It's 2008- it
is
hard for me to believe I have been in business for 43 years.
I enjoyed a conversation with my computer whiz
Brian
who keeps my site "up and running."
He doesn't remember fountain pens
to be filled with ink, when band-masters Perez Prado and Louis
Prima
were
popular - I don't know HTML or how he continually cures my
computer ails.. I do know I built my first
kitchen in 1971, 9 years after
Brian
was born. Times change; the
need
for design and quality space planning
doesn't.
My focus has always been to create
interesting interiors
and product; I've never been satisfied with "ordinary."
Design and
product should be innovative and distictive; I look for a "wow" in
each project.
After a '65 Loyola graduation I had the
good fortune
to be hired by a Mexican manufacturer and exporter.
I moved to Mexico City to
assist
"Fiesta de Mexico's" product designer Paul Aaron. Soon I
was helping design
furniture , accessories, lighting and gifts. I also learned the
"interesting"
process of
manufacturing in Mexico.
I was excited and inspired! U.S.A. customers actually purchased designs
I brought into
being - unbelievable!
I placed a $32.00 ad in the New York Times
advertising myself as an importer's buying agent living in Mexico; I
received about forty responses. Soon I was visiting importers
in the U.S.A., promoted Fiesta products.
Our designs
were successful!
I established Tradeways, Inc. in late 1966
to import
my designs & other "Fiesta" products. I moved back to
Baltimore and began manufacturing case
goods / store fixtures / kitchens in 1970. Four years latter we
opened
"to
the trade" designer showrooms in New York at 197 Lexington Av.,
Los
Angeles
on Spring Street, Chicago at the
Merchandise Mart [room 611], and Dallas at the
Trade
Mart on Stemmons .
1975 - 1983 marked our best effort; a permanent
showroom
in the High Point, N.C. Furniture Market,
space 1111, Commerce Wing. My original designs introduced in High
Point have
been featured in Designer West Magazine,
several times in Architectural Digest, House and Gardens,
Metropolitan, Designers West, Florida Design, New York
Times and the Chicago Times. My personal kitchen and bath each
has been featured in the Maryland Sunpapers.
Our Los Angeles showroom also catered to
the
movie industry, we manufactured "stage props." A percentage of our
showroom customers were
celebrities
- One of my beveled mirrored bedrooms went to Diana Ross, a
"Mexican
Southwest" hall-way presentation for Chita Rivera. We did a similar
presentation
for
Shirley McLain with Mexican mirrors. Recently [2007] we completed
a
kitchen for Greg Schnier, one of the
top basket ball players of yesteryear; now the voice of the
Washington Wizards.
I designed & pioneered original all
glass and
solid glass brick
tables. I was the first to do beveled mirrored wall mirrors,
screens, radiused wall units and other
furniture to the trade.
Acrylic furniture was our best design effort in 1976.
If
you
see a brass and glass box / vitrine from Mexico - I started
it! I introduced them at New York Gift Show,
Coliseum and
Jacob Javits Center, 1967-1975.
I was the first to design,
manufacture and present "h" and
"v" glass
tables.
Over the years I
held
U.S. copyrights for 150 + designs.
Our company enjoyed a D&B rating 1R2/3
[net worth $570,000.00+ in 1983] for many years. I'm not sure
what
that
means in current dollar value , but I remember how hard it was to get
to that
number in '83!
We exclusively represented the furniture /
sculpture
of Luciano Bustamante, receiver of Mexico's top juried
artist award for
metal sculpture. The award was given to Luciano three times [1975 -
1977]
by Mexico's Vice
President on National television.. He referred to Luciano as a
"Mexican
Treasure!"
We introduced his large brass hand hammered animals at High Point, and
then turned his metal
sculptures into tables and other furniture..
Accent
Kitchen and Bath, Inc.
started '86 as
an outlet for kitchens by Tradeways. Soon we distributed other
manufacturers products.
I began designing kitchens / baths to the design trade in
1971.
Our customers were architects, interior designers and builders.
Our retail exposure came into being
about 1988. Our general contractor's license #32696
remains unblemished 22 years.
We
have enjoyed good standing in N.K.B.A., I.F.D.A. H.B.A.M. D&B rates
us " 2," 2007.
In the summer of '97 WCBM Baltimore Talk
Radio asked
us to create / appear & host their hour "Interior Design Show."
This two way talk broadcast aired each Saturday - 5 P.M.
and ran 26 weeks
until
I was exhausted.
Radio management wanted to keep the show going,
but.... I needed a life!
Received a call from the Sunpapers / our
Maryland newspaper
on the 11/23 / 02; they decided to do a story on Accent
and an all
glass
bathroom .The photos appeared in their
February
23rd. Home Design section.
A National publication Home by Design
Magazine
became aware of the bath somehow, and called for
additional
information. They included the bath and reviewed our work in their
"Seven Sensational Top
Baths Of The Year"
issue, October, 2003. Ultimately our bath design was picked up by
newspapers across the country. Bath can be seen below.
There was another write up March 10th in
the "Welcome Home" section of the Sunpapers; another
April 4th
in the
"Maryland Home" section. "How to make smaller baths more
livable." Months latter "What makes a Bath Luxurious."
Late 2007 was an interview for lighting advice - to appear
January, I think, in Baltimore Magazine.
A few other
"notable
articles" - will scan others when I get the chance. Not exactly
what I said in some cases, BUT..

