In Print

        Outlet savvy: Author, interior decorator and furniture business insider Kimberly Causey was in town Tuesdayto hype her newest book, The Furniture Factory Outlet Guide 2002 (Home Decor Press; $24.95), a workbook for those headed over the mountains to North Carolina to save big bucks on everything from sofas to settees.

        If you missed her 40 minutes of tips, take heart. It's all in the book: a softbound list of authentic furniture manufacturer outlets and deep discounters (selling more than one brand) with their hours, e-mail addresses, Web sites, typical discounts, payment methods, catalog and delivery info, and descriptions of what furniture can be found at each spot.

        The first 10 pages cover frequently asked questions, such as how much money can be saved (50-80 percent) to how much shipping costs (about 5 percent). An extra tip from the author's Barnes & Noble appearance: Prices at outlets and discounters are “somewhat negotiable, especially if you pay cash.”

        Get your feet wet at Ms. Causey's Web site — www.smartdecorating.com. It has a unique feature: It keeps track of furniture manufacturers and raises a red flag to consumers if a company's financial health suffers, something to note if one is ordering thousands of dollars of furniture that will take months to receive.

Shop talk

        Old glory decor: Sofa Express joined the patriotic parade with the design of a stars 'n' stripe settee from Clayton-Marcus in North Carolina. Company president Ken Paul (center) presented the red-white-and-blue piece to Ohio Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor and Gov. Bob Taft for use in the lieutenant governor's official state office. Clayton Marcus and Sofa Express are donating profits from the $899 settee, which can be ordered at Sofa Express stores, to the American Red Cross.

        Make mine red: The folks at Benjamin Moore Paints suggest you put a little red in your home decor for Valentine's Day. Regina Whelan, color and design manager, has these suggestions for “the color that evokes love and lust:” paint a dining room red to heighten appetites or an accent wall in the bedroom to raise the energy level. For high contrast, she suggests painting a ceiling red, partnered with a tinted white or pale neutral on the walls for a dramatic effect that can be picked up in accent pillows, lamp shades or area rugs. Information, www.benjaminmoore.com.

Show time

        Ship's silver: If fine silver fascinates you, be sure to stop in at the Public Library of Hamilton County and Cincinnati, downtown. The visual history of the three naval ships carrying the name USS Cincinnati includes a mammoth punch bowl and two pedestal compotes presented by the city of Cincinnati to the cruiser in 1893. The city raised $15,000 for silver service made by Dominick & Haff of New York (later purchased by Reed & Barton) to be placed aboard the 305-foot cruiser, which served in the Spanish-American and World War I. When it was decommissioned in 1919, the service went to the third USS Cincinnati, in service from 1921-1945.

        Contact Joy Kraft by phone: 768-8467; fax: 768-8330; e-mail:jkraft@enquirer.com.

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