Two Mt. Pleasant men are in Westmoreland County Prison, and a woman is being sought by borough police for allegedly stealing about $3,700 worth of furniture from a Levin Furniture storage facility on two occasions, police said.

Borough police arrested Brian Grosser, 36, and Daniel John Boyle, 25, both of 808 W. Smithfield St., for allegedly breaking into the South Depot Street storage trailer and taking several couches and coffee tables on March 16 and 17 and then selling the furniture, said borough Patrolman George Grippo.

Grosser was arraigned Thursday night via Web camera before District Judge Douglas Weimer on charges of burglary, criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property, Grippo said. He was jailed in lieu of $25,000 cash bond. Boyle, already jailed on burglary charges stemming from a previous incident, will soon be arraigned from prison on the same charges Grosser faces, Grippo said.

According to police, an informant told borough police that Grosser and Boyle, along with a Jeannette woman, broke into the storage trailer, removed the items and sold them to a borough resident and an unidentified Connellsville pawn shop, Grippo said. Read more »

Q: I found an entertainment center that I think would be a good fit for the television I am going to purchase — a 42-inch LCD or plasma set. It is from Broyhill, and I found it at a local furniture store. Is there any advice you can give to someone shopping for entertainment furniture and TV stands?

Mark Bielecki, Pittsburgh

A: It is hard from the Web link you sent me to make a specific judgment on the piece you are considering, but in general I can advise you that mainstream, full-line furniture companies generally don’t do a very good job designing furniture for use with electronics. This has been my own experience as well as that of friends, family and people who have hired me to help them with their systems.
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PHILADELPHIA – The goal had apocalyptic overtones: to design furniture for survivors consigned to tight, temporary shelters after a natural disaster.

To carry it out, social activist and conceptual artist Peggy Diggs turned to a population that is expert at compact living.

Prison inmates.

Over more than 18 months, the 60-year-old instructor from Williams College in Massachusetts commuted to Montgomery County, Pa., and brainstormed with 15 residents, most of them lifers, at maximum-security Graterford Prison in Skippack Township.

WorkOut, an exhibit that ran through Oct. 25 in the appropriately cramped foyer of the Broad Street Ministry in Center City Philadelphia, reveals the fruits of their collaboration: five graphically vivid, expandable desk/storage containers.

Each unit is made of thick cardboard – a familiar material to those acquainted with the “deprivation of incarceration,” Diggs says – done up in bold colors and intricate patterns designed and painted by the prisoners. Read more »

PHILADELPHIA – The goal had apocalyptic overtones: to design furniture for survivors consigned to tight, temporary shelters after a natural disaster.

To carry it out, social activist and conceptual artist Peggy Diggs turned to a population that is expert at compact living.

Prison inmates.

Over more than 18 months, the 60-year-old instructor from Williams College in Massachusetts commuted to Montgomery County, Pa., and brainstormed with 15 residents, most of them lifers, at maximum-security Graterford Prison in Skippack Township.

WorkOut, an exhibit that ran through Oct. 25 in the appropriately cramped foyer of the Broad Street Ministry in Center City Philadelphia, reveals the fruits of their collaboration: five graphically vivid, expandable desk/storage containers.

Each unit is made of thick cardboard – a familiar material to those acquainted with the “deprivation of incarceration,” Diggs says – done up in bold colors and intricate patterns designed and painted by the prisoners. Read more »

Andreas Furniture carries one of the widest selections of furniture in Northeast Ohio — more than 90 brands — and has set out to increase store traffic and attract new customers from greater distances. The Sugarcreek, Ohio-based store seeks to accomplish these goals with the support of its new marketing communications firm, Hitchcock Fleming & Associates Inc. (hfa). Andreas conducted a review of marketing communications firms before choosing hfa, which is a full-service marketing agency based in Akron, Ohio.

“We searched for a full-service agency to help formulate and direct a new marketing strategy for Andreas,” said Tim Sisler, vice president/general manager of Andreas Furniture. “We sought a firm with the proven breadth and depth to develop and execute a new strategy, and hfa really stood out with its marketing experience and capabilities.”

It’s planned that the marketing hfa will develop for the family-owned and operated store will encompass ethnographic account-planning research; interactive marketing; print, broadcast and nontraditional advertising; media planning and buying; and public relations. Read more »

Andreas Furniture carries one of the widest selections of furniture in Northeast Ohio — more than 90 brands — and has set out to increase store traffic and attract new customers from greater distances. The Sugarcreek, Ohio-based store seeks to accomplish these goals with the support of its new marketing communications firm, Hitchcock Fleming & Associates Inc. (hfa). Andreas conducted a review of marketing communications firms before choosing hfa, which is a full-service marketing agency based in Akron, Ohio.

“We searched for a full-service agency to help formulate and direct a new marketing strategy for Andreas,” said Tim Sisler, vice president/general manager of Andreas Furniture. “We sought a firm with the proven breadth and depth to develop and execute a new strategy, and hfa really stood out with its marketing experience and capabilities.” Read more »

Convertibles aren’t just cars and cribs anymore.

Thanks to innovative design, some children’s furniture manufacturers are producing lines that grow and change with your babies, whether they’re 8 days, months or years old.

Sam Henteloff says he and wife Jennifer, of Squirrel Hill, decided on Combi’s Travel Solutions Play Yard for its two-in-one aspect.

“It’s a pack and play and a bassinet, and that’s its major selling point,” Henteloff says.

Although Grant, Henteloff’s son, is too young to use the pack and play alone, Henteloff is a fan of the bassinet. Read more »

Timber was tops at this year’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City. All the resin and metal in the world couldn’t push it out of the spotlight as more of the nearly 600 designers and manufacturers warmed up to wood’s natural beauty.

The ICFF, held in May, is always about innovation and the frontiers of fabulous in modern home furnishings. But with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Eames lounge chair and ottoman for Herman Miller, it was time to get back to furniture’s material roots.

“Fifty years ago, the Eames lounge chair was made of rosewood and black leather,” said spokesman Bruce Buursma. “We moved away from rosewood in the late ’80s because of environmental concerns.” Read more »

Scott Zawitz, owner of Fort Pitt Furniture in Chicago, is a hard person to catch —mostly because he’s continually traveling around the country emptying hotel rooms of their furniture.

Most recently, he was at the Drake in New York City fielding phone calls and prodding tired workers. But piloting this business is all worth it.

Fort Pitt buys upscale furniture from hotels that are either remodeling rooms or going out of business. In the case of the Drake, it’s the latter—it is going condo. Fort Pitt buys the contents of the rooms and bring the pieces back to Chicago to sell in its 180,000-square-foot showroom.

Some of the buyers are less-pricey hotels and motels, nursing homes, churches, and model home decorators. In fact, a big client is HGTV, whose television show hosts buy the items to fix up homes for a small price.

“People have been in here from Design on a Dime and Designed to Sell,” Zawitz explained. “They are on a budget and are looking for the lease expensive way to furnish a house nicely.” Read more »

Summer’s almost here, and the auction scene is heating up with a nice starter set of local sales.

Constantine & Mayer

Co-owner Jeff Constantine says the upcoming sale Saturday and Sunday features the estates of Waldo Porter and Gilbert Sprott. While Porter earned a reputation as a first-class electrical contractor, Porter made his reputation as a builder. Between the two of them, they amassed a collection of items that reflected their eclectic tastes. Over the course of two days, 700 lots of items, including an amazing collection of art work by Frank Trapp, will be up for bid. To be part of the fun, stop by at 1301 Pittsburgh St., Cheswick.

Details: 724-275-7190 or www.constantinemayer.com.