Wood intros play it safe
Smaller collections tweak tried-and-true styles for April
By Powell Slaughter -- Furniture Today, March 28, 2004
HIGH POINT — HIGH POINT — Hoping to have plenty of consumer-friendly product ready for a rebound at retail, case goods manufacturers stuck to relatively safe style directions in introductions at premarket here last week, and kept the accent on service.
Many companies offered fewer SKUs than usual.
Traditional collections are mirroring a trend from last October with variations on 19th century architectural styles such as Empire, Biedermeier and Neoclassical, and a number of big-scale, California-casual collections have "Tuscany" in the sales pitch. Louis Philippe also has branched out from a must-have, core style in itself to an influence on a variety of traditional-leaning designs, especially in crowns and case tops.
Clean American, French and Scandinavian country looks and another round of coastal and cottage themes also popped up in many showrooms. Some of these
groups are reminiscent of the original Martha Stewart Signature introduction at Bernhardt, Lily Pond, through soft, almost pastel painted finishes. Western or lodge looks remain popular as well.
Several introductions rely on finish options to get more mileage out of each piece. Pennsylvania House's Summer Retreat, for example, uses a warm natural pine or weathered white oyster finish on 60 pieces to offer three casual looks in coastal, country cottage and mountain retreat themes.
Hickory White's American Home takes the recent wave of multi-finish country-leaning collections into more high-end application. Its 42 SKUs, mostly sophisticated spins on American country and traditional, are available in cherry, antique white or translucent ebony finishes. American Home uses actual wood stains rather than the paint finishes found on more rustic collections.
Contemporary is getting plenty of attention.
Henredon is telling great veneer stories in a 36-piece contemporary collection, primarily in radius and straight cut primavera, and in a new high-sheen rosewood lifestyle group for its Ralph Lauren brand. Pulaski has Images in maple burl and Fine Furniture highlights mapa burle in its contemporary take on Asian, Tranquilities.
Bernhardt's Origins is a softer contemporary, mixing pin knotty cherry veneers with natural materials like leather, woven pieces and a unique treatment with turnsole flower stems cut in half, sanded and resined for a leopard-skin effect on occasional table tops.
Despite their caution in styles, mainstream producers are offering some bold new looks in veneers and solid woods. Alternatives to ash burl, in particular, have found favor in collections such as Thomasville's new Ernest Hemingway, where laurel burls complement traditional English cases. Other collections feature maple, rosewood, mapa and oak burls, which offer a more varied visual effect than the often-repetitive patterns of ash.
Cerejeira, a less red alternative to mahogany, abounds, as do a number of exotic African veneers.
Solid woods also reflect a global approach to sourcing raw materials. Pennsylvania House's Summer Retreat and American Drew's East Haven use Caribbean pine from Honduras. Central and South American pine, mostly plantation-raised for use in furniture, has far fewer knots than its North American cousin, resulting in a cleaner, smoother visual impression. Kincaid's Tuscan-themed collection uses solid linga wood.
Century's Madera, inspired by 17th century Italian antiques, uses Flor Morado, a Brazilian hardwood priced between mahogany and walnut with strong oak characteristics.
While many new collections are somewhat shorter, a few stand out for their size. Liz Claiborne Home at Lexington has 140 SKUs, and Stanley's Wainwright offers 100-plus pieces in 18th century country English and American designs. Hooker's Casa del Sol, at 75 pieces in large-scale casual European traditional style, is particularly large for a company whose case goods offerings usually focus on smaller bedroom and dining groups.
Hooker did delay introduction of its Intimate Home whole-home licensed collection until October to ensure a strong presentation of furniture complemented by new categories for the company, such as accessories and bedding products.
Premarket also indicated some other style trends on case pieces, including:
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Fabric upholstery options on beds.
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More all-metal beds included in mostly wood collections.
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Open-storage dining pieces, even in some formal settings.
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Collections with a strong casual component in dining.
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More hidden drawers on chests.
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