To Re-Gift or not to Re-Gift

You give a gift. You receive a gift. Easy, right?

Not so fast. There is a little something in-between. Some call it the ultimate in recycling. Others, the ultimate in bad taste.

A telephone survey, conducted by Harris/Decima, between October 9 and 12, 2008 looked at the dubious practice of re-gifting...

- slightly more than half of those surveyed (53%) say they've never re-gifted and don't plan to re-gift
- less than one-third of those surveyed (32%) admit to ever having re-gifted
- 23% of those surveyed admitted to re-gifting home decor or knick knacks
- 15% admitted to re-gifting clothing
- 6% of those surveyed admitted to re-gifting bottles of wine
- 5% admitted to re-gifting bath products or candles
- overall, 65% of those surveyed don't have a problem with re-gifting with 36% of them feeling good about it
- only 9% felt guilty!
- 8% were happy to have the item out of their house
- 8% thought re-gifting was the greener option
- 5% thought re-gifting would save time/money

Don't let your gift become a re-gift... choose wisely.

--- Article Permalink

Stone Mart looks to Retro-Inspired Marble Slabs for 2009

While modern home trends continue to be decorated with marble slabs and granite countertops, many luxury homeowners and designers are shifting gears towards the 'Retro Modernism' trend that calls for light and simpler colors drawn from the '50s era. Stone Mart, one of the country's leading purveyors of imported tile and natural stone products, is experiencing a significant increase in demand for subtle, light colors of stone that create a feeling of peace and prosperity. In today's turbulent economic times, this flashback to the '50s is leading one of the top trends in design for 2009.

Representatives from Stone Mart explain that, "Calacatta Gold is particularly reminiscent of the past as well as Bianco Venatino and Thassos White. They are all the color white which was extremely popular during the 50's; it has remained consistently popular recently and will continue into 2009."

The stone experts at Stone Mart also suggest that fresh trends for 2009 will embrace the rebirth of retro design and style, and that we are 'revisiting mid-century colors' with an influx of color palettes that include more neutral, soothing and lighter colors than previous seasons.
Calacatta Gold marble slabs, tile and décor are a soft white in color and contain grey 'veining' details with specks of gold. This type of marble is imported by Stone Mart from their partners in Italy to provide a premium quality, polished stone slab that can be used for a variety of home design projects.

Luxury home designers, architects and homeowners interested in exploring the collection of unique marble flooring, granite countertops and tile at Stone Mart can visit an exclusive designer showcase of premium-grade cuts of stone on display in a state-of-the-art showroom in California. Stone Mart offers consultations and recommendations to customers, project managers and anyone interested in using natural and exotic stone for a construction project.

Source: Marketwire

--- Article Permalink