Urban Mercantile

What's in the window?

What plummet in retail sales? What staggering depressing economic news? With a heart full-to-the-top with gratitude, I can say that the sad state of affairs is not impacting our loyal shoppers (or at least they're not letting it show). Whew. Our UPS delivery man, Marlon, visits us everyday bringing boxes of new stuff. Today he says, "I'm glad you're still ordering. Keep it up." Sometimes I feel like locking the door when I see him coming because it means I have more deliveries to process and less time for blogging (hearty har har). In my opinion, I think UPS drivers have the inside scoop on the economy. I trust Marlon. So now all the fantastic fall goods are coming in and I'm so excited to share the fun with our shoppers and readers.

In the window this week is a sampling of what's arriving in all categories and price ranges. The bottom layer of plushness is a new rug line. Several fabrications, with dozens of colors available, and made to any size make this line perfect for our customers. This low-pile, super fat loop in green and orange (a combination that I adore, like a little punky patch) is $935.00 for a big 6x6ft rug.

A creative duo out of LA creates these melamine plates. These designs are the richest and most layered of all the melamine lines we carry. They're not whimsical, but they are fun. They're more art-ware than party-ware. With a pair of pirates and a pair of hawks, paratroopers and an octopus; who could ask for more? Several customers have thought to hang them on the wall as decoration (I should have bought plate hangers, drat!). Each are 10in diam, for $18.00.

Teapots are consistent sellers for us. These boldly glazed two-cup beauties are just 10 bones (that's $10.00 in pirate-speak). Also available in marigold and white, not shown. Buy a little yummy loose tea or a short-stemmed bouquet to fill the pot and you've got one sweet gift.

The shelf in the background holds several various goodies (in green, and available in several other colors $363.00). A luxurious cashmere throw in pumpkin ($292.00, a new lower price this year!), a fuzzy cotton blanket in warm tones ($152.00), a snuggly persimmony cotton baby blanket ($52.00), wrapping paper in orange and green ($4.00/sheet, gray and aqua not shown), a hand-made glass dish by a local artist ($24.00), a photo frame ($29.00), and floral wall art (see last post, $39.00).

Thanks for all of your comments and support! I hope to see or hear from you soon!

ICFF: day three

Finally, I'm feeling like I might just catch up on posts. Now that I'm home and the Memorial holiday is over I can attend to the blog (among the other piles of work I have around). Many of you have asked what it's like to shop at trade shows. I liken it to shopping at a flea market. There are booths and booths of things that are not what you're in the market for, and some booths you might have to dig deep for treasure. And sometimes a great new thing just jumps out. But to be sure I haven't missed anything, I do tend to retrace my steps. That's why these shows can be exhausting. Basically, it's like walking from 10am to 6pm. If you're lucky you can sit during lunch. I'm not complaining; there's always some very nice people to interact with along the way. So what caught my attention on this day?

Denmark's Ferm Living is a line I've had my eye on for a while. They approached me about a year ago to sell their wallpaper. As much as I loved the designs, I wasn't sure about testing the waters of a new category like wallpaper. This year they launched a whole home collection. Now this is something I can jump on board with! So I bought everything: wallpaper, wall stickers, dish towels, pillows, etc. As far as I know, we'll be the exclusive retailer in San Francisco for this line that features great graphics with a scandinasian slant. I liked one of the wallpaper designs so much I ordered a roll for myself. Prices are reasonable, though the wallpaper might be a bit pricey if you're accustomed to shopping at Home Depot.

Next, I found a wonderful rug collection by designer Robin Gray. Her line is simple, but with broad customization. Though Robin displayed some amazing technical designs, I decided to pick up the shaggy and loopy designs in solid colors of my own choosing, like bright orange and lime green. I added a couple neutral colors for those that refrain from splashes of color (no judgment here). I'm glad to have a made contact with such a warm and encouraging businesswoman as Robin, and I look forward--with her help--to creating bespoke rugs for our more discriminating customers (and design clients). The rugs I ordered won't be in the store for a few months as they are made to order. But in keeping with my goal to find good stuff at a reasonable price, they'll be worth the wait.

Lastly, another rug line captured my imagination. Lawrence of La Brea showcased some very interesting fabrications, including recycled denim patchwork rugs and metal thread woven rugs, but I opted for a more downplayed style of rugs made of jute. Jute is the natural, and ultimately biodegradable, plant fiber utilized in rug making since ancient times. They offered a few bright colors and a few neutrals, both palettes I think will appeal to our customers. Subtle woven patterns add texture to the fields of color.  A 6x9ft rug will retail for about $1200.00. And the smaller 2x3ft rugs will retail for about $132.00. These beauties should be in the store shortly as they are warehoused in Los Angeles.

ICFF: day two

Sorry folks. I'm really behind on posts. Stay tuned for more on my New York trip.

My hosts and good friends E.L. and D.C. prepared a most delicious breakfast this morning. Homemade scones and fruit, and a strong cup of coffee put me in a really good mood. This beats running to the Starbucks stand in the hotel lobby any day. We poked around Brooklyn later and enjoyed the little sunshine we've had here. I probably should have hustled to Javits, but I was having such a pleasant day with my BKLYN peeps.

My finds this day were a nice diversion from all the super-glamorous stuff everyone goes bananas for.  For example, these eco-friendly tables and stools are from Indianapolis-based inmodern/ecotots. Prices were reasonable considering the many steps they take to assure an eco-aware production process. The plywood layers are adhered with a human- and earth-friendly glue in a vapor free environment. The stains are alcohol based and wear well for durability. Not only are they working wonders with safer production, they’ve broken through the barrier of the manufacturing efficiency of such products. My order was ready to ship by the time I returned from a day of shopping. This will make special orders a breeze, as our customers appreciate quick deliveries of custom items. Adult and children’s furniture will be in the store in about a week.

Next, I discovered this line of ceramics in the Design-Boom section of the show. This area is usually filled with students or small upstart operations, both from the States and abroad, where smaller items are featured. You might see here accessories, jewelry, gadgets, and handcrafted items. Over the years, we’ve discovered several small-scale artisans and vendors. Like, Laura McKibbon and her company cul de sac design. Unlike many other ceramists, she prefers to work with earthenware. Her glazes are a soft palette that sells well for us. Her graphics are both botanical and typographical which also have broad appeal and in keeping with our store aesthetic. I hope to have an order in to her in time for a ceramics show I’m planning for the end of June. Prices will be reasonable considering the handmade attention the pieces receive.

  

ICFF: day one

Finally. I don't heart technology today.  Especially when it outwits me.

I'm in NYC for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). I've been coming for the last five years. But this my first visit since the start of my blogging life. And sure as the rain we've had here in the Big Apple, I was cursing my computer, my camera, my image editing software, and my own thickheadedness as I tried desperately to make my first post from the show. I was thwarted but survived.

So, I've vented. That's done. Now on with the show. It opened on Saturday to, from what I can tell, a good sized first day audience. Day One is usually a media frenzy. The interior design and product design glitterati walk the aisles as cameras flash. The first hour or so, I'm completely overwhelmed. For the uninformed, I get overwhelmed at Home Depot. But I do here what I do at any big name grocery store or home improvement center, I start at the far right side and walk every aisle in a calm and orderly fashion. By lunchtime I have my bearings.

The big trend this year still seems to be eco-friendly furniture, fixtures, and accessories. Also popular this year are screens, room dividers, and free-standing fireplaces. Rugs, wallpaper, and lighting are still hot, lo these many years. And though my photos might not illustrate it, it's obvious many manufactures and designers are still creating ultra-modern items with fat price tags. In turn, the trickle-down from this elite list provides inspiration to those in the trade and the upstart product designers, as well as an encouraging wink to resellers that perhaps the economy isn't irretrievably in the can.

If you've managed to stay entertained this long (for lack of any other stimulus), allow me to briefly hit the highlights of what I thought were good looking new furnishings suitable for the store and design clients.

These ceramic garden stools were perfectly scaled and glazed. Designed by Tucker Robbins of New York.  I stopped short of ordering them for the store (though I might look for something similar), as the retail price would have been over $900.00. Nevertheless, a stunning adaptation of an Asian garden stool, appropriately priced for higher-end clients.

The lights by London-based Tay Lighting are not entirely new. I saw some of them last year, but they still amaze me. Each are produced by hand with exsquite craftsmanship. These I would consider selling at the store; prices start at roughly $350.00 for the tube shape.

Large scale furniture is not something we can handle in our little store, but small pieces do exceptionally well. These petite painted metal stools/tables (I love convertible or multi-functional furniture) were a big find. They easily hit that scandinasian chord I often refer to. German firm Vitra, a major player in contemporary furniture production, working with every rockstar designer and architect in the last fifty years still has sass and class. The poor twenty-something girl in the booth did not have a price, but I'll be digging deeper for details. They are also available in a weird, prune color. I'm not sure if it was bad can of powder-coat paint on the samples or what, but that was a miss for me.

Also from Vitra, were these little dim-sums cum pouffes. A little savory and a little sweet, constructed with multi-media approach to home fashion. Homey without feeling too church bazaar. 

The MYTO chair is a small miracle in design collaboration. Chemical company BASF (Germany) first commissioned KGID to design an application for their Ultradur® High Speed material. A virtually indestructible material used in the auto industry. Konstantin Grcic heads his team along with Italian furniture company PLANK to build a plastic cantilevered, highly-engineered, indoor/outdoor, physics-defying chair. Not only is it strong, comfortable, and available in several colors, it's production is safer for the environment than traditional methods of manufacturing. The MYTO chair would retail for about $375.00.