Lexington Home Brands will produce a line of furniture based on the lifestyle of real estate tycoon and reality TV star Donald Trump, the company has announced.

“Trump Home” will join the stable of licensed brands for the Lexington-based furniture manufacturer and importer, which already includes Tommy Bahama, Liz Claiborne, Jack Palmer, Bob Timberlake and others.

Financial details of the licensing arrangement were not announced. Read more…

The furniture industry has had a rough couple of months, with weak results just reported at Bassett Furniture (Nasdaq: BSET), a negative preannouncement at Stanley Furniture (Nasdaq: STLY), a warning from Ethan Allen (NYSE: ETH) in August, plant closings at Hooker Furniture (Nasdaq: HOFT), and overall malaise in the industry. So what’s on tap when Furniture Brands (NYSE: FBN) reports later in October?

Judging by its own negative preannouncement on Sept. 5, it looks like more of what the competition has been experiencing. Like other domestic furniture companies, Furniture Brands is increasingly sourcing product from overseas — namely China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. And retail trends continue to be weak; in response, Furniture Brands has increased downtime at an upholstery facility and is focusing on discounts to try and move inventory.
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In South Africa, arts and crafts have played an enormous role in the visual establishment of cultures and heritage. These are usually seen at curio stalls where baskets, pots, carvings and beadwork are lined up and the hugely popular wooden giraffes stand tall, silently waiting for a buyer, often tourists who will take them far from Africa.

The arts and crafts sector includes an estimated 1,2 million crafters and secures the livelihoods of about five million people in South Africa.

But one of the biggest challenges crafters face in order to assure sustainability and growth is assistance in marketing and management. Read more…

Central highlands Kon Tum province has been allocated with VND115 million (US $7,200 ) to provide traditional craft training for ethnic people under the Industry Ministry’s plan to promote industries in 2006.

From now to the year’s end, the Kon Tum Centre for Industry Promotion will coordinate with the Central Highlands Brocade Weaving Cooperative to organise two courses on brocade weaving for about 100 young ethnic people in Kon Tum town and Sa Thay district. Read more…

TAMPA - Allan Chan’s nickname was “MacGyver.”

He earned it at the University of South Florida, where Chan was a landscape architect, said Greg Thiel, former USF track team coach and now athletic director at The Cambridge School in Tampa.

One afternoon, several beefy athletes were struggling to move some 600-pound mats from the floor onto a pickup. Read more…

Geared for youthful car buyers, Scion is the latest line of cars from Toyota Motor Corporation. To carve out a home for the brand, the car manufacturer has launched an international showroom design competition, Scion Floorplan.

Applicants should submit a written description and a complete design concept for a 750-square-foot showroom online. The first prize winner will take home $5,000—and earn the opportunity to see his or her idea realized. Second and third place winners will receive $1,000 and $500, respectively. Read more…

Candice Olson, popular interior designer and host of HGTV’s hit show Divine Design joins us with expert tips and tricks to remodeling your home.
Candice believes that you can have a room that’s both beatiful and practical– but you have to be honest with yourself about how you really live. In her weekly series and now a new book “Candice Olson on Design” she shares her insights into the essentials of planning your own room makeovers and creative decorating solutions for your home. Read more…

HAVELOCK EUROPA, which specialises in education and retail interiors as well as point-of-sale display, today said it expected to see further growth over the next few years.

The group, based in Dalgety Bay, said both organic and acquisition growth were expected to boost the firm over the rest of 2006 to beyond the following year.

As the company announced a 116 per cent rise in half-year pre-tax profit to £462,000 on sales up five per cent to £42.1 million, chief executive Hew Balfour said: “The board remains optimistic about the opportunities in the group’s chosen markets. Further progress is expected in the full year with additional growth in 2007 and beyond, both organically and, where appropriate, through acquisition.” Read more…

A new exhibition taking shape at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany, will examine the significance of design as a driving force behind economic growth and commercial success. Highlighting companies such as Adidas, Miele, and Daimler-Chrysler firms such as the German Aluminum Association, “Return on Ideas–Better by Design” will run October 14–November 12.

Showcasing innovative materials and technologies, the exhibit intends to prove that commercial success is always preceded by a good idea. To wit, pioneering achievements such as Tupperware and Teflon have essentially revolutionized daily living via innovative materials, and the automobile industry has reached tremendous safety and luxury standards by incorporating various aspects of high-tech design. Sports equipment earns a place in the spotlight too, for the fact that soccer shoes are accurately tailored to meet 22 different foot shapes. Read more…

Tony Marinaro and Tom Bruyere of Kish-Gon-Dug Canada Inc. (KGD), a manufacturer of western red cedar lawn furniture, recently travelled to Dublin, Ireland to attend the Autumn Furniture Fair—a prestigious wholesaler/retailer only event.

Kish-Gon-Dug Canada Inc. is based out of Naicatchewenin First Nation, a community of 300 people near Devlin.

KGD Canada’s products were previewed at this show through their new distributor, Backwoods International of Belfast, Ireland. Read more…