Bob's World

Hello from the world of one, where we’ve been in an.... “oh my gosh we have got to get this thing finished” mode for the last 60 days, inching ever closer to a full sales and marketing launch. It has been quite an experience since coming back from Neocon, which has led me to the following lessons and conclusions....

• The food court at the Merchandise Mart really does make for a great temporary office space.....
• Starbucks for breakfast...check
• Wireless internet...check
• Turkey on whole wheat for lunch...check
• More Starbucks mid afternoon...check
• Bathroom close by...check
  

What more could a guy ask for?

• Just because you had a commitment in January doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a commitment in June.
• With all of the advancements in communication technology there are still some places, like Greensboro NC, that have limited, and in some areas, no internet access because of the limitations of the local service providers. And no, I’m not talking about being out in the middle of no where. I’m talking about being 5 minutes from the Greensboro/High Point Airport. Come on.......
• With that said, make sure that the location you select for your new corporate office is not in one of these areas! It’s a long story.
• Everyone wants to work with you until their business picks up, then you get placed on the back burner or in some cases off of the stove.
• Alone on a train from Venice to Milan? Pull out the latest Apple technology (in this case an Apple iPhone 4) and you will never be alone again. New slogan should be... “bringing people together”.
• IKEA is a great place to economically outfit an office, but you do not want to be in their warehouse in the middle of one of the hottest summers on record pulling inventory! Especially in a shirt and tie!
• Unproven is still unproven no matter what you’ve accomplished in the past.
• Proofing a price book is a lot like stabbing a knife in your brain...over and over and over and over and over again.
• People want to see people succeed (well most people and the ones who don’t... you don’t need in your life).
• There’s cool and then there is your 10-year-old daughter saying...that’s really cool!

A little one furniture group presentation. We hope you enjoy it.

Stay cool and remember.....

"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it

great." - Jimmy Dugan (A League of Their Own)

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From Bob's World! Back from Neocon

Happy Friday from the world of one where I am still recovering from Neocon 2010 having spent 2 1/2 days in twenty-one meetings with the future sales partners of one furniture group.  Yes... you heard me right, twenty-one meetings in 2 1/2 days and I may never be the same again! 

I arrived at O'Hare at 6:30 AM Saturday morning before the show and opened up my temporary office space in a corner booth at the Merchandise Mart food court (you go where the reps will come) at 9 AM with a pen, pad, Apple lap top and mock up binder in hand with what I hoped would be a good story, filled with a lot of passion and enthusiasm.  My thoughts...hero or zero there would be nothing in between.  I've spent many sleepless nights leading up to the Chicago show over my 16 year career but none as nerve racking as the week leading up to this.  If I sound overly dramatic then guilty as charged!

After the smoke cleared what I got was a great reception, invaluable feed back and the greatest feeling in the world...that a lot of great industry friends where interested, surprised at our progress, and most important, pulling for us to succeed.  Needless to say I was overwhelmed!

Our latest update has us still on track for an August launch which will include several new lounge collections incorporating a mix of materials and beautiful tailoring detail to create, what we feel is an exceptional product line.  As an example check out the Stripes Collection offering clean sculpted lines with vertical or horizontal tailoring detail and a brushed steel metal base.  Very cool!

Back to Neocon...I also like to recognize some of the cool new product introductions I saw in Chicago.  It was very apparent that everyone had stepped up their game.  Special props to a couple of my favorites.

Proximus...Casegood collection from Gary Lee Studios for Halcon.

 Site...Conferencing concept from Davis Furniture designed by Jess Sorel and Otto Williams

Prato...Casegood collection from Tuohy

Node...Cool educational seating from Steelcase

DR...Casegood collection from Jofco designed by Claudio Bellini


You should check them out!

Additonal updates in the coming weeks as we get closer to our launch.  Stay cool (good luck in this heat) and remember...

"Design is in everything we make, but it’s also between those things. It's a mix of craft, science, storytelling, propaganda, and philosophy." - Erik Adigard

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FROM BOB'S WORLD

Good morning from the world of one where we start our post holiday weekend with a little eye candy. 

ella lounge collection
              Full size and petite lounge and guest chair options with distinctive lines that are accentuated by the use of leather and fabric combination.

                                                                             
queen collection
             Combining clean architectural lines with cane and upholstered back options. 

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Good morning to all from the world of one.  Thought you might enjoy a little one furniture group design preview to start your week. 

 diamante collection

           Three back options, upholstered, slat and cain. 

 orso collection

         Upholstered and cain back with interesting mitered frame.

     

rondo occasional table collection

         Very cool collection of tables and upholstered top benches.

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Bob's World

Good Friday from the world of one where things seemed to be moving at the speed of sound and in every direction possible.  All is going well as we continue to work toward a July launch.  Along with signing a lease on office space, hiring our first employee and finalizing most of our pricing,  we also finished photographing some new additions to the one furniture group product line.  So ready or not.... it's time for a cool product break!

Paddle Collection

• New barstool options.  Really cool!!!!!!

                     

Queen Collection

• Arm chair, armless chair and barstool offered with both an upholstered and cane back. 

                   

Diva Collection

• Two new options...Insert upholstered back and horizontal slate back.  Each option has it's own distinct personality.

                  

Ok I have to get back to work.  Have a great weekend and remember...

                                                        Design is everything. Everything!
                              Paul Rand, Graphic Design Pioneer and Educator

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ONE SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

When we see fellow design lovers who are passionate and spend their days sharing inspiration, we like to show them love and spread the word.  This week we are featuring  Fokal.  They update their site daily with their favorite modern design finds, home decor inspirations, hot modern furniture and top design goodness! You can follow them on Twitter.

Then, visit their site.

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Bob's World - Back from Milan

Good morning from the world of one where we are back form Italy and recovering from over exposure to all things good...design, pasta and vino!   Milan was, as always majestic, inspiring and a little wacky.  I saw many cool designs, a variety of products and some things that were simply bizarre (see fun cube), which you come to expect as companies compete for your attention even if it means going over the top.

One Furniture Group partners, Potocco (and their sister company, Accademia) and BP Sedie had a great fair, despite the Volcano challenge, which left some of their biggest clients absent from the show. 

Potocco introduced several new designs including Torso...a dining table and chair collection which offers a unique table base combining wood and metal elements and the ability to adjust the size of the base (to accommodate multiple size tops) by adding or subtracting wood elements.  Think...sophisticated tinker toys.  WAY COOL!

                                
Accedemia expanded it's successful Patio Collection to include a new indoor chair and table design combining wood and a natural (100% recyclable) mesh material for a clean minimal look.

On the one furniture group front,  we are continuing to work toward a July launch with samples, photography, literature layouts, and staffing going on even as you read this update.  It's exciting to see things coming together but also a little daunting to see the work that we have in front of us in the next 60 to 90 days.  Oh well....sleep is way over rated!  We will continue to keep you updated and as always thank you for your support.

Have a great weekend and remember...

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left behind by those who hustle."
                                                                                                                         Abraham Lincoln

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