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Home furnishings vendors old and new continue to make products in the U.S. Bassett Furniture While domestic manufacturing's best days are clearly in the rearview mirror, there is a but detectable resurgence in American- made home furnishings . HFN spoke with some of the best-known companies--along with up-and-comers--that are helping to keep American manufacturing alive . While the business entities are unique in their offerings, philosophies and operations, they share some distinctive beliefs. Whether it's a conversation with Rob Spilman, CEO of Bassett, with a century-old tradition of making products in the U.S., or Trent Mayol, founder of year-old SmartDeco, there's a deep confidence in the quality of American-made goods. " Making products in the U.S. has a unique connotation that you truly care about the quality of your product," Mayol said. "It says that you're not willing to sacrifice quality for the sake of profit making. And Americans should t...

Ted Marules' new bathroom is neither subtle nor cheap. "We had visions of grandeur," he says of the $20,000 renovation to his Houston-area home. "We planned to have some wonderful moments in there." Marules and his wife sprung for all the frills: special- order Spanish tile , marble floors, gold faucets and the Texas- sized whirlpool bathtub . "We got some really nice, fancy stuff, and we spent the damned money for it," says the 53-year-old accident reconstruction expert . "Looks like a Roman whorehouse, but it's beautiful." The centerpiece of Marules' marble palace is the hourglass tub, a 10- jet Jacuzzi mounted like an acrylic altar at one end of the room. It set him back $1,897.70. In its promotional materials, Jacuzzi says the tub Marules bought , the Real model, "surrounds the bather in sumptuous curves for an exceptional bathing experience ." Through the Magic Touch controls and PowerPro jet system , it promises ...

Creative floorplans and continuing advances in technology lead the charge for new motorhomes introduced to dealers; Class B’s are the fastest-growing segment There’s a good reason why toy haulers number among the most popular RVs going into 2015 — and it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with a garage. Well, almost nothing. Sure, a garage-on-wheels is about the handiest thing to hit the RV industry since a 5,000- pound hitch receiver , but beyond the ability to haul toys is the fact that the ramp door of such units provides a whole new dimension to camping. Simply attach the provided support jacks and rails, and owners can enjoy outdoor vistas from the comfort of their own patio. That’s no small feat. Neither is the fact that a 10-by-8- foot ramp door , converted to patio use, can add 80 square feet of living area — an increase of 20 percent or more to the average motorhome floorplan . That’s something that even outdoor enthusiasts who don’t ride ATVs or motorcycles or even ...