Welcome to the Kleber & Associates blog! Here’s the latest on the Casual Market Recap 2012
The annual International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market welcomed members of the casual industry from across the globe to Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, for a four-day event. Showcasing new products from industry leaders, and highlighting outdoor trends, the industry-focused show offers a bevy of showroom events, awards presentations and educational seminars. The market includes more than 45 permanent showrooms and hundreds of temporary exhibitors covering 350,000 square feet of exhibit space.
With the continued increase of trends in outdoor rooms and living spaces, Kleber and Associates was excited to see what new trends and products were noticeable at the show… in addition to outdoor furniture, chairs and tables, we found some noteworthy new products that caught our attention. Our direct experience on the showroom floor consisted of an overabundance of patio furniture, several grill manufacturers and some unique lighting and rug manufacturers.
With homeowners extending their living space outdoors, these spaces require the same care and detailed design as their interior counterparts. As the trend is expected to continue to evolve over the next coming years, attendees were looking for ways to capitalize on the outdoor theme to stand apart from others in the industry.
The Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchen Collection
By determining how you want “to enhance the outdoors” together with the amenities that best suit your entertaining style, homeowners can create the ideal outdoor living area with the Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchen Collection.
Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens offer the widest range of storage and organizational cabinetry in the industry. Cabinets are available in 3 inch increments starting at 9 inches to as large as 48 inches in certain styles. The exclusive finishes are offered in Brown Jordan’s top 10 most admired finishes; new door options, including textured metals are frequently added to the line.
Solus, Hand-cast Concrete Décor
The Solus line of hand cast concrete fireplace surrounds and mantels combine both classic materials with modern, contemporary designs. For the past few years, the theme for fire has been “take it outside”. Just this year, Solus introduced its eco-friendly bio ethanol burners, including a Firebowl, Halo and Firetrough.
Additionally, Solus also offers a wide variety of Fire pits, combining cozy confidence with chic, contemporary style to add design and focus to every outdoor space.
Sphinx by Oriental Weavers
A Sphinx outdoor area rug can turn any porch, patio or deck into an area that is fresh and rejuvenated. The outdoor rugs are 100 percent polypropylene, not only creating a soft surface, but durable enough to fend off moisture, mold and other various weatherizing elements.
Specifically, the Bali collection caught our attention. The Bali collection is a new collection that combines neutrals and cool colors, to create a relaxing, welcoming environment. The rugs are machine-woven quality with easy care (you can take a garden hose to them!), and will add a touch of sophistication to any space.
Patio Living Concepts
Patio Living Concepts incorporates aesthetics, function, and quality into their outdoor lighting design. The one product that specifically caught our attention was the GardenGlo illuminating resin planter. Available in six decorative colors, the GardenGlo has a 4,000 hour fluorescent bulb and it totally solar powered. The planter has a separate control unit mounted on a ground state for positioning in direct sunlight.
