Home Staging Matters

Company’s 2006 Results: Home Staging Can Make Substantial Impact on a Home’s Marketability
by RISMEDIA
March 1, 2007

From coast to coast, home staging is quickly becoming the industry standard in a competitive real estate market. Real estate agents have always emphasized the importance of appealing to a buyer’s emotions when selling a home. New research now validates that theory and local data shows that staging before selling can bring profitable results in a slowing market.

New England Home Staging has released results for 2006 showing their New Hampshire single family home clients, whom received staging service, averaged 106 days on the market before home staging and 39 days on the market afterward. New construction homes averaged 387 days before staging and 58 days afterward. The company has sent out the results to its clients. Results will be posted on the Web site.

These results add positive momentum to the current New Hampshire real estate market and surrounding areas.

What is the difference in staging versus not staging? “Time and money,” says Stayci Fast, owner and principle advisor for New England Home Staging. “Our 2006 results show how home staging can make substantial impact on a home’s marketability. Our findings continue to impress and we strive to make continued contributions toward advancing the profession.”

The firm works closely with many top New Hampshire real estate professionals. Val Munoz , a nationally recognized, top sales producer for Prudential Verani in New Hampshire, finished the year strong when most agents took a huge sales hit in the slowing market. “With a background as a marketing executive for Nike and Disney, I understand the importance of implementing solid marketing and business strategies as a means to a home sale,” Munoz says. Among the “extras” she provides her clients: a free two-hour consult with New England Home Staging.

“There is more to this profession than meets the eye,” says Fast. “Knowing your buyer demographic is a necessary detail in the process, and this is where decorating and home staging sometimes part ways. We consider who the probable buyer for the property will be based on price point, location, size, age and lifestyle, and we then stage the home to touch the senses of that particular buyer. Whether the home is a million dollar plus property or a pint-sized city loft, we stage accordingly-the Pottery Barn look does not appeal to everyone. Our firm’s success comes from having extensive and up-to-date knowledge in the interior design arena as well as having a current New Hampshire real estate license.”

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High Drama In The Kitchen

As Cooking Takes Center Stage, Designs Become Sleek And Glossy
By JANET EASTMAN
March 2, 2007

Most of Mark Schomisch’s glass-walled house is so flooded with light that wearing sunglasses inside is almost necessary. Step into his kitchen, however, and night-vision goggles might be in order. It’s dark, with slick, black-tiled walls; black marble countertops; oak cabinets stained deep graphite; and dusky lights.

“I wanted the kitchen to be an oasis from the brightness,” says the interior designer, who remodeled his 1970s French-style house in the Hollywood Hills into a skylight-laden contemporary with views from the Sunset Strip to the ocean. Since he wanted to tear out convention along with the home’s faux mansard roof, he thought: Why not tuck the kitchen next to a shaded side yard and make it as dim as a movie theater?

“You could show a film in here,” he adds.

There’s a lot more drama in kitchens these days as they continue to take center stage in the home. Some don’t even look much like kitchens. Sinks and cooktops are concealed beneath sliding steel. Trash compactors and other practical-but-not-pretty elements are hidden in niches behind floor-to-ceiling paneled doors. “Sub rooms,” separate small areas off the kitchen, hold walk-in refrigerators; “dirty rooms” keep oil-splattering tasks contained and out of sight. Make a mess; close the doors; and the showcase kitchen remains uncluttered and tidy.

Kitchens are getting bigger and are being used more often as the place to entertain, says Ed Pell, manager of market research for the National Kitchen & Bath Association, who says consumers spent $127 billion in 2006 on kitchen remodels.

“Cooking has become as much a hobby as a necessity,” he says. “A lot of people now do gourmet cooking, or think they do, and they want to show off.”

Status kitchens, no longer just a place to rattle pots and pans, sport nontraditional colors on walls, doors, cabinetry and countertops. A steel island with glossy electric-blue pearwood panels anchors a new kitchen designed by Geoffrey Frost of Downsview Kitchen Studio of Los Angeles. Frost considers backsplashes another place to add bold colors. He used bright red quartz in an Encino, Calif., home and tiny mosaic tiles in gray, blue, mauve and pearly tones in a Beverly Hills kitchen where the residents display their folk-art collection.

Sleek, ebony-stained, lacquered or laminated surfaces have been popular in lofts for a few years, but now tract houses are embracing this contemporary furniture look.

Peek into a kitchen these days and you may wonder: Is that a polished black-and-steel credenza in the middle of the room or a kitchen island with a discrete cooktop?

When Schomisch bought his Hollywood Hills house in 2005, it had a French bistro-type kitchen with hand-painted ceramic tiles and a brick fireplace. That’s all gone, and now the centerpiece is an island with a 6-inch-thick, seamless slab of St. Laurent marble.

Schomisch first saw midnight-colored marble like it in a New York hotel. He bought enough – at $75 a square foot – to crown the island and countertops, and found less expensive look-alike tiles to cover the walls.

The telltale signs of a kitchen are hard to find here. Tall doors hide a second sink and bar glasses. A glass-front Viking refrigerator, triple-temperature Viking wine cooler and Míele double oven and warming drawer are lined up on both sides of the entrance so they aren’t noticeable right away.

Cabinets are underneath the countertops, not above them. “It’s frighteningly functional,” he says. “There is tons of storage, just no cabinets where you would expect them to be at eye level.”

When he’s entertaining, he says, the mood shifts in a few steps, from a sunning-around-the-pool attitude outside to mellow romance inside the kitchen.

“When I’m in here, I almost expect to see someone playing a piano in the corner,” Schomisch says. A center soffit with a frosted-panel skylight and dimming bulbs provides soft illumination.

Museum-quality spotlights beam onto a graceful metal sculpture of a woman, standing on an otherwise vacant counter, something else you don’t expect to see in a kitchen.

“The color of the kitchen sets the stage for elegance, whether you’re having a cocktail or eating your cereal,” Schomisch says. “There’s something warm about the dark.”

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Ten-Minute Tricks to Freshen Your Space

By Stacy Gilliam

The calendar still reads “winter.” But your mind can’t help but flood with images of blooming tulips and daisies, gleaming sunshine and a home bursting with spring flavor.

You’ve already got the fever, my friend, the fever for a change in décor. Weary of the dark, drabness of the winter months, you’re itching for the light, energetic mood of the spring season. But who has the bandwidth or the bucks?

Three interior design pros – Lauri Ward, Lisa Turner and Candace C. Peters – whipped up dozens of quick, easy and dollar-conscious ways to freshen up your living space before the flowers start to bud. Here’s what you can do in no time:

Rotate art.

Are your walls all cluttered with stagnant artwork? Then it’s time for a change. “Some people hang everything they own on every wall,” says Ward, the pioneer of “one-day decorating” and author of “Home Therapy: Fast, Easy, Affordable Makeovers” (Penguin Group, $34.95). “Look at it all the time, and you start taking it for granted.” Try this: Separate art into summer and winter piles. Hang the lighter, pastel colors for spring and summer, and put the deep, oil paintings in storage. Every six months, rotate your pieces. “This way, you enjoy your art with a new vigor, and it’s something you can do in minutes.” Ward also suggests art collectors leave one blank wall in each room. It gives visitors a place to rest the eyes.

Soothe the senses.

Spring is not only a colorful season, but a fragrant one, too. Bring the aroma indoors. “Scents have a profound effect on mood,” Peters says. “Infusing scent into your décor with diffusers, candles, fresh cut plants/flowers, or incense can change the overall feeling of a space.” Ward offers this quick, floral tip: Purchase an inexpensive bouquet of flowers. Split flowers up by color, and place each bunch in small vases around your home.

Beautify your boudoir.

Bright, new bedding can do wonders for your personal space. Tuck away the heavy, winter flannel comforter and pull out crisp linens with coverlets for color, Turner says. Bring in the spring with floral-designed spreads or colorful solids. Don’t forget accent pillows for added style and comfort.

Buy new bulbs.

You’re thinking flower bulbs, right? Not a bad idea, but we’re talking about light bulbs. Ward says many of us aren’t using our lights properly. “In the winter, you need more light,” Ward says. But in the spring you can get away with less. Swap your 60-watt bulb with a 3-way bulb to allow you to soften light in a room, she says. “It really makes a difference to have the flexibility.” Look into energy-efficient bulbs, which may cost more than a standard bulb, but last longer and can cut down electric bills.

Let the sunshine in.

In the winter, dull, dusty windows can go unnoticed. Shorter, darker days give us an excuse. But on the first day of spring, take advantage of the sunny season by giving the windows a wash. “People tend to let the windows go, and they don’t get as much light,” Ward says. “You can have a gorgeous room, but if the windows are dirty, it won’t look as beautiful or as bright.” For an added tip, Turner suggests pulling back dark window treatments and adding a shade or valance for a touch of color. Or, you can also replace window treatments with ecru or white sheers for an elegant look.

Update accessories.

Just as you’d add a scarf or necklace to enhance an outfit, do the same with your home. “Dress your home like you would yourself,” Turner says. “Look for great accent pillows in bright colors. Put away the winter throws and drape light, bright throws on your sofa. Pick out spring-hued vases or candles to boost a cocktail or dining room table.

Show off your collection.

Everyone knows you love elephants. You’ve got an assortment of statues in every room! Experts say to centralize your collection in one spot so your space looks organized and your visitors can truly enjoy it. “It gives a more dramatic effect,” Ward says. “If it’s a small collection, anchor it on a tray. Then people will notice.”

Lose the magnets.

In just minutes, you can tidy up a kitchen by getting rid of the scraps of paper, business cards and take-out menus stuck to the fridge. If you have odds and ends everywhere, it looks messy,” Ward says. “If you clear it, your kitchen looks neat.”

Keep out things you use on a daily basis, the expert says. Invest in a pretty bulletin board to take care of important items.

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Modular Furniture Remains Stylish

Modulars adapt to your space and changing needs
By ROSEMARY SADEZ FRIEDMANN
2007-02-26

Oh, those amazing modulars. Remember the “pit groups” introduced in the 60’s and still going strong in the 70’s? They were big, bulky and brazen looking.

At the time these modular groups were meant for the family room. The intention was to help create a casual atmosphere and to support rugged use. The look was ‘let’s play’ — for adults and well as children. Back then your home wasn’t up to date unless you owned a pit group.

Consumers found these modulars to be very flexible, but wanted more. So furniture manufacturers responded to that need. Modulars were then renamed “sectionals” and became the right look for every style. And virtually every room.

Though contemporary was the first style that evolved, sectionals today fit into most motifs. The frames and upholstery applied to these pieces run the gamut from contemporary to traditional to early American to middle-of-the-road, better known in decorating circles as transitional.

One reason for the popularity of sectionals is their versatility. They’re called sectionals because they come in sections, offering consumer the opportunity to buy just enough pieces to fit the room. They are great problem-solvers because they are changeable, allowing for periodic rearrangement.

And, if the mood so strikes you, or your requirements change, you often can add pieces to the arrangement.

The various sizes and shapes allow the fitting together of countless configurations to accommodate individual needs and space. The modules come in straight pieces, in curved pieces and in lounge chair pieces. They have recliners in some sets as well. The idea is sort of like going to a furniture cafeteria, picking this piece and then that one and ending up with exactly what you want.

Still another advantage is when moving from one home to another, the sectional will have a better chance of fitting into the new location due to its flexibility and versatility. If you move into a smaller home, just get rid of pieces in the sectional that don’t fit. If moving into a larger home, just add occasional chairs to fill out the space.

The sectional has prospered because it has adapted to pass the test of time. Though sectionals have been around now for almost five decades, their popularity still runs strong.

(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of “Mystery of Color,” available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Amazon.com.)

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‘Queer Eye’ Takes On Home Decorating

By James Welsh
February 23 2007

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy interior design expert Thom Filicia will host a new home decorating show on Style Network starting on March 28.

Dress My Nest will take a woman’s favourite outfit and wardrobe style as the basis for a room makeover.

“The Style Network has always helped real women look and feel their best by offering simple ways to transform their personal appearance,” said Style Network executive VP Salaam Coleman Smith. “With interior design expert and TV personality Thom Filicia at the helm of our new series Dress My Nest, we will now be able to show viewers how fashion can be utilized not only to transform ones own image, but also to inspire the transformation of an entire rooms design.”

The half-hour show will air new episodes in an 11pm timeslot.

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Redesign Offers Cure For Cabin Fever

By STACY SMITH SEGOVIA
February 22, 2007

Although this week seems like springtime compared to last week’s bitter cold, winter has a few more kicks in her.

Next time you’re faced with a day that’s rainy, slushy and cold, resolve to stay inside and get a whole new view of your world.

“This is just the time of the year people get cabin fever,” says Candy Heflin, owner of the Clarksville interior redesign business Divine Redesign.

One day last week, with gray skies spitting needles of freezing rain, Heflin said she’d love nothing more than to spend the day indoors, creating warmth, beauty and and a new sense of style in her home.

Heflin does just that for clients every day. She uses the furniture and accessories someone has, then rearranges them, adds wall decor and table groupings, and ends up with a room that looks very little like the original.

“Redesign takes what you have in your home and reuses it,” Heflin said. “Redesign saves people money.”

A modest budget affords Heflin the chance to add small-ticket details that are visually powerful, such as new paint, boldly colored throw pillows or themed wall decor.

For example, Heflin created one wall arrangement in a tea room that features old records and a discarded trombone. For a men’s restroom redo in a church, she bought silk ties, cuff links and leather belts from Goodwill, then arranged them in shadowboxes along one wall.

“You can turn a room into a several thousand dollar room for a couple hundred bucks,” Heflin says. “There’s so many amazing things you can do without breaking the bank.”

Heflin also uses common materials for uncommon applications. She used wallpaper on a ceiling, for example, to create the look of an antique tin ceiling. Heflin routinely paints wallpaper, as well as ceramic tile flooring.

“People don’t know you can paint tile. You use a bonding primer and let it cure for three or four days,” Heflin says. “People don’t know you can do all these crazy things and make it look like a million dollars.”

Heflin says interior decorators are pricey in large part because they are selling clients expensive pieces of furniture, art, and custom window treatments.

“A redesigner is half the cost,” Heflin says. “If you’re just creative and open-minded you can go through a client’s home, pull stuff from other rooms and redesign one room with a whole new look.”

The interior design industry is shifting.

More people are becoming certified redesigners, with consumers increasingly focusing on getting the look for less.

Interior designers are no longer “horrified” by penny-conscious rooms, according to industry trend watcher Rosemary Leake. “Cheap interior design ideas come in many forms these days. From television shows to magazines, the industry is trying to teach the consumer how to design cheap.”

Leake writes for her interior design Web site, www.interiordesignprofits.com.

Heflin says it’s her aim to make budget design television shows’ spending look extravagant.

“These TV shows like ‘Design on a Dime,’ I tell my husband I could do that for so much less,” Heflin says. “When they give them $2,000 to redo a room, I cringe. I could do it for half that.”

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Oscar Fashion for Your Living Room

Learn How to Recreate Your Favorite Movie Looks in Your Own Home
February 21, 2007

House & Garden magazine has the latest in Oscar looks for your home!

The magazine was inspired by the interior design of many of this year’s films, and its editors picked their Top 3 looks for Oscar-quality interior design in your own home.

The winners are: “The Queen,” “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Dream Girls.”

These three films cover the spectrum, from ultraluxurious and fanciful to chic and cheap. From adding an accessory to redoing an empty basement, these looks could be for you, and you’ll have a lot of fun creating and enjoying them. One last point: When it comes to what to spend the big bucks on, decide on what you can’t live without, and be resourceful with the rest.

1. “THE QUEEN”

The Look: The traditional English country house.

Slightly worn, chintzy upholstery

Tartans, plaids and other traditional British fabrics and patterns

Stately, not overly formal in a French way

How to Get This Look at Home:

1. Update the look by throwing in an unexpected color and pattern. Specifically, select a fresh, bright and solid color to counter the plaids and tartans.

2. Freshen up the worn and comfy feel with a little sharpness. Specifically, a few accent pieces with contemporary lines.

3. Collect funky English accessories at flea markets, antique shops and auctions.

The Props:

Cowtan & Tout Chintz on the walls, you can find a like pattern at Waverly.com for $30 a yard. The fabric on the lampshade is Duralee — which sells for $50 a yard.

Floral patterned rug, 5′ x 7′4″ from The Rug Company for $2,200 — Therugcompany.com. Crate and Barrel has similar rugs at a lower price point ranging from $200 to $900.

Flea market lamp for $5.

Hunting pictures from Art.com. $10 to $25 each — 17 x 25.

Spode China tray and bowl for $50 to $100.

2. “LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE”

The Look: Welcome to “The Brady Bunch” today. The movie’s style is classic Americana. Focus on dining with a vignette centering on tabletop.

How to Get This Look at Home:

1. It’s all about plates and glasses; cheap and chic is the way to go. Thomas O’Brien at Target; Melamine plates with pop motifs, dining chairs and hanging lamps.

2. Vintage 1950s furniture.

3. Bold graphics in avocados and oranges.

The Props:

Wallpaper from Flavorpaper.com for $150 a roll.

Orangita cuckoo clock from Anthropology.com for $120.

Sunburst mirror from Calypso for $2,600 at calypso-celle.com. Lower priced available at simplymirrors.com for $349.98.

Zero table from Design Within Reach for $778. Dimensions: 29H x 34.5D x 18BaseD. Find it at dwr.com.

French Bull melamine plates/bowls/flatware for $7 a cup, $32 set of flatware, plates $11.25 at frenchbull.com. Also available at Gracious Home.

3. “DREAM GIRLS”

The Look: A lounge area. Soulful ’60s meets state-of-the-art techno pop. Musts include a bar cart on wheels, a round and tufted sectional and rugs.

How to Get This Look at Home:

1. High gloss paint.

2. Wallpaper — there has been a wallpaper explosion and a recent reintroduction of new wallpapers with ’60s patterns.

3. Plastic fantastic accessories — from phones to lamps.

The Props:

Benjamin Moore paint in white high gloss (Benjamin Moore Super White 02). benjaminmoore.com.

Lucite table from Plexicraft for $340. Dimensions are 42L x 16D x 1′6″H — Plexicraft.com.

Group of four mirrored squares, 8 inches per square, from West Elm for $19 each at westelm.com.

Two pink chairs from Andrew Martin for $500 each.

Black horse head from Vellum for $295 — vellumnewyork.com.

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HGTV Social Network

Scripps Networks Selects Neighborhood America to Build Interactive Online Community as Part of Leading Home & Garden Web Site HGTV.Com
February 20, 2007

PRESS RELEASE

NAPLES, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Scripps Networks has selected Neighborhood America to enable the creation of a new online community for HGTV.com, the #1 online content destination in the Nielsen//NetRatings’ Home & Garden category and companion Web site to popular cable network HGTV. [1] Neighborhood America is the leading enterprise social network solutions provider for organizations seeking to engage and interact with the public.

HGTV.com’s new interactive online community initiative Rate My Room is designed to create community around the common interest of interior design. Rate My Room will provide individuals with the ability to interact with like-minded design enthusiasts and share ideas and design concepts through the publishing of images that showcase their homes.

“Scripps Networks is committed to providing our audiences unique ways to get information and ideas as well as to interact and share common interests,” said Jim Sexton, senior vice president, Scripps Networks Interactive. “We’re excited to launch Rate My Room, which uses cutting-edge technology to enable good old-fashioned conversations and connections, thus benefiting both the user and the brand.”

“Social networking has begun to make its presence felt in the enterprise market,” said Kim Kobza, CEO of Neighborhood America. “Yet, to be truly effective, traditional consumer-driven social networks must meet the needs of today’s organizations, including brand protection, structure, analysis and administrative oversight. Our relationship with Scripps Networks will provide a social network through which they can maintain their leadership in innovative programming. The resulting two-way interaction and communication will allow Scripps Networks to engage with their audience across multiple platforms in meaningful ways.”

[1] Nielsen//NetRatings December 2006

Scripps Networks Interactive

The dynamic Web sites created and supported by Scripps Networks Interactive attracted an average of more than 13.5 million unique visitors per month in 2006. The Scripps Networks Interactive Web sites – www.HGTV.com, www.FoodNetwork.com, www.DIYnetwork.com, www.FineLiving.com and www.GACTV.com – along with broadband channels including – www.HGTVPro.com, www.HGTVKitchenDesign.com, www.HGTVBathDesign.com and www.DIYnetwork.com/woodworking – are not only extensions of Scripps Networks leading lifestyle brands, providing users programming information and additional instructional content, but also exciting destinations for original content, engaging video and powerful interactive tools.

About Neighborhood America

Neighborhood America provides government, business and media with a simple solution to the universal problem of engaging and building social networks that can be controlled, managed and easily scaled. Neighborhood America uniquely delivers results-driven ‘Software as a Service’ solutions that enable organizations to capture, moderate, analyze and fully leverage user-generated content collected through all devices. Customers such as ABC, CBS, the Department of Defense and The Weather Channel have turned to Neighborhood America to achieve audience interaction goals, building communities that support brands and create value. For more information, visit www.neighborhoodamerica.com.

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Glass Blocks Find Their Way Into Modern Times

By ROSEMARY SADEZ FRIEDMANN
February 19, 2007

In the 1920s and ’30s, the use of glass block was more or less limited to the side of the front door and in bathrooms. We still use glass block in those places. But today they are used almost everywhere else, too.

Glass is one of the oldest and most useful products we have. It dates back to about 4000 B.C. In ancient times, formed pieces of colored glass were thought of as precious stone.

But that was then. This is now.

Since the center of the block is hollow and void, it provides dead air space which is good for insulation. Also, due to the movement of the shape of the glass, light coming through it is diverted and distributed in odd patterns, giving the deflected light an added decorative effect in the room. Some blocks are clear while others are more obscure, allowing the light coming through to vary according to the style of block.

With the typical size of a block approximating 4 inches square, the use of them is almost limitless. And while the 4-inch square size is typical, squares do come in larger sizes as well. The blocks can be placed in a stepped up or down pattern. They can be set straight with an opening in the middle or off to the side. They can be positioned in various geometric shapes. And the list goes on, a bit of imagination and creativity will inspire countless ways of using these blocks.

Installation isn’t too difficult. The blocks have a rough coating around the edges that acts as a bond between the block and the mortar. One part Portland cement with one part lime and three parts sand will make a great mortar mix. There are expansion strips and reinforcing strips available for use on the blocks to add further strength and flexibility. For the do-it-yourselfer, all these products are available at the mega-home improvement stores such as Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Maintenance is easy. Dirt on the face of the block may be easily removed with water. It’s as simple as that.

Here are some ideas on where to use the block:

_ In the kitchen as a half wall between the eating space and the working space.

_ As a furniture base for a cocktail table.

_ As a divider between living and dining room if the space is otherwise not separated.

_ In the bathroom at the base of the tub with a fluorescent light behind it.

_ As a shower wall instead of a plain glass wall.

_ In the foyer or living room in a stepped up pattern with each ’step’ to be used as a display base for artifacts.

The possibilities are many. Just get a little creative.

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Trendy Curved Furniture Adds Soft, Relaxed Touch To Home

By KAREN HUNTER
Sunday, 02/18/07

If you’d like to create a more restful home environment, facilitate guest conversation and make rooms more kid-friendly, you might want to trade your squared-off sofa for a curved one.

According to some Nashville-area designers, the trend toward curved furniture can do all that and more.

In addition to making furniture placement more creative, rounded pieces make it easier for guests to converse, said Howard Wiggins, co-owner of Brentwood-based Hearthstone Interior Design. “With curved furniture, guests do not have to sit side-by-side,” he said.

Anna Aycock of Designs by Anna Aycock, also in Brentwood, calls the curved trend “anti-industrial,” saying that after consumers work in a linear, digital, computerized world all day, coming home to rounded lines can offer stress relief.

“Curved furniture pieces allow for a smoother flow of energy throughout the room, making the living space more restful and easier to walk around in,” Aycock explained. “It also can make rooms safer for children, since bumping into a round table or ottoman is not as harmful as running into a hard corner.”

Nashvillian Ginger Walker, a client of Aycock’s, recently purchased a curved sofa for her living room to complement the room’s archway. The back of the sofa is pleated like a dress, Walker said, making the entrance into the room more attractive. She thinks the curved sofa does, indeed, make the room more restful. “I like to sit there with a cup of tea and a book,” she said. “It’s very relaxing.”

Like most design trends, curved furniture has been popular before. Wiggins noted that curved sofas, beds and other items have their roots in the 1940s, when rooms had a romantic feel enhanced by rounded and arched furniture. “If you’ve ever seen a picture of Mae West’s bedroom, she had a round bed and a rounded mirror,” he said.

New designs, like the Gaines swivel chair by Celerie Kemble for Laneventure, combine a curved back and rounded seat with the classic, straight lines of 1950s styles, while others, like Hickory Chair’s glamorous, tufted satin-upholstered sofa, look as if they came straight from a 1940s movie star’s home.

Sumptuous textured and embroidered silk fabrics are widely used on curved furniture pieces, while C.R. Laine’s Nickelby ottoman offers eco-conscious consumers a different twist — it’s covered in 100 percent cotton canvas recycled from Brazilian truck tarps.

The curved trend extends to leather, with American Leather’s Arclounge featuring an ottoman that fits into the front rail’s concave arc to create a large conversation area.

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