As you can imagine we get lots of requests for new products. Near the top of the list is a request for a large round ottoman, often referred to as a cocktail or coffee ottoman. So in response we've created the Genoa Cocktail Ottoman. It's 42-inches in diameter and works perfectly in place of a coffee table. Of course we would never settle for a boring round ottoman, so this design has several flourishes. The padded top is tufted with 9 buttons, surrounded by a pleated skirt running around the circumference.

The Genoa is just our initial foray into ottomans. In the future we will be introducing a smaller design (probably around 24-inches) as well as offering traditional ottomans for our club and wing chairs. We're committed to expanding our product line in to new areas. Right now we have a poll on our Facebook page asking for votes on what new products our customers would like to see. As of this posting it looks like upholstered headboards have a wide lead. If there is something that you would like us to make--speak up, we want to hear from you!

If you've never seen the show, you might be in for quite a surprise. The tough looking crew from Las Vegas are really history geeks at heart. It seems like their favorite projects are pieces of Americana that were made between the late 19th Century to the early-1950s. They can take an old gas pump, vending machine or toy and restore it to a condition that is as good as if not better than new.

So you might be wondering why you're reading about this on a furniture website. The answer is simple: we are inspired by the construction and longevity of classic American made objects and artifacts. For much of the industrial revolution many everyday objects were made not only to be functional but also to be sturdy and nearly indestructible. This began to change in the 1960s and by the 1990s it would be rare to find any consumer good that was designed not to be essentially disposable.  That's why the show is so interesting. While the items brought into Rick's shop my be dirty, rusted or dinged--in most cases they still work. A phrase that you'll hear time and again is, "They don't build'em like that any more." How true.

The people that work at Carrington Court have the same attitude as those that worked at making products at American companies in the first half of the 20th century. Fashions change and furniture wears out, but our goal to make beautiful dining chairs, wing chairs and benches that will last. We're not going to cut corners to save a few cents here and there, nor do we intentionally design something to wear out after a certain period of time. Carrington Court has been in business since 1984 and nothing makes us happier than to have a customer call and ask for slipcovers for chairs she ordered 20 years ago.

So if you haven't had a chance to see American Restoration, sit back and enjoy a few episodes. You'll enjoy seeing what real craftspeople can accomplish and get a history lesson at the same time.

I know Facebook has been around forever, so we're a little behind on this one. The reason is that when we do something, we want to do it right. So before we jumped into Facebook we wanted to decide the best way to use it to the benefit of our customers.

The first thing we decided is that we don't want to use our Facebook presence as some sort of glorified advertisement. There is nothing more annoying than being bombarded with ads. This is not to say we won't be introducing new products. We just won't be hitting you over the head with them. So we've resolved to do the following:

• Post to Facebook no more than a couple of times per day.
  
  
• Show what our customers are doing, by encouraging people to post pictures of their new furniture in their home.
  
  
• Share decorating and design tips.
  
  
• Answer questions about our products and company.
  
  
• Have fun! We plan to have contests throughout the year that involve our customers giving people the chance to share and win money and other great prizes.

We hope you'll join us. As time goes on our Facebook page will become a great way to see new products and learn about decorating and design. We also encourage you to leave feedback and we're always looking for new ideas on what furniture you would like us to introduce.

Our Facebook Page: www.Facebook.com/CarringtonCourt

Nothing beats the soft, supple feel of genuine aniline leather. That's why Carrrington Court offers over a dozen leather colors. However, there are many circumstances where leather may not be the best choice for dining chairs. In those instances we recommend looking at faux leathers. These fabrics have come a long way in recent years, offering simulated grains and textures that mimic the real thing. Some advantages of faux leathers are:

1. Cost - High quality leathers are expensive and can increase the price of a dining room chair exponentially.
   
   
2. Maintainability - Leather is easy to clean under most circumstances, but faux leather is made of urethane and polyester and is easy to clean with simple water-based cleaning solutions. In many cases a spill will wipe right off with a damp rag.

If you're torn between the real deal and the man-made alternative, you'll probably want to consider the following:

1. Do you tend to redecorate often or are you planning to move? If you're not sure you'll stick with your dining chairs for very long, faux leather may be the way to go. You'll save hundreds of dollars and won't feel guilty in a couple of years when you decide to take your room in a different direction.
   
   
2. Do you have young children? It'll probably be much easier to clean up a spilled juice box or a PB&J accident with the faux than with leather.
   
   
3. Do you have pets (especially cats)? While faux leather will not fair any better to cat claws than the genuine article, at least you won't be out hundreds of dollars and you may be able to repair the damage more easily and at a lower cost.
   

As I already mentioned, faux leather dining chairs offer a very reasonable facsimile. You still miss out on the feel and the patina that leather offers as it ages. At the end of the day, the good news is that you have choice!

I just wanted to make a quick post to let everyone know about a couple of new styles we just rolled out. The first is called the Elizabeth Parsons Chair. It has a distinctive "crown back" that definitely makes it stand out from the crowd.

Elizabeth Parsons Chair

We've also introduced a customer inspired design. The Bordeaux Parsons Chair has a traditional kick-pleat skirt accented by button tabs at each corner. The contrasting fabric used for the buttons and the welt running around the seat and back is a real crowd pleaser for everyone that has seen it.

Bordeaux Parsons Chair

Look forward to more updates in the near future. We have some big announcements coming out in the next few months that I think everyone will be excited about.