In search of new niches
By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, April 19, 2004
HIGH POINT — Diversity is a hallmark of the occasional furniture arena this market as manufacturers expand into new niches.
Case goods companies and occasional specialists are seeking new accounts and/or incremental sales by broadening their occasional offerings. For some, the goods are a new category; for others they are a new style or material.
Stanley's new Wainwright collection has many occasional pieces. Thirty percent are items Stanley hasn't offered in these configurations before, said Robin Campbell, manager of advertising and marketing services. Among these are a low, wide library, a cheval mirror, a kitchen island with barstools, a storage clock and a wine cooler with antique brass accents.
Bassett and Powell also are introducing full cheval mirrors this market. Mirrors are popping up in many places as part of a vanity/mirror set. Thomasville offered an Art Deco vanity/mirror in its Bogart collection three markets ago. Stanley and Pulaski are among those offering one this market, while Lea Inds. has a girl's version in its Spring Garden youth collection.
The Liz Claiborne line from Lexington has 140 items, including many occasional pieces. The line takes less of a suite approach and puts more emphasis on individual pieces, said Scott Ballard, vice president of sales. The line includes accent chairs and wicker furniture, from fully wicker construction to cocktail and console tables with pullout baskets.
Writing desks are becoming commonplace. Many companies now include one in case goods collections as readily as a nightstand. Among the many companies offering new desks are Bassett, Hooker, Kimball Home, Kincaid, Powell, Stanley, Lexington's Tommy Bahama and Thomasville's Ernest Hemingway line.
Another hot item this market is the secretary. Jasper Cabinet, a secretary specialist, closed in September 2002, leaving a void. Among those offering one or more are Bassett, Lane, Powell, Stanley, Universal and Philip Reinisch.
Philip Reinisch, which has made only collectors cabinets for years, has decided to diversify with secretaries, consoles and accent chests.
Game tables are prevalent this market in a variety of styles and materials. Pulaski has five new game tables, along with six pub table sets and six home bars. While the items don't necessarily go together, the demand for all of them is being driven by people entertaining more at home, said Bill Sibbick, Pulaski's senior vice president of sales.Leather and faux leather have been showing up frequently on occasional pieces in the last two markets. This time, companies are going a step further by also offering better grades of leather. Henredon, Stanley, Broyhill and Bernhardt have leather-topped ottoman/cocktail tables. Universal has one with three groups: Napa View, Sussex and English Antique. Most leather-topped tables come with either trays or pullout drink holders for functionality.
Last market, Bernhardt introduced a cocktail table with four nesting leather cubes that could be used for seating or be bunched together for another table. Other companies now are offering a similar item, including Pulaski, Powell and Vaughan-Bassett, which previewed the piece at the February Tupelo market.
Liz Claiborne at Lexington doesn't have any leather goods in the line, but it does have an upholstered cocktail table with about 80 fabric options, said Ballard.
Summer Retreat from Pennsylvania House has accent chairs and benches in organic looks, with woven chair backs and wrapped bamboo-styled frames. Benches also are offered in Butler Specialty's Tuscan-styled Designer's Edge collection.
Century is offering a painted white bench in the Chatsworth collection of Oscar de la Renta. The bench is one of a dozen pieces that could be used indoors or outdoors, thanks to weatherproof finishes adapted from boat hull paints.
Century also has new tables with slate and tile tops on wrought iron bases.
Bernhardt has cocktail tables using organic materials covered in resin. The T62 occasional group has a top made from slices of mahogany seeds in a poly resin. The Origins collection includes a tabletop of poly resin and turnsole flower stems. Other groups include hyacinth, abaca and leather weaves.
Some companies are emphasizing decorative finishes. Stein World is known for its hand-painted occasional, but in the past two markets the importer has branched out into new finishes and focused less on hand-painted designs. This market, the company is revisiting this look in a variety of styles.
Others hand-painted goods here are at Thomasville, Hooker, Butler Specialty, Canterbury Home Furnishings, Emerson et Cíe, HomElegance, Philip Reinisch, Powell and Ultimate Accents.
