Function, style come on strong
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, April 19, 2004
HIGH POINT — HIGH POINT — Occasional furniture resources are relying on a combination of function and style to attract consumers looking to maximize their living space.
With features ranging from pull-through drawers and trays to casters and lift tops, cocktail and end tables are offering a number of motion and storage features.
At the same time, a wide range of styles — from traditional to eclectic — is evident in pieces that can stand alone in different rooms and settings. From etageres to linen cabinets, they take occasional to the next level, aiming for consumers looking for flexibility in furniture placement.
Drawers and lift tops aren't new in occasional furniture, but as people spend more time in their media and family rooms, they are seeking out more ways to store VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, books and remote controls.
The lift-top function on cocktail tables, in particular, is designed for the person who wants to eat dinner in front of the TV or do evening or weekend work surrounded by family.
Master Design has a number of new lift-top cocktail tables, and cocktails with removable serving trays. Along with letting a person eat or work from their stationary or motion upholstery, the motion component has a dual purpose — storage.
Its Sonora Group, for instance, has lift-top tables with a place below the surface for magazines or papers. The tables also come with casters.
"They are used a lot with motion upholstery, so it's important to get it away from the recliner," said Master Design Merchandise Manager Phillip Siler. "If the customer doesn't want casters, they can take them off. It's just added value."
Another cocktail table in the collection has a middle drawer for storage as an alternative to the lift-top function. Cocktail tables in its Hospitality Collection have serving trays and pull-out trays with laminated surfaces to handle spills.
New end tables also have storage capacity, with either shelves or drawers for books and media.
Function and storage capacity also are important at Fine Furniture Design & Marketing. In Tranquilities, a contemporary collection with Asian influences, it has a marble-top cocktail table with four drawers.
Style ranks first in designing such pieces, said FFDM President Geoff Beaston. But function is a close second.
This market, it is introducing about 15 pieces, and Beaston guesses at least half of those have some sort of function.
"We consider that every time we do a piece," he said. "You obviously have to like it when you look at it. You have to love the style, but that's not good enough. You also have to be able to utilize the space it occupies, whether it complements your sofa or your entertainment center, with storage space for such things as DVDs."
Jim Peltier, Lane's merchandising manager for occasional, accents and home entertainment, said two of its three existing lift-top tables are among the best selling in the entire occasional category. He noted two new models did well at premarket.
"The lift-top function allows the surface to come closer to you whether you are working or eating. It's just a functional table," he said.
Peltier attributes their popularity to the increasing affordability of laptops and the ability to use TV screens as a monitor. He also said Lane's tables tie in well with the company's motion upholstery.
"I think, primarily, it's the function and convenience of bringing a more casual lifestyle into your family room," he said. "It allows you to spend more time with your family if you are doing any work."
Functional cocktail and end tables also are in the spotlight at many other showrooms, including Magnussen Home, Butler Specialty Co., Hamilton & Spill, Powell and Bernhardt, to name a few.
Powell is bringing out a contemporary occasional group that includes cocktail and end tables made with plantation hardwoods and abaca. The drum-shaped tables also have lift-off tops and storage capacity.
Tables in its more traditional Jamestown Landings collection also have storage capacity and functionality such as trays and pull-through shelves.
Bernhardt's new end and cocktail tables have a mix of shelves and drawers to store books, media and magazines. They come in a variety of styles, some of which approach highly contemporary designs with their use of indigenous materials such as hyacinth leaf, teak veneers and turnsole flowers mixed with resin and molded to give the piece a leopard-skin look.
Not all functional occasional pieces are meant to accompany upholstery. Some are standalone items more suited to the kitchen, living room or dining room.
Kitchen islands take function to an even higher level with features such as spice and wine bottle racks, and towel and glass holders.
In its Mountain Laurel Collection, Hooker has a new kitchen island with shelves and a cabinet for wine storage on the side. The piece also comes with barstools, and a pull-out table for children, which allow it to double as a small dining table.
Combining those elements was important to the piece's design, said Hooker Director of Marketing and Communications Kim Shaver.
"Now you can have the best of both worlds," she said of the function and dining features.
Hooker also is unveiling a 94-inch-tall wine armoire complete with a 50-bottle wine rack, wrap-around doors and a wine chiller.
Butler Specialty Co. has a traditional style bar in its Connoisseur's Collection, with wine rack and storage capacity available through two pull-out drawers and a removable shelf.
In its Wainwright Collection, Stanley Furniture has several free-standing pieces such as a butler's wine cabinet, a bookcase étagère, a leather-and-wood cocktail ottoman and a kitchen island with pull-through drawers. Except for the kitchen island, these multi-functionsl pieces fit into most areas of the home.
Hooker and The Platt Collections also are offering new accent tables that can occupy just about any room. The Hooker tables are more traditional, with carved bases, scalloped veneers and etched-brass tops.
The Platt introductions have a more eclectic feel, with a combination of angular and circular shapes and elegantly painted gold finishes and trim.
"All of them are made to stand on their own," said Platt Vice President of Merchandising John Reinhardt. "We don't make upholstery, so we build them so they can be fairly generic and fit a number of styles, sizes and categories."
Functionality is also a factor in Platt's new products. A new two-piece coffee table has casters. Other tables have drawers, shelves or removable tops. But with each piece, design remains a top priority.
"We have to keep stretching the envelope to see how far we can go," Reinhardt said. "We get credit for being unique and ahead of the curve."
