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Décor-Rest scores with first wood line

By Michael J. Knell -- Furniture Today, January 23, 2005

Woodbridge, Ontario — Stationary upholstery producer Décor-Rest Furniture introduced its first imported wood accent collection at the winter market here.

The line was the first major project of industry veteran Carl Swan, who has joined the manufacturer in the new post of director of business development.

The collection includes occasional and accent tables, lamps, mirrors, dining and accent chairs, throws and pillows, an entertainment center and a few ornamental pieces, all complementing Décor-Rest's fabric and leather upholstery.

"Carl's mandate was to put the entire program together working from a retail viewpoint," said Ron Penney, director of export sales and marketing. "These are good quality items. They're most definitely not at the cheap everyday price points because we're not at the cheap, everyday price points."

Initial reaction at market was encouraging. "The general acceptance we've received has been very positive," he said.

The pieces hit key price points, Penney said, noting a C$1,000 sofa typically is sold with a C$500 table and a C$250 lamp.

"This is a proven formula for success," he said.

Swan said consumers still are more interested in buying complete rooms than single pieces, looking for professional help to bring together the look they want for their homes.

"We want to offer both retailers and consumers room solutions by giving them great style leadership and affordability in terms of the upholstery, then build on that," Swan said. "This kind of program takes the stress away from the retailers, and it's something the consumer is looking for."

All pieces in the first group are from China, cherry picked from existing offerings. "The logical extension is to begin designing and developing our own product, and that's something I'm working on," Swan said.

Décor-Rest will convert its facility on Signet Drive in Toronto into a warehouse to inventory and distribute the imported case pieces. "Everything will be in stock by April and we should begin shipping by late spring," Penney said, adding that Décor-Rest's long-term goal is to broaden its case goods offerings to include at least casual dining, although that is some time off.

"This is a strategy for growth, to make Décor-Rest a more valuable partner to our retailers," he said. "We want to become a full-line resource and we're spending a lot of money and energy to get there."

Prior to joining Décor-Rest, Swan worked in furniture retailing and manufacturing, holding senior positions with retailers The Bay and the now-defunct T. Eaton Co., as well as manufacturer Sklar Peppler.

Décor-Rest rolled out about 30 upholstery groups at the Toronto market in its three targeted lifestyles: traditional, contemporary and up-country.

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