Earth-savvy Paulette Cole has reinvented ABC Home, part of her family’s design empire, as a multi-cultural housewares bazaar and socially responsible business. Cole’s world-view is visible in her mise-en-scene: reclaimed-wood tables, vegetable-dyed hemp table runners, and vintage furniture reupholstered in old textiles. Organic living comes naturally to Cole, and her signature pieces show how chic and responsible green can be.

20 WAYS TO LIVE GREEN page 29

Green design has hit a watershed moment: the landscape is flourishing with a variety of new and beautiful materials and furnishings at a range of prices. House & Garden reports on 20 innovators and innovations to help readers achieve an eco-chic look and sustainable lifestyle. Follow the lead of active eco-enthusiasts, including Clint Eastwood. Read more »

Bob’s Discount Furniture, the fast-growing New England furniture retailer with 22 stores located throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey and New Hampshire, announced the promotion of Michael Alpert to regional manager for all Connecticut and Rhode Island stores.

Most recently, the store manager for the Bob’s Discount Furniture store in Nashua, NH, Alpert will be responsible for the overall operations and training of personnel in all Connecticut locations and future Rhode Island stores. He will be leading the management staff in developing ongoing sales training programs and work with other regional managers to enhance programs and policies that will enable Bob’s Discount Furniture to continue to be one of the top furniture retailers in the United States. Read more »

The Raymour & Flanigan furniture store, shut down after heavy rains on June 5 damaged the interior of the building, remained closed Wednesday.

Despite numerous phone calls Tuesday and Wednesday, officials at the privately held firm would not provide a description of the damage or comment on the scope of the repair work. They also declined to provide a date on which they expect the store to reopen.

Company spokeswoman Heather Ward would confirm only that the store had been temporarily closed due to water damage sustained during the heavy rainstorms.

The 56,000-square-foot outlet, which opened in the fall of 2002, is in a shopping center at 410 Reidville Drive, next to a Super Stop & Shop Supermarket. Read more »

Hundreds of children and their parents from five states in the region are expected to attend the final event of the Second Annual Bob’s Discount Furniture Children’s Scholarship Art Contest taking place this Saturday, May 6, 2006 at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, as the three finalists will be announced for their outstanding artwork that was submitted in this regional competition. Each finalist from one of the three age categories will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship from Bob’s Discount Furniture.

Hosted by Bob’s Discount Furniture television spokesperson Cathy Poulin, the daylong event will offer children hands-on art classes taught by industry professionals and working artists from The Art Spot, Brookfield, CT. The children will learn about the life of an artist and then create their own artwork. Read more »

La-Z-Boy, a leading manufacturer of upholstered furniture, has announced the opening of a La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® store in Brookfield, Wis., located at 16130 W. Blue Mound Road. The store boasts the design-focused format of the company’s “new generation” stores, which help customers in every step of their furniture shopping and home decorating experience.

The new 17,500-square-foot store features the full selection of stylish La-Z-Boy® furniture, beautiful accent pieces, and a professionally staffed design center to help customers put it all together. Read more »