2007 Recap

post from David Francis Furniture :: Blog on 02 April 2008 05:25:00 AM. © David Francis Furniture :: Blog

As 2007 comes to a close, we, at David Francis, wanted to reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and highlight some things to look forward to in 2008. At a time when overall furniture orders have continued to decline and many manufacturers have suffered layoffs and bankruptcies, we are happy to report that David Francis is strong. We are strengthening our current client base and achieving more name recognition among high-end interior designers and we feel that 2008 will result in continued growth. New Introductions It’s all about the furniture! Each year, our design direction continues to evolve and we get more and more excited about the new items we are introducing. 2008 is definitely no exception! For the first time ever, David Francis is offering a full line of leather lounge seating as well as several chairs with interior upholstery. I am sure you will agree that these new offerings are something out of the ordinary and allow the end user to make a statement. If you haven’t already, visit the “New Products” section at www.DavidFrancisFurniture.com. David Francis Contract Our biggest news in 2007 was the launch of David Francis’ contract Division. Under the direction of Catherine Swett, this division is busy soliciting commercial projects and responding to RFPs for furnishings in resorts, hotels, restaurants, private clubs, etc. In 2008, we will be exhibiting at HD Expo in Las Vegas (May) and HD Boutique in Miami (September). While expanding into the contract realm, we are staying true to our commitment to quality and exclusive design. This means we are not dummying down our products for use in commercial applications. Instead, we are bringing luxury to the contract world. Las Vegas Market In January and July 2007, we showed at Las Vegas Market in our permanent showroom in the newly-opened Building B. We had steady traffic through our showroom, talked to qualified leads and introduced our line to new customers. We look forward to two more successful markets in 2008. Pinnacle Award Our Manhattan Lounge Chair was nominated for a Pinnacle Design Award in 2007. We traveled to High Point in October to attend the awards dinner, but alas, did not win. Of course, it was an honor to be recognized. Because the Manhattan Lounge Chair has gotten such fantastic response, we have introduced a Manhattan Barstool for 2008! Publicity 2007 was a great year for publicity. Highlights included products placed in Veranda, House Beautiful and Architectural Digest. In January 2008, our Heirloom Dining Table will be featured in an episode of Divine Design with Candice Olsen! 2008 Catalog & Website In January, look for our 2008 catalog with a fresher, new format. Note that our catalog will now run on a January-to-January cycle. We will also be launching a redesigned and more user-friendly website in March 2008. Lastly, I would like to extend a thank you to thank our clients, showrooms and rep that have contributed to our continued success. We truly consider all of you part of the David Francis family. Have a wonderful holiday…and let’s make 2008 our best year yet! Regards, David

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Product Design Evolution

post from David Francis Furniture :: Blog on 02 April 2008 05:23:00 AM. © David Francis Furniture :: Blog

The David Francis line is sometimes described as accent furniture. That term refers to the fact that we sell pieces of furniture instead of entire rooms. Although we like the accent furniture designation, our main goal is so much more - we want our designs to be selected as the statement piece that a room is designed around. I create our designs from an initial form, or overall shape. And, so many variations can be made from the same form. For example, the same form can take on different personalities by the designer using upholstery vs. wood vs. metal vs. any combination of materials. The same form can take on a traditional, transitional or contemporary vibe. David Francis Furniture has built a reputation for pushing the limits of design on a form by mixing unexpected, high-quality materials. Our interpretation of a form is like no other manufacturer. I feel it is imperative that our designs be generational and timeless, so I have always shied away from short-lived trends and fads. Instead, I have concentrated my efforts on creating a broad range of transitional designs that ride smoothly between traditional and contemporary styling. I have been developing our designs for more than ten years and decided several years ago that if we are to introduce a new design, it has to have some unique quality or it is not worth doing. That is why we are constantly comparing our new design ideas to those of our competitors and against our past creations to make sure we are not doing something that has already been done. The result of this constant testing and editing is the refined and graceful David Francis “look.” If you analyze the past three David Francis catalogs you can clearly see just how, and where, our line has evolved. Each catalog has become a stepping stone to our next incarnation of design. And like fashion houses, we are always designing into the future. In fact, when you received your new 2008 David Francis catalog in January, we had already completed the design development for 2009, and we are currently working on sketches for 2010. My personal philosophy is simple: I never am completely satisfied, so I am continually in pursuit for flawless and innovative materials and design. So, our customers can look forward to constant improvement and surprises from David Francis Furniture.

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2007 Recap

Product Design Evolution