Upholstered headboards, beds gaining market momentum
Consumers like soft touch, style flair provided by leather and fabric
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, March 20, 2005
High Point — Upholstered furniture manufacturers are venturing from the living room into the bedroom in search of extra profits from the hot new category of upholstered headboards and beds.
These fabric and leather options have been showing up piecemeal in company offerings for about two years. But they're expected to receive more focus and attention at next month's market as more companies showcase them as part of their spring introductions.
Century is planning a "rainbow wall" of fabric-covered headboards for April. The wall will be positioned behind a display of designer chairs with carved frames, many of which also can go into a bedroom. Century's palette for its rainbow walls is bountiful since the company has more than 2,000 fabrics available.
"We think that (upholstered headboards) are a big enough trend that we're going to put quite a few of them in the showroom," said Alex Shuford III, Century's director of strategic projects. He added that the introduction is geared toward higher-end consumers.
Vanguard also is launching some upholstered headboards and beds this market. In addition to responding to customer requests, the company is aiming to take advantage of its fabric and finishing capabilities, said Birger Rasmussen, president.
"We think this is a great opportunity and it will be a very successful category for us," Rasmussen said. "Our customers want diversity and choices and we can provide this as well as any in the business."
What's driving the rising interest in upholstered headboards and beds?
"I don't know if people like the softness of it or (the fact that) they can personalize it for their interior," said Beth Penley, vice president of design for Harden Furniture, whose upholstered beds outsell wood in just about every one of its collections.
"They can put a little bit of toile on it to work with everything else they have going in the room," she said. "It just adds that extra bit of softness. Bedrooms have a lot of case pieces in them and it's nice to have that extra bit of fabric in there."
Nancy Genova, director of design for John Charles Designs, agrees that a fabric-covered headboard "gives the customer (extra) flexibility, which softens a bedroom environment as a less expensive option."
There's also the comfort factor.
"It almost seems that people want to nestle into their bed," said Century's Shuford. "It's that 9/11 nesting instinct where the home is more important. When you're sitting in bed watching TV, you don't want to put your back up against large pillows that you usually put on the floor when you get into bed."
But what's probably stimulating sales more than anything is the growing number of upholstered headboards showing up in the catalogs and stores of specialty retailers such as Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel and Restoration Hardware.
While they show signs of becoming a bona fide category, upholstered headboards don't seem to spark a lot of sales of other upholstered products, according to several producers. They're more likely to be matched with bed coverings and draperies than other bedroom pieces.
And some producers say they've had mixed results in terms of the sales of upholstered headboards so far.
"We thought they were a great addition," said Kena Lenard, merchandise manager for upholstery/fabrics at Bassett Furniture. "We haven't sold a tremendous amount of them but we do offer them."
Broyhill offers a couple of leather headboards, said Debra Venti, merchandise manager for upholstery, adding that she hopes there will be more such products in the future.
"I think it's a great idea," she said. "We've got all the fabrics."
For Richter Furniture, upholstered headboards are "a huge business," said Bob Eller, vice president of sales. The company offers 25 choices.
"All of our Top 100 customers who buy upholstery from us buy beds," Eller said. "If we sold a sofa, love seat and chair, now it's a sofa, chair and bed instead of a love seat. The pieces have changed.
"Amazingly, I just got back from a meeting with a major department store that wants to do a proprietary program of upholstered beds. You see a lot more interest in that."
Upholstered headboards and beds are about the only items in bedrooms these days that aren't imported. And with the customization factor, it's unlikely they will be in the near future, several major manufacturers said.
Leather, not fabric, seems to be the leader in headboard options. But producers also are doing well with other covers, including microdenier suedes, velvets, silks, linens, ticking and raffias that blend with other surroundings.
"It's a great vehicle for fabric," said Century's Shuford. "That's what everybody likes to pick. That's the fun of it."
Retail price points range from about $699 to $799 for upholstered headboards, with fully upholstered beds reaching thousands of dollars, depending on the materials and details like button tufting. Harden's beds sell for $2,500 and up.
"At Pottery Barn, I saw a twin that was $200 or $300," said Harden's Penley. "I thought that was a great value."
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Upholstered headboards, beds gaining market momentum
Mar 29, 2005
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