Design & Architecture (living room)

The Wall Street Journal tells us that "after a decade of catering to Americans' appetite for large living with giant-size sofas, chairs, ottomans and tables, furniture makers are starting to think small." Furniture maker Montauk bucks the Less is More trend with oversized sofas. In others you can lose your change between the cushions; in a Montauk you can lose your children.

However, they know how to build them; in Azure they are advertising: "Our commitment to limiting our environmental footprint is factored into all aspects of the manufacture and distribution of our products. By switching to natural and recycled raw materials with no oil-based products or contaminants we are opting for a clean alternative in the construction and deconstruction processes that constitute the natural life cycle of our sofas."

Good design and a strong green message. That is how you compete against imports. ::Montauk