Milo Baughman is probably one of the most recognized pioneers in modern design and one of the leading modern furniture designers of the second half of the 20^th century. His recognition is partly due to the fact that Thayer Coggin where he worked for 50 years has a lifetime licensing agreement so that his designs are constantly being reintroduced to the public by no other than the daughter of Thayer Coggin who now runs the company based in North Carolina.

His uniquely American Designs are forward-thinking and distinctive and yet unpretentious. The relaxed and timeless quality of his designs has meant that his product continues to be widely collected and reinvented and revived by designers around the world. Baughman’s design philosophy was that good design is enduring design. His ingrained restraint did not permit the look of mere novelty to enter in, rather he achieved a look that is modern but never violates the timeless standards of good design.

In 1987 he was inducted into the Furniture Hall of Fame and it is a testament to his work that his designs are as modern today as they were in the 1950’s. As well as doing design work he lectured broadly on the state of modern design extolling the positive effect of good design on human beings. This discussion continues today…

We have the privilege of having some of his product on the floor and are thrilled to have this partnership with the company Thayer Coggin.

Two quotes from Richard Frinier “inside or outside – you decide” and “we all have time – how will you spend yours?” will help you understand this very prolific and talented designer.

He has spent the last 30 years of his career designing product to create spaces that inspire people to bring the quality of indoor living outdoors and the casual spirit of the outdoors inside. His personal mantra “authentic, relevant and memorable styling” has led to his creations which are both sophisticated and elegant.

Richard spent over 20 years as the Chief Creative Officer and manager of the brand of Brown Jordan. He has designed hundreds of collections which can be seen in private residences, the finest resorts and spas and royal palaces. He has received over 80 product and achievement awards and in 2009 received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Casual Furnishings Association (outdoor furniture).

He is widely credited with fueling the popular life style trends of the outdoor room, the stay-cation, and resort-at-home-living. He really believes we should all take 5 minute vacations throughout the day to refresh ourselves and to slow down enough that life is always pleasurable. Food for thought.

Today with his wife and partner he runs Richard Frinier Design Studio – as well as the design process associated with bringing a product to market they are also very supportive of the design students and support several scholarships at some of the leading design and trade organizations.

We are delighted and proud to carry a few of his collections in the store. Come and have a look and you will understand why he is so highly decorated.

Ayala Serfaty was born in Tel Aviv, in 1962. After completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem and the Middlesex Polytechnic in London, she settled to work and live in Tel Aviv. In 1993 she set up Aqua Creations Lighting and Furniture Atelier together with her husband Albi Serfaty and to this day remains the sole designer.

We are proud to carry her beautiful lighting line in our store. The lamps are whimsical, organic and sensuous all at the same time. More than just lamps they are true pieces of art and once you see them you will try to find a place in your home to display them. The technical aspects of these pieces is that they are made of treated hand dyed silk from India overlaid on a metal frame. They are all made in Tel Aviv and shipped in specially made crates to the United States. Her early work is influenced by underwater plants and creatures and this is evident in many of the lamps we have on display.

As well as her lights Ayala Serfaty has exhibited for over 20 years in museums and galleries internationally. Her solo shows have included venues such as Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and Museum Beelden Aan Zee, Den Haag, Netherlands. She has participated in group shows in venues including Herzliya Museum of art in Israel, London Design Museum, Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York, Staatliches Museum für Kunst und Design in Nuremberg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg and Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Ayala Serfaty’s work is found in the collections of Metropolitan Museum in NY, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Museum of Arts and Design in NY, Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

In 2015, commissioned work will be made for Corning Museum of Glass, Maison Gerard Gallery, and private collectors.

Looking for a WOW in outdoor furniture? Look no further. We found this wonderful Miami based company, Kannoa about 5 years ago and we are very happy we did.

Kannoa was founded almost 10 years ago in 2006 by two childhood friends. They wanted an outdoor furniture company based on four pillars. Design, Functionality, Durability and Harmony. These core values were meant to guide the company culture as well as the manufacturing and design of the furniture.

We have several of their collections on our floor and outside our front door so we can speak personally about all of the pillars mentioned above. The Maui chair has become an iconic piece – many of the trendy boutique hotels and more than one cruise line sport these brightly colored extremely comfortable chairs and ottoman.

Lightweight concrete tables and stools topped with brightly colored cushions, faux wood and aluminum dining tables, and sectionals with soft Sunbrella covered cushions are just a few of the items in their ever expanding line.

Concern over the environment has fostered a commitment to using only 100% recyclable packaging materials, polymers and aluminum. As well steps have been taken to minimize carbon emissions and eliminate waste stream pollutants.

Young, smart, fresh and fun – this can be used to describe the principals, their furniture and their corporate culture. How cool is that!

One of the best benefits of being in the retail furniture business today are the relationships we forge with many of our suppliers. Because we are one store selling specifically mid-high end contemporary furniture it is important that we choose correctly who we decide to partner with. We cannot compete with nor do we want to compete with the big box stores.

About 6 months after opening our store (that would take it to about mid 2003) we were approached by Dellarobbia to consider them for a placement on our showroom floor.

At the time they had been in business for 20 years. Run by an incredibly talented man, many family members were involved – it was manufactured in California, fabrics and leathers came from Italy and most importantly the designs were beautiful, clean and simple and the quality was impeccable.

We were sold and the rest as they say is history. Our relationship has continued to flourish due to Dellarobbia’s ability to foresee fabric and color trends, to continue to design slightly ahead of the curve while maintaining their level of excellence and to supply us in a timely manner high quality furnishings our customers will have for many years to come.

Their passion for details and purity of design has kept Dellarobbia in the forefront of contemporary furniture now for 32 years.

Today David, his wife and two children Jeff and Jen have become friends as well as business associates and we cherish that friendship as much as we do their commitment to being the best that they can be.

We have a most exciting new vendor in our showroom. Be prepared to have your jaw drop when you see the quality and beautiful design from the Reflex factory.

Reflex was founded more than 20 years ago and their designs took heavily from the family glass factories that had been established in the 1940’s. Impossible is a word that comes to mind when you see one of their round and flowing table bases topped by a crystal clear sheet of glass. Magnificent is another word when you look at a chandelier made from hundreds of small pieces meant to replicate delicate birds in the wind.

Reflex was the first company to use actual Murano glass as one of the bases for a dining table. You hardly want to put dining chairs around the table – but wait – their dining chairs are also individual works of art themselves. Perhaps I have scared you into thinking that all off this is for show only. Not a chance – as beautiful as it is the collection is comfortable, and very user friendly.

Due to their commitment to Design Reflex has always used famous designers (Pininfarina, Andre Putnam and Arnaldo Gambo to name a few) and this is evident in some of the marvelous pieces they have in their most extensive line of products. Technology is always in the forefront and their ability to cut, grind, mill, silver and bend glass has given rise to some of their more iconic pieces. Wood places an important part in much of the line and the pride and advancement in technology shows in many of their signature pieces.

Their philosophy fits hand in glove with Sklar’s. They want you to have exactly what you want and in whatever finish or color. Ask and they will tailor make it for you.

Come in and see this fabulous line of exquisite furnishings – you will be dazzled!

American Leather was founded in 1990 with a goal of producing custom leather furniture in the United States that could be manufactured and shipped to the client in three weeks or less. They applied “just-in-time” manufacturing that they admired from the Japanese car industry to the furniture industry. This was unheard of and to this day there are very few manufacturers in the United States who can take an order and three weeks later deliver a custom configuration done in a custom leather or fabric to a client anywhere in the United States or Canada. They currently have over 130 different collections sold in over 650 stores.

One of their most successful products is their Comfort Sleeper. Again this is not the norm. In fact it is so comfortable that we have sold these “sofa beds” as the only bed a college student sleeps on, Have you been to Disney in Orlando? All of their sleepers are the famous Comfort Sleeper.

That was such a success that they introduced the Comfort Recliner a few years ago and it has gone from a push model, to electric to electric with a battery. They are innovative for sure!

American Leather’s collections include many original designs by some of the industry leaders. Vladimir Kagan, Goodman-Charlton, Rob Jones, Rick Lee, John Mascheroni, Barbara and Robert Tiffany and Michael Wolk are just a few. They continue to search for new progressive designs and designers to keep their offering fresh.

We have carried their product since we opened the store 13 years ago and our partnership just grows stronger every year. American Leather is such a delight to work with. They stay ahead of the curve with new introductions, their product is beautifully finished, their customer service is outstanding and they are just good people.

Sklar Furnishings is proud to be one of the 250 shop-in-shops that Kartell has worldwide in addition to 130 single-brand flagship stores. Because of its incredible popularity with people in and outside the design world the product is also sold at over 2500 retail operations in over 130 countries. Iconic? Yes indeed!

Founded in 1949 by Giulio Castelli and now run by Claudio Luti, Kartell is an incredible success story. Longevity, their design driven products, innovation in materials and manufacturing all make them very recognizable symbols of Italian design around the world. Their products range from furniture to home furnishings, to lighting, and home accessories. A visit to their website shows hundreds of prestigious design awards won year after year.

Kartell has always collaborated with the most prestigious international designers. Philippe Starck, Patricia Urquiola, Piero Lissoni, Eugeni Quitllet, Joe Columbo and Ferruccio Laviani have all designed multiple successful products. In industrial design this is essential – you want to create a product of beauty and quality and one that will retail and retail for a long time. They have even collaborated with a rock star or two – the Lenny Kravitz Mademoiselle Chairs bring a smile to everyone’s face and people still talk about Kartell Barbie Ghost Chair.

Technology innovation has always been in the forefront of Kartell’s manufacturing processes. Because of this consistent and constant evolution Kartell has been able to introduce to plastics the following:  satin finish, transparency, flexibility, resistance to atmospheric agents, softness and touch, and surprising and special colors. Interestingly Kartell has managed to create such beautiful product that plastic items manufactured by them have a sensual and luxurious feel all their own.
Kartell’s ability to push innovation to the limit, enabling designers to express their creativity with new technologies and materials has allowed for real “industrial revolutions” within the home. Their continual introduction of new, fun, timely product keeps them a favorite vendor of ours.