Marcia Blake is President / Creative Director of Outdoor Interiors® a design firm specializing in creating outdoor living spaces. She also provides design and consulting services for outdoor furniture manufacturers and has launched a new collection of soft goods and accessories she designed called Outdoor Couture®, she is an active member of the Color Marketing Group, ASID and ICFA. en-us http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398.html?nid=3885 Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information. Subject to its Terms of Use October 14, 2009 http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/580049258.html?nid=3885 Every year Casual furniture retailers hope to be chosen to receive the coveted Apollo award in the multi-store or single store category. This year congratulat… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/170049217.html?nid=3885 I am heading out of the country on a very special tour of Paris, France and numerous towns in Italy. I will be researching outdoor living in Tuscany and Umbria and hope to report back my findings, in fabric, furniture an… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1800049180.html?nid=3885 Congratulations to the 2009 Design Excellence Award Winners in the Outdoor Living Category! Pride Family Brands won for Cast Metal – Sophia Formal Cushion Dining Chair Gloster won for Complementary Casual Products – Gloster, Axis Coffee Table Veneman Collections won in the Fabr… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1420049142.html?nid=3885 As you walk through the showrooms in Chicago this week, take notice of the displays. Are they realistic? Would you consider buying a product because of how it was put on display? I have talked often about the importance of vignettes, color and merchandising. These are all important things to con… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1240049124.html?nid=3885 Are you walking the halls at the Chicago International Casual Furniture Show looking for new products for your casual furniture showroom? Well here is a unique idea that may interest you! Become an authorized dealer of Atera AnyTemp Spas. For those dealers that live in climates that get hot i… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/410049041.html?nid=3885 Just in the nic of time for the Chicago International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market, ASID Eye On Design, reported on the "Luxury Tracking Report: Consumer Spending Trends" survey conducted by marketing consulting firm Unity Marketing, a year-over-year increase in spending… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1720048972.html?nid=3885 It is difficult to compete with the marketing efforts of such big companies as, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Home Depot. So when they announced today that they are joining forces to create and sell outdoor furniture and accessories it makes me wonder, How is the small yet dedicated casu… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1310048931.html?nid=3885 Cheap is not the answer. I was recently contacted by a realtor through my twitter account, http://twitter.com/outdoorinterior inquiring about eucalyptus outdoor furniture. None of the companies that I know of carry this type of furniture so I did some checking online and found a number of diffe… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1040048904.html?nid=3885 With the onset of Collegiate Football, 2009 NFL season and Fantasy Football one company, Team Sports America is focusing on "staycation" leisure time by licensing NFL, MLB and Collegiate logos for use on outdoor products ranging from patio umbrellas, adirondack chairs, scoreboard clock… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1850048785.html?nid=3885 There is a bright star in the Casual Furniture industry that had been an institution since 1947. OW Lee was founded in Pasadena, California. They are the premier manufacturer of fine wrought iron and wrought aluminum casual furniture. OW Lee manufactures heirloom quality products in Ontario,… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/210048621.html?nid=3885 Casual Creations Florida is warming up to new colors!! You no longer have to have your grandmother's white or yellow furniture, now you can enjoy the warm hues of brown, beige and oranges. The … http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1900048590.html?nid=3885 According to the United States Department of Labor, “The first Monday in September, is committed to the social and financial accomplishments of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of o… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/540048454.html?nid=3885 "Do It Yourself" DIY Network's Yard Crashers features Sunbrella Fabric on an episode tonight that was filmed in Vacaville, California featuring a huge outdoor chessboard patio. This show is scheduled to run at 9:00PM eastern standard time. As homeowners continue to stay close t… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/140048414.html?nid=3885 A new advertising campaign for Agio reads, “Waiting for times to change?” This company is promoting their pro-active steps to grow their business. While some interior furniture establishments are adding outdoor lines in their product mix to boost sales and profits. So I ask y… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1890048389.html?nid=3885 Cool Mist Umbrella Summer is most definitely here, the temperatures are rising! Yesterday, I spent the day in Phoenix,… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1030048303.html?nid=3885 New Ravenna Tile Rug Sara Baldwin founded New Ravenna Mosaics in 1991 and Sara Baldwin Design in 1999. As an artistic entrepreneur, she is known for always being at the forefront of hard surface design. She recently visited friends in Southern California and was pleasantly surprised t… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/640048264.html?nid=3885 Sunbrella 2010 Fabric Book I received the new Sunbrella® fabric book today and was so excited to see not only the new fabrics but the way that the Sunbrella® … http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/40048204.html?nid=3885 This past week I personally witnessed a few retailing Best Practices at a Target® store in Arizona. My husband and I drove our youngest son to college last Wednesday. This is not a new task for us, this is our third time bringing a college freshman to school to move into a dorm room. You wou… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1250047925.html?nid=3885 Interior Designers add unique style to the same space. &n… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/280047828.html?nid=3885 Courtesy of www.theshapingspacesgroup.com Outdoor Living rooms have long been desirable amongst residents of coastal communities, and now more and more people are gravitating to … http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/1560047756.html?nid=3885 Outdoor Elegance 1st Designer Newsletter Do you want to reach out to the designers in your community? Well it is possible and Outdoor Elegance a retail store in LaVerne, California is doing just that. In their first bulletin to Interior Designers they are welcoming local … http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/770047677.html?nid=3885 photography by Doyle - images compliments of Applied Photography www.apgs.net See how different a space can… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/120047612.html?nid=3885 "photography by Doyle - images compliments of Applied Photography - www.apgs.net" Enjoy the beauty of an outdoor setting even when the space is small or unusually shaped. Now more than ever, people are moving to urban environments in high rise buildings that have patios small… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/680047468.html?nid=3885 If you missed touring the 2010 International Casual Furniture showrooms in Chicago this past July you are in for a treat. Six companies worked closely with Casual Living Magazine to bring to you a virtual tour of their new 2010 showrooms. Telescope Casual Furniture, Ratana Home & Floral, Treas… http://www.casualliving.com/blog/1980000398/post/940047294.html?nid=3885 It is a very well known fact that colors can make you feel warm or cool. Blue, green, and violet are considered cool colors. When you think of a cool lake or ice covered pond, you see cool colors, according to About.com. The colors of red, orange, and yellow are considered warm colors…