Developing new products is both an exhilarating and an exhausting challenge for a manufacturer. Determining what works, what doesn’t, and then bringing a product successfully to market is about 40% art, 40% science, and 80% luck (okay, so I wasn’t a math major, but you get my point).
About two years ago, some of our clients began using faux wicker furnishings, and encouraging us to get into that business.
We listened. We did some market research. We learned that the market was already over-crowded with dozens of importers, reps, and dealers, and we said, “No thanks”.
Then about one year ago, we started getting feedback from our clients who had purchased faux wicker furnishings. Some of the comments included: “In less than a year, the cushions are trash”. “The weave is unraveling and there is no warranty”. “The furniture is really uncomfortable”. “The floor glides wore out (or fell off) and are not replaceable”. “The frames are coming apart”.
We listened. A light bulb went on over our heads. WOW! There is a place for us in that market! That was exhilarating. Now comes the exhausting part.
Our first challenge was to find a manufacturing partner for the wicker. Our search found 472 worldwide possibilities. We needed to find an experienced and stable international partner, ISO 9000 certified…one that would manufacture products engineered by us for installation in high-traffic public areas. And we did!
At about this time, we decided that the non-wicker items (cushions, metal legs, metal trim, wood trim) would be manufactured by us locally to allow our clients the opportunity to specify fabrics and finishes on a project-specific basis.
Now we needed designs to manufacture. We were very lucky to have input from a long-time client and from a boutique Southern California design firm.
Hundreds of hours of design and engineering time later we are almost ready. Prototypes are being fine-tuned, details are being finalized, and soon you will see the results. When you do, let us hear from you, because we listen!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Let's talk Teak
Hello!
Welcome to the second edition of Daryl’s Domain. Once again, I will share some experiences…and perhaps ruffle a few feathers.
Let’s talk TEAK.
For decades, the importers of teak furniture have told us that their furniture could be installed outdoors with no maintenance. The furniture would just “weather to a natural gray”, or words to that effect.
As a result, a generation of designers has come to believe that teak is a magical, mystical material…totally different from any other wood species. It could be used outdoors and would remain “natural” forever.
This, however, is our experience:
The tropical hardwoods commonly used for outdoor furniture are: jatoba, jarrah, ipe, and teak. They have some differences in initial color, density, and oil content, but they share many common characteristics:
• If left unfinished, they will all turn some shade of gray in outdoor exposure.
• If left unfinished, they will all become stained from food or drink spills, bird droppings, and even body oils.
• If left unfinished, checks and cracks will develop due to the cycle of absorbing water and drying out. If the wood is not kiln dried prior to furniture manufacturing, the checking and cracking will be much worse.
• The same cycle of getting wet and drying out will produce grain rise, giving the wood an unpleasant, rough texture.
• In wet climates, or if the furniture is installed under sprinklers, the wood (particularly teak) can show black streaks. This is mineral from the soil, absorbed by the roots and stored in the tree, then brought to the surface by water.
Unfinished wood furniture installed outdoors will, at some point in time, be unpleasant to the eye and uncomfortable to the touch. This is normal and “natural”.
Because we have experienced these common characteristics, we tell our clients that if they want the natural warmth and beauty of hardwood furniture, they need to have a finish applied at the factory and then commit to an annual maintenance program. If they cannot do this, we recommend they buy metal furniture.
As always, your comments are requested and appreciated.
Daryl Braun
P.S. There are many choices of finishes for outdoor wood furniture, from penetrating sealers to clear top coatings….but that’s a topic for another Daryl’s Domain.
Welcome to the second edition of Daryl’s Domain. Once again, I will share some experiences…and perhaps ruffle a few feathers.
Let’s talk TEAK.
For decades, the importers of teak furniture have told us that their furniture could be installed outdoors with no maintenance. The furniture would just “weather to a natural gray”, or words to that effect.
As a result, a generation of designers has come to believe that teak is a magical, mystical material…totally different from any other wood species. It could be used outdoors and would remain “natural” forever.
This, however, is our experience:
The tropical hardwoods commonly used for outdoor furniture are: jatoba, jarrah, ipe, and teak. They have some differences in initial color, density, and oil content, but they share many common characteristics:
• If left unfinished, they will all turn some shade of gray in outdoor exposure.
• If left unfinished, they will all become stained from food or drink spills, bird droppings, and even body oils.
• If left unfinished, checks and cracks will develop due to the cycle of absorbing water and drying out. If the wood is not kiln dried prior to furniture manufacturing, the checking and cracking will be much worse.
• The same cycle of getting wet and drying out will produce grain rise, giving the wood an unpleasant, rough texture.
• In wet climates, or if the furniture is installed under sprinklers, the wood (particularly teak) can show black streaks. This is mineral from the soil, absorbed by the roots and stored in the tree, then brought to the surface by water.
Unfinished wood furniture installed outdoors will, at some point in time, be unpleasant to the eye and uncomfortable to the touch. This is normal and “natural”.
Because we have experienced these common characteristics, we tell our clients that if they want the natural warmth and beauty of hardwood furniture, they need to have a finish applied at the factory and then commit to an annual maintenance program. If they cannot do this, we recommend they buy metal furniture.
As always, your comments are requested and appreciated.
Daryl Braun
P.S. There are many choices of finishes for outdoor wood furniture, from penetrating sealers to clear top coatings….but that’s a topic for another Daryl’s Domain.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Sustainable Design
Hello!
Welcome to the first edition of “Daryl’s Domain”, from where I will share some thoughts and experiences…and sometimes stir up a little controversy.
Let’s think about: Sustainable Design.
My dictionary defines the word sustain as “…to keep in existence, maintain, prolong…”
A client once told me he needed some “bombproof” furniture. It seems one of his retail developments had very high traffic and he could not find furniture that would last. Our design engineer and I put our heads together, and determined that we could not make bombproof furniture. However, we could make furniture in modules, so that when damage occurred, a module could easily be replaced by the maintenance staff. We got that order, and the furniture has now been in service for many years. It is certainly of “sustainable design”.
We all need to work toward sustaining our natural resources. One way we do that is by having all our aluminum castings made from post-consumer recycled material. But sustainable design means more than just the selection of raw materials. It means the product itself must “sustain”.
I see products that are promoted as “green” because of their raw material content, but they are manufactured in such a way (cheaply) that they will have a short useful life. When I consider the time and energy to replace those products every few years, it is hard for me to define them as “green” or to be of “sustainable design”.
All of us who design, engineer, specify, purchase, and use furniture need to get past some of the “greenwash” promotions and dig a bit deeper to understand useful life. The proper raw materials and a long useful life, together, provide true sustainable design.
As always, your comments are requested and appreciated.
Daryl Braun
P.S. Our new website is a rousing success! The 3D modeling service and the “Choose a Fabric/Choose a Finish” interactive feature in “Indoor Seating” are both generating lots of activity. Check them out at: www.dmbraunco.com
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