Fresh styles, function on tap in entertainment
By Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, March 25, 2007
High Point — With the flat-panel television boom showing no signs of fading, producers of entertainment furniture will have their showrooms fully stocked with new product at this week's market.
Exhibitors say home entertainment is one of the few categories that has remained fairly robust during the furniture industry's recent slump, and most believe the upward momentum still has at least another year or two to run.
They note that, despite the almost daily bombardment of ads from electronics stores and TV manufacturers, the majority of American households still don't have a flat-panel set.
But when they finally do make the purchase, the vast majority also will need furniture — and they most likely will need it yesterday, producers say.
"This is still a hot category," said Eric Shupack, president of Furnitech, an importer of Brazilian-made entertainment consoles. "And it's not a price-sensitive item."
Furnitech is one of more than three dozen showrooms trying to entice buyers with new entertainment products ranging from consoles to complete wall systems.
Exhibitors say interest in the massive wall systems that once were a staple of the category is dwindling. However, small to mid-sized walls, especially those with modular features, remain popular, as do consoles that can accommodate a wide range of electronic components and speakers.
"Our introductions in January (at the Las Vegas market) were the best we've ever had," said Tim Donk, director of marketing at Legends Furniture, whose lineup features several mid-sized wall systems. "We're already getting sell-through at retail."
Donk and other executives say that, in addition to more compact entertainment furniture, flat-screen TV buyers are flocking to units with features such as ventilation for components, wire management and media storage.
"We're putting DVD storage everywhere we can," said Hank Long, senior vice president of merchandising and design at Hooker. "Some people can't get enough of it."
Long said many purchasers of mid- to upper-end units also are interested in doors or motorized lifts that allow the TV to be hidden when not in use. The motorized lifts, initially marketed for bedroom pieces, are becoming more popular in living room and family room units because they hold TVs that often are too large for bedroom use, he explained.
"Hiding the TV is becoming a big issue," he said.
Another big issue buyers will encounter at market is styling. While entry-level models typically are of a less formal contemporary design, higher-priced units are incorporating elements of Mission, Arts & Crafts, Shaker, rustic, traditional and a variety of transitional looks.
"We want home entertainment to look as good as the rest of the furniture," said Kelly Cain, vice president and product manager at Stanley Collections, which targets upper-middle price points.
Cain said Stanley is addressing style issues at market with two new collections that prominently feature entertainment furniture — the casual Sunset Key group and the more formal Hudson Street.
He's especially excited about the entertainment furniture prospects for Sunset Key, which features rattan accents in a tropical West Indies look.
"It has huge potential," Cain said. "We feel like there is a style void in the category."
Other key market introductions include Kathy Ireland Home by Martin's new Vallarta collection, which features rustic styling, Sligh's expansion of its popular Family Communications Center concept, and Riverside's new Cobble Hill collection, which features a corner entertainment unit with a popular black finish.
The communications center, which debuted last October and was featured recently on NBC's "Today" show, includes space for a small flat-panel television and docking stations for cell phones, portable music players and laptop computers.
Sligh is showing three new communications center designs at market.
Also at market, Broyhill is broadening its lineup of entertainment centers and matching occasional tables, while ready-to-assemble powerhouse Sauder Woodworking is adding entertainment pieces to several key collections.
Sauder's largest new collection is Arbor Gate, which features American Country styling with warm wood tones and carvings.
In addition, APA Marketing, whose Encore home entertainment line was one of the first to employ motorized lifts, is unveiling another similar model. The newest entry, however, also includes a surge protector in the cabinet and ventilated compartments for components.
Aspenhome's newest entry is a wall system for its modular 4 Seasons Bayside collection, while contemporary specialist Gautier is unveiling two living room groups that include entertainment consoles.
Hooker has perhaps the largest new product lineup, including a pair of mid-height wall systems, three entertainment centers with wrap-around doors and more than a dozen consoles.
Several of the items are incorporated into the new Fallston and Antique Buckskin collections. Fallston features transitional styling, while Antique Buckskin has traditional styling with a heavy distressed finish.
The Furnitech showroom will feature a half-dozen new consoles, including one model that can accommodate a digital sound projector, a device that delivers surround-sound quality from a single source.
"These are becoming very popular, especially with the more tech-savvy consumers," Shupack said of the sound projectors. "They were a huge at the Consumer Electronics Show."
Other introductions include a pair of bookcase media units at high-end resource Habersham, two wall systems from Fusion Designs, and two consoles at Home Trends and Design.
The Fusion Designs wall systems can be configured in a variety of ways in a 4- or 6-piece layout, while the HTD entries are being added to the Orleans and Colonial Plantation collections, respectively.
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