Monday, May 24, 2010

05-21-2010

Well, no news can possibly top the birth of Andreas boys! We are all delighted for her and Mike. Thank you to all of you who have called and asked about her...even our vendors are calling! She is lucky to have so many wonderful friends, and we all count ourselves lucky to have Andrea.

There is some additional sale information from Centuryand tidbits added to last week's info, so be sure to scroll down and read the contrast colored paragraphs.

Time is running out on the Temple sale, so get those orders in! Remember we are short handed in the office so for the sake of Jody's sanity, please do not wait till the last minute!

Henredon just announced a bedroom promotion:
Take an additional 10% off retail now through June 21.
Any of the following skus will be included:
-02 dressers, -03 dressers, -04 mirrors, -05 armoires, -06 night stands,
-10 queen beds, -12 king beds, -14 cal.king beds, -48 chests.

In other words queen bed 3035-10 is part of the promotion. -10 signifies a queen bed. If you need clarification, please call.
Temple Sale

Effective immediately, all Temple furniture will be on sale for the entire month of May!!! Take an additional 10% off all orders. The timing of this is perfect, because effective June 1 there will be a 3-4% price increase on Temple! All orders must be in to CDT by 12:00 noon on Thursday, May 27 in order to allow time for processing.

Century Promos

Many of you have admired this super comfy chair on our floor. It is discontinued, sadly, but we have just been informed that there are 26 frames in stock. This is contrary to what we were told a few weeks ago,when we checked stock for one of you. ANYWAY, we can offer them to you at 25% off. Act fast, they will not be around for long!


In addition, take an extra 10% off all Oscar de la Renta upholstery now thru July 2!

Century Upholstery has informed us that their prices will increase about 2% as of June 15.

Vervain Fabrics - Barry Dixon Collection

Take a peek in the showroom window and see the terrific new collection by designer Barry Dixon from Vervain. Up to date colors, fresh designs and beautiful ground cloths make this collection a real winner It's totally the look everyone wants now. You will see their ad in Veranda, Traditional Home and other shelter magazines.

In other news from Fabricut, the May 9th episode of Extreme Home Makeover was filmed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Fabricut is located. They were honored to participate and to have provided many of the fabrics used in the home.
LEED Green Associate Class

In response the feeler we put out several weeks ago, we have tentatively scheduled the LEED Green Associate training class for Monday June 28 and Tuesday June 29.

The class will be held in the Arlington Design Center Building 3 (Campus Drive) from 9:00am until 1:00pm.

Cost of the class will be $259 per person which includes a course manual. The two study guides for the LEED GA exam are an additional $100. The cost of the actual exam through LEED is an additional $200. The exam will not be included in the class. You will be able to schedule the exam at a later date.

More details to follow - inluding the exact location of the class. It will NOT be in the CDT Showroom.

If you have already expressed an interest in attending, please call and confirm that this date will work for you. As I said, the date is tentative. If there is a change due to attendee's schedule demands, we will try to find a date that will work for more people.

To register or get more information, contact Kathleen Haerr:
LEED@localgreenconnect.com

Hunter Douglas Tax Credits and Rebates

If you are selling or have sold Architella shades this year, your client may be eligible for a Federal Tax Credit up to $1,500! We have the forms at CDT. There are some restrictions, so make sure to check on the form. This is retroactive to January 1, 2009 and runs through December 31, 2010. What a fantastic selling tool!

From May 4 - August 15 you can get a free ultraglide lifting system upgrade on Tierred Vignette shades. You should also be aware that Tierred Vignettes will now also be available with Easyrise lifting system.

Hunter Douglas has announced that effective June 1, Hunter Douglas Brand Products will no longer be available for purchase via the internet. This reaffirms the company's belief that the best service, the best knowledge and the best match of product to application comes from a design professional done face to face with personal knowledge of the customer's home. We are thrilled with this announcement and applaud Hunter Douglas for this step, which will certainly cost them sales but will surely be made up for in reputation, exclusivity and customer satisfaction.

Monday, May 10, 2010

05/07/2010

Thanks to all of you who attended our vendor open house yesterday! It was a great success, with over 100 designers in attendance. There was great food, networking, reps available to help and answer questions. We had several first time visitors. and lots of regulars. We want you to know that we really appreciate the support you give to the ADC and CDT.
We'll keep trying to have things going on here that will be educational, profitable and fun.

Just FYI...our freight carrier from the East Coast will be increasing their rates 5.3% effective June 1.

Please remember to fill out the top of your memo request form completely. While it is true that we have your info on file, that data base is not accessible while we are on the fabric websites. During the course of the day our staff processes dozens of requests, an most of them require something to be mailed. It will save both you and us time if you fill out the first sheet that you turn in. If you use subsequent sheets just put your name or firm. Also, if there are more than one of you in your firm, we need to know which one of you it is in case we need to call you. Some designers use stickers with their info. this is a great idea and is fine with us. We really appreciate your help with this.

Temple Sale

Effective immediately, all Temple furniture will be on sale for the entire month of May!!! Take an additional 10% off all orders. The timing of this is perfect, because effective June 1 there will be a 3-4% price increase on Temple! All orders must be in to CDT by 3:00 pm on Thursday, May 27 in order to allow time for processing.

Century Chair

Many of you have admired this super comfy chair on our floor. It is discontinued, sadly, but we have just been informed that there are 26 frames in stock. This is contrary to what we were told a few weeks ago,when we checked stock for one of you. ANYWAY, we can offer them to you at 25% off. Act fast, they will not be around for long!
Vervain Fabrics - Barry Dixon Collection

Take a peek in the showroom window and see the terrific new collection by designer Barry Dixon from Vervain. Up to date colors, fresh designs and beautiful ground cloths make this collection a real winner It's totally the look everyone wants now. You will see their ad in Veranda, Traditional Home and other shelter magazines.

LEED Green Associate Class

In response the feeler we put out several weeks ago, we have tentatively scheduled the LEED Green Associate training class for Monday June 28 and Tuesday June 29.

The class will be held in the Arlington Design Center Building 3 (Campus Drive) from 9:00am until 1:00pm.

Cost of the class will be $259 per person which includes a course manual. The two study guides for the LEED GA exam are an additional $100. The cost of the actual exam through LEED is an additional $200. The exam will not be included in the class. You will be able to schedule the exam at a later date.

More details to follow - inluding the exact location of the class. It will NOT be in the CDT Showroom.

If you have already expressed an interest in attending, please call and confirm that this date will work for you. As I said, the date is tentative. If there is a change due to attendee's schedule demands, we will try to find a date that will work for more people.

To register or get more information, contact Kathleen Haerr:
LEED@localgreenconnect.com

Hunter Douglas Tax Credits and Rebates

If you are selling or have sold Architella shades this year, your client may be eligible for a Federal Tax Credit up to $1,500! We have the forms at CDT. There are some restrictions, so make sure to check on the form. This is retroactive to January 1, 2009 and runs through December 31, 2010. What a fantastic selling tool!

From May 4 - August 15 you can get a free ultraglide lifting system upgrade on Tierred Vignette shades. You should also be aware that Tierred Vignettes will now also be available with Easyrise lifting system.

Hunter Douglas has announced that effective June 1, Hunter Douglas Brand Products will no longer be available for purchase via the internet. This reaffirms the company's belief that the best service, the best knowledge and the best match of product to application comes from a design professional done face to face with personal knowledge of the customer's home. We are thrilled with this announcement and applaud Hunter Douglas for this step, which will certainly cost them sales but will surely be made up for in reputation, exclusivity and customer satisfaction.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

4-30-10

It was recently brought to our attention that we never made public the list of the 15 designers who rounded out our top 25! We have honored our top ten for the past 4 years with a lovely party. However, there is another very special hard working group who are close to the top ten numbers, and are also deserving of recognition. So without further delay, we would like to thank and congratulate "the next 15":

In Alphabetical order by firm:

Accumulations--Gayle Davis
Bella Morgan--Kerry Steiner
Cathy Tomaciewicz
Creatively Yours--Julie Brown
Decorating Made Simple--Shelly Valdiserri
Design Something--Laura Schreiber
Domestic Studio--Amy Horne
Expressive Interiors--Marietta Calas
Heidi Green Designs
Holden Most Interiors--Carol Most
Kristin Petro Interiors
Kurtains--Gwen Meyer
Makeup for Walls and More--Mary Kay Romanchuk
Patina Design--Mara Pedersen
Style 1519--Mollee Johnson

Our thanks to these talented women, and our sincere apologies for the delay in acknowledging their achievement.

Of course we hope each of you know that we appreciate ALL of our customers and are thankful for the business that you send our way. You are literally our reason for existence. Now that the economy is picking up we hope that all of you will see growth...and perhaps we will see you at the top ten dinner!
Sarreid

Many of you are familiar with Sarreid, and it's sister company Chatham Crossing. This line has been a favorite of designers for many, many years. This is the perfect resource for antique reproduction furniture. From little accent tables to dining room groups this is the place to look for that casual old-world elegance. They have a small but nice selection of accessories, one of the big favorites being the leather bound books. These are actual books, many of them familial titles and classics that have been re-bound in beautiful leather with gilt lettering and details. Perfect for filling the bookshelves of clients who like the look, but are not readers. We like virtually everything in this catalog, and we think that you will to. Ask to see a copy or a floor sample the next time you visit CDT!
Leed Green Associate Class

In response to the feeler we put out several weeks ago, we have tentatively scheduled The Leed Green Associate training class for Monday June 28 and Tuesday, June 29.

The class will be held in the Arlington Design Center Building 3 (Campus Drive) from 9:00am-1:00 pm.

Cost of the class will be $259 per person which includes a course manual. The two study guides for the LEED GA exam are an additional $100. The cost of the actual exam through LEED is an additional $200. The exam will not be included in the class. You will be able to schedule the exam at a later date.

More details will follow, including the exact location of the class--it will NOT be in the CDT showroom.

If you have already expressed an interest in attending, please call and comfirm that this date will work for you. As I said, the date is tentative. If there is a change due to attendee's schedule demands, we will try to find a date that will work for more people.

To Register or get more information contact Kathleen Haerr: LEED@localgreenconnect.com
Hunter Douglas Price Changes

Please note that all Hunter Douglas prices wil change effective May 4, 2010. In order to ensure pricing, please place your orders by noon on May 3, 2010. This will allow for order processing. Please let us know if you would like a quote that you have not sold yet requoted. We will be happy to accomodate you!

Hunter Douglas Tax Credits and Rebates

If you are selling or have sold Architella shades this year, your client may be eligible for a Federal Tax Credit up to $1,500!!! We NOW have the forms at CDT. There are some restrictions so make sure to check on the form. This is retroactive to January 1, 2009 and runs through December 31, 2010. What a fantastic selling tool!


Effective May 4th, pricing on ALL Alustra products will be permanently reduced by an average of 10%. This is Hunter Douglas' response to feedback from their reps and showrooms. Now we can all be more competitive.

EVEN BETTER: We have received a letter from Marv Hopkins, President and CEO of Hunter Douglas telling us that effective June 1, Hunter Douglas Brand products will no longer be available for purchase via the Internet.
This reaffirms the company's belief that the best service, the best product knowledge and the best match of product to application comes from a design professional, done face to face and with personal knowledge of the customer's home. We are thrilled with this announcement, and applaud HD for this step, which will certainly cost them sales, but will surely be made up for in reputation, exclusivity and customer satisfaction.

From May 4-August 15 you can get a free Ultra Glide upgrade on Tiered Vignette. You should also be aware that Tiered Vignette will now be available with the "Easy Rise: lift system.

4-22-10

Hello everyone. Isn't it astonishing that it is almost MAY? The year is practically half over.
Accessories continue to be a huge part of our business. We just received a large pallet of Uttermost, and there is more to come. A large number of pieces left today, which means we have to get an order for more in the piplne.
We get tired of looking at the same catalogs, trying to decide what will sell, and what will give our designers the look they want. We are always on the lookout for new lines and would welcome suggestions. Also, if you are constantly hunting for some type of accessory and having no luck, let us know. If there is a hole in out buying,we would be glad to fill it.
That being said, as you know, many accessory vendors have LARGE minimums, even on established accounts. Others do not sell singles of their items, they are packaged in boxes of 2 or more, and we must take them all. some will not ship to a resicence. Others have wholsale pricing on their packing slips. For these reasons, it is not practical to have a catalog on the floor;
We encourage you all to take accessories out on consignment as often as you like. However, if you are planning on taking a lot of things, please either give us advance notice, or plan to shop one day, and pick up the next. It takes several people to wrap and pack up a large order. We are thrilled to do it, but if the showroom is busy you might end up waiting longer than you like.
If you have not accessorized with CDT before, we let you take out whatever you need for one week, as long as we have a current credit card on file. We will bill you for what you choose to keep, and simply return the rest to the showroom floor. If you need some inspiration, talk to Eve...she is an accessory whiz. We have all learned some great tricks from her. All of us would love to help you put more money in your pocket. Accessories are one the fastest and easiest ways to do it!


Chelsea House

With the popularity of casual, more transitional styles, we often forget how gorgeous a well appointed traditional room can be. With the skills all of you posess, a traditional space can be every bit as interesting and exciting as the most contemporary or "Pottery Barn" styled room. There is no one better at fine French and English accessories than Chelsea House. Having been to their showrooms in both Atlanta and High Point, I can personnaly attest that everything is lovely, from the most elegant lamp to the little ceramic piggies! It's one of those collections that make you want to look closely at the fine detaiing. For special accessories, try Chelsea House.

Hunter Douglas Premiers - 2010

Premiers 2010, hosted by Hunter Douglas Fabrication, introduces you to the newest Hunter Douglas products, line extensions and programs. By attending, you'll be the first to experience these exciting new opportunities and receive exclusive knowledge of Hunter Douglas' newest window fashions.

There will be a product showcase and Premieres format which offers rotating classes every half hour and features a large exhibit area where you can visit product stations.

To register, right click on the registration form below and from the pop up menu select "print picture."

MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO
CHICAGO DESIGN TEAM.



Hunter Douglas Tax Credits and Rebates

If you are selling or have sold Architella shades this year, your client may be eligible for a Federal Tax Credit up to $1,500!!! We NOW have the forms at CDT. There are some restrictions so make sure to check on the form. This is retroactive to January 1, 2009 and runs through December 31, 2010. What a fantastic selling tool!


Effective May 4th, pricing on ALL Alustra products will be permanently reduced by an average of 10%. This is Hunter Douglas' response to feedback from their reps and showrooms. Now we can all be more competitive.

EVEN BETTER: We have received a letter from Marv Hopkins, President and CEO of Hunter Douglas telling us that effective June 1, Hunter Douglas Brand products will no longer be available for purchase via the Internet.
This reaffirms the company's belief that the best service, the best product knowledge and the best match of product to application comes from a design professional, done face to face and with personal knowledge of the customer's home. We are thrilled with this announcement, and applaud HD for this step, which will certainly cost them sales, but will surely be made up for in reputation, exclusivity and customer satisfaction.

From May 4-August 15 you can get a free Ultra Glide upgrade on Tiered Vignette. You should also be aware that Tiered Vignette will now be available with the "Easy Rise: lift system.

4-16-10

If anyone out there is interested in some good deals on artwork, you might check out the Clearbrook's art sale. Hotels, catalog companies etc have donated over 1000 items that will sell for $25-$200.

Doubletree Hotel
75 W. Algonquin
Arlington Heights

10:00-4:00

There are oils lithos and prints. All of us at CDT are volunteering with the set up on Saturday. Clearbrook assists the mentally disabled in our community so we like helping such a good cause.

This is the spot in the newsletter where I nag you or motivate you, and this week it is a nag. Yesterday as I was leaving the building I noticed that the mulch outside the front door by one of our stone lions was smoldering!! Smoking and smelling like a fireplace! We put it out, but had I not gone out that door we could have had a terrible fire.

Could have been spontaneous combustion, or perhaps a careless smoker flicked and ash. No evidence of a cigarette but. Anyway, to paraphrase Smokey Bear, "Only YOU can prevent showroom fires".

Thanks so much to all of you who attended Andrea's shower on Wednesday! It was a huge success, with over 40 women in attendance. It is a real tribute to Andrea to have so many well wishers. She received lots of lovely things. We'll have photos next week. Now we just have the baby countdown. Who will be first? Andrea, or Camille's daughter Denise?

Enjoy the weekend.

Ferguson Copeland

Sometimes the designers that visit our showroom get in a rut, and use the lines they are familiar with over and over again. Lines that are not so well known, like Ferguson Copeland get overlooked. This is a stunning, designer oriented collection of upholstery, case goods, occasional pieces and some accessories. They feature beautiful detailing, an enormous array of finishes, and lovely fabrics,which are hanging on the bottom row beneath the Taylor King Fabrics. The quality is outstanding. Designer Larry Laslo designs for Ferguson Copeland, which gives you an idea of the style and flair this line offers. If you are not selling this line, you really need to take a look. It's perfect for your clients that have a high level of taste and want something unique. We have a sofa a chair and a curio on the floor so that you can see the quality of their workmanship. I know you'll be impressed.

Hunter Douglas Premiers - 2010

Premiers 2010, hosted by Hunter Douglas Fabrication, introduces you to the newest Hunter Douglas products, line extensions and programs. By attending, you'll be the first to experience these exciting new opportunities and receive exclusive knowledge of Hunter Douglas' newest window fashions.

There will be a product showcase and Premieres format which offers rotating classes every half hour and features a large exhibit area where you can visit product stations.

To register, right click on the registration form below and from the pop up menu select "print picture."

MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO
CHICAGO DESIGN TEAM.



Hunter Douglas Tax Credits and Rebates

If you are selling or have sold Architella shades this year, your client may be eligible for a Federal Tax Credit up to $1,500!!! We NOW have the forms at CDT. There are some restrictions so make sure to check on the form. This is retroactive to January 1, 2009 and runs through December 31, 2010. What a fantastic selling tool!


Effective May 4th, pricing on ALL Alustra products will be permanently reduced by an average of 10%. This is Hunter Douglas' response to feedback from their reps and showrooms. Now we can all be more competitive.

EVEN BETTER: We have received a letter from Marv Hopkins, President and CEO of Hunter Douglas telling us that effective June 1, Hunter Douglas Brand products will no longer be available for purchase via the Internet.
This reaffirms the company's belief that the best service, the best product knowledge and the best match of product to application comes from a design professional, done face to face and with personal knowledge of the customer's home. We are thrilled with this announcement, and applaud HD for this step, which will certainly cost them sales, but will surely be made up for in reputation, exclusivity and customer satisfaction.

From May 4-August 15 you can get a free Ultra Glide upgrade on Tiered Vignette. You should also be aware that Tiered Vignette will now be available with the "Easy Rise: lift system.

4-9-10

Be sure to read the great news from Hunter Douglas down below!

Our staff is always on the lookout for ways to make things more efficient, or ways to help serve you better. One thing we pride ourselves on is that, unless all lines are busy, you will ALWAYS get a live body when you call our showroom. We really feel bad when we to have to pass you around and put you on hold till you get to the person who can actually help you. Here are a couple of suggestions that might streamline your phone time:

At CDT, no one is on commission, so it does not matter who you work with. Unless you have a complicated job you are working with someone on, are responding to a specific question or returning a call, you do not have to deal with "your salesperson". Any of our sales associates can help you with general questions about products or pricing. They will also place a new order. Ask for a sales associate.

If you have a problem with PRODUCT, please tell the receptionist that your call is in regard to a problem.

If you need to follow up on an order that has already been placed, or approve a cutting, please ask for the order department.

If you need to check a price or stock on FABRIC, or want to discuss memos, returns or consignment items, ask for the memo room.

When your question is in regard to a bill, a payment, correction to an order or money related, please ask for the billing department.

You may notice that I have not mentioned names for these departments. This is because we may be doing some shifting around of staff while Andrea is out on maternity leave. We consider this an opportunity to fine tune things and try out other things.

I hope you know that we do not ever mind if you forget the above suggestions, or if you just like dealing with one person, we are always happy to help you. We just want to spare you any unnecessary time enduring our message on hold with the cheesy computer generated music!
Hooker Furniture - Sanctuary Collection

Items from Front to Back:
3005-90016 Nightstand, 3008-85002 Chest, 3005-50001 Display Cabinet
Hooker's new "Sanctuary" collection is a perfect fit for the casual elegance that so may consumers are striving for today. Beautiful lines, and interesting details combine with several distressed finishes that make for a lovely relaxed look. These are the perfect pieces to mix with linens, screen prints and oxidized metal accents. In addition to the finishes you see here, several items are available in a whitewashed look.
The collection includes a darling vintage garden style bistro set, things with nail head or antique mirrored accents and lots, lots more. Dining, bedroom and occasional pieces give you lots of things to choose from.
Any of our staff members would be delighted to show you "Sanctuary". The memo room also has a copy to loan.
Hunter Douglas Premiers - 2010

Premiers 2010, hosted by Hunter Douglas Fabrication, introduces you to the newest Hunter Douglas products, line extensions and programs. By attending, you'll be the first to experience these exciting new opportunities and receive exclusive knowledge of Hunter Douglas' newest window fashions.

There will be a product showcase and Premieres format which offers rotating classes every half hour and features a large exhibit area where you can visit product stations.

To register, right click on the registration form below and from the pop up menu select "print picture."

MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO
CHICAGO DESIGN TEAM.



Hunter Douglas Tax Credits and Rebates

If you are selling or have sold Architella shades this year, your client may be eligible for a Federal Tax Credit up to $1,500!!! We NOW have the forms at CDT. There are some restrictions so make sure to check on the form. This is retroactive to January 1, 2009 and runs through December 31, 2010. What a fantastic selling tool!

February 1 Through April 15:
Duette Architella: $25 per shade rebate
Silhouette With Power Rise & Platinum Technology: $100 per shade rebate
Luminette Privacy Sheers with Power Glide 2.0: $100 per shade

OTHER NEWS!!! Not in prior newsletters, so take note!
Effective May 4th, pricing on ALL Alustra products will be permanently reduced by an average of 10%. This is Hunter Douglas' response to feedback from their reps and showrooms. Now we can all be more competitive.

EVEN BETTER: We have received a letter from Marv Hopkins, President and CEO of Hunter Douglas telling us that effective June 1, Hunter Douglas Brand products will no longer be available for purchase via the Internet.
This reaffirms the company's belief that the best service, the best product knowledge and the best match of product to application comes from a design professional, done face to face and with personal knowledge of the customer's home. We are thrilled with this announcement, and applaud HD for this step, which will certainly cost them sales, but will surely be made up for in reputation, exclusivity and customer satisfaction.

From May 4-August 15 you can get a free Ultra Glide upgrade on Tiered Vignette. You should also be aware that Tiered Vignette will now be available with the "Easy Rise: lift system.