Dror for Target features a variety of products, including comforters, quilts, sheets and tapestries in elegant shades of brown, raspberry, plum and aqua with textures and patterns that are destined for mixing and matching. The decorative accessories selection includes removable wall decals, a clock, lamps, a side table and a nesting bookcase. Stationery items include file folders, sketchbook and mini composition books that are emblazoned with modern graphics. Many products collapse, fold away or serve multiple functions, making them ideal for city dwellers, college students or anyone looking to maximize space on a tight budget.

“Target continues to provide smart living storage solutions that add graphic appeal to the home,” said Gina Sprenger, senior vice president of Merchandising, Target. “The Dror for Target collection is another example of how Target delivers on our brand promise, Expect More. Pay Less.”

Benshetrit established his multidisciplinary design practice, Dror, in 2002 with the intent of “bringing poetry to function.” Benshetrit is known for creating functional objects that are enhanced by an artist’s eye. His designs are intuitive, easy to use and imbued with a lighthearted spirit that brings an element of joy to everyday tasks.

“I design all of my work to evoke emotion and inspire well being,” said Benshetrit. “Not only are these products wonderfully practical, they’re engineered to create a spark of energy in the lives of their owners.”
 
The collection ranges in price from $0.99 for mini composition books to $89.99 for the nesting bookshelf. Benshetrit’s goal in creating this collection for Target is to help guests organize more with less by emphasizing the concepts of utility and multi-function. The products work in a variety of room settings, from home offices to bedrooms, and many perform more than one task. Bookcases can be stacked and grouped for unlimited storage options, and each four-shelf unit can disassemble into a compact bundle for easy transport. And textured and patterned quilts and throw pillows are double-sided, providing twice the decorating power.

Visit the new Linens ‘N Things (www.lnt.com) to discover a wide assortment of highly recognized and popular home and living brands (over 2,000 brands and growing everyday). A sampling of the well-known, international brands you’ll find include: Calvin Klein, Vera Wang, Le Creuset, Versace, Viking Range and Laura Ashley, as well as more recently launched lines such as DwellStudio, Perry Ellis Bedding and Blissliving Home. It all adds up to a comprehensive online destination, filled with over 200,000 top branded products for every room in the home — from bedding and bath to dining and decor and much, much more.

But top brands and a huge product selection is just the start. New categories have been added too, including pet products; a large selection of high quality nursery bedding, accessories and baby gear, such as CoCaLo; a variety of travel accessories and luggage for any occasion. Be sure to check the site daily for its ever changing “Deal of the Day” and Clearance Center that promise deals like you’ve never seen before. With a focus on pricing its products for today’s cost-conscious, quality-driven consumer, the new Linens ‘N Things (www.lnt.com) prides itself on its leading staple of brands offering products at every price point.

The new Linens ‘N Things (www.lnt.com) is built on an innovative, technologically-advanced e-commerce platform that enhances the online shopping experience based on real-time consumer demand. The website changes automatically by the day and even by hour based on what customers are buying. New brands and products are added constantly while the existing inventory is continually remerchandized to meet the consumer demand and desires.

The new Linens ‘N Things (www.lnt.com) builds on the enormous customer following that started 34 years ago with a single store in West Orange, New Jersey. Recognized as one of the top two home retailers in North America, something that very few home textiles and housewares brands have achieved, the new Linens ‘N Things (www.lnt.com) offers consumers the ultimate shopping experience that includes new and noteworthy retail partnerships, from brands that have been trusted for decades to leading brands in contemporary home furnishings, accessories and much more.

About Linens ‘N Things (www.lnt.com)

The first Linens ‘N Things store opened in 1975 in West Orange, New Jersey, offering high-end linens at discount prices. The company grew to become the second largest specialty retailer of home furnishings and decorative accessories with 589 stores across North America. Now part of the Gordon Brothers Brands and Hilco Consumer Capital portfolio of retail brands, the new Linens ‘N Things hits home with consumers as a popular e-commerce website, featuring top brands, new categories, hot deals, and the ultimate shopping sensation. Poised to become the modern standard in retailing, the new Linens ‘N Things caters to the demands and desires of today’s consumer.

The Thom Filicia Home Collection(TM) is a proud collaboration with industry leaders in their categories. They are:

* Furniture – Vanguard (Fall 2009)
* Textiles – Kravet (Spring & Fall 2009)
* Lighting – Visual Comfort (Fall 2009)
* Area Rugs – Safavieh (Spring 2009)
* Hospitality Carpet – Shaw Hospitality Group (Fall 2009)
* Consumer Appliances – Amana (specialty refrigerators inspired by Thom Summer 2009)

“For many years I have designed custom furnishings for my private clients. It’s always been important to me that I reflect those clients’ unique personalities in my designs. I am now thrilled to offer consumers across the country that same opportunity,” said Filicia. “The Thom Filicia Home Collection(TM) empowers people to confidently express themselves through fun, classic, comfortable and bold furnishings. One of the most important parts of developing this collection was to create pieces for the way people live and entertain now. The result is pure, evocative design that is both essential and highly practical.”

The new home collection captures Thom Filicia’s classic simplicity and injects an unexpected, modern flair. With a fresh yet timeless approach to design, the collection balances elements in unique and beautiful ways. Refined details mix with raw edges, industrial plays against organic, and materials, textures and palettes are used in unexpected ways.

“In selecting our partners for the Thom Filicia Home Collection(TM),” said Marc Szafran, President of Filicia’s design company, “it was very important that each of them had an environmentally sensitive approach to manufacturing and quality of materials wherever possible to ensure long lasting sustainable products. These collections are routed in the values that formed Thom’s childhood, growing up in upstate New York surrounded with the beauty of nature and its connection to organic objects and materials. The Thom Filicia Home Collection(TM) combines Thom’s love for nature with his respect for the environment and talent for design.”

About Thom Filicia:

Thom Filicia is one of the nation’s foremost interior designers. He became a household name as the design expert member of the Fab Five quartet on Bravo’s hit show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and currently hosts the wildly popular Dress My Nest on the Style Network. Filicia owns a successful, New York-based interior design firm, Thom Filicia, Inc., which specializes in residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. Thom is also the author of Thom Filicia Style, his first book, which was released in fall 2008.

About Vanguard:

Vanguard is a leader in the home furniture market. The company employs over 500 people and occupies over 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Nearly all shareholders of the company are employees or grandchildren, therefore possible future employees. There truly is a family atmosphere at Vanguard, even for those that are not actually family. We work in teams from the shop floor to the office, and respect and integrity are words everyone lives by. We understand that a good reputation is easy to lose, both personally and professionally, so we strive to be good corporate citizens. It is important to us to know that our partners find us to be easy to work with, dependable, and that the products we sell are a good investment.

About Kravet:

Kravet is a fourth-generation family business, offering the widest range of fabrics and furnishings in the home decorative industry. The company began by supplying traditional and transitional fabrics to the interior design trade in 1918. Nearly a century later, its wide array of luxury fabrics, trimmings, furniture, carpets and lighting eases the lives and engages the creativity of designers the world over.

About Safavieh:

Safavieh is a leading manufacturer and importer of fine decorative rugs, offering the industry’s most comprehensive range of designs crafted by skilled artisans in weaving centers across the globe. Established in 1914, Safavieh is a fourth-generation family business which began by supplying antique rugs and historical reproductions. Upon opening its flagship New York City showroom in 1978, the company quickly became a preferred source for the world’s most renowned interior designers, pioneering with them the new category of fashion-forward contemporary rugs. Almost a century later, Safavieh continues to innovate with diverse and targeted area rug programs for the most respected retailers in the US and abroad. Through research and technology, Safavieh’s mission is to beautify the homes of consumers in every budget category with award-winning rug collections of the highest quality, value and impeccable style.

About Visual Comfort & Co:

Since 1987, Visual Comfort & Co. has been a leading producer of quality designer lighting. They offer architectural and portable lighting for every application, including task, table, and floor lamps, wall and ceiling fixtures, and outdoor lighting. Visual Comfort is the premier American resource for signature designer lighting. For over twenty years we have produced lighting with some of the most influential names in design. We will continue to partner with noteworthy talents moving forward, to enrich our extensive and creative selection of products.

About Shaw Hospitality Group:

Shaw Hospitality Group, a division of Shaw Industries, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world’s largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider. Headquartered in Dalton, Ga., the company manufactures and distributes carpeting, rugs, hardwood, laminate and ceramic tile for residential and commercial applications worldwide. Shaw Hospitality Group provides flooring products specified in the hospitality industry. A recognized leader in environmental stewardship, Shaw has implemented hundreds of sustainability initiatives and cradle to cradle design solutions, collectively termed the Shaw Green Edge. For more information, visit www.shawhospitalitygroup.com

About Amana:

Established in 1934, Amana has a history of designing innovative cooking, dish, laundry and refrigeration household appliances. With its introduction of the original countertop microwave in 1967, Amana was put on the map as a brand dedicated to bringing convenience to consumers’ lives. Amana brand is part of the Whirlpool Corporation, the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion, more than 73,000 employees, and 69 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. For more information on Amana brand appliances, visit www.amana.com.

Featuring fresh home decor that redefines “country” and focuses on design, quality and comfort, the Country Living Collection will offer four distinct looks: Modern Countryside, Blue & White, Red & White and Faded Antique. Each will span traditional, classic and modern country sensibilities. Rolling out this August in more than 1,200 Kmart stores and 500 Sears stores nationwide, the product line will be priced accessibly, ranging from $3.99 for candles to $349 for dining furniture.

The number one selling home magazine on newsstands, Country Living reaches more than 11 million consumers per month with approachable lifestyle content on decorating, gardening, entertaining, travel and more.

“Country Living’s readers are passionate about their surroundings and how they entertain,” said Editor-in-Chief Sarah Gray Miller. “They value attainable luxury, quality, authenticity and comfort – all of which is reflected in our new home collection.”

Hearst’s Glen Ellen Brown added: “Our partnership with Kmart and Sears will enable millions of consumers to personally experience the Country Living brand and bring its ‘come home to comfort’ message into their homes with beautiful, yet accessible, decor options.”

Since fall 2007, Kmart has re-focused efforts on expanding its soft home offerings to establish itself as a quality, style and value leader in the home fashions marketplace. The Country Living Collection joins a large portfolio of existing soft home products that includes the newly launched Cannon line and the Jaclyn Smith Home Collection. Sears, in turn, will be offering a new design sensibility with the Country Living Collection that complements trusted brands like Lands’ End and Cannon, and signature collections like Ty Pennington Style.

“The Country Living Collection at Kmart and Sears features a country style sensibility that is new to our assortment,” said Doug Wurl of Sears Holdings. “It strengthens our ability to offer customers beautifully coordinated products which make home decorating incredibly easy and affordable. Country Living is a great American brand that offers a wide interpretation of what ‘country’ means. Our collaboration represents our continued commitment to our customers’ love of good design, high quality and comfort.”

According to home improvement expert Leslie Segrete, “With so many great materials and choices available, you’ll be able to decorate stylishly, while making a difference for our planet.” Here are some of her tips on getting started:

Green Foundation

Build an eco-friendly room from the ground up. 100-percent recycled floor tiles made of materials such as rich recycled leather, provide a fashionable and environmentally responsible alternative to chemically-treated rugs and manmade flooring.

Look for carpeting that is made from hemp, linen, wool or cotton, they come in a range of colors made from natural dyes. These biodegradable and chemical-free carpets often even use a rubber backing made from recycled windshield wipers or bicycle tires.

Wise Walls

Sherwin-Williams and other paint companies have recently introduced water-based paints to combat the environmental hazards often caused by chemical-laden paints. Alternative home wall coverings can also be made from earth-friendly materials, like hemp, linen, bamboo, cork and recycled paper.

“For an adventurous, unique look that combines color and texture, try American Clay Plaster,” Segrete said. “Create an array of colors with different tints and finishes that appear smooth, rustic or even Old World.”

Faucet Flow

New automatic hands-free faucets, like the Destiny bathroom faucet from ShowHouse by Moen, conserve water with a sleek minimalist design and a distinctly-styled spout that produces a sheeting water flow. The Destiny faucet reduces water waste, providing water only when it is needed.

Window to Tomorrow

Large, high-efficiency windows let more daylight into the home and decrease the need for electrical lighting. To further this green option, forgo window treatments altogether and install frosted glass panes. Additionally, supplement natural lighting by replacing energy-wasting incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent lighting fixtures.

As ‘going green’ continues to gain momentum, it’s easier than ever before to make a style statement in your home while still having a conscience.

About Moen

Moen offers a diverse selection of thoughtfully designed, on-trend kitchen faucets, bathroom faucets, showerheads, and stainless steel sinks for residential and commercial applications. As the #1 faucet brand in North America, customers have come to rely on Moen to deliver dependable products and service. Moen is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO, www.fortunebrands.com), a leading consumer brands company.Going Grecsfff

With a current and much-needed social movement towards sustainable products, DuraleeContract has designed the Eco-Fabrics by DuraleeContract collection to fit into the lifestyle of the environmentally conscious without forfeiting fine design. Eco-Fabrics by DuraleeContract makes it possible to match unique and remarkable patterns and colorways with the satisfaction of taking a step in promoting a healthy planet.

To achieve the Gold level, MBDC evaluated Eco Intelligent® Polyester material and product ingredients for human and environmental health and safety. As the first true “technical nutrient” textile, Eco Intelligent® Polyester is a material that remains in a closed-loop system of manufacture, reuse, and recovery, maintaining its value through many product life cycles. Certification of a finished product also requires the evaluation of the mills’ facilities within the five categories including Materials, Nutrient (Re)utilization, Energy, Water and Social Responsibility.

DuraleeContract is headquartered in Bay Shore, New York with showrooms nationwide and throughout the world.

Enhance Lifestyle, Boost Seasonal Mood with Smart Updates to Home and Office

Beat the economic-downturn blues with three design tips from leading international designer Lauren Rottet to make spaces inspiring and personal.

The interiors we live in have a powerful impact on our mood and well-being, particularly in winter when we spend more time indoors. Despite today’s challenging economy – and perhaps because of it – improving the ambiance of our homes and offices is a simple way to fight the doldrums and boost morale.

Internationally renowned architect and designer Lauren Rottet, FAIA (www.rottetstudio.com), says simple design elements such as natural light and architectural style can contribute to a place’s positive atmosphere, improving one’s state-of-mind and overall lifestyle. Although Rottet designs prestigious buildings and interiors around the globe, her easy tips can make any work or living space a personal sanctuary – without breaking the bank.

1. Embrace architectural style

   A space’s intrinsic architectural features serve as an interior design roadmap, reflecting regional style, climate, culture and way of life. Rottet encourages letting the building’s structure and design details dominate, creating authentic ambiance.

   For Georgian Colonial architecture, for example, accentuate the formal ambiance of prominent fireplace mantles and decorative columns. With Mediterranean architecture, let courtyards and arched doorways and windows brings indoors and outdoors together.

   “Style is the inherent personality and natural context for individual decorating expression,” says Rottet. “Highlight the features of your space and embrace its architecture.”

2. Enhance natural light and view

   Sunlight and outdoor views are vital for successful interiors – and practically free.

   “Natural light makes any personal space feel warm and comfortable,” says Rottet. “And by making outdoor views part of the interior composition, we instantly add dimension to a room.”

   Whether windows are large or small, with southern or northern exposure, light and views can be dramatically altered through shading, drapes and other window treatments.

3. Feature art and self-expression

   Interiors are an opportunity to express personal style.

   This can be as simple as deliberate placement of personally selected objects – paintings, lamps or memorabilia – transforming the space into something unmistakably one’s own.

   “This is the most important design message,” says Rottet. “When a space feels personal, it generates positive feelings for those within – which means a lot in these trying times.

Fabricut Launches New Fabric Brand Fabricut recently unveiled its new fabric brand, Trend, featuring a variety of products and styles for the value-conscious consumer. Including drapery, multipurpose, sheers, silks, faux silks, linings, and trimmings, the Trend line is designed to appeal to an increasingly diverse demographic and will help designers and workrooms match the client’s aesthetic sensibilities to his or her budget.

Trend managing director Rebecca Creal dismisses concerns that affordability and style are mutually exclusive. “Trend is fulfilling the general movement in the marketplace of a need for beautiful fabrics at an exceptional value,” she says. “Just because it’s affordable does not mean it can’t be stylish and exciting.” Trend’s first introduction, the Jaclyn Smith Home Collection, mixes and matches wovens and prints inspired by the fabrics in Smith’s own home. Fabric books are available for design professionals and showcase styles that range from traditional to contemporary.

“Our updated Tradewinds Natural Shades collection is a full line of natural choices designed to provide exceptional variety to our dealers and their customers. We truly have something for all interior design styles and home furnishings with fashion-forward weaves and colors, as well as innovative solutions for light control and windows of various sizes,” said Greg Farr, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Graber.

As part of the Graber Green by Nature™ program, a company-wide initiative to engage sustainable, eco-friendly manufacturing processes and practices, the collection’s woven wood fabrics are stained and then air dried to save energy, and consumers can select from a variety of renewable materials, including bamboo, rattan reed, grass and jute.

Additionally, all of the components of Tradewinds Natural Shades are 100 percent recyclable, including the natural fibers and wood headrail made from sustainable wood, and plastic components, which contain up to 10 percent pre-consumer recycled material.

Tradewinds Natural Shades are available in a classic flat panel style of Standard Roman and Old Style Roman Shade designs, as well as a new Looped Roman shade with elegant, soft folds of fabric. These styles feature a Continuous Loop System control option that makes raising and lowering larger shades easier, or a “bottom up/top down” option allowing consumers to raise the shade bottom or lower it from the top.

For more information on Graber Tradewinds Natural Shades, visit http://www.graberblinds.com.

In its on-going effort to bring environmentally responsible products to the design community, Schumacher is launching its Schumacher Terra™ brand of eco-friendly fabrics and wallcoverings. The products featured under the Schumacher Terra label include natural and renewable materials — linen, jute, bamboo and certified organic cotton — and meet authentic third-party certification, such as USDA certification and Oekotex standard 100, for environmentally and socially responsible processes, from field to finished product.

Headlining the new Schumacher Terra brand is the By Nature Collection of luxurious organic cotton fabrics. Perceivably softer than standard cotton, these chemical-free fabrics come by their rich, sumptuous hand naturally; the fibers have not been broken down by chemical washes and finishes and the water discharged at the completion of the process contains no pollutants. Learn more about By Nature and download the brochure.

The organic cottons in the By Nature Collection have relaxed, washed-finish hues inspired by the natural palette of earth, sea and sky. Stronger than traditional cottons, many of the organic cotton offerings in this collection are washable, and come in a range of solids, stripes, wovens, and classic and modern prints. The By Nature Collection of organic cotton is grown without materials harmful to humans, animals or the soil and is processed under the Global Organic Textile Standard and other certifying agencies to assure purity with environmental and social responsibility.

“In the past, designers and consumers have perceived sustainable fabrics as muted and monochromatic and plain,” according to Susan North, Schumacher’s Vice President of Design. “In conceiving the By Nature collection, we wanted to break the mold by offering an unexpectedly vibrant color palette, bold patterns and ultra-soft hand not generally found in eco-friendly textiles.”

To celebrate the launch of its first collection under the Schumacher Terra label, and as part of its ongoing commitment to a healthier planet, Schumacher is proud to announce that it has allied with WaterAid America, the world’s leading non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to working with people in many of the world’s poorest countries to improve access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Schumacher will contribute 2% of the proceeds from the sale of its By Nature Collection to WaterAid America.

“The decision to team up with WaterAid America was a natural one,” said Corinne Kevorkian, President and General Manager of Schumacher. “The textile manufacturing process involves heavy consumption of water. At the same time, preserving the quality and availability of safe drinking water concerns all of us, including Schumacher. The By Nature collection contributes to this goal through its environmentally responsible production process. Our program with WaterAid takes our commitment a step further by directly providing access to safe water to communities around the world where the needs are most urgent.” Patricia Dandonoli, President and CEO of WaterAid America, is delighted to welcome Schumacher, an industry leader, as a supporter of WaterAid’s mission. “The business community has an important role to play in ensuring and safeguarding access to safe drinking water. WaterAid is grateful to Schumacher for their tangible support, which is helping us reach thousands of marginalized and vulnerable people with safe water and basic sanitation.”

About Schumacher
The Schumacher brand is known for textile and wallcovering design of the highest quality. Its signature looks encompass a diversity of design and include classic luxurious silks and European derived wovens as well as innovative modern design gathered from sources around the world. Historic interpretations and reproductions, often in collaboration with museums and historic foundations, have also been a central part of the Schumacher heritage and continue in our collections today. The Schumacher brand has been a consistent resource for the essential needs of interior designers, from versatile sheers and solids to opulent textures and velvet plains. www.fschumacher.com

About WaterAid
WaterAid is the world’s leading independent non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to working with people in the world’s poorest countries to improve access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Founded in 1981, we operate throughout Africa, Asia and the Pacific region and have helped more than 11 million people gain access to safe water through low-cost, sustainable projects that can be locally managed and maintained. With a goal of expanding operations to assist 1.3 million people to gain access to safe water and 1.5 million people to gain sanitation this fiscal year, it has earned a worldwide reputation for its effectiveness and leadership and garnered numerous national and international awards, including the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize. www.wateraidamerica.org