I know it is not quite football season but for all you planners in the group , now is the time to get out there and find your perfect football watching recliner. We have found our top three picks.
2.Flexsteel’s Old Standby The Chicago
3. The Breakthrough
The comfort and price point is unbeatable ! Order now and get a great discount, see www.maplesleather.com
April High Point Market, There were some winner and losers , It was like a monopoly board game was tossed in the air. We lost some palyers and the lay of the land was all different. None of my regular vendors were in the same place. The future of some manufacturers are completely in limbo. Leather tanneries are crying the blues, slow production schedules are predicted, also with a price increase coming our way. Some showrooms were giddy with the prospect of orders. Seems we are headed to our way to some normalcy , One thing is for sure lead times are definately 8 to 10 weeks. It was not gloom or doom so we will roll with it. My favorite for comfort was this style by CR laine, This thing was so comfortable 
April Furniture Market is coming up , and I find myself excited to attend. Thinking about who I want to see , who will still be around. The one thing for sure, the economy has changed the business. I feel bruised but not defeated. Almost all of my vendors have made major changes. Most of my vendors have relocated their market space. Between the companies who have closed or restructured some major retail real estate has opened up in High Point. I di dnot attend the Fall market due to a back injury, so I am excited to go to the spring event. It is the place to put yoru finger on the pulse of the industry. I expect market to look different . So we will see, be on the look out for the push to unload current inventory to make room for the new market samples. I know we are ready to freshen our showroom, and see what the new samples look like.MUST GO FACTORY OVERSTOCK
It is rainy weekend in Sugar Mountain , but that did not stop the October Fest visitors from coming anyways. Next time you are planning your vacation, may I suggest, coming to our humble town. The leaves are spectacular, the town is quaint,and the beer and bratwurst are flowing. Then you can also stop in at Maple’s Leather Furniture and pick out the new sofa just in time for the holiday. The fall is the best time to buy furniture, especially before Oct 15th for two major reasons. 1. If you order before Oct 15th you will get it before Christmas and may be the one of the lucky ones who have it in time for Thanksgiving. and 2. Most major manufacturers increase their prices at the fall market. Check the festival live from the Sugar Mountain Ski Resort Live feed link. I’ll be the blonde waving at you! See you there.
The Las Vegas market is always interesting in its results, It is a mixed bag of trends that maybe are completely missed at the High Point Market in October. For me the Vegas market is like the golden child, full of promise , and then you go to the High point market and the reality of this golden child is that she picks her’ nose. For it will be exciting to see if the Color Counts in Leather is a Booger or not. I like the idea of transitional pieces that take it up a notch, making room for the golds , creams and reds. Omnia Leather had a nice feature in Furniture Today so we will see. Most of our brands already have this color pallette available , so it there ready for the picking.
I have been going back to school in a sense, trying to arm myself with all the possibilities out there, You can participate in Webinars, Conference calls thru Masetro and many other wonderful learning tools. I have participated in make mine a million conference calls , which are chock full of ideas and tips. It is really is cool ! The latest one I participated in was with Google . It was a how to maneuver around the new interface for Ad words. It is like having your own little tutor that cuts all the crap and gets you down to the nitty gritty . The stuff you really want to use and do not want to spend your days reading .In one webinar you can reach out to the pros, interact with other business owners, and get really great feeback. I mean I got to actually speak to Depak Chopra , so cool , If I paid money and went to one of his lectures I would not have gotten this opportunity. So get back to school and get the how to from the pros , whether it is inner balance or learning how to fly fish , with these resources the sky is the limit.
Omnia Leather Style Featured on the Style Network
Doesn’t everyone wish that Clean House would visit them at some point in their lives to clear out the clutter. On June 24th one of the styles that we sell will be featured on the style network. The newport style is a clean line sectional that can be ordered in several configerations and colors. Shown here is a Right arm facing Chaise with a Left arm facing sofa in an upgraded Sensations cream leather. In the Clean House episode they feature a Right arm sofa with a left arm sofa return, perfect for those tight fitting spaces. My mother and grandmother are currently visiting so I have a mini version of Clean House going on right now, I had a yard sale the end of June, My grandmother is the queen of laundry so I am washed and folded. Then my mother entertains my daughter so I can get organized. It does feel good ! Energized me to have this promotion on the newport style. Enjoy!
Gearing up to visit furniture market at the end of this month. One already emerging trend is Going Green and SALES!SALES!SALES!
The oh natural is emerging with colors and construction, Brown is always hot but so are earth tones, and natural fibers. Showrooms will be featuring chocolate leathers with natural fiber rugs and throws. Kelly green is the newest leather color to emerge.
Everyone who is spending money right now is expecting a discount. Luckily we negotiate some pretty good discounts on sectionals and go it right, Sectionals are the hot item right now! We are offering 20% off all sectionals from now until May 22nd. We have all the styles you know and love but thought we can take this to the next level. Customized features , that get the right fit for your room , allow you to really design your seating to fit your space. So if you do not see the specs you need, call us we can do it ! And on Sale ! My FAVORITE is Hamilton featured here http://www.maplesleather.com/index.php?fsession=deea3cebe0f5f02aeb99f63d2716613575f81a6e&action=2acc3053fdd326fc0348e771d74a79e13439caaf
If you take the nail heads off it looks just like the Pottery barn pearce stlye.
Design Tip : Sun fading, all leather and fabrics for that matter are susceptible to sun-fading. Rule of thumb is if your current furniture is fading your new will also. There are a few things you can do to reduce sun fading. First thing pull the blinds, most newer homes have UV protectant that really do the job. But if you have an older home pull the blinds or blanket cover the furniture. There are also products you can purchase, sunscreen for your furniture. Just make sure you consult with a professional before you apply. Some products if not authorized by your manufacture can void your warranty. www.leagacy-leathercare.com is a great resource and example of manufacture approved items for purchase.
This month our own Tanner Style will go head to head with Restoration Hardwares Lancaster style. I am in constant demand by consumers who want the style but do not want the price tag to go with it. Our version has the option to customize by requesting specific dimensions. The lancaster is really long were as our Tanner style can be ordered in any length or depth. It has been such a success we are featuring this as our current sale promotion. We have the same Brompton chocolate leather that has the lovely waxing finish but also offer a new leather called Capetown Sumatra that has a little more oil finish for a much softer hand. You get the vintage look but it is not as stiff as the waxy brompton. Plus the the Capetown leather prices at $2465 for the sofa, you can still get the brompton which prices at $3000.00. Our construction features a 8 way hand tied hard wood frame. Made in the NC and just a short drive from our showroom. We will see which style wins out as we are also introducing three new frames from our Maple’s Leather Green Leaf Collection. I am blown away at the quality of premium leathers that I have had the opportunity to pick from. The economy may be bad but it is also making every vendor I have hungry for sales, so for the consumer it has made it the optimal time to purchase. You can get a sofa in a high quality leather that would have retailed for $5000 for much less ! I know I love a bargin and this time around you do not have to settle for a shotty foreign import, These are made in NC by NC workers.
I would like to take the time to wish everyone a happy, safe , and healthy holiday. This December is a bitter sweet one for the furniture industry with uncertainty running amuck , it makes it hard for the consumer to have any confidence in any retailers. When furniture giants are reporting huge losses and stores are closing taking customers money with them. It makes my job that much harder, I am determined to not be swallowed by the sea of negativity. My store has been able to hang on, we are not experiencing our normal sales quotas this time of year butI am celebrating every customer and valuing each sale. Running a tight financial ship is the key to survival. The message I want to send out to the consumer if you are lucky enough to be shopping for furniture in this turbulent economy really think about who you are dealing with, If a product is being sold for a unbelievable price it just may be that. I value the product I sell and the service I offer, If you give it away , you are just one step from giving your whole business away. If you buy a product that you intend to keep for years make sure you are buying it from a store who intends being around for years! I am a lucky gal , I am rich with family and friends , I get to laugh daily and see the lighter side of life. The bad economy is a challenge but I have taken on worse battles , so I say bring it on !
Leather Furniture Blog
