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.

Because mirrors have a significant ability to accentuate the design of a room they are viewed by many interior designers and architects like Wright, as tremendous designing “tools.” And, in this era of shrinking spaces and shrinking budgets, use of mirrors is becoming more important.

Mirrors can make the room appear bigger than it is, add light to a dark area of a room, introduce another wall color from across the room, or even extend a beautiful view.

Mirrors also play a vital role in Feng Shui. It is believed by Feng Shui practitioners that a well-placed mirror can dramatically alter or redirect the energy in a room to make it more beneficial for the inhabitants.

Throughout history, mirrors have been a key aspect of human architecture, art and practicality. The Chinese may have been the first to create bronze mirrors in 2000 BC. But every culture since then, including Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome, have used and coveted mirrors.

In ancient times, only the wealthy and entitled few owned mirrors, today, mirrors are found in almost every home and business, and choices in mirrors have grown exponentially.

Fine Art Services, at the San Francisco Design Center (www.fineartservices.net), has been designing and installing custom mirrors, primarily in fine homes in the Bay area for over 30 years. According to Fine Art Services owner, Paul Robert Porambo, “If one is trying to enhance the feel of light and space, try a mirror before considering costly and time consuming renovations. Mirrors versatility is also why they are so popular with many of our interior designers.”

A mirror can have a beveled edge or a “V” groove within the body of the glass to provide more elegance to the design by adding refracting angles of light.

Mirror glass can also be antiqued, or etched with patterns to add a period feel for an intimate projection of light. Custom frames, from simple contemporary designs to gold gilded or antiqued period frames, can also add a lot of character to each individual mirror.

According to Porambo, there are some important things to keep in mind when using framed mirrors:

* Custom mirrors should suit the room. So if a room has a contemporary look the mirror should be chosen accordingly,

* If the mirror is placed to make the room look bigger than it is, select a big mirror to simulate a door way or large window, and don’t forget that,

* Mirrors can bring improved views from around the corner or from another level of a room or architectural feature.

“Ultimately,” says Porambo, “mirrors may amaze you with the way they can transform space… and on a more philosophical note… mirrors can even help keep you on track – who was it who said that ‘Happiness is: looking in a mirror and liking what you see.’”

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

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.

It seems like LED lights are quickly taking over the lighting market these days. You see them in now in everything from flashlights to holiday bulbs. They can use as little as 15% as much energy as a standard incandescent bulb, so about 6 eco-friendly LED bulbs still use less energy than your standard bulb. They contain no mercury, no lead, and are run very cool.

Marktech LED Lighting Products has added the EnergyLED E26 LED light bulb to their line of LED lighting products. This energy efficient bulb uses just 4.6 watts to generate 160 lumens of light, a stark comparison to standard light bulbs. On average, LED light bulbs use up to 85% less electricity and last up to 50 times longer than current incandescent lamp offerings. This E26 based, UL approved family of LED light bulbs are currently available in three white color temperatures, 2800k warm white, 5200k full spectrum white, and 6000k cool white. Colored bulbs include red, green, blue and yellow.

“Our LED bulbs are engineered to last 50,000 hours,” says Mark Campito, CEO of Marktech. “This extremely long life will virtually eliminate maintenance costs, and will help users see a return on investment as LED Bulbs typically pay for themselves in a period of one to two years.”

Campito adds, and research confirms, that Energy LED light bulbs are also environmentally friendly as they produce far less CO2 emissions than standard incandescent and fluorescent lighting. Additionally, disposal is not a concern because the bulbs are lead free and contain no mercury. These lights generate very little heat and emit no UV rays, which make them an ideal choice for the museum industry and similar displays. If you’ve looked at the label of CFC bulbs, you may see mercury listed.

“In applications where vibration is a factor in the life of a light bulb, LEDs are not affected,” says Campito. “These lights are also perfect for store fronts and point of purchase displays where illumination is needed for long hours and may be changed or moved frequently.”

Marktech also offers LED replacements for T5, T8 and T9 type lighting.

The EnergyLED series of bulbs is currently offered for $32.00 on Marktech’s web store. Its expensive compared to regular lights, but you’ll save that money in about 18 months.

For additional information on Marktech’s EnergyLED Light Bulb or any of their LED Lighting products, contact Marktech LED Lighting or visit our website at MarktechLEDLighting.com.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is notifying consumers that compact fluorescent lamps, identified below, bear a counterfeit UL Mark for the United States and Canada. The products also have a counterfeit EMC mark. These lamps have not been evaluated for safety by UL and are not eligible to bear the UL Mark.

Photo Source: UL

Identification of Counterfeit Product:
On the product: The product is marked with a counterfeit UL Mark and the following information:

The lamps also have the following markings:

Sold at: The products are known to be sold by Blanchard Distributing and may also be sold by other retailers.

What You Should Do: UL recommends that consumers stop using the product immediately and return it to the place of purchase.

Photo of the Product: Photos of the compact florescent lamps that bear a counterfeit UL Mark and a counterfeit EMC Mark are available here: http://www.ul.com/newsroom/newsrel/nr022009.html

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for over a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually with 20 billion UL Marks appearing on 72,000 manufacturers’ products each year. UL’s worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 64 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 98 countries. For more information, visit: http://www.UL.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Underwriters Laboratories

http://www.UL.com