White not always right in mattress ticking
By David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, March 3, 2002
A virtual "whiteout" continues to cover the mattress ticking landscape like a heavy blanket of snow. White ticking is prevalent in the better goods category. For variety, you can turn to … off-white or eggshell or cream.
I must admit to being puzzled by the whitening of the mattress industry. This is one of the bigger changes I have encountered since returning to the bedding arena after a brief, 12-year hiatus. The sea of blue and beige that I left behind has given way to a vast ocean of white.
Now don't get me wrong. White is a nice color. (Actually, my dictionary defines white as "free from color," but we won't get hung up on the fact that "free from color" is our most popular color nowadays). Some of my favorite home products are white. I've got white sheets and white pillows and I am partial to white napkins. I like white meat in my chicken and prefer white milk to chocolate.
But enough is enough.
Let's bring more color to mattress ticking.
Why?
Because white is not always right. Because a whole floor of white mattresses looks kind of boring. Because consumers like color. Because, just maybe, we might sell more mattresses.
Unfortunately for my argument, I can't prove that last point. If I could, I would probably be a high-priced bedding consultant. But I know that color helps sell many products, and I don't see why mattresses can't be included in that category.
Maybe my work in the upholstered furniture category has colored my opinion. At the International Home Furnishings Market last October, I saw some lovely hues on sofas, loveseats and chairs: sparkling blues, reds and golds. They brightened the showrooms. And they are now brightening consumers' living rooms.
I know what you will say: Upholstery is a fashion purchase. Upholstery goes in public rooms. Bedding is a commodity. Bedding goes in private rooms. And I know that some consumers fear that a strong color on their mattress will show through the sheets. And I know that some consumers want to match their ticking to their drapes.
But I also know that a sea of white beds on a retail floor just might deprive a manufacturer of the chance to stand out. Isn't it strange that bedding manufacturers work so hard to differentiate their product lines with exclusive constructions and unique features, but then cover them with ticking that is "free from color"?
I am certainly no expert on color, but wouldn't a colorful mattress be more likely to catch a consumer's eye?
These are, I admit, almost heretical questions. But it's not just me. I asked some of my friends in the ticking community what they thought. Not surprisingly, they said they would love to introduce more color.
Let's turn the ticking designers loose and give this story a colorful ending.
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