Originators, Innovators, Geniuses and Cave Dwellers

The Dual Duel

It’s not very likely that today’s busy household has room to spare. A duel exists between whether to use living space conventionally, for a sole purpose, or to create less conventional environments that better meet today’s lifestyle needs. Stylish and versatile dual purpose furniture, such as futon sofa sleepers, daybeds and other choices can help.

Our cover story discusses dual-purpose furniture and provides important facts about why consumers of all stripes are increasingly asking for information and selections in this category. Pull out the couch and read on.

Stop Calling Me a Genius!

When we hear, “What a genius!” it can be interpreted a number of ways. Not being Einstein, I usually take this remark with a grain of salt. But the subject of our feature story, Christopher Lowell, has been described as a genius in some circles, and they mean that in the good way. A renaissance man of many talents, he’s got some levels of design that will make any retailer look like he or she is a genius too. See our feature for the whole story.

Originators and Innovators: They Get You out of the Stone Age

Originators and innovators generate excitement and momentum. Originators make the rest of us say, “Gee, what a great idea, I wish I’d thought of that.” Innovators take that idea to the next step of usefulness, development or application to which we reply, “Wow, now I simply can’t live without this!” In the bedroom furniture industry, in both manufacture and retail, originators and innovators help products stand up and be noticed. And it’s been that way since the dawn of time.

First, there was the originator. He was the guy who considered sleeping on a bear hide instead of the cave floor. Once he tried it, it was unthinkable to sleep on any other surface. The entire clan slept better than they had in many moons.

But soon, the innovator approached this great idea another way. He electrified cave complacency by slipping between two toasty, warm hides at once. Oh, the opulent luxury! Then, the following night, he decided to hang a hide between two trees: no fire ants! And there were experiments with wood, platforms and folding frames. As time passed, the possibilities became exponential. Sleeping became so exciting that, well, no one could sleep.

The shaman was consulted. He realized he had to bring order to the community yet still be sure these wonderful innovations were readily available. (After all, restful sleep improves the next day’s hunting.)

The shaman wisely knew he had good products but had to display them in such a way that confused clan members saw their options clearly in a well-managed and pleasant environment. He advised the clan to manufacture all the different types of bedroom furniture they had devised and display them in a comfortable area within the cave that had good sunlight. Each person could then test all options and make a commitment to the best type of furniture that suited them.

Peace and prosperity came to the clan. So did customers from neighboring valleys who wanted to see what all the excitement was about. It’s always been and still is about originators, innovators and excitement. It’s the wise people in the bedroom furniture industry who keep all three close at hand.

What it Takes to Be Great

As the Bard once said: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.” For most of us, greatness is a matter of perspective. Our mothers think we were born great. Our friends believe we earned it. And our adversaries think we’re just dumb lucky.

On a cosmic level as well as a personal one, there may be no answer to what it takes to be great. Being a servant of both, it may be for us mere business folk a “great” unattainable. Or it may just be that after the cosmic falls away, greatness lies in the ability to strive on a day-to-day basis toward a positive outcome. Mind you, I’m not afraid of greatness. Yet, that cosmic parallax thing is a little too open ended for my business model. In everyday business, greatness is a practical matter. Cheaper, faster, better. Quality, service, price. In everyday business, and for my money, to strive continually is to be great.

Futon Sofa Sleepers and a Good Book

At my local bookstore recently, I couldn’t help but wonder: how is the futon sleeper sofa category like a really good library? Both have endless versatility and offer extremely high value. They accommodate virtually every taste or lifestyle. They nurture and provoke creative ways to think and live. And let’s not neglect to mention that all the covers are different! In essence, both libraries and futon sofa sleepers are about the value of imagination.

So imagine an area in your showroom filled with futons and books where customers kick off their shoes and curl up with your cat. Maybe your customer will picture it too, in their homes.

The Second WMC

This issue will be stacked for distribution at the World Market Center in Las Vegas and happily anticipating new readers to snatch it up. I’ll be there too, and I’ll be visiting all my friends and making new ones too, I hope. If you see me, let me know you’re reading Futon Life & Living Spaces. I’d love to hear your comments about the show, your world, our magazine, firsthand. And if you’d like a personal introduction to any of FL&LS’s advertisers, I’m your man.

I’m looking forward to the second WMC. This event is making the industry’s pulse quicken. It’s exciting, and it’s good for everybody. I liken this phenomenon to two others: golfers Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam. They set the bar high, worked very hard, left nothing in the bag. It has been argued that everyone else adopted the same plan, just to stay competitive.

Is there a parallel here as to how the WMC is affecting its competition? If so, as on the PGA and LPGA Tours, raising the bar across the board is good for everybody in the end.

Why, Thanks, I’m Glad You Like It

From retailers and manufacturers alike we’ve heard a resounding YES! The feedback we’ve received about our new format and content has been great and gratefully appreciated by all of us here at FL&LS.

You may notice that we’ve taken some of your valuable comments and incorporated them into this issue. Our logo is a little different, our shelter digest section is redesigned and we’ve also added a few touches here and there that you may discover as you read on. Sorry, we weren’t able to make it twice the size as of yet, but we’re working on that.

FL