Color, function jazz up youth
By Lisa Casinger -- Furniture Today, 11/10/2008 12:00:00 AM
HIGH POINT — At first glance, manufacturers seemed to be playing it conservative at last month's High Point Market, with girl's white groups popping up in every showroom.
But that wasn't the whole story: There was a lot of color, new types of finishes and techno-friendly furniture on display as well.
Here are some of the product highlights.
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Fresh color: Higdon Furniture broke into the youth furniture category this market with its Kids Avenue collection. The furniture is made in Florida, and Higdon ships it via its own trucks within three weeks.
“We thought it was time to get into youth because it's a growing category,” said owner Ralph Higdon. “Plus, our furniture is made in the U.S. and each piece comes with a hangtag that talks about that.”
The green panels add color to the lighter finished furniture, which could be used in a boy's or girl's room. The twin mate bed with underbed storage retails for about $299.
Lavender was found at Lea Inds. The manufacturer bowed Seaside Dreams, a colorful collection with five beds, two dresser/mirror combos, media chests and more. It's available in 10 hues, including lilac. -
Cool finish: American Woodcrafters had a show- stopper in its Innovations youth group.
“You either love it or hate it,” said Lao Labro, president and CEO of American Woodcrafters. “But, we are writing orders on this like crazy. It's been the star of the market.”
Innovations is unique both for its construction and its finish. The case goods are made in Brazil from what is basically wood scraps. This approach gives the collection a chunky, almost custom look. Each piece of wood is run through a band saw to texture it, and then it receives a stain or white or blue finish. The blue finish was the most striking and popular tone at market. -
Tech-savvy: Ashley Furniture's 25-SKU Recess collection has a decidedly locker-room look to it. The dresser/mirror combo has hookups and cord management for MP3 players, as well as built-in speaker ports, giving it a look reminiscent of the “boom boxes” of the 1980s.
MP3-compatible headboards also were found at HomElegance. The company debuted two versions — padded and metal — with sports-themed motifs. There are six styles of the metal beds, which also have complementing nightstands, and six styles of the padded headboards. Suggested retail for these hip headboards is $199-249.
