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Atlanta show offers eclectic mix

Exhibitors pleased with traffic

Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, January 22, 2007

ATLANTA — With an eye on the design trade and small retail accounts, furniture exhibitors said they were pleased with traffic and order writing activity at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market here Jan. 9-17.

This 72-inch table was one of a number of English-inspired reproduction pieces at Englishman’s Fine Furnishings. Shown in an antique cherry finish, it is made with alder solids and retails for $4,600.

While furniture is a small part of the mix — show officials identified 135 temporary and permanent exhibitors in the category of the estimated 6,000 overall — many companies find the show a good fit because it draws buyers they don’t see at other furniture shows.

Atlanta’s furniture mix included case goods, occasional and upholstered items in a range of traditional to contemporary styles.

On the wood side, there were plenty of handpainted and multi-step finishes with metallic and distressed looks. For more traditional tastes, there were reproduction pieces featuring fancy faced veneers.

Upholstery included both leathers and bright-colored fabrics meant to dress up both

Buyers shopping for leather upholstery found a good selection at Pasha Home Fashions. The 3,400-square-foot showroom had sofas, dining and side chairs, and even leather-top occasional tables.

showrooms and living rooms.

Home accents and furniture provider Chelsea House has shown in Atlanta for at least 20 years and typically sees customers from all over the country, said Ginny Ratchford, vice president of design.

“It’s more a concentration of gifts, but we do great business with our furniture as well,” she said, adding that the company usually shows its bestsellers and products that did well at the most recent High Point Market. Signature furniture pieces this time included a $595-retail Parisian-style rectangular shaped metal and glass cocktail with an antique mirrored top.

Other popular items were a $1,650 console with a green faux marble top and a handpainted scroll pattern on the apron and a French country style buffet unit in an antique cream finish with handpainted leaf, floral and bird motifs, which retails for $3,000.

Bauer International showed this modular home entertainment center, part of its Stiles collection. It has leather trim and woven rattan on the sides and drawer fronts and brass nailhead trim and corner brackets.

Accent furniture specialist Accents Beyond was in town for its 10th showing of tables and chests. Like Chelsea House, it mostly shows its bestsellers and some new items from High Point.

Its visitors come from gift stores, antique stores and home accent stores mostly from the Southeast, but also from as far away as the West Coast and New England, according to company officials.

Accent and occasional furniture importer Furniture Classics has had a space at the show for about seven years, said sales manager Alex Boyer. Atlanta generates 60% to 70% of the orders that a typical High Point show does, he said.

Artmax showed these metal chairs and matching accent table. The pieces are shaped with washer like medallions, which give them a contemporary style geometric design.

Boyer also said the company is using Atlanta in conjunction with the Las Vegas Market next week to introduce items, some of which will later be seen at High Point.

“It is a good way to test and pretest items for April and October,” he said.

This time, Furniture Classics used Atlanta to launch a new casual division called Two Palms, with coordinated groups of mixed-media upholstery and occasional that use elements such as mahogany solids and woven rattan and abaca. The line has medium to upper-medium price points with cocktail tables ranging from $399 to $699.

Some showrooms were run by sales and distribution companies representing several lines, such as J. Douglas, Charles Ray & Associates and Phil Sweet & Associates.

This Asian-style cabinet by Elizabeth Marshall has a black and gold finish and mirrored doors. Retailing at about $1,499, the piece is highly functional with shelves and drawer storage.

Charles Ray had 14 mostly higher-end, traditional lines including Bernhardt, Howard Miller, Theodore Alexander, Robert Allen and Beacon Hill. Phil Sweet offered higher-end traditional and transitional upholstery from a roster including Sam Moore, Taylor King, Wesley Hall, Barcalounger and Studio On East.

Both spaces reported strong traffic and some order writing activity, although they took different approaches to get customers in the door.

At Charles Ray, most of the upholstery was in plain white fabric coverings, a tactic to emphasize the frames and the multitude of fabric offerings. At Phil Sweet & Associates, sofas were dressed with trendy color fabrics such as tangerines and bright greens, giving a more transitional look to otherwise traditional frames.

“The whole story is color in upholstery,” said Cindie Sweet, owner of Phil Sweet & Associates. “We show what typical gift dealers will show. The more ‘out there’ we can get, the better.”

This day bed by Seabrook Classics has a crab-shaped border and an optional trundle. Made with poplar solids, it has a suggested retail of $1,800.

Ambella Home Collection also showed a line of mostly traditional items ranging from bedroom and dining room to electric fireplaces, vanity sinks, executive desks and bars. Other traditional styles could be seen at A.A. Importing, and Englishman’s Fine Furnishings, which sells English-made antique reproduction furniture.

Eclectic transitional and contemporary styles could be seen at companies like Pasha Home Fashions, Four Hands, Palecek and Artmax.

Artmax spokesperson Maria Chan said Atlanta usually draws customers from department stores, furniture and accessory stores and high end gift stores. This market, the company offered 35 new SKUs, about half of them contemporary furniture in multi-step metallic finishes. The rest included accessories and lighting.

This white corner cabinet by Tradewinds Furniture has adjustable shelves with plate grooves. Available in seven finishes, it retails for $1,399.

“In Atlanta, you don’t see a lot of contemporary product,” she said, noting that the Artmax mix helps set the company apart. “Contemporary furniture, wall art and lighting have been doing well here.”

Show officials say they were pleased with attendance and the quality of exhibitors. While final attendance figures were not available by press time, the show was expected to draw close to the typical 95,000 visitors in January.

Kevin Malkiewcz, executive director of leasing for home accents and fine linens at market venue AmericasMart, called it “a record market — it was phenomenal seeing all the crowds in the hallways.” He said companies merchandised their showrooms to make Atlanta a one-stop shop for product.

“There wasn’t a space open in any of these buildings,” he said. “It was wall to wall product and the buyer can find anything imaginable in our buildings.”

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Atlanta show offers eclectic mix

Feb 4, 2007

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