Atlanta show offers eclectic mix
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, February 5, 2007
Atlanta — With an eye on the design trade and smaller retail accounts, furniture exhibitors said they were pleased with traffic and order-writing at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market here Jan. 9–17.
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 hand-painted 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 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 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 hand-painted scroll pattern on the apron, and a French country style buffet unit in an antique cream finish with hand-painted leaf, floral and bird motifs, retailing at $3,000.
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.
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.
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.
