Tables serve up tons of storage
By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, October 28, 2002
High Point — Living room clutter led occasional table producers at market to find innovative ways to add storage via drawers, doors and shelves.
Home entertainment centers hold DVDs and VHS tapes, but "men need somewhere to store their clickers," said Larry Platt, president of The Platt Collections.
Consumers are looking for more than a top and four legs, said Duncan Elcombe, Zocalo marketing and sales director.
Vertical storage has gained importance, said Jeff Cook, president and chief executive officer of Magnussen Home. Storage cocktail and end tables can hide remote controls, TV Guides and magazines without taking up any more square footage, he said.
Accent and occasional specialist Stein World does about 70% of its business in some type of chest with storage space, said James Franks, systems administrator. A natural migration was to offer storage in cocktail tables while maintaining a stylish look. Some have drawers while others have a lift-top, like a trunk-designed cocktail.
Style is becoming more important in occasional, producers said, especially as foreign factories get better at carvings, hand-paintings and finishing.
Bombé and bachelor's chests have become fashion pieces, said Sean Slack, executive vice president of merchandising and marketing for Powell Co. These chests used to have a three- or four-year life cycle on retail floors, but now it's more like a year and a half, he said.
Hooker did well at market with occasional that matches its casual dining and home entertainment lines, according to Michael Spece, vice president of the import division.
Largo also took advantage of its casual dining success to offer matching occasional table sets for the first time. The table groups are something retailers have been asking for, said Dick Yargus, Largo vice president of sales and marketing. The company also introduced several stand-alone occasional pieces in its Jaclyn Smith line — some based on items in Smith's home and others because she liked the pieces and requested Largo add them.
Mixed media continued to excel in occasional. Island looks were strong this market, using materials such as bamboo, wicker, rattan, leather and coconut shells. Palm trees showed up in hand-painted designs, like Garcia Imports' Sun Country Style collection, as well as for table bases, like Powell's new Aruba collection.
Fossil stone and marble continue to do well on chests and consoles, and appeared on many occasional tables, including Stein World's Wellington collection.
Magnussen Home offered more contemporary introductions than ever, such as its Oslo collection, said Cook.
Traditional/casual styles teemed at Harden, where influences come from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.
Intricate inlays of maple, walnut and mahogany, popular in April, were still strong on case goods, but were less prevalent on occasional.
