Archived September 7, 2008
2 Winners: Jessica Konawicz and Jittasak Narknisorn jointly won the 2008 One Good Chair competition.
Archived September 7, 2008
Palliser x 5: Home Furnishings Business magazine reports on Winnipeg-based Palliser Furniture's ongoing restructuring into five separate companies.
Archived September 7, 2008
Green Connect: This year's London Design Festival includes Greengaged, a series of events, debates, workshops and exhibitions on the theme of sustainability across all design sectors. September 15-23.
Archived August 28, 2008
Ikea Sees 20-20: Quebec-based 20-20 technologies Inc. signed a long-term agreement with Ikea for use of its online space-planning software Virtual Planner. The new online tool allows Ikea customers to create and visualize 3D room settings spaces and interactively adjust colour and size.
Archived August 28, 2008
Metacycle: a project developed by researchers at Concordia University and the Université de Montréal, announced the winners of its Summer '08 Competition that encourages the development of new uses for discarded products.
Archived August 28, 2008
Machines Online: The VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau - German Engineering Federation) provides an extensive database of German manufactures of furniture production machinery, listing products, websites and worldwide distributors.
Archived August 28, 2008
US Sales: Emily Kaiser of Reuters provides an insightful analysis on the state of the US domestic furniture market that includes reasons for the recent downturn in furniture imports from China.
Archived August 28, 2008
Ron Arad: New York's Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) recognizes the contribution to industrial design by London-based Israeli-born architect and designer Ron Arad with a retrospective exhibition opening August 2.
Archived August 28, 2008
Green Awards: Sponsored by the Los Angeles-based Farmani Group, the Green Dot Awards "reward those who practise excellence in environmental responsibility." Deadline September 15.
Archived August 28, 2008
Green Purchasing: The recently released EcoMarkets 2008 Summary Report from TerraChoice Environmental Marketing finds 68 percent of North American organizations increased their green purchasing in the past 12 months, and 91 percent of purchasers believe they will become more active green purchasers over the next two years.
Archived August 19, 2008
Design Options: Explore Design 08 offers high-school students, educators and parents the opportunity to evaluate career and education options through displays and presentations by leading interior, architecture, graphics and fashion design professionals. Metro Toronto Convention Centre, October 1-2.
Archived August 19, 2008
Revised Data: The American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) revised its previously published data because of newly released US Department of Commerce data on domestic furniture. While US residential wood furniture imports grew from $7.6 billion in 2002 to $10.8 billion in 2006, total domestic production fell from $23 billion to $21.2 billion for the same period.
Archived August 19, 2008
Think About It: Design blog Noise Between Stations describes the methods of design research conducted by Nigel Cross of the UK's Open University. The different ways experts and novices approach problem solving particularly interests Cross.
Archived August 19, 2008
Geffrye Online: Take a virtual tour through the UK's Geffrye Museum's chronological room settings that range from a circa 1630 entrance hall of a London mechant to a modern loft conversion in 1998.
Archived August 19, 2008
Logs + China: The Financial Post reports a delegation of First Nations recently visited China to discuss "Chinese companies building sawmills in BC, or First Nations sending logs to China for manufacture into furniture, which can then be shipped back to Aboriginal artists to carve with traditional themes."
Archived August 8, 2008
Asahikawa Winners: Jacob Joergensen (Denmark) and Toshihiro Kawada (Japan) won the gold leaf awards in this year's International Furniture Design Competition Asahikawa (IFDA). Vancouver-based Mario Sabljak's Simplicity 2 cabinet (above) reached the finalist category.
Archived August 8, 2008
Downtown Ikea: The National Post reports that Canada’s first "urban IKEA store" will open on a non-permanent basis in Toronto's furniture district at 143 King Street East on July 31. The Swedish furniture giant has other specialized urban stores in New York and Paris.
Archived August 8, 2008
IDEA Awards: The International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), co-sponsored by BusinessWeek and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), announces the winners for 2008. Furniture designers and design studios recognized include Centerbrook Architects and Planners, Design: One & Co, Carolina Pena Villarreal and Shelly Shelly.
Archived August 8, 2008
Canwood Update: The Penticton Western News confirmed that the sale of Canwood Furniture to Stork Craft Manufacturing (reported earlier by VCR) will result in the closure of Canwood's Penticton plant and the loss of 91 jobs. "Domestic-made products do not have a market," according to Mel Kemp, Canwood's president.
Archived August 8, 2008
Furniture CAD: VCR would appreciate receiving users' opinions on two new, low-cost CAD programs for furniture design: Sketchlist 3D ($200), stand-alone software from SketchList Inc.; Furnit 2008 ($89), an add-on program for AutoCad from Romania.
Archived August 8, 2008
Eco Seminars: Furniture World Magazine provides background on the Sustainable Furniture Council's six free educational seminars to be held at the Las Vegas summer furniture market. July 27-30.
Archived August 8, 2008
CARB Standards: FDM Online reports on the preparations by furniture producers to meet the California Air Resources Board's formaldehyde emission standards that come into effect on January 1, 2009.
Archived July 28, 2008
Design in Waste: Designer collective Keeseh Studio sponsors Make Some Green, a waste-material-use design competition. Deadline October 1.
Archived July 28, 2008
Seattle Scene: Metropolis Magazine editor Susan S. Szenasy speaks on the pressing need for research in design, supported by a showing of the film Brilliant Simplicity: 15 Designers Research Collaborate Innovate at the Seattle Public Library. July 23.
Archived July 28, 2008
New Hardware: "Bone" furniture connection hardware from German manufacturer Form Art enables the construction of work tables, shelf units and counter systems in numerous configurations.
Archived July 21, 2008
Paris Exhibit: Responsible for promoting French furniture design, VIA displays a selection of student work from French design, fine art and applied art schools at its Paris gallery until August 24.
Archived July 21, 2008
SF Conference: The San Francisco chapter of IDSA presents Digging Deeper, an evening conference on the eco-issues faced by designers. July 26.
Archived July 21, 2008
Saw Savvy: Sam Gazdziak of ISWOnline provides numerous tips on saw blade selection and maintenance.
Archived July 21, 2008
Design Added: Context Furniture of Royal Oak, Michigan, will add Mike Devereaux's domestic workstation (People’s Choice Design winner of Design Democracy '08) to their regular catalogue.
Archived July 21, 2008
Ercol Designs: Online magazine Deezeen reports extensively on an exhibition of prototypes created by Buckinghamshire New University design students for UK-based Ercol Furniture.
Archived July 21, 2008
What's Wrong/Right: Following Alice Rawsthorn's recent New York Times item on what is wrong with American furniture design, I.D. magazine hosted a forum on the topic at this year's ICFF and published an email "discussion" between Rawsthorn and several American design experts.
Archived July 21, 2008
E-Waste Monitored: Greenpeace's eighth version of its Guide to Greener Electronics, released in June 2008, provides increased scrutiny of the environmental records of the world's 18 largest electronics companies. Courtesy of Greener Computing.
Archived July 14, 2008
Grad Opens Studio: Tom Price, an RCA graduate featured in VCR's summer 2007 issue, launched his own design company and website.
Archived July 14, 2008
Ilva Quits UK: The Guardian and Independent detail the demise of the UK arm of Danish furniture retailer Ilva after two years of operation, including the Gateshead store, former site of Marks and Spencer's ill-fated "Lifestore" designed by Vittorio Radice.
Archived July 14, 2008
Mackintosh Interior: Take a virtual tour of the interior of 78 Derngate, Northampton, UK, designed in 1917 by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for model railroad magnate Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke.
Archived July 14, 2008
Fight Fatigue: If you're concerned about a "green" backlash, check the Jetson Green web magazine article with "Five Suggestions for Businesses Confronted with Green Fatigue and Green Noise" that offers some good earthly advice.
Archived July 14, 2008
Artopex Aware: Le Journal de Montréal interviews contemporary office furniture manufacturer Artopex, whose president Daniel Pelletier explains how his three plants, employing 525 workers, adjusted to the global marketplace.
Archived July 14, 2008
DX Awards: The Design Exchange invites Canadian designers to enter recent furniture projects in the Industrial Design category for this year's awards. Final deadline September 26.
Archived July 14, 2008
US Sales: Triangle Business Journal quotes a recent Smith Leonard report showing US residential furniture orders in March declined by 11 percent from the previous year.
Archived July 7, 2008
Brit Awards: The UK's Design Museum student international design competition, sponsored by Brit Insurance, celebrates innovative and memorable design across seven design categories. Deadline July 18.
Archived July 7, 2008
Formaldehyde Regulation: Though the EPA decided against a national extension of California's new formaldehyde emmission standards, the agency responded to a petition from Sierra Club, 24 other organizations and more than 5,000 individuals by agreeing to conduct a four-part investigation of formaldehyde in homes, schools and offices.
Archived July 7, 2008
Green Finishing: IWF presents a one-day industrial wood finishing symposium in Atlanta that includes case studies of companies balancing environmental regulatory compliance with quality, productivity and profitability. August 19.
Archived July 7, 2008
Design East: Design East blog provides a convenient gateway to furniture design in Central and Eastern Europe, including Art Lebedev’s storage cubes - easily assembled into a multitude of storage configurations using custom "clips."
Archived July 7, 2008
Best Beech: Upload your wooden furniture design to the Beech Design Award website and help evaluate the other designs on display. Germany-based lumber producer Pollmeier Massivholz GmbH offers a first prize of 2,500 Euros and a trip to the awards ceremony. Deadline October 30.
Archived June 28, 2008
UK Report: New UK report Designing Sustainable Policy details how the country's design sector can cooperate with government on new policies to enhance recognition of design as a strong contributor to economic growth.
Archived June 28, 2008
Canwood Sold: As reported by Furniture Today, Stork Craft Mfg.of Richmond, BC, a juvenile furniture producer that manufactures in Asia with worldwide distribution, purchased pine furniture manufacturer Canwood Furniture of Penticton, BC, with no decision made about the future of Canwood's manufacturing facility.
Archived June 28, 2008
Young Competition: Organized by the German Design Council for the IMM trade show in Cologne, this year's [d3] young designers competition deadline is September 15.
Archived June 28, 2008
Local Wood: Source eco-friendly milled hardwoods directly from US-based woodlots through the Sustainable Woods Network website.
Archived June 28, 2008
Eco Brush Up: Enter your ideas in the www.metacycle.ca Design Lab Competition to save everyday products, such as the toothbrush, ending up in landfills. Deadline June 30.
Archived June 28, 2008
Shermag Extended: CNW reports the Québec Superior Court extended to September 8, 2008, the protection for Québec-based furniture manufacturer Shermag and its subsidiaries, Jaymar Furniture Corp., Scierie Montauban Inc., Mégabois (1989) Inc., Shermag Corporation and Jaymar Sale Corporation under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act.
Archived June 21, 2008
100% Participation: London's 100% Design (September 18-21) releases this year's exhibitor list, which includes Matthew Hilton, Pinch Design, Tom Dixon and New Design Canada.
Archived June 21, 2008
VIA Views: Responsible for promoting French furniture design, VIA displays products awarded its select "Label" at its Paris gallery until June 29. View furniture and lighting winners online.
Archived June 21, 2008
Make a Difference: Interviewed by Furniture Today, Jean François Michaud, president and CEO of the Quebec Furniture Manufacturers Association, states, "If you still want to manufacture in Canada, you have to differentiate yourself from the mass production that will stay in China."
Archived June 21, 2008
Museum to Patio: A pdf reprint (in French) from La Presse features the Solair Chair, produced by Industries Émile Lachance Ltée in Saint-Damien, QC, since 1972.
Archived June 21, 2008
Rotational Design: In conjunction with its design competition (deadline June 30), Rotational Design makes available a comprehensive range of educational materials, including the basics of rotational plastic moulding technology, with pdf format "lessons" and videos.
Archived June 21, 2008
Lightweight Ideas: Homag produced a pdf brochure that outlines recent advances in lightweight panel construction, edging and assembly hardware.
Back issues of Furniture Production provide more info.
Archived June 21, 2008
Anti Chairs: Poland's Ministry of Economy invites designers to participate in a competition to design a modern, dynamic office chair that symbolizes the fight against bureaucracy. Deadline June 21.
Archived June 21, 2008
Shipping Costs: A recent Financial Post item by Nicolas Van Praet echos the prediction made decades ago by E. F. Schumacher that high oil costs would restrict global trade.
Archived June 15, 2008
Milano Workshops: Scuola Politecnica di Design (Milan Polytechnic School of Design) offers summer workshops by Ross Lovegrove, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Matali Crasset and Marti Guixé.
Archived June 15, 2008
Green ICFF: Zahid Sardar reports for the San Francisco Chronicle on the green furniture design initiatives displayed at this year's ICFF in New York.
Archived June 15, 2008
Eco Works: Cabinetmaker Bill Walker recounts to ISWonline his experiences implementing eco-friendly technology, materials and policies in his workshop in Richmond, CA.
Archived June 15, 2008
Recycled Design: I.D. magazine reports on the eclectic work of London-based Italian designer Martino Gamper, winner of the Design Museum’s new annual furniture award, and his individual approach to recycling society's waste.
Archived June 15, 2008
Green SF: San Francisco's Design Guild Gallery (427 Bryant Street) presents a multidisciplinary exhibition of sustainable design projects pioneered in the San Francisco Bay Area. To June 19.
Archived June 15, 2008
Milan Muses: Alice Rawsthorn of the Herald Tribune reports on the "pessimism" evident in the work of young designers at this year's Milan furniture show.
Archived June 5, 2008
Brit Ventures: The UK's Royal College of Art and Imperial College developed the venture Design London to assist scientific, engineering, business and creative design communities with innovation in private and public sector enterprises.
Archived June 3, 2008
Dutch Picnic: Enter your product design that reduces greenhouse gases in the Dutch Picnic Green Challenge competition. Deadline July 31.
Archived June 3, 2008
UK Design History: Interested in the work of Robin Day, Ernest Race, Gordon Russell or other British furniture designers from the 1950s and 1960s? VADS (Visual Arts Data Service) lists their work in a searchable UK image database.
Archived June 3, 2008
ICFF Scene: Finnish designer Terhi Tuominen introduces her Fold chair at ICFF alongside her metal tube and mesh Blackbird chair, which won an honourable mention in the 2008 Red Dot product design awards.
Archived June 3, 2008
French Design 2008: VIA, the Paris-based organization promoting French furniture design, announces the winners of its 2008 Project Assistance grants. Pages 41-84 of its PDF catalogue feature products ranging from lighting to storage by 10 young designers. VCR featured VIA in its Fall 2007 Issue.
Archived May 26, 2008
Closures Continue: A recent analysis by VCR's companion directory Furniture Link Canada (FLC) found that about 25 per cent of Canadian furniture manufacturers with six or more employees and listed in FLC between 2003 and 2008 closed their businesses, as shown in the above sample of the approximately 100 closures.
When calculated at an average of 30 employees per company, the closures represent a loss of 3,000 jobs. (This estimate does not include companies still operating that have laid off thousands of additional workers.)
On May 5, Quebec-based household furniture manufacturer Shermag Inc. sought court protection from creditors. CBC reports Shermag took this action after consolidating production plants and reducing its workforce to 800 from a high of 2,400 four years ago.
Despite these dismal numbers, millions of Canadian tax dollars continue to fund academic and furniture industry "support" programs, which have failed to stem the loss of community-supporting manufacturing jobs.
Archived May 26, 2008
Eco Award: FSC awarded Sierra Pine "mixed credit" chain of custody certification for its particleboard and MDF production facilities. This FSC page explains the term mixed credit.
Archived May 26, 2008
FDA Awards: The Singapore Furniture Industries Council's (SFIC) 2009 Furniture Design Award (FDA) seeks creative, marketable and functional designs that incorporate environmental-friendliness and ergonomics. Open Category deadline December 15.
Archived May 26, 2008
UK Guild Awards: Design Week reports on the first Design Guild Mark awards for excellence in British furniture design. Selected by Sheridan Coakley of SCP and 10 other panel members, winners included Mark Gabbertas, Matthew Hilton, Marc Krusin, Luke Pearson and seven other designers.
Archived May 17, 2008
Belgrade's Best: The University of Belgrade blog features designs produced by students in its wood processing and furniture design program and exhibited at the Milan Funiture Fair. The innovative furniture emphasizes sustainabilty, as featured in VCR's Spring 2007 Issue.
Archived May 17, 2008
Swedwood Opens: Iswonline reports on the opening of IKEA's Swedwood plant in Danville, Virginia, where it produces honeycomb core panel "Lack" and "Expedit" storage cabinets.
Archived May 17, 2008
ICFF Adds: This year in cooperation with Material ConneXion, Inc., the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) adds Materials Matter, an extensive "mind-expanding exhibition of cutting-edge materials and innovative production processes." Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, May 17-20.
Archived May 10, 2008
Swell Opening: Eco-design exhibit Swell officially opened at Vancouver's Pendulum Gallery on April 21 and runs until May 10.
Archived May 10, 2008
Retail Bankrupts: Michael Barbara reports for the Herald Tribune on the number of bankruptcies in the US retail sector.
Archived May 10, 2008
Eco Design Award: The US-based Sustainable Furniture Council sponsors One Good Chair a casual seating design competition. Deadline May 16.
Archived May 10, 2008
Milan Views: Alice Rawsthorn reviews this years's Milan Furniture Fair for the Herald Tribune.
Archived May 10, 2008
MOMA Exhibit: New York's Museum of Modern Art presents Design and the Elastic Mind, a survey focusing on designers' ability to adjust to the latest developments in technology and science. Closes May 12.
Archived May 10, 2008
James Dyson has commissioned WilkinsonEyre Architects to develop plans for the Dyson School of Design Innovation for 14- to 19-year-olds. Practical programs in engineering, design and enterprise, stressing hands-on experience with the latest industrial research and development technology, will be offered at the proposed riverside site in Bath, UK.
Archived May 10, 2008
BSI Eco Standards: The British Standards Institute presents a one-day forum on the development of UK sustainable design standards at the Design Council in London, hosted by Frank Peters, chief executive of the Chartered Society of Designers. June 10.
Archived May 6, 2008
FDM Magazine : hosts a free webinar sponsored by Dux Area Inc. on eco-friendly spray finishing. May 6, at 11:00 a.m., EST.
Archived May 2, 2008
Zip to Shape: Swiss-based Design to Production won a silver iF material design award for Zip Shape, a technology that allows curved panels to be produced without moulds by aligning two interlocking slotted panels.
Archived May 2, 2008
OCAD Links: Toronto's Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) is reported by Canadian Architect to have established formal links with Goldsmiths, University of London, UK, to allow students and faculty to collaborate on academic and research initiatives.
Archived May 2, 2008
In Memoriam: The National Post reports a planned retrospective exhibition of Canadian furniture designer Stefan Siwinski could be thwarted by a property dispute. Siwinski, a pioneer of moulded plastic and institutional seating design, died at age 91 in Toronto on February 25.
Archived May 2, 2008
Milan 2008: Design Boom presents images of "Vitra edition" experimental furniture at this year's Milan furniture fair.
Archived May 2, 2008
Museum Opened: Sir Terence Conran officially opened the Gordon Russell Museum in Broadway, UK, on April 5. A tribute to the furniture manufacturing company Gordon Russell Ltd., its founder Sir Gordon Russell and his brother Richard, the museum includes artifacts from the early 1920s to this century.
Note: Gordon Russell's last manufacturing facility in Worcester, UK, closed in 2007, and Hands, a High Wycombe-based office furniture manufacturer, purchased the designs and intellectual property.
Archived April 27, 2008
ON Green: Speke Klein of Durham, Ontario, features their Quinn dining table in the CANUhome exhibit at Toronto's Green Living Show, April 25-27.
Archived April 22, 2008
Chair/Table Awards: The 2008 Andreu Design Award design brief requests an "innovative" seat or table that meets technical parameters established by the Spanish company. Deadline September, 15.
Archived April 22, 2008
Bestar Back: French-literate readers can learn from this Journal Les Affaires article how Quebec-based office furniture producer Bestar decided to tackle off-shore competition. In an unusual move, Bestar dismissed 30 managers and assigned their work to shop floor unionized workers, a strategy that resulted in a small profit for 2007 and an about-face from a loss of $1.3 million in 2006.
Archived April 22, 2008
UK Designers: View a cross-section of British furniture designer/makers courtesy of Hidden Art, a London-based non-profit design support organization.
Archived April 22, 2008
Design Classics: When UK's Independent newspaper asked eight design "experts" to pick their ultimate design classic, Ron Arad chose the Ribbon Chair by Cesare Leonardi and Franca Stagi, and Russell Pinch selected the EM Table by Jean Prouvé.
Archived April 22, 2008
Eco Selection: An eco-design exhibit Swell, at Vancouver's Pendulum Gallery, selected seven furniture designers and their products for inclusion: Evan Bare (Juxt table), Christian Blyt (Corelam material), Ornamentum (Bamboo Divide table), Ryan Frank (Bourke's Luck chair), Mike and Maaike (Juxtaposed:Religion shelf), Upholstery Arts (TBA Sofa), Covello Reesor (RePLY chair).
Archived April 22, 2008
Nu Green: A brand particle board, produced with phenol formaldehyde adhesive and manufactured by Uniboard in Sayabec, Quebec, received FSC certification.
Archived April 19, 2008
Eco-Chairs: Winners of the first annual California College of the Arts Eco-chair design competition will be presented April 16 at Zinc Details, 2410 California Street, San Francisco, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Public should competition sponsor Bevara Design House.
Archived April 19, 2008
Starck to Stop: French designer Philippe Starck, interviewed by the German magazine Die Ziet (translation via Google), claimed "elitism is vulgar" and expensive furniture "obscene." These "road to Damascus" revelations tie closely to Starck's intention to cease designing within two years, while remaining a "producer of concepts."
Archived April 12, 2008
Product Design and Development: , a 20-page Design Exchange report in pdf, enables Canadian manufacturers to compare their product design and development performance with local and international competitors.
Archived April 12, 2008
Sintered Chair: Dezeen blog posts an item about the Diamond Chair designed by Canadian-born Oki Sato for Tokyo-based Nendo. Fabricated from nylon using laser sintering technology, this "prototype" chair provides a glimpse into the future of mass-customized furniture.
Archived April 12, 2008
Vouchers for Design: Design Week lists several ideas from the Minister of Innovation in support of the UK's design industry, including "innovation vouchers" that SMEs can exchange for new product development assistance from the company's choice of educational institute.
Archived April 12, 2008
Eco Incubator: The Ottawa Sun reports on plans for a "world-scale, multi-corporate, value-added wood products processing, marketing and exporting complex", Ontario. Proposed elements for the Ontario East Wood Centre include a wood science centre, eco-friendly buildings and manufacturing incubator support.
Archived April 12, 2008
Panel Webinar: Stiles Machinery of Grand Rapids, Michigan, sponsors a webinar on honeycomb, composite and lightweight panel materials and technology. April 17.
Archived April 12, 2008
UK Pay Packets: Design Week provides extensive data and analysis of design salaries in the UK, with 2007 figures outside London showing "consistent growth" and those in the capital fluctuating "more wildly."
Archived April 12, 2008
A Boxed Set: Casulo a prototype "one box of apartment furniture" concept, designed by German designers Marcel Krings and Sebastian Mühlhäuser, can be viewed on YouTube.
Archived April 12, 2008
Eco Site: The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, based in Reston, VA, launched a new website to help educate consumers and building professionals about its Environmental Stewardship Program.
Archived April 10, 2008
Pure Design :, the Alberta contemporary furniture manufacturer that closed in 2005, "morphed" into a retail operation based in Corning, New York.
Archived April 8, 2008
Expanding Hardware: The Gazette newspaper reports Montreal-based Richelieu Hardware, a leading wholesaler of furniture hardware, takes advantage of the US economic downturn and high Canadian dollar to expand its US operation.
Archived April 4, 2008
Book Pick: Rob Thompson, lecturer at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts in London, and senior designer at Bolton Associates, recently published Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals.
Archived April 4, 2008
Eco News: The UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Indonesian NGO Telapak claims Vietnam's booming furniture industry is one factor driving rapid deforestation in Laos.
Archived April 4, 2008
Eco Count: FIRA, the UK-based furniture research lab, has developed Furniture Footprinter, a carbon and ecological accounting tool for the furniture sector. Claimed to be easy to use, the web-based tool is compatible with existing and emerging national and international standards.
Archived March 29, 2008
Canwood to Close: The Penticton News reports RTA pine furniture manufacturer Canwood Furniture will close its Penticton plant in mid-July, laying off 91 workers.
Archived March 29, 2008
Boxes Bought: Cabinet Maker magazine reports Craftsman Wood Products of Delta, BC, purchased JD Industries, a manufacturer of custom wood and composite drawer boxes in Langley, BC.
Archived March 29, 2008
Eco Exhibit: The Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver hosts Swell an The exhibition will showcase approximately 30 works that employ various principles of sustainability in their design, production, distribution or use. Contact Swell for submission details. Deadline March 30.
Archived March 29, 2008
Design Award: The Agency for the Promotion of Industrial Creation, based in Paris, sponsors Design Observeur 09, a competition with a "product design" category. Deadline June 6.
Archived March 29, 2008
Significant Award: The Italian Aldo Morelato Foundation sponsors their annual design award Significant Furniture with a theme that explores the relationship between furniture and new media. Deadline May 14.
Archived March 24, 2008
Umbra: Interviewed by Alex Bozikovic of the Globe and Mail, Matt Carr, Umbra's new design director, explains his approach to product development.
Archived March 22, 2008
Design Democracy 08: website promotes "mass customization." Enter your designs, vote for your favourite entry and access technical and material resources. Sponsored by Royal Oak, Michigan-based Context Furniture, selected designs and a "people's choice" design will be displayed in New York at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in May. Deadline March 21.
Archived March 22, 2008
LEED Lacking: The new website Good Wood tracks the use of FSC-certified timber in 2010 Olympic venues, as the official Olympic bid book states the games will "showcase" LEED standards in all new facilities. (See also VCR issue 28:1 and Vancouver Sun.)
Archived March 22, 2008
How Much?: Coroflot announced its 2007 survey of international design salaries, data that indicate industrial designers earn similarly, whether working in-house, in a consultancy or freelance (unique in comparison to other professional designers).
Archived March 22, 2008
Stockholm Fair: View dozens of images from the recent 2008 Stockholm Furniture Show, courtesy of the Design Boom blog.
Archived March 22, 2008
IDS Vancouver: Design Vancouver has morphed this year into Interior Design Show West (IDSWEST). The show's participant list includes local designer/makers Brent Comber, Francis Lemieux and ODI Galley; Azure magazine sponsors a talk by Canadian designer Patty Johnson. March 19-22.
Archived March 14, 2008
What's in a Name? If you have wondered how Ikea decides on its "chummy" product names, this article in the UK's Independent newspaper provides some clues.
Archived March 14, 2008
RTA Fitting Wins: The UT Connector, manufactured by Australia's Zipbolt Pty. Ltd., won a gold award at the recent ZOW tradeshow in Germany.
Archived March 11, 2008
St. Louis Design: David Bonetti of St Louis's Post Dispatch reports on the contemporary furniture owned by the St. Louis Art Museum in its collection, including the work of Droog design, Charles Eames, Gaetano Pesce, Eero Saarinen, Philippe Starck and many other prominent designers.
Archived March 11, 2008
More Closures: On February 12 the United Steelworkers stated that 45 of its members will be laid off at the Shermag plant in Lennoxville for an indefinite time.
Archived March 11, 2008
BCIT Open House: Biesse Canada offers free sessions on software 20-20 Technologies, Microvellum, Top Solid and hardware, including panel saws, nesting CNC and edgebanders. March 13-14.
Archived March 11, 2008
Bestar Backed: Quebec-based ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturer Bestar Inc. has received financial assistance and loans worth more than three million dollars from provincial and federal governments.
Archived March 11, 2008
Architects Design: Alice Rawstone reports in the Herald Tribune on architect-designed furniture that is "pricey, impractical and very desirable."
Archived March 11, 2008
Open House: UBC's Centre for Advanced Wood Processing invites you to their open house on March 28. RSVP by March 7.
Archived March 11, 2008
Keep It in Mind: Terrible at remembering your customers' names? Joe Takash in Furniture World Magazine promotes five tips to help sharpen your grey matter's recall.
Archived March 11, 2008
US Sales "Critical": When America’s Research Group furniture retail sales index dropped to 66 in January, chairperson Britt Beemer stated, "The index has not dropped below the critical level of 70 since November 2001."
Archived March 4, 2008
Chair Awards: Furniture designers under the age of 40 can enter the Promosedia International Design Competition - Caiazza Memorial Challenge that stipulates "indoor chairs for either residential or contract use, making a significant use of wood." Deadline for entries March 31.
Archived March 4, 2008
Factory Opening!: News Record of Greensboro, NC, reports that Polish upholstered furniture manufacturer Com40 will build a plant for 813 employees in Danville, Virginia, to produce mattresses and upholstery for IKEA stores in North America.
Archived March 4, 2008
Vacancy at CCA: The California College of the Arts (CCA) posted an opening for a non-tenure part-time assistant professor of production furniture, beginning fall 2008. Application deadline March 10.
Archived March 4, 2008
Bruer Added: Owen Edwards announced in the Smithsonian Magazine that Marcel Bruer's 1926 B5 chair has been added to the collection of the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York City.
Archived March 4, 2008
DE Awards: Focus Green, a design competition (includes furniture as a category) organized by the Stuttgart Design Center, accepts submissions from designers worldwide meeting its criteria for innovation and sustainability. Deadline March 20.
Archived March 4, 2008
Toronto Design Exhibit: MADE presents Radiant Dark an exhibition of modern emerging Canadian design at the Burroughes Building, 639 Queen Street West, Toronto. February 20 to March 2.
Archived March 4, 2008
Eco Links: The UK's Guardian makes available an extensive and useful list of links to environmental organizations, products and services.
Archived February 23, 2008
Labels Online: The new Vancouver-based website ecolabelling.org, developed by partners Trevor Bowden, Jacob Malthouse and Anastasia, aims to provide an "independent" database of worldwide ecolabels.
Archived February 23, 2008
Amisco Reports: Tubular steel furniture manufacturer Amisco, based in L'Islet, Quebec, reports an average drop in sales of 16.1 percent (8.1 percent in Canada and 20.4 percent in the United States) for its financial year ending November 30, 2007. A much lower reduction in gross profit balanced the decline in net sales.
Archived February 23, 2008
Ergo Office Health: The Business Ledger reports chiropractors find a direct link between workers’ health and productivity and the use of ergonomically designed office furniture.
Archived February 23, 2008
Swedish Saavy: Chandra Ahlsell and Anna Holmquist of Stockholm-based Folkform incorporate a wide variety of materials and experimental applications into their furniture designs, which include steel street furniture, marble and Masonite cabinets and benches from three different leathers.
Archived February 16, 2008
CNC Creates: ISWOnline describes how advances in CNC machining centre technology develops new material and furniture applications.
Archived February 16, 2008
20-20 Purchase: Canadian Press reports interior design and furniture manufacturing software company 20-20 Technologies purchased UK-based Planit Fusion.
Archived February 16, 2008
Baronet Update: In November 2007, after 65 years of operation, Sainte Marie de Beauce-based contemporary furniture manufacturer Baronet laid off 165 workers. In a press release dated January 21, 2008, Thierry Audin confirmed the company is proceeding with the sale of its plant under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act; management says it is not a bankruptcy.
Reasons given for the closure include the high cost of the Canadian dollar and the October closure of UpCountry, one of Baronet's important Toronto retailers.
(On the same day, AFMQ reported Terronne-based Azura Furniture Inc. is also operating under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act.)
Archived February 16, 2008
Cologne Design: Rotterdam-based Designws.com provides a four-page comprehensive overview of furniture introduced at Cologne Design Week, January 14-20, 2008.
Archived February 16, 2008
French Design; Readers literate in French can access the most recent D+M Designplus magazine in PDF. The magazine features Eurosit, the French office furniture manufacturer profiled in VCR's current issue.
Archived February 9, 2008
Vietnam Ventures: A report in China Wood claims that the export value of wooden products from Vietnam will hit 5.5 billion (USD) by 2010, and Vietnam is expected to replace China as the largest exporter of wooden furniture to the U.S.
Archived February 9, 2008
Sales Slump: Furniture Today reports that the expected U.S. consumer spending on furniture will rise only .04% in 2008. Reasons given for the low forecast include the subprime mortgage "mess" and declining home values in some markets.
Archived February 9, 2008
Smaller-scale Designs: Vancouver's Wood Co-op Gallery hosts 2 + 1 = furniture for small spaces, an exhibition of eco-friendly, smaller-scale furnishings sponsored by Emily Carr Institute and Van Gogh Designs. January 30 to February 18.
Archived February 9, 2008
'Net Searching: Performics, Microsoft and ROI
Research author a PDF report documenting how mothers with young children use Internet search engines to make furniture purchases.
Archived February 9, 2008
Palliser Sued: Contact Music reports that Clint Eastwood is suing Palliser Furniture for illegally trading on his name without his permission as a result of Palliser marketing a line of chairs called The Eastwood.
Archived February 1, 2008
Free Catalogue: Contact Hettich at info@de.hettich.com to receive your copy of
International Design Award 2007, a catalogue and interactive CD documenting the 2007 furniture and hardware design competition sponsored by Hettich and Rehau.
Archived February 1, 2008
Quebec Losses: Jean-François Michaud, president and CEO of the Furniture Manufacturers Association of Quebec (AFMQ), told Laurier Cloutier of La Presse that the Quebec furniture industry lost 22 percent of its employees and 33 percent of its revenue in the past four to five years. Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce-based contemporary furniture manufacturer Baronet exemplifies this downturn. In November Baronet sought protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and laid off 165 workers. The October closure of UpCountry, one of Baronet's important Toronto retailers, was cited as a reason.
Archived February 1, 2008
MB Grants: FPInnovations (Forintek Division) has been granted $1,178,000 by the Canada-Manitoba Economic Partnership Agreement to develop value-added and wood technology programs in Manitoba.
Archived February 1, 2008
Sottsass Passes: Tributes to Ettore Sottsass, the "giant" of Italian design who died on December 31, 2007, aged 90, have appeared in newspapers worldwide, including the New York Times, The Guardian and Times of London.
Archived February 1, 2008
Magazine Pick: The UK magazine Furniture Production can now be accessed online.
Archived February 1, 2008
Nienkämper: Interviewed by Ian Armitage for Exec Canada magazine, Klaus Nienkämper, owner, president and founder of Scarborough, Ontario-based office furniture manufacturer Nienkämper, describes "how his dream to create innovative furniture has become a reality."
Archived February 1, 2008
Maeda Heads RISD: In June 2008, John Maeda, Associate Director of Research at the MIT Media Lab, will become president of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Maeda authors a blog on his "Laws of Simplicity" and has developed projects for Google, Philips, Reebok and Samsung.
Archived February 1, 2008
Awards: UK readers can vote in the third Observer Ethical Awards, in association with Ecover. The deadline is March 2, 2007, with results announced in the Observer Magazine's June 2008 special issue.
Archived January 20, 2008
Austrian Award: German-literate readers can read details of a design competition sponsored by Austrian furniture manufacturer Wiesner-Hager. The design brief specifies an experimental "bench," and entrants must be 20 years or older. Deadline February 4, 2008.
Archived January 20, 2008
Bauhaus Exhibit: The UK's mima (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art) presents a series of exhibitions about the history and development of the Bauhaus. The Gaurdian recently reviewed the exhibit.
Archived January 20, 2008
EU Green Tax?: The article Is a green tax on imported furniture required? in the winter issue of the British Furniture Manufacturers journal focuses on proposed levies for imports of furniture from countries with low environmental, health and safety standards.
Archived January 20, 2008
Eco Events: The West Coast hosts two sustainability events this month. Vancouver - January 17: talk by Ann Thorpe, author of The Designer's Atlas of Sustainability, at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. San Francisco - January 19: Compostmodern, a seminar organized by the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design.
Archived January 20, 2008
Eco Laptop Debate: This interactive, creative and collaborative blog thread ironically debunks Bruce Nussbaum's view of the OLPC versus Intel/Microsoft (creative versus rote learning) $100-laptop debate.
Archived January 20, 2008
Import Ban: On December 14, 2007, the US Congress passed an amendment to the Combat Illegal Logging Act to prohibit the import, sale or trade in illegally harvested wood and wood products.
Archived January 14, 2008
DX Awards: This year's DXA winners include Mark Müller (Vox Open Office) and the Teknion design team (District Office System and Fitz Task Chair). Toronto's Design Exchange, 234 Bay, until January 27.
Archived January 14, 2008
Best of British: The range of contemporary British furniture on exhibit at this year's Interiors Birmingham (January 20-23) includes Design City, a regional design showcase organized by Birmingham City University; Isos Collection from Metropolitan University's Furniture Works; Designersblock, a showcase for new British designers; and Design Britain, which relates the history of British design and more.
Archived January 4, 2008
Italian Awards: The National Confederation of Artisans and Small and Medium Enterprise (CNA), based in Torino, Italy, sponsors a wooden furniture design competition in association with the student design group Altrementi. Designs must use a wood species common to the Piedmont region for a first prize of $1500 (approx.). Deadline February 5, 2008
Archived January 4, 2008
Chinese Conditions: Loretta Tofani reports in the Salt Lake Tribune that more than 16 million factories in China subject their workers to high, poisonous levels of toxic chemicals. Examples cited by Tofani include 36-year-old furniture factory painter He Yuyun, suffering from myelodysplastic anemia, a precursor to leukemia.
Archived January 4, 2008
Shermag Shuts Four: On December 10, CBC reported Quebec furniture manufacturer Shermag will close four of its eight plants and dismiss 320 workers. In October the Globe and Mail confirmed the company had appointed George Armoyan to the board of directors. According to the Globe report, Armoyan believes that "Some stuff has to be made in China...." See the Salt Lake Tribune report (link above on this page) for the consequences of his views.
Archived January 4, 2008
Eco Design: The US Environmental Protection Agency publishes Life Cycle Assessment: Principles and Practice, an introduction to the four basic stages of LCA assessment - goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, interpretation.
Archived January 4, 2008
Italy Today: Federlegno, the Italian furniture manufacturers' federation, reports, via
Dow Jones Newswire, that sales of Italian furniture have risen 4.4 percent in 2007. A recent item in the Herald Tribune about the state of the Italian economy puts this announcement in perspective.
Archived January 4, 2008
MYTO Chair: Alice Rawsthorn reports in the Herald Tribune on German designer Konstantin Grcic's new plastic stacking chair that uses a new polymer from BASF.
|
