interiors monthly april 2011

KarndeanDa Vinci Graphite

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ril2011 F U R N I T U R E F L O O R I N G B E D S C A R P E T R U G S A C C E S S O R I E S

Interiorsmonthly

f i r s t f o r f l o o r i n g , f u r n i t u r e a n d a c c e s s o r i e s

Ap

ril20

11

Designer floorsThe new battle ground

UpholsterySitting comfortably

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To say Allied Carpets is changing hands asoften as the pages of a calendar turn is notstrictly true, but it certainly feels that way.

Since April 2009 when Hilco bought Alliedfrom Tapis Saint-Maclou through the SigmaCapital fund it seems that restructuring hasbeen an ongoing thing. Now a group of‘private investors’ are the new owners (seep8). But given the chain’s recent history whois to say it won’t be sold again in the future?

Every time Allied briefly entersadministration it sheds stores. Before the2009 administration there were 207 stores,which fell to 51 as a result of the pre-pack.This had fallen to 37 before the current dealand now Allied has only 24 branches.

If Allied is not to become just the name ofa competitor that couldn’t deal with the

market leader (remember it was losingmoney well before the recession began), thefear has to be that a further sale any timesoon will be a sale too far.

There seems to be a sense of ‘Oh well, itwasn’t that bad,’ about the Budget. I can’t buthelp feel that measures affecting individualswill simply negate the economic benefits ofwelcome announcements such as the fuelduty cut and accelerated corporation taxreduction.

The BBC/KPMG’s Budget calculator findsthat a married couple aged 45 and 40 withno children and earning £54,000 a year(details I picked at random) will be £337.42 ayear better off. But the couple, key customersfor many retailers, can only achieve this ifthey don’t drive, drink or smoke. If they dothey are £21.21 worse off.

Less than 6p a day between them isn’tgoing to make a difference other than oneless G&T maybe, but more importantly it isn’tgoing to make them feel any better off. Andif they don’t feel any better off, they areunlikely to be keen to help kick-start theeconomy.

Maybe the ban on cigarette displays is partof a wider plan after all?

EDITOR’S COMMENT

www.interiorsmonthly.co.uk 5

Changing hands again

Andrew KiddEDITOR

Karndean’s Da Vinci collection isa timeless collection of wood andstone effect tiles and planks,designed to replicate classicflooring and targeted at thosewho prefer a more traditionalinterior style.Tel: 01386 820 100

Editor: Andrew KiddT: 01273 930 029 E: [email protected] advertising (South): Tim BodenT: 01732 783 561 E: [email protected] advertising (North): Jarrod BirdT: 01565 659 414 E: [email protected] and accessories advertising: Joanne MillerT: 01732 783 561 E: [email protected] executive: Ben WatkinsT: 01732 783 561 E: [email protected] sales agent: Jane DaiT: 00 86 755 8398 1616 E: [email protected]

Published by Interiors Media LimitedUnit 11, Riverside Business Centre, Riverside House,Riverlawn Road, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1EPT: 01732 783 561 F: 01732 783 562E: [email protected] in England no. 6397722Printed by Headley Brothers Design by TSS DIGITAL © Interiors Media Limited ISSN 1756-2236


F U R N I T U R E F L O O R I N G B E D S C A R P E T R U G S A C C E S S O R I E S

Interiorsmonthly


April

2011



When will the ownershipmerry go round end atAllied Carpets? It seems likeanother month, anotherbuyer.

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CONTENTS


INSIDE THIS ISSUENEWS8 Archers celebrates milestone

10 Ryalux sales hit by winter blues

12 Ashley Wilde secures copyright settlement

FEATURES20 Living and dining

Is it really oak, oak and oak?

26 CarpetLiving room heroes

35 Beds and bedroom supplementWhy design now matters in the bedroom

52 VinylWhy everyone wants a slice of the LVT cake

60 UpholsteryArmchairs: the quiet star

68 RugsIn with the in crowd

74 ProtectionAvoid delivery damage

76 SoftwareWhat the latest updates mean for your business

REGULARS5 Comment

15 Opinion

16 New products

81 Entertainment

82 Final polish

NEXT ISSUEThe Milan review

Beds and bedroom focus

Wood and laminate: where now?

INTERIORS MONTHLY APRIL 2011

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NEWS

8 Interiors Monthly April 2011

Westward bound: Kitchens International has expanded to the west of Scotland with its fifthbranch, in central Glasgow. ‘Glasgow is a key market for us and until now we have serviced it from Edinburgh. However, there is an increasing demand for high quality design, coupled withcontemporary, aspirational kitchens in the west,’ says Paul O’Brien, KI business development director. He says many people are refurbishing their kitchens rather than moving house.

Bed chain Archers Sleepcentre will open its 10th store in a

decade on 9 April. The Hillington Trading Estate, Glasgow

branch will be one of the Scottish chain’s largest,

incorporating an Internet clearance centre showing mail

order returns and discounted seconds.

‘I am hugely excited about our new venture,’ says Ian

Archibald, Archers md.

‘There is a real buzz in the area: lots of alternative retailers

offering something a bit different to the high street and bog

standard retail park.’

Ian and his brother Derek opened the first Archers store

in 2001 on the city’s Great Western Road in Glasgow after

Ian lost his job at Dreams.

The chain is Sealy and Silentnight Beds’ largest customer

in Scotland and has about 10% of the Scottish bed market.

‘Uniquely we stock most of our beds on site at each store,

this allows customers to load up their cars and vans and

take their beds away, and about half of them do,’ says

Robert Hunter, Archers sales director.

Since it began selling online in November 2007, Internet

sales have increased to more than 20% of turnover, with

sales doubling in the past year.

Archers scores 10 out of10 for new store openings

Hilco sells Allied Carpets Allied Carpets has been sold yet again,with Dean Weston, operations directorunderstood to be heading a group ofprivate investors who have bought thechain from Hilco.

On 7 March Weston was named as adirector of Savana Trading, whichchanged its name to Allied Floors on 16March. Under the deal 24 stores weresold and nine closed. AdministratorLeonard Curtis will sell four more.

Hilco bought Allied Carpets in 2009and later conducted a pre-pack,purchasing 51 of Allied’s 217 stores.

A post on the DIY Week website

claiming to be from a supplier owedmoney says suppliers have been toldthey cannot use any monies from thenew company to pay the debts of the oldone.

‘It’s legal, but it shouldn’t be. I will notbe trading with them again. Who needsit? We don’t. There are lots of reputablebusinesses out there to sell to and for thepublic to buy from,’ the post says.

A statement on behalf of the private investors distributed throughHilco says: ‘We are pleased that we havemanaged to conclude the acquisitionand believe there is significant scope to

further grow our market share anddevelop the Allied brand whilstcontinuing to offer unparalleledcustomer service.’

Meanwhile, Carpetright is to closealmost a third of its Republic of Irelandstores after deciding there will not be anupturn in the Irish economy any timesoon.

Up to 19 jobs will be cut as seven ofthe 25 stores close. Locations were notconfirmed as the chain is in consultationswith the affected staff. Carpetright’s Irishsales have dropped by more than half inthe past three years.

Register onlineOnline registration for The Bed Show is

now available at www.bedshow.co.uk.

The exhibition will take place from

27-28 September at the Telford

International Centre.

More than 1,200 visitors attended

last year’s debut event.

Among those companies already

signed up are Airsprung Group,

Harrison Spinks Group, Hypnos,

Millbrook, Relyon, Simmons Group,

Sweet Dreams and ViSpring.

Exhibitors have to be National Bed

Federation members to take part,

which significantly boosted the

association’s membership last year.

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NEWS


Ryalux’s residential sales dropped by

16% in the second half of last year,

due to the snowy conditions.

After rationalising its product

ranges, Ryalux and sister company

Bermatex’s parent Airea saw sales

1.2% ahead in the first quarter but

December’s bad weather wiped out

£900,000 of sales. Pre-tax profits fell

from £362,000 to £94,000.

The group says increasing capacity

of the dye house has seen it deliver a

lower cost, better quality product to

the business and it remains

‘encouraged by progress in the sales of

new products and the winning of new

business with a major multiple retailer,

which should start to come on stream

in our fourth quarter’.

The group’s former Victoria Mills site

in Ossett is likely to be redeveloped for

housing after the local authority

proposed allocating it for

development.

Snow hits Ryalux’sresidential sales

Details of the first Buying Group

National Flooring Show have been

confirmed.

More than 50 exhibitors will take part

in the 18-19 May event at Cranmore

Park, Solihull.

The show is open to members from

the BRM, Metro, and SMG buying

groups only. Flooring One members can

also visit on 17 May.

‘Feedback from last year’s pilot show

from retailers and manufacturers alike

was enthusiastic to say the least,’ says

Paul Phillips, BRM md.

‘For both flooring sectors it is the

way forward.’

Chris Moffat, SMG chief executive

adds: ‘This is a fantastic and unique

opportunity for all buying group

members to see the majority of their

approved suppliers in one very

convenient venue.’

Brit awardwinnersIndustrial Facility’s Branca chair has wonthe 2011 Brit Insurance Designs of theYear 2011 Furniture Award. The chairmimicks the natural growth patterns oftwigs and branches with the Brancabackrest and armrests appearing to growseamlessly from just one piece of wood.

Hulger’s Plumen 001 energy savinglight bulb took the Product Designcategory and was named Overall Winnerof the awards.

‘Rather than simply adding more stuffto the shelves of shops around the world,we hope that with Plumen we arecontributing something all togethermore useful and valuable. We hope thatthis award will signal to others a routeforward where design and sustainabilitycan co-exist without compromise,’ saysNicolas Roope, Hulger co-founder.

The International Furniture FairSingapore/ASEAN Furniture Show sawvisitor numbers leap by more than a fifthat the 9-12 March event.

Running alongside Deco Asia 2011 andthe debut of Hospitality Asia 2011, theexhibition attracted of 20,873 visitors – a20.8% increase on 2010. Visitors from 112countries placed orders worth £177m, up7%, and follow-on sales are expected totop £1.8bn.

‘We will have to look for a biggerproduction factory. That is howsuccessful the fair has been for us,’ saysMartin Filskov Olsen, Asian Design Housepresident.

Frank Hudson made its show debut.‘We took part after deciding to focus ourefforts on expanding internationally and

the show exceeded our expectations. Theresponse from the buyers and designersshows that Frank Hudson Furniture has aglobal audience,’ says co-owner TimHudson.

Ulster CarpetsUlster Carpets was founded in 1938 andhas operated from the same site inCraigavon since then, not 1936 asreported in the March issue. Apologiesfor any confusion or embarrassmentcaused.

Dates for buying group show

Singapore numbers leap

Frank Hudson reported strong interest in itsChesterfield range

The winningBranca chair

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NEWS


peo

ple

Mohawk Carpets

has increased its

sales force to six.

Marcus Bowes

(above) is

responsible for East

Anglia and north

east and north west

London. Jonathan

Scorah (below) is

responsible for

Cumbria, the North

East and North and

West Yorkshire.

Formica has named

Richard Crisp as the

Axiom by Formica

national sales

manager.

Neil Hickland

(above) has been

appointed as sales

agent for Northern

Ireland and the

Republic of Ireland

for Kingstown

Furniture.

furnishings industry is an increasing problem,

heightened by the economic recession.

‘Reputable design houses and converters need

to follow Ashley Wilde’s example and stand up to

infringers rather than turning a blind eye. In

winning this action, Ashley Wilde has struck a

blow for all design-led companies in the home

furnishings trade.’

Ashley Wilde’s Boulevard design

Primark has paid Ashley Wilde a six-figure sum in

compensation and withdrawn a collection

bearing a copy of the Ashley Wilde Boulevard

design in its Penneys stores in the Republic of

Ireland.

After the collection was launched in October

2008, High Court proceedings were issued in

Dublin against Primark, seeking an injunction to

restrain further sales, damages and costs. In an

out of court settlement Primark agreed to

withdraw its products from sale and paid

compensation plus legal costs to Ashley Wilde.

Ashley Brodin, Ashley Wilde chief executive

says: ‘The outcome of this case demonstrates that

Ashley Wilde will always take strong action to

protect the integrity of its designs, whatever the

financial position of the infringer. We invest

heavily in our design studio to enable it to

produce high quality, commercially successful

products.

‘The practice of taking a shortcut to market

share by copying successful designs needs to be

stamped out.’

Tony Catterall, head of intellectual property at

Taylors Solicitors, which represented Ashley

Wilde says: ‘The issue of plagiarism in the home

Ashley Wilde securescopyright settlement

More spaceThe Manchester Furniture Show willincrease in size after the completion ofManchester Central ConventionComplex’s renovations.

Woodpecker Furniture, Time Living,Joynson Holland, Universal Furniture,Shanker Enterprises, RM Furniture, IsaacHirst, Vogue Beds and Cintique will beamong those showing in the newCharter Hall.

Lebus Upholstery has officially becomean exhibitor and will continue to show inthe Midland Hotel.

Insight With Passion will host freehour-long private consultations for twodays during the show. [email protected] toregister.

Online registration for the 17-20 Julyexhibition is now available atwww.manchesterfurnitureshow.com.

Bill Carrahar, Bensons for Bedsmd is to leave the chain thismonth after more than fiveyears in the job. He lives 100miles from the Warringtonhead office and no longerwants the long commute.

‘It has been a fantastic fiveyears, trading through somedifficult economic times but,with the help of a truly

talented team of people,we’ve established Bensons asa leading national bedretailer,’ says Carrahar.

‘I’m extremely sorry to beleaving but the time hascome to find a challengenearer to home.’

The chain has yet toannounce a replacement forCarrahar.

A suspected arson attack on

19 March destroyed the

warehouse of Parkside

Carpets, Bloxwich, West

Midlands, causing £15,000 of

damage.

‘It’s unbelievable.

Someone has broken a wall

to be able to set fire to the

carpets,’ says owner Malcolm

Lownes, 75, who founded

the store 43 years ago.

Blaze hits carpet warehouse Brintons has

recruited Stephanie

Savage (above left)

as field designer

and Lois Norman as

junior designer.

Bensons boss to leave

12news_IMapr11.qxp 29/3/11 10:23

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Cranmore Park, Solihull is pleased to be hosting its very first Buying GroupNational Flooring Show on 18/19 May 2011, with over 50 exhibitors,including leading manufacturers and suppliers covering carpets, rugs,laminates, underlay, vinyl and woods.

The first of its kind trade show welcomes, but is restricted to all membersfrom the BRM, Metro, and SMG buying groups. Cranmore Park is a 2,500sqm showroom with purpose built restaurants, dedicated catering team,private reception and free on-site parking.

Chris Moffat, SMG chief executive said: “This is a fantastic and uniqueopportunity for all buying group members to see the majority of theirapproved suppliers in one very convenient venue.”

Paul Phillips BRM md added: “Feedback from last year’s pilot show fromretailers and manufacturers alike was enthusiastic to say the least. For bothflooring sectors it is the way forward.”

David Kipping, Metro Group chief executive said: "The combination of thelargest collection of flooring suppliers exhibiting in the UK, a superb centrallocation, and at the perfect time for the peak autumn trade make this show unmissable"

“We are delighted to welcome the buying groups to this superb venue,” saida Cranmore Park representative. “We are very proud of these facilities andfor sometime suppliers have been asking if we would consider hosting suchan extended trade show. We tested a one day event last year and it wentvery well. The quality of the supplier stands is excellent and I’m suredelegates and suppliers alike will benefit from the experience. We are lookingforward to a good turnout”.C

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014_IM_0411:Layout 1 31/03/2011 11:13 Page 1

OPINION


Some 20 years ago I was involved in a trade organisationrepresenting British companies selling their wares throughoutthe world, and particularly to the Middle East. I remember onechap who sold fabrics. Like many British salesmen travelling theglobe he was informed, urbane and very good at his job.

In 1991 when America and Britain sent troops to liberateKuwait from Iraqi occupation I remember him saying: ‘This is adisaster! How can I sell when we are sending in tanks? It upsetstrade right across the region and it won’t be put right quickly!’

In 1991 the British trade balance was just slightly in thenegative. In the four quarters of 2010 our trade balance wasnever better than -£4bn each quarter.

That trade association still exists, but the trade is no longer inexport from our shores. Ratherthe flow is inwards. Almost all ofthe companies involved nowimport into our economy.

I am not blaming John Majoror George Bush senior and theirliberation of Kuwait on all our ills.There are many factors, not leastthe container shipping of goodsthat has expanded low costimports into our economy.

But in these times when we aretrying as a nation to repair oureconomy we should rememberall those salesmen who only 20years ago travelled the globerepresenting British creativityand jobs.

The export earnings forfurniture and furnishings alone ran into hundreds of millions ofpounds every year. We are now on our fourth militaryintervention in the region since my friend the fabric salesmanbecame so agitated.

I wish that Britain would retire from trying to be theconscience or policeman of the world. Our ability to meet theneeds of our 61m citizens rests on our success in selling ourwares in the world.

It’s time to do some serious thinking as a nation. This conflict,like the three before, damages Britain’s trade. It makes it harderfor our diminished vanguard of British exporters to helpbalance Britain’s wonky books.

Concentrating on exporting rather good curtains around theworld, or whatever it is that we find ourselves good at, wouldbe a start.

Michael NorthcroftFurniture by Michael Northcroft md and designer

Concentrate onexports not conflict

Our abilityto meet theneeds of our61m citizensrests on oursuccess inselling ourwares in theworld

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15opinion_IMapr11.qxp 30/3/11 14:43


1 Embracing the trend for retro design, Kährs has introduced the Linnea Dwell

collection of wood floors. Offering a mix of chic patterns, the range includes

oak, walnut and poplar options in Dutch mosaic, parquet and multi-stripe

finishes. Colour options span pale toned Dutch-classic Oak Loft to black and

white striped Poplar Notting Hill (pictured).

Tel: 023 9245 3045

2 Joining an existing portfolio of cutting edge style, including strong ranges

such as the Touch of Tiles and Café Noir, Avenue is introducing Ultimate Oak,

Precious Metals and Pure vinyl ranges to in-store displays.

Tel: 00 32 5665 3211

3 With a luxurious silk look and 28 shades, Bamboo is the latest carpet

collection from Lano Carpets. It uses bamboo fibre within its yarn, enhancing

the carpet with a its soft-to-the-touch feel and using the rapidly renewable

resource to help reduce the carpet’s impact on the environment.

Tel: 00 800 5266 5266

4 Limelight Beds always brings contemporary comfort to the bedroom and its

latest collection of bedsteads is no different. Phoenix is as stylish as it is

comfortable and offers the ultimate in bedroom luxury with padded

headboard and footend. It is available in black or white.

Tel: 01455 850 150

5 Leoline is updating displays in retailers across the country, introducing the

Comfylux Xtra range and the Softstep collection, formerly called Mastergrip.

‘The changes will help retailers to fully benefit not only from the Leoline name,

but also from collections designed to appeal to a broad cross-section of

consumers,’ says Caroline Wille, product manager.

Tel: 00 32 5665 3211 ��

2

3

4 5

1

NEW PRODUCTS

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Manx Carpets Castle Twistis as popular as ever with retailers due to thevariety of weight options the range offers,made from 80% British Wool in eighteen modern colours available 30,40,50,60 & a luxury 70oz quality in 4 & 5m widths,its amust for every retailer.

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6 Prestigious Textiles’ Home Sweet Home

is a mix and match collection of cotton

prints, embellished embroideries and

matching wallpapers for children’s rooms and

play areas. The collection includes seven

designs including the fantasy promenades of

Home Sweet Home and Lapwing Lane,

together with folksy florals Florie and

Summer Hill.

Tel: 01274 688 448

7 Gong’s Dallas armchair in black distressed

leather is inspired by the beauty of

chesterfields, with its brass nails and back

buttons portraying a look of timeless

elegance and comfort.

Tel: 020 7370 7176

8 Ulster Carpets is adding four woven

axminster plaid colourways to its Country

House Beaumont range: Chalk Downs,

Balmoral Red, Turtle Dove and Brindle.

Composed of 80% wool and 20% nylon, the

colourways will be suitable for extra heavy

wear and available in 4.57m, 3.66m, 2.74m,

1.83m and 0.91m colour matching widths.

Tel: 028 3833 4433

9 Sixinch’s Dual Cut splits a foam flock with

two L-shaped cut lines, employing the

simplest production process to minimise

wastage. It features two ergonomically

comfortable seat back angle options of 6°

and 23° and can form into a one-seater with

a side table, a chaise lounge or a corner table.

Tel: 00 32 3609 5702

10 Whitehead Designs’ Ritz sofa shows

how contemporary and quality can be

beautifully combined. Elegant scooped arms

are minimal and space saving while a solid

wood plinth surrounding the base and

plump feather back and seat cushions ooze

style and comfort.

Tel: 0115 9725 056

7

8 9

10

6

NEW PRODUCTS

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LIVING AND DINING

Oak dominates the living and dining

sector, but there are plenty of other

materials to choose from

Consumers shopping for living and dining room furniture couldbe forgiven for thinking their choice is limited to just one woodspecies as most retailers’ displays resemble a forest of oak. Butfor those looking for something more individual, the sectorhasn’t given up on other materials.

‘The mighty oak is being felled from favourby a new mood for classic and traditionalfurniture,’ says Gavin Douglas, G Plan Cabinetsmarketing manager. He says the emergingtrend for vintage-inspired goods has gotshoppers hunting down furniture that offersmore interesting form and features.

‘There is a rise in demand among consumersfor pieces that offer a more detailed finish.Retailers are now looking for alternatives tomodern, less-detailed designs to accommodatethe shift in consumer tastes and needs,’ heexplains.

Bonaldo uses gas injection mouldedpolyamide for its Giuseppina chair in white,black and red and polycarbonate for the ��

Would-befavourites

Modus’ Gecko

Casamania’s Robox

Arte Veneziana’s Art Deco


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BRISTOL & 2 026 Chairs in Cherry

DERBY & 2 026 Chairs in Cherry

ASHBOURNE 1200 table extended to 1500& 6 Chairs

COMPACT, PRACTICALDINING OPTIONS

DERBY

BRISTOL

ASHBOURNE

DERBY & 2 052 Chairs in Maple

BRISTOL & 2 052 Chairs in Maple

ASHBOURNE 1200 x 800 table unextended & Sideboard & 4 Chairs

021_IM_0411 30/3/11 15:15 Page 1


transparent, smoked and the new semi-transparent violet as it reinterprets classicshapes. The Prora extending table

combines a glass top andpainted steel legs.

Modus will launch the Geckotable collection at iSalone inMilan this month. Available in a

range of powder coated finishes orchrome, the coloured laminated topsare available as softened squares and

rectangles or circular shapes,while the laser cut steel footspreads out to look like thefootpad of a gecko.

Milan will also see the launchof B-Line’s Snoop by KarimRashid. It can be used as astool, low table or stacked toform a bookcase.

For true individualism, ArteVeneziana’s Art Deco cocktailtable, also due to be

launched at iSalone, is hard to beat. Itboasts etchings on antiqued mirrorswhile the black lacquered wooden top isenriched by four illuminated and hand-etched glass tiles.

Shin Azumi’s Particle modular shelvingunit for Case is available in a rich darkwalnut and made up of individual,interlocking walnut components. Highlyversatile, they can be used to createeither a straight wall or corner storageunit.

Fabio Novembre has used paintedmetal for his Robox bookcase forCasamania.

‘From Mazinga to the Transformers, mygeneration has always had a robot asplaymate and I needed to find a newfunction to justify its presence next to mydesk,’ he says.

Left: Bonaldo’sGiuseppina andProra

Below left: G PlanCabinets’Gainsborough inmahogany veneer

Below right:

Case’s Particle

Bottom: B-Line’sSnoop

LIVING AND DINING

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LIVING AND DINING


Healthy wholesaleG&P Furniture has stuck to its guns and is enjoying the benefits

Since its foundation in 1998, G&PFurniture has stuck to its wholesale onlyapproach and has enjoyed success withthis business model as the economy hasfaltered.

‘So many of the container-onlysuppliers who proclaimed the future layin this method of purchasing, now offerthe wholesale option as their retailcustomers, having discovered containerpurchasing can quickly eat up theirfinances, space and, often, their sanity,have turned their backs on thisapproach,’ says Neil Godfrey, G&PFurniture director.

Godfrey says the firm has benefitedfrom this change. By concentrating on

supplying fast-moving commercial linespriced to repeat quickly from stock,healthy trading continues despite theeconomic climate.

‘Emphasis is placed on offering anoverall product and service package thatcustomers know they can rely on at alltimes,’ he says.

Eight ranges are available, in bothtraditional and modern styles, at variousprice points that aim to meet as manydifferent tastes and needs possible.

Godfrey says the company has hadconsiderable success with the WindsorHouse dining collection over the pasttwo years, offering several highlyfunctional dining options.

In a traditional style, with an easy-to-use extension mechanism, six tables areavailable in maple and cherry finisheswith two styles of chair and variouscabinet and occasional options.

‘The dual benefit of practical, compactsizes of table that offer versatile andefficient extension options is one of thecollection’s main selling points,’ he says.

Compact, versatile dining options havealso played a major part in the success ofits oak Cubic range. Six compact tablesare available, four of which offer flexibleextension options, including the 120cm x80cm drawer leaf table which extends to150cm using one extension and 180cmwith two.

Cubic 900 square extender

Top: Newark 600 (1200) x 600 swivel top table can be extended (above) Lincoln 900 (1300) x 800 extender

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CARPET


As one of the busiest rooms in

the home, the living room carpet

comes in for tough treatment

Centrestage

The living room carpet comes under regular attack from feet,

paws and spills so many consumers are looking for carpets

that are not only stylish, but also offer practical maintenance

benefits.

‘The natural choice for living room carpet for many people

is still wool. As a carpet fibre, wool has a naturally built in

crimp which gives the carpet pile extra resilience to wear,

making wool carpets ideal for the most frequently used room

in the house,’ says David Cormack, Cormar Carpets marketing

director. ‘Wool carpets also clean easily and are generally

more flame retardant than synthetic carpets.’

Cormar’s wool products range from the recently launched

50% wool Forest Hills, to 80% plain and heather twist piles

such as Berwick and Home Counties, to 100% wool loop piles

in textured and level loop effects such as Malabar and Avebury.

For those with accident prone young families or on ��Cormar’s Berwick

26-28carpet_IMapr11.qxp 24/3/11 12:20

• light and durable they are a serious alternative to heavier rubber underlays• all have excellent thermal properties • recyled and recyleable• environmentally friendly • fitter friendly

available from all major flooring distributors throughout the UKdirect all enquiries to: [email protected]

visit our brand new website for more details: www.ezifloor.co.uk

Ezifloors new comprehensiverange of pu underlays

H DH D C o n t r a c t 9

u n d e r l a y

Prima range – film faced unbranded product in a branded bag

Softstep range – film faced fully branded product in a branded bag

Superstep range – paper faced product fully branded in a branded bag• NOW AVAILABLE – superb new range •

Softstep HD product – high density product suitable for all contract locations

all Ezifloor products are available in a range of thicknesses and densities

THE ONLY TRULY INDEPENDENT BRITISH

PU UNDERLAY MANUFACTURER

027_IM_0411 1/4/11 12:34 Page 1

CARPET


a budget, the easy clean and stain resistant Primo Collection isbecoming increasingly popular. The five carpets have beendesigned with family life in mind. Made from polypropylene,which is stain resistant and bleach cleanable, they offerpracticality and style while going easy on the purse strings.

Steve Upperton, Axminster Carpets sales director says:‘Pattern is certainly higher up the agenda for manyhomeowners, particularly those looking for carpet that suggestsa more considered approach to the design of their home.’

He says attitudes are changing with patterned axminsters nolonger considered to be just for the more mature homeowneror traditional period property. There is a new generation ofdesigns geared towards modern living environments.

‘Carpets such as Striata in the bold red of ventura, or NaturalPlaid in the striking cormorant, are representative of this newattitude in pattern, but still retain the famous quality and 100%wool construction that have made woven carpets fromAxminster a choice for generations of discerning homes,’ saysUpperton.

‘Our contemporary collections just go to prove that designwhich look towards modern influences can work just as well onthe richer colours and natural hues of wool as they do onartificially vibrant man-made fibres.’

The new wave of refined traditional-style pattern carpetsshouldn’t be overlooked, he says. Using muted tone-on-tonecolourways, at times reduced to two or three shades, thesecarpets are a more understated take on traditional pattern. Theywork well in period properties looking to a more consideredfloor choice rather than a natural hued twist or loop pile.

‘Retailers are constantly barraged with consumers reallywanting to get the most for their money and as we well know,they are always on the hunt for a bargain,’ says Birger Karlsson,Lano UK and Ireland sales manager.

‘Our Easy Care Collection answers the need for easy tomaintain carpet at a price point that makes sense and isaffordable to a wide range of pockets. Yet the collection alsobrings a wide range of styles and colour, to make sure that abroad spectrum of tastes can be catered for too.’

Axminster’s AntiqueSplendour

Lano’s Oasis

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Into greener pasturesMohawk stresses its environmental credentials as it gears up for a UK push

Being environmentally friendly is at theheart of Mohawk’s offer. The key to theEverStrand and SmartStrand carpets is inthe environmental prowess of each fibre,both of which take a different approach.Recycled plastic bottles are used for theEverStrand fibre with one-in-four plasticbottles in the US turned into the fibre.

‘SmartStrand is the first domesticcarpet fibre to use renewable contentrather than recycled and as such itprovides a unique solution, cutting downthe amount of virgin material used in theconstruction of the carpet,’ says HowardLindsay, Mohawk vice president UK,Ireland and South Africa.

‘Remember that even recycled contentcame from virgin resources at somepoint. SmartStrand contains up to 37%renewable content derived from cornsugar, saving the equivalent of up to 10mgallons of petrol per year.’

Use of renewable resources is only part of SmartStrand’s story becauseconsumers also want easy maintenanceand durability for their carpet.

‘The carpet not only has a lifetime stainresistance warranty, with most stainssimply removed with water, it also has adurability in excess of nylon 6 – mostcommonly used in commercial carpettiles – and far in excess of that ofpolypropylene, from which most otherstain resistant carpets are made,’ heexplains.

Mohawk is looking to increaseproduction in Europe to reduce theimpact of transatlantic shipping.

‘It is far better to create long-lastingcarpet from easily renewable resourcesoverseas than to produce a carpet with ashort life expectancy and offset itsproduction through credits.

‘SmartStrand represents the first steptowards making a truly sustainabledomestic carpet rather than providing ashort-term answer that does little to dealwith the true issues at hand,’ Lindsay says.

Mohawk is at the middle of the market,focused on independent retailers.

‘We believe independents offer thebest route to market for our SmartStrand

carpet, which costs more thanpolypropylene stain resistant ranges.There is no doubt that the ease of stainresistant carpets is their major appealand that price is a secondary factor,throw in SmartStrand’s other positiveattributes and its great sustainable storyand it really is a major step forward.

‘In fact, in the US where the fibre waslaunched in 2007, it has gone on tobecome the best selling carpet throughour dealer network,’ he says.

Mohawk recently increased it salesteam to six and is introducing videoequipped POS units to stockists.

‘We are the world’s largest flooringmanufacturer but our presence in the UKhasn’t necessarily reflected this, whichhas to change. We are looking at everyaspect of our residential business to seewhere we can improve it and theSmartStrand story is part of ourdevelopment within the market. We arelooking to become the favouredmanufacturer for independent carpetretailers,’ says Lindsay.

CARPET

SmartStrand has a lifetime stain resistance warranty

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AUCTIONS


Pearlof salesIan Michael Auctioneers is about to celebrate its 30th anniversary

Longevity, sustainability and growth arewords many businesses would like touse. Ian Michael Auctioneers is fullyentitled to use them as it approaches its30th anniversary next month.

‘Our first furniture auction took placein May 1981 with a room full of eagertrade customers, and a slightly nervousauctioneer. It was a great success andevery month for almost 30 years thesame scenario has taken place at 11amon Wednesdays in Manchester,’ saysMichael Goodman, Ian MichaelAuctioneers md.

The firm has stuck to its originalproposition of offering both tradecustomers and suppliers a solution toexcess stock, returns and end of linefurniture. Now the customer base hasextended from a local focus to include allparts of the UK, the Republic of Ireland,continental Europe, Africa and theMiddle East.

In response to the growing demandfor specific lines the company operates awholesale cash and carry businessoffering living and dining furniture fromits Manchester warehouse. Retailers can

sell from display, with the ease of beingable to pick up orders from stock.

‘This has been running for a couple ofyears now and continues to grow. Oursupplier base has grown beyondrecognition over the past 30 years withseveral of those major supplierssupporting us throughout the wholeperiod,’ adds Goodman.

‘We would like to to thank all of ourcustomers and suppliers for their supportover the past 30 years and look forwardto offering them an ongoing solution forthe next 30 years.’

Living and dining ranges are available from stock

Monthly auctions have been running for almost three decades

032_IM_0411 30/3/11 09:24

For further information on clearance ranges and regular lines please contact Paul or David:

Tel: 0161 203 6191 Fax: 0161 203 6270 E-mail: [email protected] www.ianmichael.co.uk

IanMichael Auctioneers Ltd, New Street, Miles Platting, Manchester M40 8AA

Brand new stocknow available…Leather or solid wood dining chairs

•Oak dining tables

•Fabric sofas and corner groups

•Oak or ash bedroom ranges

•Leather or fabric sofa beds

•Divan beds

•Pocket sprung mattresses

•Solid oak bed frames

•Painted bedroom ranges

•Oak or ash dining & occasional ranges

•Massive quantities of returns &factory seconds also available

•Gain a competitive edgeby contacting IMA today!

•All prices quoted on a cash & carry basis.

£37

Only£130

Clearance oak dining ranges Painted dining and occasional to clear

3+2 Full leather £475 Leather sofas from £150

Aniline leather£35

£38

Solid oak£85

Solid ash chestsfrom £100

I033_IM_0411 30/3/11 15:20 Page 1

TEL: 0161 628 8121

BUY TTHHEESSEE 4 MODELS WHILE STOCKS LAST, AND TAKE THEOPPORTUNITY OF THIS ONE OFF DEAL

33 XX 33 SSEEAATTEERR && 22 SSEEAATTEERR ++ CCOORRNNEERR ££11119966100% UK MANUFACTURED • POCKET SPRUNG CUSHIONS

12 MONTHS MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY • FREE DELIVERY / 7-14 DAYS

Please contact us at your earliest convenience, as this offer will only be available until the current stock has been cleared.

The price will return to our list price once our stock has been cleared.

CFS Furniture LtdUnit 3, Laurel Trading Estate, Oldham OL2 6LH

+

+

INDIANA

VERMONT MELODY

RUBY (available in 6 colours)

3 seater & 2 seater £299 corner group £299

3 seater & 2 seater £2993 seater & 2 seater £299

CFS Furniture Ltdcfs

CFS wp 1/4/11 11:01 Page 1034_IM_0411 1/4/11 12:32 Page 1

C A R P E T S

F U R N I T U R E

R U G S

B E D S

L A M I N A T E

U P H O L S T E R Y

V I N Y L

A C C E S S O R I E S

Find out more at the Salterforth Show8–11 May

Beds and Bedroom

035_IM_0411 31/3/11 14:28

BEDS AND BEDROOM


Work, rest and playFar from being rooms that visitors never see, design has become

all important in the bedroom as illustrated on the following pages

Bed design has evolved exponentially over the past decade,with the pace of change quickening in the past few years,according to designer Colin Jackson.

‘The way we live our lives has evolved so dramatically in sucha short space of time and the function of our living space hasaltered. The formal use of rooms for set purposes has changedand we increasingly now use the entire home for a multitude ofreasons.

‘For example, TV is no longer confined to the living room, noreating to the dining room or kitchen, and as families grow andthe children sit in the living room on their games console, it’soften mum or dad seeking out a quiet corner of the home torelax or work,’ he says.

Designers must be aware of these social shifts, as well as theinfluences from the myriad of TV design shows, where theyrepeatedly steer viewers towards turning their bedroom intosomething you would expect to find in a boutique hotel,Jackson says.

Beds need to perform the most basic of functions well, whilebedrooms must also provide a comfortable place to escape andrelax, watch TV and work on the laptop, almost doubling up asa work and hobby room.

‘Recognising that a bed must help create a calming space ofretreat and self-expression in a bedroom that has evolved into amulti-purpose space requires beds offering more style, romanceand sexiness, such as my collection for Serene which

incorporates features only seen before on sofas,’ says Jackson. The brief from Serene was to design mid to top end leather

beds of distinction, presenting aspects of the traditional andthe contemporary, to breathe life in to the modern daybedroom.

‘Well-proportioned, with attractive symmetry, they are each afocal point for the room while offering functional characteristicsmore commonplace in upholstery design. This makes their usemore rounded and in keeping with the demands of a societythat is spending increasing amounts of time at home, be it forwork, rest or play,’ explains Jackson.

Hampton is one forfive designs ColinJackson (below)

created for Serene

��

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BEDS AND BEDROOM


When Kingstown Furniture was creating the Bella, Rimini andBordeaux collections, producing something different was at theheart of the design process.

While it wanted to tap into the popularity of paintedfurniture, it was keen to avoid duplicating the abundance ofwhite or cream already in the market.

‘Painted finish furniture is still proving to be very popular withconsumers, which is why we produced Bella. The developmentof the paint colouring for this collection was very important aswe wanted a bright clean look, which wasn’t white or cream,’says Geoff Brailsford, Kingstown group sales director.

The result is a vanilla mist finish combined with decorativeline detailing and Art Deco styling across the doors, drawerfronts and wardrobe mirrors.

In contrast, the Rimini and Bordeaux ranges will suitconsumers wanting a darker finish, with their smoky oak look.

‘Smoky colours have been appearing on furniture in Europefor some time, but we felt that those colours and grain designswere not quite right for the UK market. We therefore workedclosely with the foil printers and created a smoky oak foil that isideal for our consumers with an appetite for a dark finish with acontemporary twist,’ he says.

Rimini’s look is further developed with contrasting quartzdrawers and trims, and contemporary handles with colourmatched inserts. Bordeaux has bronzed glass tops tocomplement the finish and strong mitred design features to theside of the chests of drawers and a framed look that iscontinued on the wardrobe with five-piece doors.

Right: Bella hasa vanilla finish

Left: Bordeaux has mitreddesign features

Above: Rimini shares asmoky finish with Bordeaux

��

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Palatine Beds has had many requestsfrom customers and retailers fornatural fillings in their mattresses.

The North East’s leading bed manufacturerdecided to meet the growing demand byadding to their range two hand madeproducts with natural fillings.

They’re proud to launch their newest bedset ‘the Pandora’ and their latest top of therange mattress ‘the Athena’

For your nearest agent, to become astockist, or for more information aboutthese beds and the rest of the Palatinebed range, contact the Palatine Bedssales team on

0191 2772559 or 0191 2772544www.palatinebeds.co.uk/trade

Office opening hours:8.30am to 4pm Monday to Friday

Athena Mattress

Pandora Bed

Palatine Beds, Stamfordham Road, Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 5HHTel: 0191 2772544 (Switchboard) 0191 2772559 Fax 0191 2772550

039_IM_0411 31/3/11 10:34 Page 1

BEDS AND BEDROOM


When developing its Luxury Ortho collection,Kozeesleep turned to its stockists to find outwhat they wanted.

‘Luxury Ortho was developed with theassistance of our retailers and sales team whowere given the agenda of “tell us what youwant, and we will give you what you need”. Thisinvolvement with our retailers is vital inunderstanding not just national trends but alsolocalised trends in the marketplace,’ says BillBower, Kozeesleep sales and marketingmanager.

The company has been manufacturing inDewsbury, West Yorkshire for more than 25years and has almost 1,000 independentstockists across the UK, Republic of Ireland andEurope.

On average the 200-plus workforcemanufactures more than 5,000 products perweek. The product spread within a normalweek’s production is varied and includes handside-stitched 2,000 pocket sprung models,combination open coil sprung and memoryfoam through to the new Luxury Orthobackcare products.

Bower says: ‘2010 was not an easy year formost and 2011 does not look as if it will beeither. Looking forward positively has to be theway ahead and we have invested in newmachinery to take us forward.

‘We have purchased a pocket spring machinewhich now complements our range of Bonnellmanufacturing units and have also invested innew border quilting machines. These alone willassist us in offering new ranges of competitivelypriced products.’

The company has also invested in its deliveryfleet, adding several new vehicles.

This investments mean ‘the vast majority oforders placed through our office aremanufactured and delivered within seven days,’says Bower.

Nova

Wordsworth

Retailers were involved in the development of Luxury Ortho

‘Involvement withour retailers is vital inunderstanding notjust national trendsbut also localisedtrends in themarketplace’

��

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BEDS AND BEDROOM


Comfort was key in the creation of Hypnos’ Pillow TopCollection. ‘The no-turn hand-crafted mattresses feature anintegral pillow top sleeping surface that provides a soft andcomfortable layer or cushion above the supportive pocketspring mattress. This softer, cocooning comfort provides aunique point of difference, and a deep, relaxing sleepingsensation that sets the Pillow Top Collection apart,’ says ChrisWard, Hypnos director of marketing.

The mattresses also have a combination of wool, silk andlatex, helping not only to regulate body temperature but also toprovide natural and sustainable credentials, backed by a 10-yearguarantee.

At One Call Furniture high gloss is playing an important partin its sales. ‘The trend is leaning heavily towards gloss productsthat are outselling everything else. The demand within ourgloss ranges has seen strong sales for our wide three-doorwardrobes with centre full length mirrors to give more visualimpact,’ says Avi Heller, One Call sales and marketing director.

‘Over the next year we see the market getting stronger withconsumer confidence slowly building and to be well placed tomeet this we are investing heavily in new plant and staff tosatisfy our customers needs.’ One Call’s Alpine

Hypnos’ Pillow Top Collection

��

‘Over the next year we seethe market getting stronger’

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BEDS AND BEDROOM


Since its launch in 2005, Breasley Consumer Products has soldmore than 750,000 vacuum packed mattresses, establishing theFlexcell, Postureform, Viscofoam and Amor brands. At the centreof their creation was listening to retailers to discover what theywanted to sell.

And this is what it continues to do. Breasley opened a secondfactory in 2008 in Hyde, Greater Manchester, to produce the

Salus Collection. For thisyear’s products it onceagain sought the viewsof its stockists.

This led to the

introduction of the Memory Pocket 2000 and 3000 models,including an alternative shallow base and the ottoman base.This features four gas pistons and a laminated interior. Theottoman is available in some eight fabric colourways, allowing itto be mixed and matched with the Salus Collection.

Salus has contemporary styled divans and matchingheadboards, and is not available to online retailers.

But it’s not just beds that people are continuing to spendmoney on.

‘British lifestyles and tastes are ever changing. Which is whywe’re constantly looking at new ideas and looking for newmarketing opportunities and ways to exploit the distinct nicheswithin a rapidly changing marketplace,’ says David Evans,Caxton brand manager.

‘Although children may not have the largest roomsin the house they definitely create the mostmess, so the MyPod collection gives a flexiblerange of storage options so all the toys andclothes can be neatly stowed away. To add tothe appeal of the cool white and grey PVCfinish, MyPod also features a handle that comeswith a choice of brightly coloured inserts forboth boys and girls of different ages.’

He says the range offers excellent spaceutilisation, with a range of wardrobe and cupboard

options as well as desk, storage and shelf units that integrateeasily to provide a variety of different configurations.

‘With three different bed heights, and surprisingly grown upstyling, kids will take longer to grow out of it.’

Breasley’s Salus withottoman base

Caxton’s MyPod

046_IM_0411.qxp 30/3/11 14:20

For further information contact Kaydian tel: 0191 2712118 email: [email protected]

Kaydian, Redburn House, Redburn Road, Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 1NBT: 0191 2712118 F: 0191 2862846 E: [email protected] www.kaydian.co.uk

The new Signature by Kaydian collection launched at the Interiors 2011 exhibition proved hugely successful. Available only

to stockists of the Signature range, this luxury collection comprises classic designs upholstered in beautifully soft AAA top grade leather

with a choice of fabric and leather options.

047_IM_0411 30/3/11 15:30 Page 1

BEDS AND BEDROOM


Friendlysleepsystem

Sealy has

come up with

Smart Fibres

to keep house

dust mites at

bay

Sealy will use the 8-11 May exhibition atSilentnight Group’s Salterforthshowroom to introduce what it callsSealy Smart Fibres, designed to preventthe development of house dust mites inthe mattress.

An average mattress can contain tensof thousands of house dust mites andtheir droppings. The mites mostly feedon dead skin cells, water from sweat and expired breath and are a seriousirritant for the thousands of people in the UK suffering from asthma andallergies.

In addition to Tencel, which helps keepthe body cool and dry while sleeping,the anti-allergy fibres also include

BED

LIN

EN C

OU

RTES

Y O

F D

ORM

A

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BEDS AND BEDROOM


Purotex, which contains probioticfriendly bacteria to keep house dustmites at bay and reduce allergens.

Purotex fibres’ mode of action isnatural with no chemicals involved and isassured for 10 years.

The new mattress cover fabric is asuccessful example of green technologythat has produced an intelligent andecologically manufactured material.

Purotex’s probiotic microflora areincorporated into the fabric as micro-encapsulated inactive spores. Themicroflora consist of friendly micro-organisms that are not geneticallymodified and are guaranteed to be non-toxic.

Treated fibres meet the most stringentstandards, have not been chemicallytreated and mattresses containingPurotex are even suitable for babies.

A favourable side-effect is that thefibres also neutralise unpleasant odoursin the mattress.

The introduction has been backed byAllergy UK.

‘We are delighted to be workingclosely with Sealy UK and have endorsed the allergy friendly sleepsystem with our seal of approval. This is a positive move forward to help people who suffer from a house dustmite allergy sleep better,’ says Lindsey McManus, Allergy UK executive

director allergy and services.‘The new Sealy Posturepedic beds with

Smart Fibres tick all the boxes fordemanding consumers who want toensure they are getting the latest bedtechnology coupled with superiorcomfort and reassurance that they willwake up each morning wonderfullyrelaxed and ready to face the day,’ saysNeil Robinson, Sealy UK marketingdirector.

‘We pride ourselves on providingquality beds to suit every individual, andevery home. In addition to our newSmart Fibres, Sealy will be showcasinglots of further new developments at theshow.’

‘This is a positivemove forward tohelp people whosuffer from a housedust mite allergysleep better’

Top: Mattresses cancontain thousands ofhouse dust mites Above: Allergy UK hasgiven the technologyits seal of approvalLeft: The Smart Fibresuse Purotex

GIL

ES S

AN

MA

RTIN

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BEDS AND BEDROOM


SpringbackPalatine Beds says demand for natural

mattress fillings is making a return

Above: Quality control 1950’s styleLeft: Pandora and Athena both use coir, horse hair and lambs’ wool

In recent months there has been a shift in demand withshoppers moving back to naturally filled mattresses, accordingto Palatine Beds.

‘We’ve seen a sharp change in customer attitudes over thepast few months. While memory foam and latex are still sellingwell, our stockists have had more and more requests fromcustomers for natural, traditional fillings in their mattresses,’ saysAndrew Waters, Palatine sales and marketing manager.

To meet this demand Palatine has developed the Pandoraand the Athena models, both using coir, horse hair and lambs’wool.

Palatine has manufacturedmattresses in Newcastle for morethan 60 years. Around 70% of itsworkforce have a disability and thecompany works closely with theGovernment’s Work Choiceprogramme to give

people withdisabilities the chanceto gain long-termemployment.

‘We have an old picture on the wall of the factory shopshowing the factory in the 1950s with an employee inspecting spring units upholstered with coir fibre. It is great that after all these years we are doing exactly the samething and it’s customer demand that has driven it,’ says Waters.

He says the introduction of Pandora and Athena is part of thecompany’s efforts to develop its retail business over the nexttwo years so it matches the contract work it carries out for theMinistry of Defence, universities and care homes.

50palatine_IMapr11.qxp 25/3/11 17:51

We are currently running a business visit day once a weekwhere we will come to your premesis and allow you to see

the lamps up close and illuminated. If this is somethingyou feel would be beneficial to you and your business

please call our customer care team and they will be happyto book you in for the next available date.

Please order by Telephone: 01663 767 912 or email us [email protected].

MMyyssttiiqquuee IInntteerriioorrsswww.mystiquewholesale.co.uk

The lighting range has been the driving force for our wider furnishings business since we gainedexclusivity of the products in the UK.

Mystique is a successful independent

interiors business,which has expanded to

accommodate thewholesale of theseexciting products

Experience a sales upturn with this new wholesale lighting range* Agents required – contact us to discuss • Distributor for Ireland wanted *

Amazing consumer feedback and our direct-to-manufacturer

approach has reinforced our belief that these versatile

products will be beneficial to manyretailers, from small independents

to large national chains.

051_IM_0411 30/3/11 15:34 Page 1

VINYL


For years the designerfloors/LVT market hasbeen dominated byKarndean and Amtico,but several new playersare entering the market.So what’s on offer andwhat are the marketleaders doing tomaintain their position?

Moduleo DesignFloors, part of the IVCGroup, has twocollections – Spirit andGlobal – offering a rangeof wood, ceramic andstone designs.

‘Moduleo DesignFloors is about offering aserious alternative to thekey established players,providing retailers with astrong product mix that marries toexcellent value across the board and aservice and support expertise honedthrough many years of activity within theresidential flooring sector,’ says ChristTaveirne, Moduleo product manager.

The LVT sector is a little different toother types of flooring, with consumersshowing an unusual amount of brandawareness and major players consideredhousehold names, he says.

‘Any approach to the fray needs to beequally as potent, which is why we havegiven Moduleo Design Floors such astrong identity. From striking displayunits that will really stand out in-store, toliterature bursting with lifestyle-inspiredimagery and specifications that offerbetter value, we are well equipped tosucceed and become another majorforce in the LVT sector.’

Cavalio Floors’ Clic features sound-absorbing cork underlay, the Uniclicsystem and a 0.55mm wear layer.

It has 305mm x 915mm planks in avariety of finishes, including many woodgrains as well as marble and slate. It canbe laid on most subfloors includingwooden boards and existing vinyl or

linoleum – as long as they are clean, dryand free from cracks.

An expansion gap of 10mm is requiredbetween the flooring and the wall, aswell as fixed structural parts. Themaximum area that can be laidcontinuously is 10m x 10m, with largerspaces requiring their own gaps.

Clic is not suitable for rooms subject tofrequent wetting, such as bathrooms andsaunas. It has a 15-year guarantee.

‘We believe the LVT market willcontinue to grow and our focus will beon offering new technology throughinnovative manufacturing processes andwe are also looking to source moreecologically sustainable productswherever possible,’ says Wendy Hearn,Cavalio Floors marketing manager.

Karndean is due to launch its retailerpartner programme Karndean Connectin September, designed to furtherstrengthen the partnership betweenKarndean and its retailers.

‘While we have witnessed competitorsfall by the wayside, we have managed to

Above: Moduleo’s PrinceRight: Cavalio Clic’s Blonde Driftwood

Opening up the marketThe vinyl sector is getting interesting with competition for the leaders

maintain our position in the marketplaceby implementing a structured andinvestment-heavy strategy to ensure oursurvival throughout the economicdownturn,’ says a spokesman.

‘A three-year business plan wasdeveloped including investment inpeople, systems, product and marketingto ensure Karndean keeps a competitiveadvantage.

‘Apart from excellent customer service,Karndean is dedicated to creating themost realistic and beautiful flooring thattechnology will allow. This is evident inthe colour, design, texture and look ofthe products.’

Karndean has nine product rangeswith each displaying a unique effect.Karndean’s Product Selector is a 360page reference guide to its entireproduct range with extensive technicaland design information. ‘This guide,coupled with the tailored ranges, ensuresKarndean maintains its sought afterposition in the luxury vinyl market,’according to the company. ��

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VINYL


Adding to the LVT offering isDistinctive Flooring’s Super-Click. Using apatented click system, the planks arepushed together and in most cases littleor no sub-floor preparation is required.Its flexibility allows it to float over minorimperfections with no visible signs.

Thanks to it being 100% vinyl andhaving a R9 anti-slip rating, the flooringcan be used throughout the home,including kitchens and bathrooms.

Super-Click has a PU coating toprevent scratching and a 0.3mm wearlayer. It is available in seven oak finishesand has a 25-year guarantee.

Planks simply push together

Celtic oak

Rustic oakMountain oak

��

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VINYL


Also joining the sector is Adore Floor’sAdore Touch collection, following itscommercial success in the USA.

Distributed by Home Foundations, 14wood finishes are available. The rangebuilds on the popularity of stick-downLVT by using the patented Uniclic lockingsystem so no underlay or glue is requiredand installation is fast and simple.

The Adore Touch range is produced asindividual planks, helping minimisewastage. Each plank measures 178mm x

1219mm x 4mm deep. There are 11planks per pack and each pack covers2.385sqm, says Paul Ashley, HomeFoundations general manager.

‘The embossed surface and four-sidedmicro-bevel means consumers will havethe look and feel of wood, with thebenefits of LVT. It is suitable for all rooms– including bathrooms – and is warmand quiet underfoot. It is also colourfastto UV light and easy to clean andmaintain. Importantly for many

consumers it is made from 75% recycledmaterial and is 100% recyclable.’

Suitable for commercial use, it has a25-year residential warranty and 15-yearcommercial warranty.

Bespoke stands, samples, contractfolders and consumer literature will beintroduced to retailers this month andnext, with more consumer marketingactivity during the year as part of theongoing commitment to raise awarenessof the brand in the UK, says Ashley.

AdoreTouch usesthe Uniclicsystem

Fourteen finishes are available including Precious (left) and Gorgeous (right)

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VINYL


‘When it comes to flooring, over 46years in the business has enabled us tofully understand the continualchallenges and issues all commercialapplications have to deal with. So thisyear we have undertaken our mostradical overhaul in our history,’ saysSimon Mills, Amtico International salesand marketing director.

The company has launched two visualidentities to support the Amtico andSpacia collections, designed to projectindividuality and creativity.

The ‘I Create, I Express, I Define: I Amtico’ branding captures the essenceof the collection, positioning ‘I Amtico’ asan action, an emotion, a state of mind.This is supported by 30 product ranges,design layouts and cuttings options.

The Spacia range’s functionality isexpressed simply: ‘For every space there’sSpacia’. The branding is designed tocapture the range’s flexibility with 49 newfinishes, a new Abstract flooring collectionand more sizes, making it suitable forcommercial and residential use.

By experimenting with new pigments,artwork, embossing techniques anddesign layouts, Amtico’s in-house designteam translates the essence of constantlyevolving design trends, he says.

Both collections are groupedaccording to shade and tone from warm,rich woods to cool, neutral stones,through to bold abstracts with a cuttingedge twist.

Mills says: ‘This arrangement enablesdesigners and specifiers to experimentwith new product combinations and isaccompanied with touchable imagerythat clearly presents new cutting layouts.’

The Spacia collection is suitable forresidential use but also meets the needsof the commercial sector. Whether it’s thehospitality, education, healthcare,government establishments, offices orthe retail sector, the flexibility and choicerecognises that the top considerationsfor businesses are durability, initialappearance, retention and slip resistantfeatures, he says.

’The new identity and products will bedisseminated through our retailers,customers and the training academythroughout the year and our desire toexplore new flooring ideas will neverstop. We are, and always will be,constantly looking at pushing theboundaries in what is possible in flooringdesign,’ adds Mills.

Top: The new I Amtico branding

Above: There are 49 new finishesfor Spacia including Dusky Walnut

Left: Amtico has revamped its logo

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VINYL


MagnusOpusKarndean’s latest collection is

moving from the contract market

Ferra has the look of natural stone

Mico – larger tiles can be installed quickly

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VINYL


Since its foundation in 1973, Karndeanhas evolved from a small family businessto one of the world’s most renownedluxury flooring companies.

‘Karndean remains family ownedallowing us to stay true to our roots andcompletely focused on our customers,’says Jacci Marcus, Karndean UKmarketing director.

‘The company has certainly come avery long way, and as it has grown it hasremained true to its core values. Ourpassion is for developing versatile, luxuryvinyl products with the look of beautiful,authentic and natural flooring.’

Opus is Karndean’s latest range ofdesign-led flooring created to capturethe character of real timber and thesimplicity of natural stone. The largerplanks and tiles provide practical, yetstylish, flooring with a contemporarylook and feel.

Opus was originally developed for thecontract market, however, with such apositive feedback from architects and

specifiers, Karndean will make it availableto the retail market from June.

‘The large modern sizes offer shorterinstallation times and there is a versatilerange of tiles and planks to choose from.The authentic stone and timber effectfinishes are the largest available productsfrom Karndean and offer fashionable andup-to-date flooring,’ says Marcus.

‘Opus flooring has a premium andextravagant feel and creates beautifulflooring which is perfect for high trafficareas. It offers great value for money andmakes flooring a stylish addition to the

home or any commercial space. Thelarger sized tiles and planks are the latestinterior trend and deliver class-leadingmodern flooring with a 15-yearguarantee.’

Highlights of the 23 strong rangeinclude the Ferra: a large rectangulardarker tile encompassing the beauty ofnatural stone, and Terra, a lighterrectangular tile with an enhanced neutralsurface finish.

‘Opus products have a distinctadvantage over traditional flooring asspills and stains can be easily wipedaway. The practicality of Opus tiles andplanks means that natural beauty can bebrought to the most hard-wearing roomsand spaces,’ adds Marcus.

‘With the vinyl market continuallyevolving it is clear that Karndean is at theforefront of design innovation. There isdefinitely a trend for very large tileswithin both the commercial and retailmarket and Opus provides the balancebetween design and vital practicality.’

Arum – Opus copes with high traffic areas Primo – spills and stains can be wiped away

‘The larger sizedtiles and planksare the latestinterior trend’

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UPHOLSTERY


The armchair works well in a group with sofas but is also a star in its own right

Whether it’s to make a statement byintroducing a centrepiece to a room,particular support is required, a lack ofspace or replacing a worn out element ofa suite, the armchair offers a multitude ofreasons for purchase.

Often overlooked by the moreubiquitous sofa, the armchair is a star inits own right as it can be used in roomswhere a sofa or recliner would beimpractical, such as a bedroom or smallstudy.

‘Our accent chairs tend to be boughtfor a whole range of purposes byconsumers including as standalonepieces for the living room, study orbedroom and also as an accent chairwith a group of other upholstery,’ saysHelen Frankland, G Plan Upholsterymarketing manager.

She highlights the fact that the Bostonand Yale chairs are available in the firm’sfull range of soft and leather covers.

‘This allows the chair to coordinate ormake a style statement in a range ofdiverse looks. As these chairs arecompact, they work well in modern

Going solohomes as they allow an extra seat where a traditional armchair wouldperhaps not fit.’

Sherborne Upholstery’s Lynton firesidechair can be combined with matchinghigh seat chair, high seat two-seater andits bestselling fully-upholstered reclinersuite.

Celebrity Furniture’s Cotswold withpadded arms and a three-channel back,coordinates with fixed and action sofasand standard and petite sized recliners.

Royams’ Bristol has a roll-backcomplementing the flat-back Appleby.Most of the company’s designs featurepetite and king size chairs and with awide range of measurements availableconsumers can find what is suitable forthem.

Giving traditional armchairs a moderntwist is also gaining in popularity withBruhl’s Morning Dew and FrenchBedroom Company’s Wonderlandshowing that high back doesn’t mean oldfashioned, while Bretz’s Pompadour addsthe firm’s characteristic glamour to thearmchair.

Bruhl’s Morning Dew

Bretz’s Pompadour

��

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UPHOLSTERY


Left: G Plan Upholstery’sYale Below left: Sherborne’sLynton Below right: FrenchBedroom Company’sWonderland Bottom left: Royams’BristolBottom right: Celebrity’sCotswold

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UPHOLSTERY


Design diversity is continuing to pay off for Lebus despite a tough marketplace

Last year was another of exceptional growth for Lebus, says KarlWalker, Lebus director. ‘We grew UK sales by 27% and much ofthis was with our established customer base, which underlinesthe confidence our customers have with our offer and service.’

One of the reasons for the manufacturer’s success is the sheernumber of models it has on offer.

‘Diversity of product offer has certainly allowed us to growour distribution. Being prolific developers of new designs itallows us to offer different looks to our customers on a regularbasis. We try to avoid falling into the trap of offering versions ona theme – after all there is only so much faux and waffle oncorner groups you can offer,’ he explains.

The interiors 2011 show also proved successful for thecompany. ‘Customers loved the freshness and difference ofmodels like Mahiki, a very bright and cheerful collection. Coleenand the Trafalgar Knoll collection highlighted the flexibility of

Spoilt for choicethe business with the plush velvet, deep crystal buttonedchesterfield Coleen, and Trafalgar’s hint of traditional with a realtwist,’ says Walker.

As the marketplace remains tough its stockists are looking forsomething different to tempt consumers.

‘Design, style and, above all, exceptional value and service areat the top of the agenda. Following two years of exceptionalgrowth for the company, in what have been pretty austeretimes, it confirms that Lebus has much to offer,’ he says.

Empire: swivel armchair Mahiki: bright and cheerful

Coleen chesterfieldInset: Trafalgar Knoll: hint of tradition

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Head office:The Former Sanken Building, Abercynon, Rhondda Cynon Taff CF45 4XA

T: 0845 223 4900 F: 0845 223 4901Barry Webb, sales director:

E: [email protected]; M: 07702 603971Andrew Cavaciuti, sales agent for South West and Wales:

E: [email protected]; M: 07500 830888Alan Endersbee, area sales manager Midlands/North West/East Anglia/Kent/Essex and Greater London:

E: [email protected]; M: 07809 196019Mike Brown, sales agent for Scotland/ Cumbria/North East and Yorkshire:

E: [email protected]; M: 07831 572601Teresa Reaney, head of sales and marketing:

E: [email protected]; orE: [email protected]; M: 07971 349834

McNally & Finlay: Contact Dermot McNally – Ireland:E: [email protected]; T: 00 353 47 81366/81360

Now fully stocked at our South Wales distribution warehouse for immediate delivery.

Be the first to display this fabulous new Oak dining collection.

Yet another definite bestseller exclusively designed and manufactured by Furniture Origins UK Ltd.

By Furniture Origins UK Ltd

OMANNew Arrival…

065_IM_0411 31/3/11 11:40 Page 1

UPHOLSTERY


Under its new owner Interstil (Interiors Monthly, September2010) Hjellegjerde has begun to update its product offer, whileretaining its traditional designs as it celebrates its 70thanniversary.

The collection is evolving in a more commercial, simplerproduct offer with wider appeal, according to Maud Laine,Hjellegjerde UK general manager.

‘The redesign of the model Ona and introduction of moredesign orientated products such as La Familia, designed byTobias Jacobsen, and Lobster, designed by Oluf Lund and EvaPaarmann, Hjellegjerde is entering a new market. This is not tosay we are moving away from the traditional comfort rangewhich we are known for.’

Hjellegjerde’s Fjords brand is a complete collection for smalland large spaces, whether it is design orientated or moretraditional family living, she says. The consumer can combinechairs and sofas as desired and complement with accessories.

‘Excellent quality, optimum individual comfort and successfulfunctional design is what Fjords is all about,’ she says.

As with many companies, Hjellegjerde is finding the UKmarket challenging and is grateful to have a loyal anddedicated independent network of retailers.

‘Many of our retailers are long-term supporters of the Fjordscollection. I am always delighted, and sometimes a littlesurprised to be honest, to see that some of our retailers knowso much about the product. This gives me confidence that ourbrand and products are well presented to the end consumer,’says Laine.

Grip

Lobster chair

Design evolutionWith new ownership, choice is widening for Hjellegjerde

Ona

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To become aSiesta bedstockist call

0121 773 9969www.siestabeds.co.ukNationwide Weekly Delivery

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Lebus HH:Lebus HH 24/03/2011 08:21 Page 1067_IM_0411 31/3/11 10:36 Page 1

RUGS


Taking the floorThree leading suppliers detail the hottest trends for rugs

With such a wide variety of rug styles and designs on themarket, it can be hard to keep track of what is selling well orfalling off on a non-local basis.

‘In terms of design the “in” styles to look out for are iconicpatterns such as the London, deep piled woollen designs suchas Kelp, while Jack is sure to add a splash of personality andRegatta is a traditional classic with its thick, lush hand-wovenwoollen weaves,’ says a Plantation Rug Company spokeswoman.

‘Plantation’s new colourful collection of contemporary rugsreally is fashion for your floor and includes designs such as thefun and funky Sputnik through to The Duckworths, which willadd a touch of panache to any home.’

The Duckworths is Plantation’s fourth bestselling design. Itstop five are: Love, Jack, London, The Duckworths and DottyAbout.

Plantation carries one of the largest collections of modernand traditional rug designs in the UK and says it has a rugsuitable for every room and every floor. ‘The rug market isconstantly evolving, but Plantation ensures that it provides aselection of both modern and traditional rugs using intriguingtextures and fibres, injected with rich colours and weaves.

‘Rugs are very versatile offering many shapes, sizes,colourways and designs to complement decor and the key tochoosing a rug is to think about the design, colour and size, allof which will influence how it will look in situ. Prices varydepending on the material and size of the rug and will continueto do so but you will see an increase in “fast fashion” rugs torespond to the constantly emerging trends.’

The Inside Out Rug is due to be launched in June, retailingfrom £39.99. As it is an all-weather, stain-resistant and wipeclean rug, it suitable for use inside and out. ��

Kelp

Inside OutLondon

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‘We are noticing an increasing demandfor floral designs, hence our investmentinto the wool Floral Art Collection andour new Sienna heatset shaggy. Plainsalways remain popular in shaggy pile,especially noticeable in our Ultimashaggy range. We now have multi-tonalyarn shaggys such as Artisan andBalotelli that visually add further depthto the pile,’ says Paul Sills, Ultimate RugCompany head of marketing.

He agrees that trends will have shorterlives, making the ability to order smallquantities quickly even more importantfor retailers. ‘We are seeing an increase invalue on products being bought nowespecially in the high-end multi-texturedproducts.’

Product development is key to success,according to Sills. He says the companywill always try to improve its bestsellingcollections by either extending thecolour options or adding extra sizes.

‘We are always working with ourmanufacturers to create new ideas forrugs, be it materials, designs or colours.We have some interesting new conceptsin prototype at the moment, which weare looking at producing.

‘With the increase in Internet sales, thefirst visual impression is very important.Consumers may mostly be looking for aspecific rug design and colour but this isnot always the case. Something new,exciting and different will always fuel thespending appetite and if it is at a goodprice, there is good chance of a sale.’

RUGS

New colours have been added to Jasmine, part of Rapello

Titan, a new heatset shaggy, multi-tonal yarn

Amazon, a new design from the Rapello heatset carved range

070_IM_0411[1].qxd 30/3/11 13:52

RUGS


For Rugs with Flair the trend is being bolder, as it celebratesmoving to new premises in Glossop, Derbyshire that is morethan double the size of its two existing sites combined andincludes a 120,000sqft warehouse and separate showroom.

‘It wasn’t easy finding the right site to suit our growingbusiness and accommodate our plans for the future, but luckilywe did,’ says Neel Shah, Rugs with Flair md.

‘We are bigger than before, but we’ll never forget our roots. ‘Our aim always has, and always will be, to offer the best value to our customers; now we have the space we need to accommodate our extended ranges. We can nowstock our ranges deeper and improve our service further,’ hesays.

‘Bright colours are still key this year, but we’re getting braverand mixing a few together – watch out for lime green mixedwith purple in our Spider collection, it really is a great fusion.

‘And plain shaggy rugs continue to thrive. Santa Cruz has been a major success and our customers will see the

addition of some wonderful new shades to this range includinga soft green.’

The company is also expanding its children’s collection with afleecy nursery range. Striped designs, damasks, traditional andflorals are all still strong, along with Union Flag and heritagethemes.

‘After the recent Heimtextil and Domotex shows, we’re alsoworking with lots of natural shades and nudes, takinginspiration from nature – elements including ropes, driftwood,denim, linen, pebbles, stones and sand,’ he explains.

‘Our rugs are sourced worldwide and the factories visitedregularly. This means the company has a good relationship withsuppliers built on the strong foundations of up to 28 years oftrading.

‘We hope to be the first to bring new qualities anddevelopments to the marketplace and with our in-house designteam we update and re-create our promotions quicker thanever before, reacting to colour trends, size and even shape.’

Above left: Retro rugs are introduced each monthAbove: Rugs with Flair’s ranges include the Additions collectionLeft: The new premises include a 120,000sqft warehouse

Rugs with FlairInvesting in new premises has enabled the company to hold much more stock

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OUTDOOR FURNITURE


Stacks of styleVersatile designs for

outdoors and inside

Outdoor furniture doesn’t just have to be atraditional bench or a table with a parasol inthe middle. As gardens and outdoor spacesbecome increasingly integrated with indoorrooms, more innovative designs are calledfor.

For example, Suntime’s Vase table andchairs can be stacked, becoming a gardendecoration when not in use.

Cane-line has introduced Cane-line Tex, acoated polyester, to create upholstery thatstill looks good even if it remains outdoorsall summer and which matches the comfortand design standards of indoor furniture.

Hella Jongerius reinterpreted typicalgarden chairs for Kettal with Bob. It has analuminium frame and ribbed cushions withstitching detailing.

B&B Italia’s Ravel combines wovenTop: Suntime’s VaseAbove: Magis’ VoidoRight: Cane-line’sDiamond

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OUTDOOR FURNITURE


polyethylene backs with a metal base tocreate modular units allowing the user tocreate their own seating landscape.

Barlow Tyrie’s circular Equinox tablefeatures a slate grey, high pressure laminatetop and integral Lazy Susan, mounted onbrushed stainless steel legs and frame.

If topping up the tan is the task of the day,Voido by Ron Arad for Magis allows you todo it in style while Ronan and ErwanBouroullec’s Vegetal chair for Vitra takes apared down approach.

Left: B&B Italia’s RavelBelow: Barlow Tyrie’sEquinox with Mercury chairsBottom left: Vitra’s VegetalBottom right: Kettal’s Bob

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PROTECTION


Safe deliveriesFitting furniture with protective products can prevent damage to floors

It’s not just furniture that can need protecting during deliveryand afterwards.

Just picture the scene: a new dining table or sofa is beingdelivered and the customer asks the delivery team if they couldput it just where she wants it and… scrape. Its metal feet havegauged the wooden floor.

The result? The customer claims against the retailer and aswell as footing the bill its reputation has taken a knock.

Gill Finch, Stroolmount director says this can be easilyavoided at little cost and without significantly adding to thetime of the delivery.

‘Retailers often say that time is of the essence when it comesto deliveries, but our 5mm self-adhesive felt pads take secondsto apply and surely it’s better to have a very satisfied customerand cause no damage than the chance of a claim and a veryunsatisfied customer,’ she says.

For longer-term solutions, Stroolmount’s Quickclick guidesare screwed into the base or legs and can be easily changedwithout unscrewing.

‘The system is interchangeable so if the felt wears down orthe flooring is changed, the glider can be easily changed,’ saysFinch.

If retailers fit the products before the new furniture enters thecustomer’s house it will stop claims for damaged floors.

As with the rest of the company’s products, including itsfurniture sliders for moving heavy furniture, Quickclick isavailable in retail packs that can be sold to consumers to fitthemselves.

‘After speaking to a large number of retailers at trade showswe have found many were sending their customers elsewherefor protection items when it is better for their bottom line andreputation if they could provide them,’ explains Finch.

IMA

GE:

SER

GEY

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, FO

TOLI

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Delivery teams carry the retailer’s reputation with them

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£60

£140

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SOFTWARE


Keep takingthe tabletsThe latest software for interiors retailers

To make the customer experience moreefficient software needs to be updated,but what is the most suitable for yourbusiness?

Mayne Computer Technology hasdrawn on its 17 years of experience indeveloping systems, supplying andsupporting many well known names inthe flooring industry – and workingclosely with many of them – to developMosaic.

The system is designed for all typesand sizes of carpet and flooringcompanies from independent retailers,through multi-branch retailers anddistributors up to multinationalmanufacturers.

The Windows based modular systemallows users to choose the modules they require, both initially and in thefuture as the requirements of thebusiness change.

Modules include estimating andplanning, sales order processing, stockmanagement, sales and purchase ledger,complaints, fitters’ diary, managementinformation, samples, EDI, warehouseautomation, product catalogue, online

sales and touchscreen order entry. Ademonstration is available atwww.maynetechnology.co.uk.

Mayne specialises in computer systemsfor the furnishing and floorcoveringindustries and has ISO 9002 qualitystandards accreditation.

It offers a range of services includingconsultancy, hardware supply,networking, software, installation,training, maintenance and ongoingsupport.

Retailsystem.com’s software has seentwo major upgrades recently, includingbecoming iPad compatible.

‘Now you can throw away your oldorder pad and wander around theshowroom using an iPad to takecustomer orders,’ says Stephen Smith,Retailsystem.com ceo.

Apart from the more professional look,there are benefits with add on sales.Rather than marching customers off tothe office, orders can be processed onthe shopfloor where they can betempted by other products around them.

‘It’s amazing how many add on salesare lost at the point of sale by taking thecustomer out of the showroomenvironment. The tablet is the wayforward,’ says Smith.

The second update is Stock Assist,which helps buyers to easily see how aproduct, range or supplier is performingbetween specified dates. The modulelearns patterns and trends and willsuggest re-order levels. It has also beenupdated to support Internet Explorer 9,Safari on iPad and iPhone and GoogleChrome browsers.

Left: Mayne’sMosaic can be usedfor order processingamong otherservices Below:

Retailsystem.com’ssoftware is now iPadcompatible

��

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SOFTWARE


MasterPiece has revised its estimatingsoftware with several updates. Thefacility for searching for previousestimates or orders has been improvedby widening the search criteria to includeretailer’s reference numbers orpostcodes, rather than just thecustomer’s surname. The archive nowalso supports a printout to a spreadsheetso customers’ details can be used for mailshots. The pattern planning function hasbeen improved, particularly for stripes,and additional training videos have beenadded to help new users.

For retailers with more than onebranch the database for each store canbe combined, allowing company-wideanalysis of estimates. Previously thedatabases were separate.

By doing this MasterPiece can licensethe software by concurrent user, ratherthan the previous method of by thenumber of computers it was installed on.

According to Charles Pearson,MasterPiece md, this could representmajor savings for larger companies.

‘For retailers the estimate is importantand different retailers want to includedifferent levels of information and how itlooks. Because of this we’ve updated howthey can format the estimate and made itmuch more adaptable,’ he says.

For firms that carry out contract workas well as retail, the software has beenimproved to handle both sectors.

‘Users are now able to takemeasurements from PDFs and CADfloorplans and can also use paper planswith a digitiser. With contract, companieswill normally want to work with costprices and then add margin and it cannow do this along with two productlibraries for contract and retail products,’he adds.

Store databases canbe combined withMasterPiece’s updatedestimating software

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The aim has been to make the Vogue Group clear and accessibleto its customers.We want to be a one-stop-manufacturer for our customers. Retailers can create their own ranges from thecollections the Vogue Beds Group offers. Be it an encapsulatedpocket, organic fabrics or the new Blue Cool Memory FoamTM,new talalay latex; all at price points,Vogue Beds Group offers thecomplete package.We also deliver the four brands on one truckwith just one delivery note and one bill, making the wholeprocess much easier.

A world’s First for Vogue - Less Heat - More Cool

Vogue Beds are the world’s first bed manufacturer to introduceBlu Cool Memory Foam™ for the Vogue Collection of Divansand Mattresses.

Blu Cool’s unique properties ensure that the frequently heard “Too Warm for me” commentthat polarised customers into either the Love or Hate memory foam camp is now outdated.

The radically new manufacturing process developed in the UK, results in a supportive foamthat behaves like memory foam, but does not retain body heat, thus providing the sameunique properties of memory foam but without the heat, so Less Heat! More Cool!

Vogue Beds LimitedKingsfield House,Arthur Street

BarwellLeicestershire LE9 8GZ

Tel: 01455 841 257Fax: 01455 841 259

Web: www.voguebeds.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

Vogue Beds Group

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PREVIEW


Pro

po

ste

Textile tasterExhibitor numbers are rising at the fabric exhibition

Next month will see the 19th Proposteexhibition take place from 4-6 May atVilla Erba, Como, Italy.

Some 106 European furnishing fabriccompanies will take part, a small increaseon 2010. Of these 52 are Italian whileBelgium is the most highly representedcountry among the 54 internationalexhibitors with 16 companies, followed by France (12), Spain (11), UK (5), Germany (4), The Netherlands (3)and Austria, Portugal and Switzerland

with one company each.Newcomers at the show are Velours

Blafo from France, Froca from Spain andTeviz from Portugal, while the Spanishfirm Sati and Italian company Torri Lana1885 return.

New this year on a trial basis is theItalian Abook Librerie bookshop by FabioCastelli, offering a special selection ofbooks about architecture, interior design,furniture, fabrics and curtains, urbanplanning and environmental

sustainability, in addition to books byRenzo Piano Foundation.

Last year’s show attracted 6,553visitors: 2,698 from Italy (41%) and 3,855(59%) from elsewhere.

FAST FACTS

Proposte

International fabric exhibition

Como, Italy

4-6 May, 9am-6pm (4pm on 6 May)

www.propostefair.it

Some 106companies willexhibit at this year’sProposte

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Difficult

Medium

Easy

ACROSS 1 Yonder thing5 Goes off course9 Outer coat of a seed14 Tramp15 Mild oath16 Hitching post?17 Birthright seller18 Playthings19 Stylish20 Chorus22 Medium of exchange23 Island in the East China Sea24 Chief of the Vedic gods28 Fanatical34 Fine white clay38 Bottom line?39 Salver40 List of mistakes41 Group of eight?43 The Tower of Pisa does this44 Gangster’s gun47 Faculties48 Wheel for propelling a ship51 Whirling52 Potala Palace site57 Episode61 Quantities63 Attacks64 Crime boss66 Castle ring67 Winged68 Chieftain, usually in Africa69 Not working70 Executive of a municipality71 Fill with cargo72 Antlered animal

DOWN1 Heat unit2 Old Testament book3 Behind4 Excursions5 Abominable snowman6 Not forming an angle7 Method8 Radical 1960s org9 Dutch navigator10 Red Muppet11 Ollie’s partner12 Shipping deduction13 Bohemian21 Examine account books25 High degree26 Dr of rap27 Full of crevices29 Endangered equine30 Env notation31 Some nest eggs32 Pan’s opposite33 Sight organs34 Seaweed35 Neighbourhood36 Toward the mouth37 Ground42 String quartet instrument45 Amazement46 Common article49 Second of two50 Cobra, for example53 Moist54 Cathode’s contrary55 Hackneyed56 Fall flower57 Counterfeit58 Currency unit in Western Samoa59 Brit’s exclamation60 Western pact62 Additional64 Animation unit65 US Doctors’ org

SUDOKOCROSSWORD

Answers can be found on p82

ENTERTAINMENT


81ent_IMapr11 24/3/11 12:32

FINAL POLISH


Play golf, help charityIf you play golf, enjoy a good night outand want to support two deservingcharities, there’s some key dates for yourdiary next month. On 10-11 May is the55th Kidderminster CarpetManufacturers National Golf Tournament,sponsored by Georgian Carpets, in aid ofthe Furnishing Industry Trust andMacmillan Cancer Support.

Day one is a four ball team event whileday two is a two ball team event. The costis £80 for both days or £50 for Tuesdayand £35 for the Wednesday. A dinner at the Granary Hotel, Kidderminster on 10 May costs £30 a head.

Rupert Anton, event chairman says:

Top gear: It may be April, but if you want the Aston Martin furniture collection for Christmas youmay have to start saving now. Designed by Mirko Tattarini and Emanuele Canova, it includes thisstriking sofa with a choice of steel or carbon fibre frame. Our only quibble is that being AstonMartin, it’s not UK made, as Formitalia holds the rights.

Entertainment answers

Easy DifficultMedium

‘We are tremendously grateful toGeorgian Carpets for their continuedsponsorship and also to Adam, Victoria,Brintons and Brockway Carpets who arethe backbone of the event.

‘Last year we were overwhelmed bythe generosity of our industry. To raise£16,000 in such difficult economic timesspeaks volumes for all concerned.

‘While we have a loyal, hardcore playerbase we are always keen to attract newplayers. It is a genuinely fun two daysand an opportunity to mix business andpleasure with some of the leading lightsof the industry,’ he says.

For details tel: 01562 747 359 or [email protected].

Locked up for lunchHere’s a fundraiser with a difference:lunch inside – inside prison that is. FIT isoffering lunch at The Clink, a newrestaurant located within High Downhigh security prison in Sutton, Surrey on24 August.

‘All chefs and waiters at the restaurantare current prisoners and the restaurantfurniture is made within the prison walls.This is a fantastic and unique eventoffering a very thought-provokingexperience with lots to talk aboutafterwards,’ says Nigel Blake, FIT director.

Best to leave the wine at homethough. Tickets cost £45. Email [email protected].

Rhino resistantUnusual product tests get the messageacross more effectively than laboratorydata. Hence we urge companies to followin the footsteps of Mohawk and thinkanimal. Very large animal.

The company fitted its SmartStrandcarpet to the enclosure of Ricko, a 12year-old 1.25ton rhino resident atBirmingham Zoo, Alabama, USA and lethim get on with what rhinos to do. Twoweeks later it was cleaned with hot waterand the firm’s spot remover and looked‘as good as new,’ says Ricko’s keeper.

We’re looking forward to elephantstesting sofas, chimps trying out dining

tables and bears seeinghow scratch

resistantlaminate

is.Water aidKitchen and bathroom exhibition kbbLondon/Birmingham has pledged toraise £20,000 to help the WaterAidcharity improve access to safe water,hygiene, and sanitation in some of theworld’s poorest communities. The

campaign will be launched at kbbLondon next month and run until kbbBirmingham in March 2012.

‘As little as £15 can enable a person tohave access to safe water, improvedhygiene and sanitation,’ says AndrewVaughan, kbb London brand director.

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