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Stanley goes Coastal

Teams up with popular magazine

Tom Russell -- Furniture Today, August 25, 2008

STANLEYTOWN, Va. - Case goods manufacturer Stanley Furniture is partnering with Coastal Living Magazine on a new line of relaxed, cottage-inspired furniture.

The companies have signed a multiyear licensing agreement and will launch their first collection, Coastal Living by Stanley Furniture, this fall.

The domestically produced collection has about 80 pieces, all of which will be available in 13 painted finishes and one wood finish. Categories include bedroom, dining room, occasional and accent furniture, as well as home office and home entertainment.

Set to be launched at the High Point Market, goods will start shipping before Thanksgiving and hit retail floors in mid-December.

Made with maple and poplar solids and veneers, the group incorporates mixed-media elements such as seeded glass, woven cane and seagrass. The woven elements in particular tie in with coastal living and also give the line a green story.

Other design elements include louvered doors on decorative chests, rough-hewn chair seats and tabletops, and bamboo-shaped posts.

Three dining tables and five beds will be offered. The beds retail from $895 to $1,495 and various dressers and chests retail from $1,095 to $1,495.

This marks Stanley's first licensed collection since Norman Rockwell, which was launched in 1995 and later dropped after disappointing sales.

Stanley approached Coastal Living Magazine in February to pursue a coastal cottage theme group, modeled on the success of the manufacturer's other cottage-inspired collections dating back to 1999 - Coastal Cottage, Cottage Revival, Portofino and Shelter Island - said Glenn Prillaman, senior vice president of marketing and sales. On its Web site, Stanley also shows similar styles in youth furniture groups such as Cottage Cove and Isabella.

This desk from Stanley’s new Coastal Living collection, in a Sea Grass painted finish, features a drop-front keyboard drawer with cord management opening.

Cottage-inspired groups are second only to traditional among Stanley's best-selling styles, Prillaman said.

"For years, we have had success with that category," he said. "It doesn't matter if it has been adult furniture or youth - the cottage category has been wonderful for us."

The licensing agreement with Coastal Living lets Stanley tap into a well-known magazine brand, similar to Universal's Better Homes and Gardens line and lines with Southern Living magazine by CR-Home and Bailey Street.

Officials did not reveal terms of the agreement, other than to say it was a multi-year deal and that Coastal Living's executives are playing a role in product development and marketing.

Published by Time Warner division Southern Progress Corp., Coastal Living is a lifestyle magazine geared towards readers who live at or near coastal areas. It covers subjects ranging from homes and travel to food and entertainment.

Prillaman said he believes the name recognition of Coastal Living will help the collection flourish at retail.

In styling, the coastal cottage design has elements of Victorian, Shaker, country and traditional styles, which he said resonate with many consumers. He also believes the custom nature of the U.S.-made line will offer options that furniture shoppers can't get with imports.

"As product migrated overseas, consumers often lost out in terms of choice," he said. With Coastal Living, he said, "Any piece is available in any finish."

He added that Stanley has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment to offer the wide assortment of finishes. "That is really difficult to do with an import program."

Items also will ship in 30 days or less from the time of order from the company's domestic distribution facilities, Prillaman said.

"We are proud and excited to team with Stanley Furniture Co. on this collection," said Kay Fuston, editor of Coastal Living. "Their expertise in case goods and their ability to provide color customization right here in the U.S. really solidified our interest in a licensing partnership. We're confident that the Coastal Living collection will capture the very essence of a lifestyle our readers have come to know and love."

More information about the line is available to retailers at www.stanleycoastalliving.com.

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Stanley goes Coastal

Aug 24, 2008

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