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PAK OITYFEEPRSS WDN8DY~ANAR 1,M92 Ae HOME: DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT FEATURE Wig er fimnow , coýntnuesto, gro On' Jan. '13 Wiggers Custom Furnture< Ltd. officially turned 25 years old. The company was founded by H-olland-boen cabinetniaker John H. Wiggers in 1967,. andIas since grown to10,000Oq.ft. in size. Wiggers is flow semi-retired, and the day-to--day operations are handled byhieseldest sonJohn who learned moet of his woodworkingsidils as a child sitting on a workbench watching bis father build furniture. Altbough Wiggers is probably bout known locally for ,its furniture ieair and refinisbing, this type 7work now accounts for leu than 3per cent of its total sales. Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. is-,today ,recognized internationally as one of the bout muty, custom cabinet shopa in The artisan tradition has been ini the Wiggers family for generations, extending back to the orginal fanuly business in Groonlo Holand., , While there ia much talk today of a recession- in Canada, it is notbing, compared, to the devastated' economic conditions that plfgued.,Europe during the Great Depression and the Second World War. During those -trying times, there was a little demand for furniture. To survive, the family business resorted to necEssties such as food. After the war, the Wiggers family emigrated to Canada. Since ail the sons were skiiled, tradesmen, there was no difficulty ini flnding work. John Wiggers bimself settled in Wif where he eventually nbis own custorn cabinet Mes flet job came from Hugh Poison of Rousseau Heritage béuse 0f Witby, who advised him to "always do agood job, and charge a fair price." In the early 1980s, effort was maxde to develop, a market for THRE WAS little deumd for Holland survived by naiang wooden furnitwre during the 19309 and 1940s, shoos, which: were bartered for 80o the Wiggers, family ,business in necessities such as food. custom furniture in Toronto. A Uine 0f custom wall units and entertainment centres was creatod te acconimodate speial audiq-vdeo components such as big-screen televisions, and home' theatres. I 1981 a visitor fomthe United States saw some 0f Wiggers' work in Toronto. and made a referral te a liejt- in Chicago, which led te woérk in Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Pbladelphia and New Ybrk. Thirough exposure to these markets and by maintaining a stubborn attention te ýdetail, Wiggers evolved inte a tep cUsto shop specializing in one-éf-a-kind pieces of bigh quality contemporary furniture made 0f exotic -Woods lacquer finishes. and specialty Muchof the desig1 0f these 9 ee is influenced by the Art, operiod 0f the early 1920s. Today, custom furniture madie myW ges l hpped al over NorthAinerica on a regular bais. On occasion a special order might also lie crated and air-freighted te such distant locations as Nigeria and Japan. Every fail Wiggers showcases its work at the ILIDEX Show in Toronto, wbich. - is the In ternational Interior Design IMpW Mton. I each of the last two y ears , Wiggers bas been honoureed with- a prestigious ILDEX Awa d for exceptional product design and quality. Since the ILDEX compétition involves companiesfom crs Canada and the United State6a,s well as France, Italy and SpaIn, there " s Borne pride in. the ýfat that a- small local Icom pany suàh,, as Wiggers can bo coenptitive in a teughÎ international mare t. Wigr'entry for the 1991' IIDEX .Awaùrd- wasthe -Empire, Buffet- which was. crafted ouît0of inlaid anigre veneers, polished stainlesa steel, lacquer and inset' bevelled gla3ss top. This unique piece bas a liat' price 0f $15,000 and is now boing, sent to the United States to, become part -of, a private collection in Palm Beach4, Florida. Although the recesson is taking its toil on the Canadian furniture industry, Wiggers- has no intention 0f paecking up and moving south of t boederas many others are doing. :, Wiggesis StMlloptiniitic abotthe long-term Prospects for Canada. Comimitteed te stying in Durham. Region, Wiger is now in the proceas '0f biflding. a new manufacturing facility nearby te replace the Present onàe which ý>t has outgrown. THE~EM1BEBUFET'made by Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. of Whitby won au award forý product design and quality' at the ýrecent, International Interior Design Exposition (IIDEX)* ii Toro6nto.,It was the second time Wiggers has won an ILDEX award. Calculat.ing the-reall cost ot, appliances-l Elecetrical appliaxices account for 25 par cent of the energy used i a modern home. Yet many M le think they can save money bu* nginexpensive jappliances. Theý truth,. is inexpensive appliances that was" energy coet more. Energy, Mines and Resources Canada publisbes the Energuide Directories te help consumera select energy-efficient appliances. The directories liat the energy ratinga, (typical monthly energy consumption) 0f different models of common household appincH With thia nfration consumera can compaethe ener perormance of various moeaandade a wiseechoic. 1Before buying. an appliance, calculate its energ cosa or ' second. price tag,> te find .out what itziffl cyastviPthe appliance over its effective life span. Heres how:- 'Second te= (in iî att-hours par month) X 12 (the number 0f months in a X estimated life 0f 'the appliance (in years) X price 0f electricity (in dollarsparidlowatt-hour). You wiil Ibid the Energuid rating 0f most modela 0f refigeatosstoves, freezers, washers, dryers and dishwashers in the Energuide Directories or on the appliance itself. By law, every appliance -produced in Canad muet boear a sticker showing its enery rating. Heeare some other tipa for :Refrigerators *, Choose a refrigerator that is large enough te meet your neetis but is not t6<*-large. A near-emptyrfrigrtr ase energy eanmoney.ýrt'wse e Choose a model that can lie moved te lot you dlean the cooling cola at tho back 0f the appliance. A reffigerator with dlean coils runs more efficiently. Freezers a As with refrigerators, buy only as much capacity as -you can use. Chest 1freezers are gener-ally mnore airtight- --, and therefore more energy efficient- than upright freezers. *Self-cleaning ovens are more energy efficient - than regular ovens., Although they. require intense heat for cleaning, they use leas energy to cook food. Diahwasher o- Select a model with a 'light' or 'economy' feature.that lets you turn off the drying cycle. Letting dishes air-dry can resuilt in significant energy savingB. - 0 LTk orModèea with a booster heater or « sani' cycle that raises the temperature 0f the incoming water. This lots you turn down the thermostat on your hot water heater. Washing macdkinos e Front-loading machines use béea water than top-koeders, but are not widely available in Canada. Choosea machine.that water and control the water bevel. Claihes drYe »- <Mbany modern dryers corne wih valuabl e meegysvng features, including. 0 an adjustable timer that lots you choose the length of the. drying.cycle;- 1 ea'senso r that determines when the'cbthes aIre dry and' shutsoff the appliance;ý 0 a fecoo.ldown' peid duningý the last part cfa d1 nq cycýle. During <cool-do t hting ebement is tumned off and cool, outoide, arir l ausd te finish drying the, cbothes., 1Copies 0f Energuide" Directrie are availbe froe frin Energy, 1Mines and