Upholstery tilts toward formal
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, March 28, 2004
HIGH POINT — HIGH POINT — Stationary upholstery makers will ease away from the contemporary of the past several markets and turn a little more toward formal looks this April with damasks, tapestries and lush, dressy prints, judging by what they showed last week at premarket.
Color clearly is still in the forefront, but not so much in limes, tangerines and other bright colors as in subdued reds, new greens, some blues and even a few black and whites.
And this premarket was less about color and more about fabrics — textures, how they're mixed and matched, and what's in and what's out: less chenille, more boucles, less microfiber.
The turn toward formal — but not too formal — may be a way to coax consumers with extra details that say value. Producers cited imported fabrics, textures, fringes, shaping, nailheads, exposed wood, pillows and other extras as achieving this end.
"You have to throw a lot of face at it," said one executive. "It's all in the look."
The move to slightly more traditional, formal looks doesn't mean there won't be plenty of casual contemporary and urban chic product at the April market. Bernhardt, for instance, offered new pieces in clean, straightforward lines, Norwalk went sculptural with its contemporary, and Lee threw zingers in great color combinations.
Universal got high marks at premarket for added value with its new imported upholstery program. The offering includes 14 groups for a total of 60 SKUs in slightly edgy fabrics and colors, and it's loaded with detail.
"I couldn't come out with a beige chenille and expect to get it on the (dealer's) floor," said Roy Calcagne, senior vice president of Universal's upholstery division.
The collection, fully made in China with hardwood/plywood frames, Leggett & Platt pocket-coil seating with 300 coils, Pacific Coast down cushions, tie-downs, fitted arm covers, carved and fluted exposed wood, is targeted at the $799 to $1,299 retail price points. Delivery is promised in 60 days from date of order.
Another attention-getter this April should be Pennsylvania House, which is going from its recent classic New Standards collection to a new, casual, 78-piece case goods and upholstery collection called Summer Retreat. It incorporates coastal, mountain lodge and cottage styles, centered on wicker and a dense, clear pine from Honduras.
Finishes include oyster white, a buttery banana, an aloe green, a rubbed-through black called Dusk and a honey Caribbean pine. The upholstery segment includes about 20 Sunbrella fabrics suitable for indoor and protected outdoor use. Some pieces utilize steel in the frames, and half-round woven wicker for a solid, long-lasting appearance. Virtually every piece is laden with detail.
Several manufacturers said the secret to market success would be in providing retailers with something different to put on their floors. In that vein, Michael Thomas Furniture is adding Pendleton Woolen Mills to its lineup, with fabrics in windowpane checks, herringbones and glen plaids.
The centerpiece could be a club chair in a red wool blanket fabric accented in gold with blue background blazer buttons. Michael Thomas customers "want that little extra detail," said President Tom Jordan.
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