Home office expanding reach into new rooms
By Michael J. Knell -- Furniture Today, April 24, 2005
High Point — Home office busted out of second bedrooms and into living rooms, great rooms and master bedrooms at market here last week, accelerating the shift from modular looks to styles more in tune with dining room, bedroom and entertainment furniture, particularly at higher-end retail price points.
"We offered more versatility in the product and a wider variety of SKUs than ever before," said Joe Thom, vice president of sales for Home Styles. "You just can't offer only a desk. You have to have complementary case pieces, and those pieces have to correlate."
"We took a very design-oriented approach to home office," said Kelly Cain, vice president for Stanley Collections. "We're placing much more emphasis on the look of the piece."
Stanley paid a lot of attention to decorative desks "because they tend to go into a lot of different areas of the home," Cain said.
"We had success across the board this market," said Hank Long, senior vice president of design and merchandising for Hooker, echoing sentiments heard from almost every home office executive surveyed. "Three of our major introductions were part of larger collections."
Hooker's new Preston Ridge collection, described as "traditional with a twist," includes bedroom, dining, entertainment, occasional and accent pieces, all with unifying shapes and finishes. Executive desks in the collection can be accented with wine cabinets, floor clocks or linen armoires. Its two-tone finish contrasts a black rub-through finish with a rich cherry finish.
"The convergence of entertainment and office technologies continues to drive designs," said Mark Phanco, senior vice president of Bush home products.
Bush's new Sonoma collection features tapered legs, decorative edge profiles and a rich mocha cherry finish, and includes a writing desk with matching mobile file and bookcase.
Sauder's small office/home office introductions also were driven by advances in technology.
"With various electronics becoming must-have features in every room of the home, consumers are seeking designs that not only organize their technology, but also enhance the décor of each room," said Susan Dountas, vice president of merchandising.
Producers noted that while parents often work with laptops, notebooks and other leading-edge products, their kids still use a fixed PC with tower. These divergent needs are being reflected in home office product.
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Home office makes move into new rooms
Apr 18, 2005 -
Home office makes move into new rooms
May 1, 2005
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