by Carol Bell

• Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA) held it’s annual conference this year at the Disney Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim CA. There is no better place to stimulate creativity and business success than at the Idea Place, Disneyland Resort. Challenging us to strive for excellence, the conference was more productive, more inspiring, and more memorable than many past conferences.

• In addition to the Disney Institute and being entertained by the comedy of Jack Gallagher, we were treated to these inspiring speakers:

• Ken Schmidt, Marketing Visionary of Harley Davidson

• George and Rich of Kizer and Bender on the Science of Shopping

• Jeff Hiller, President of the Sustainable Furniture Council

• Jim “Mack” McIngvale of Gallery furniture in Houston Texas

• George Hedley of the Business Builder

• Of course, no trip to Anaheim is complete without a day at Disneyland, where dreams do come true

By Carol Bell

• As we were previewing Thom Felicia’s new line of furniture, we were able to capture this Kodak moment while Thom was telling us about his new TV show called “Dress My Nest.”

by Carol Bell

• Both in Milan and High Point, outdoor furniture is center stage. As we all begin to create outdoor kitchens and outdoor living spaces, we have all discovered that we want our furniture to be as comfortable as the furniture we have in our home. This line dropped a chair in a lake for one month to see how it would hold up. I saw it at market and it looked great.

by Carol Bell

• Spring High Point Furniture Show is always one of the most exciting markets every year. After a year of “the same” over and over again, the manufacturers came out with some fresh new looks for this market. After years of showing brown leathers, brown fabrics, brown finishes, everything is getting lighter.

• For those of you that remember the 80’s, light or river washes finishes are coming back. These finishes are combined with neutral fabrics, including linen. You’ll be surprised to learn that linen was being combined with leather for a fresh new look.

• In the modern world, gray remains important and in Milan it was being shown with accents of lilac. So if you are inclined to be trendy, it’s gray and lilac for you.

• Tamara and I got a little carried away with all the new and exciting looks. Many will arrive this summer and others will be arriving in the fall. I will definitely keep you updated.