Texture stands in for color in Opal Point upholstery
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, June 27, 2005
High Point — Upholstery in the fourth Martha Stewart Signature collection at Bernhardt is geared toward neutral colors and a more casual West Coast spirit.
The 40 upholstered pieces in the Opal Point line are tasteful, not-so-far-out-there selections that should give consumers the feeling that they're OK to own since they're from Martha. The company said the new pieces can be mixed with anything — one of Stewart's primary distinctions.
"Martha loves to mix the old with the new," said Heather Bloom, director of product development for Bernhardt.
There's not much room for consumers to make a mistake with the new collection. Colors are neutral and organic, acting more as a foil for the striking looks of Opal Point's case goods.
Stewart lead designer Jonsara Ruth and Barbara Kurgan, vice president, design director for Martha Stewart Signature, said the colors are mostly neutral by intention.
"We're using texture as our new color," said Kurgan, referring to the collection's selection of fabrics.
Stewart and Bernhardt executives describe the collection's 43 new fabrics as "transitional contemporary." There are 117 fabric choices in the other three Stewart lines.
Sofas in the new collection are mostly in the $1,399 to $1,499 retail range, with a two-piece fabric sectional targeted at $2,399. Offerings include frames that run from a casual, overstuffed, rolled-armed silhouette to soft modernism.
Opal Point follows Lily Pond, Skylands and Turkey Hill collections, all skewed to the East Coast and named for Stewart's actual residences. Stewart described Opal Point — a mythical setting, like Brigadoon — as "a mysterious place on the West Coast where we got our inspiration."
While it's Western in flavor, the new line doesn't have the stereotypical oversized, loosey-goosey look of California casual.
"We tried to add a broader range of styles to accommodate all our regions and customers," said Ruth. She said cushions are deep and comfortable for "media watcher" consumers, and said one of her colleagues said the sofas had "arms that are good for the head" when lying down.
While there are boucles, microfiber, velvet and a touch of leather, chenilles seem to be the fabric of choice for many Opal Point pieces.
John Pullin, Bernhardt's brand manager, said the collection uses tightly woven chenilles, often mixed with other threads, for an updated look.
"As long as (the chenilles) don't look like pipe cleaner fuzz, they're all right," he added.
