Personality defines Carolina Girl Furniture

Industry veteran Pam Hughes starts sofa producer

Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, April 19, 2010

AT THE MARKET — The showroom of a new upholstery company here is full of females — Tweetie Girl, Sweetie Girl, Lazy Girl, Flower Girl, Country Girl and a host of other girls.

Carolina Girl’s Pam Hughes on her Striped Girl nail head sofa, which retails for $899.

They're all names of upholstery pieces by the new Asheboro, N.C.-based Carolina Girl Furniture, a company started and owned by upholstery veteran Pam Hughes.

Carolina Girl manufactures in a 40,000-square-foot facility in Asheboro and will warehouse in nearby Randleman, N.C.

Hughes, who grew up in the furniture industry, is a third-generation furniture maker. She owns N.C. Upholstery and was a former partner in Hughes Furniture Inds.

She said she was inspired to name her new company by the lyrics of a Chairmen of the Board song, "Carolina Girl - the best in the world, sweet Carolina Girl."

All the sofa girls - including Green-Eyed Girl, Rich Girl, Gypsy Girl and General Girl - are on display in the company's showroom, Suites at Market Square, G-2034. About a dozen pieces are on the floor, a small portion of 94 SKUs the company will offer.

Each sofa and chair is named for its design personality. Winey Girl gets her name from her rich, deep merlot look, velvety feel and brushed antique nail heads. General Girl's mix of leather and textured, ribbed fabric, along with its silk pillows and nail heads, is designed to look sophisticated and strong.

"I don't want to produce the same stuff that has been out there for 20 years," said Hughes. "I want different, stylish and fun."

She collaborated with designer Kim Luther, who the company said has a flair for creating looks that are funky, creative and colorful.

The collection includes sofas, chairs, ottomans, chaises, sectionals, pillows and doggie beds. Retail for a sofa starts at $599 with sectionals starting at $1,200.

A key feature, and one that Hughes extols on her Web site at www.carolinagirlfurniture.com, is that construction is with eco-friendly materials, including soy-based Preserve foam from Hickory Springs and fiber fill made from plastic bottles.

In addition, the company offers free shipping to a dozen or so East Coast states, a $50 shipping charge further out, and $75 to anywhere else in the Continental U.S. Shipping is within a week of receiving an order.

Carolina Girl also offers retail sales from its Web site, which Hughes said is largely intended for designers and decorators.