Old World influences new occasional
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, March 25, 2007
High Point — Traditional, old-world styles dominate the occasional category this market with a mix of influences from Europe, America and Asia.
From new pieces in Sarreid Ltd.'s 300-piece Chatham Crossing to additions in Hekman's Mountain Retreat, tables and accent pieces convey a sense of history through heavily carved frames and hand-painted finishes with floral motifs.
Still, the market affords plenty of variety thanks to Art Deco-inspired pieces such as ArtMax' Royale wooden cabinet and occasional chairs at Designers & Makers.
Contemporary and even modern architectural elements figure into Charleston Forge's Falling Waters cocktail and its Manhattan console, which showcase contrasting woods such as light wormy maple and a darker African wenge.
Contemporary designs with a three-dimensional flair figure into Roberta Schilling's Moderna collection, which features a new console with crystal displayed beneath a glass surface. Crystal is also displayed in a frame of a mirror in the same collection.
For many sources, however, traditional remains at the heart of their product mix. That includes Furniture Classics, whose line of antique reproductions feature many old-world design influences.
Signature items include the $899 Buckingham settee, which has a hand-carved mahogany frame with gilded acanthus carvings on the arms and an antique walnut or hand-applied lichen green finish. Its $649 Elise side table has a Provincal Louis XV influence, while its $1,299 Oxford solid-oak chest is a 17th-century design marked by moldings on the drawer fronts and antique brass teardrop pulls.
Hooker Furniture continues a design tack it took last market with some new Asian-inspired antique reproduction pieces, including a four-drawer chest with a bright red finish and contrasting black-and-gold tones and a drum-shaped end table in a dark red finish.
Other new occasional collections such as Langdon Place, Stone Valley and Templeton feature mixed-media elements such as metal, glass and stone.
New pieces by Habersham illustrate the company's expertise in multi-step, heavily distressed and textured finishes. Signature pieces include its Bellasara chest, which features a hand-layered finish with floral and leaf motifs. Its Giovanni Stellata cocktail table has old-world Italian architectural influences in its columns and arches.
French Country designs figure into occasional pieces that are part of Habersham's new Monet's Journey's licensed collection, while its Mountain Estates has a rustic, American traditional approach to occasional tables and other wood pieces.
Occasional pieces in Bernhardt's Smithsonian collection have primarily 19th-century British and American design influences, including Edwardian and Empire. Elements such as turned posts, shaped moldings and lasercut overlays represent the group's European influences. The group also uses an eclectic mix of materials, including antique leather, woven cane, aged bronze and travertine stone and black marble tops.
JSF Inds. is launching several new products that incorporate European traditional design influences.
For example, an $899 tiffany writing desk achieves an old-world appearance with its antique gold accents and hand-painted English rose motif.
A hand-carved bombe chest retailing at $1,099 features antique 24-carat gold leafing and woven accents on the sides and drawer fronts.
Traditional also is the theme of Powell Co.'s Regatta collection of accents and occasional tables. Design highlights include turned legs and columns, X-shaped stretchers and curved, serpentine-shaped aprons.
New items in its Masterpiece collection feature marquetry and fancy face veneers and heavily carved drawer and door fronts.
Magnusssen Home's 26 new occasional groups cover a cross section of styles from its contemporary Asian-inspired Mies collection to the Arts & Crafts-inspired North Park.
Its 14 new accent pieces in Accents Express also cover a mix of styles and use of materials, such as faux leather, slate and metal.
This market, Coaster is bringing out 25 occasional groupings, 10 of which tie into upholstery and collections. The rest include free-standing groups and promotional three-pack sets retailing between $199 and $299.
The company is aiming to improve the style and quality of these promotional sets by offering a mix of woods and veneers, said Toby Konetzny, director of marketing.
Philip Reinisch is offering its own quality story with the launch of 25 new display cabinets in its Colortime collection. Priced between $299 and $799 retail, these come in five color palettes that are hand finished in a 24-step process. In addition to the five color options, these pieces sport reversible back panels in a chestnut finish.
"Color has been around for years, but is coming on stronger and stronger," said David Urbanick, vice president of merchandising. "Color has a high impact. People are adding wonderful hues of color to the walls in wall paints. Upholstery is becoming more and more colorful and the call is for wood to become more and more colorful."
The new colors, which include cerulean blue, chili pepper red, fern green, sea shell white and pirate black, give the pieces a more transitional flair, thus appealing to a younger audience, Urbanick said.
"It has great appeal for younger folks, which the retailers are desperately seeking," he said.
Finishes play a role in contemporizing some of French Heritage new French-inspired occasional and accent pieces this market. For example, a traditional-style, two-drawer chest with gold accents in its Accents a la Carte collection takes on a more contemporary style with its bright violet lacquer finish.
The same could be said for similar traditional-style pieces seen at both Sarreid and Designers & Makers. At Sarreid, a traditional-style, three-drawer chest has a teal-colored finish with gold accents. A traditional-style chest at Designers & Makers has a bright pink floral motif set against a dark background. In both cases, the dramatic colors give the pieces a more transitional or contemporary look and feel.
Multi-step metallic finishes and mirrored elements also update traditional-style products being shown at the Lam Lee Group. Its offerings include a new curio cabinet and various, end, pedestal and cocktail tables.
"It's very intentional on our part," said Lita Strubhar, assistant manager of marketing and merchandising. "It's an updating of classic styles and profiles with these many layered finishes we do. It's a very intentional attempt to make ourselves stand out."
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Old World influences new occasional
Mar 26, 2007
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