November 2008

What does the soft economy mean to The Contemporary Couch and you? In this Thanksgiving week we are especially grateful to all of you that have supported our company for the past 3 years. Listening to all the sad economic news, and watching the stock market tumble makes all of us feel insecure about our futures. The Contemporary Couch is a family owned business that needs to step up our efforts to satisfy our discriminating clientele.  We do this in the following ways:

1. We promise you to push ourselves harder in bringing you the most creative contemporary furniture presentation in the country. The latest fabric applications, frame designs and dramatic colors will be available to you.  Our presentation to you will continue to excel so we could meet your greater expectations.

2. Our prices will be as sharp as possible so the value of what you are purchasing from us will be greater.  In the custom furniture marketplace we continue to stand alone in our designs, and our discounted pricing.  It's not just the dollar amount that is important.  Should you buy an ordinary sectional in limited colors and sizes made in China from a regular furniture store?  Or is it better value to spend a little more to buy custom furniture for your home that is unique, fits your room perfectly, upholstered in beautiful fabrics, and just looks and feels great because Pia came to your home to design it.  Because we are located in an office building in Carlstadt, New Jersey our overhead is lower so we can bring you custom furniture at discounted prices.

3. Personal service. When you walk in you are greeted by the owners of the company. From that moment to the day of delivery, we take care of every detail of your purchase.  If you have a question or problem we are right there for you.  We follow your order from production to delivery. If any service is needed it is taken care of in a prompt fashion.  The future of our business and the satisfaction of our clients is in our hands, not a staff of strangers.

So right now we can't improve the economy, and we can't make the stock market grow, but we can make sure you will receive the best designs, the best personal service, and the best pricing of any store in the country. That is our plan to make sure your purchasing power reaches its fullest potential.

When shopping in furniture stores today, the consumer is confronted with an incredible lack of creativity. Most stores today offer basic styling, basic shapes, and basic colors. How many shades of brown leather could there possibly be? How many 'L' shaped sectionals can you look at. If you have a room with large dimensions, or unusual doorways and windows, a 'typical sectional won't fit properly. Most stores don't special order with a change in dimensions, and some salespeople aren't familiar enough with the product, to offer the correct choices for you.

The main reason for today's limitations, is that most furniture is now produced in China. Even if the manufacturer has an Italian name, or you are told the leather is Italian, you have limited choices because of its Chinese heritage. Although the prices may seem very reasonable, if the quality is not there, or if the dimensions of the piece offered don't fit your room properly, or the limited selection of colors is boring, what is the point? Anf if you are working with an inexperienced saleperson or designer that can't properly show you your options, it just isn't fair to you.

Decorating your home, whether it be an apartment, or your own home, should be an exercise in creativity. Furniture is a beautiful product when done correctly. At 'The Contemporary Couch', all of our furniture is custom made, with a tremendous variety of shapes, sizes, colors and materials. We have pumkin colored suede, we have mustard leather with texture, we have curved sectionals with movable chaises, available in a combinations of leather and microsuede. We have five different fabric correlates on the same sofa! Everything is color coordinated and correctly sized for your room. Why settle, when you can have the best designs suited perfectly for your needs and your home? Buying furniture shouldn't be an immediate gratification experience. It should be a creative process, so the end result will bring you happiness and comfort for years to come.

The process begins with you entering our showroom. Please bring a scaled drawing of your room, a blueprint. If you can't provide that, Pia gladly comes to the home to measure accurately, and to get a feel for the area. When you come in , explore the unusual contemporary styles, and keep in mind we can tailor our furniture for your needs. Sectional displayed on our floor too big for your room? Fine, we can make it smaller. Don't like the chrome leg on the sofa? Let's change it to a warm walnut tone. The color palette of burgandy and tangerine not for you? Let's change it to rich caramel and rust. Not happy with a straight back sectional? Let's switch to a curvy, shapely sectional providing comfort and style to your room.

The quality of our furniture, the limitless choices, and the professional design help are the reasons, people shop at 'The Contemporary Couch'. Of course, most important, the personal touch. Walk into any store today, and ask to speak to the owner, because you would like to hear their philosophy of business, and how you can expect to be treated. Well if it's a department store, or a large chain store, forget that possibility. Even if it's a smaller chain or an individual store, that possibility is also remote.

Walk in to 'The Contemporary Couch by Pia ', and there she is. The owner and designer, waiting to make your home beautiful, and to make your furniture buying experience wonderful.

I would probably give you the exact opposite advice from any designer you consult with on the subject of COLOR.

I am constantly reading in design magazines "Tread cautiously with color," "Don't choose trendy colors," and "Use color as your accents."  My advice on the subject of color is the same as it would be with love: Follow your heart!  It's pretty simple.  If you like understated elegance, formality and simplicity, go with beiges of every tone, from white to taupe.  If you like a little tabasco in your eggs, it is okay to use color.  Paint your walls different colors that blend together like a bouquet of mums!  Warm, but exciting.  Don't worry about trendy!   It is your home and you only get to decorate a handful of times in a lifetime.   Enjoy it, express yourself.

Remember, color doesn't have to mean loud, it means alive.  It is up to you whether the intensity of the hue screams at you or comforts you and keeps your interest.  Choosing the correct intensity is the key.  Don't select paint colors from a small chip.  Paint a poster board for each color you are considering.  Live with it for a while.  Look at it during the day and at night before making your decision.  Then relax and go for it - it's just paint!