Trends for Oct. 7, 2002

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, Oct. 7, 2002 | 8:23 a.m.

Have a seat

Easy chair. Recliner. Call it what you want, but remember to give credit where it's due.

La-Z-Boy, the company synonymous with this family room staple, is celebrating its 75th birthday this year.

Here's a little history: The Monroe, Mich., company was founded in 1928 by cousins Edward M. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker. The two Eds invented a wood-slat porch chair that reclined. And a legend was born.

The first upholstered La-Z-Boy chair came along the following year as a way to turn the porch chair into a year-round piece of furniture.

It wasn't until decades later, in 1961, when the company's signature piece the Reclina-Rocker became a reality.

These days La-Z-Boy chairs feature such extravagant extras as built-in massage mechanisms, electric beverage coolers and telephones with Caller ID.

In honor of its anniversary, the company has compiled some trivia. Bet you didn't know that La-Z-Boy sells more than 2 million pieces of furniture each year, and produces upwards of 11,000 pieces of upholstered furniture each day.

Move over, General Motors: La-Z-Boy's plants process more fabric for seats than any other company in the country, including said automaker. La-Z-Boy also cuts up to 51 miles of fabric each day.

Who does the company get to test its chairs? That would be Jake, a 6-foot-tall, 195-pound maple wood mannequin designed to simulate human weight and actions.

Savvy shopping

Of course, times have changed since rumps first reclined in La-Z-Boy chairs and so has the cost of furniture.

Home decor items aren't cheap. Nobody knows that better than those profiting from rising prices: members of the American Furniture Manufacturers Association in High Point, N.C. So the association, which represents more than 200 U.S. furniture manufacturers and 250 industry suppliers, has created a check list for consumers to follow before spending big decorating bucks:

Out damn spot!

And once you've forked over the cash for that killer coffee table, massive armoire or leopard-print beanbag chair, you'll want to keep it looking new.

Furniture Medic to the rescue. The mobile, on-site furniture repair company headquartered in Memphis, Tenn. has been fixing fouled furniture since 1992, and has a few tips to offer for preventing daily wear and tear on pieces around your abode:

Pass over cleaners that contain ammonia, as the chemical can damage wood. Same goes for furniture polishes containing alcohol, which can wipe out finishes.

Keep coasters handy and don't forget to use them to prevent water rings from appearing. Wooden coasters with felt bottoms are best.

Position furniture so it doesn't sit in direct sunlight, which can dry out wood. Meanwhile, remember that acrylic furniture is easily scratched. Avoid this by reducing static that attracts potentially damaging dust by wiping the piece with a fabric softener sheet.