What's hot: Lexington Home Brands' Tommy Bahama Island Estate Collection.
Description: Introduced in April 2009, this bedroom is part of Island Estate. Made with maple veneers and selected hardwoods in a Plantation Brown finish, it includes natural elements such as bamboo, woven wicker and rattan. The West Indies poster bed in a king retails at $1,999 and is shown here on the floor of Port Charlotte, Fla.-based Bacon's Furniture & Outdoor Living.
Why it's selling: The scale of these and other pieces in the collection are right for the Florida market, said Jeff Bacon, general manager of Bacon's. "We have been very happy with the scale of the product," he said. "It fits in a lot of rooms and is not overbearing - it allows us to create a great room design with the customer. The finish is also right on. It is light and airy and a great addition for the Florida market." He added that the Tommy Bahama tie in also offers a good story to associate with the product. "It adds to the ambiance of the product," he said. "It gives the customer the confidence that there is quality behind it. That relates to both Lexington and Tommy Bahama."
     Jerry Baer of Pompano Beach, Fla.-based Baer's Furniture said the Tommy Bahama collection has a good diversity of pieces both large and small. He also said he is extremely pleased with the quality of materials and the finishes. "The brand creates a lot of interest," he said, "But the furniture carries itself. We have five different collections on our floor at one time. Each one has a different look and style that is relaxed.... We are very proud to be a Tommy Bahama dealer. Lexington has been a wonderful partner in making this work."

What's hot: Starmount Furniture's Nautica collection.
Description: Launched in October 2009, the group includes this dining set that is part of the Governor's Island collection. It is made with beech solids and prima vera veneers in a dark espresso finish.
Why it's selling: Michael Nicotera, vice president of merchandising for Coconut Creek, Fla.-based Carls Furniture, said the Nautica line is nicely styled, well proportioned and well built. "It has a great look and is a great product at a fairly affordable price," he said, noting that customers like the nautical-inspired design of the line, which features nickel accents reminiscent of the metal accents found on luxury yachts. "It has hit a real good nerve with the customer."
     He added that the furniture has to be good without the license tie in, but that the name itself has a certain lifestyle approach that appeals to many customers. "That is the real key to it," he said. "It gives it more legs and staying power."
     Betsy Griffith, gallery manager at Jamestown, N.C.-based Furnitureland South, said that the clean lines and interesting design details make the furniture easy to sell. "The Nautica trademark is evident in the furniture inspired by yacht quarters, highlighting unique storage, striking finishes, seaworthy drawer pulls and multipurpose pieces," she said. "The detailed design represents the Nautica trademark perfectly and creates a space reminiscent of yacht living, including the look in the bed linens. The Nautica name promises a specific look, unique to the trademark, and the Nautica/Starmount furniture does not disappoint the customer looking for that look and feel."

What's hot: Stanley Furniture Coastal Living Cottage collection.
Description: Launched in the fall of 2008, the piece shown here is a console table in a sand dollar finish. It retails around $899.
Why it's selling: David Koehler, CEO of Laurel, Del.-based Johnny Janosik World of Furniture, said that his stores got on board early with Coastal Living due to their proximity to the coast. He especially likes the beach-inspired color options available in the line and the relaxed cottage-inspired styling, which makes it work well with area beach homes. Both he and customers also like the licensing aspect of the line. "The benefit of the name is that it reaffirms the customer's decision and obviously enhances their comfort level when they make a purchase," he said, adding that new pieces from the latest Resort collection arrived earlier this month and started selling the first weekend.
     Brian Cerza, a co-owner of Nags Head, N.C.-based Outer Banks Furniture, said he and customers also like the color options of the line. "There are a lot of choices and they are not your typical colors," he said. "There are some neat designer colors that you don't see anywhere." He said the relaxed and casual nature of the collection also works well in a market where there are a lot of beach/rental properties.

What's hot: Furniture Origins Melody Credenza by Theo Kalomirakis for Walt Disney Signature.
Description: The Melody credenza features a "Surround Made Simple" design, which incorporates hidden high-quality speakers and subwoofer and has a single external plug. It also features a leaf motif on the speaker grilles.
Why it's selling: The name of a license often serves as a tie breaker in the marketplace, according to Scott Ballard, president of Furniture Origins, which soft launched the line at the Las Vegas Market in January.

What's hot: The Joe Ruggiero Collection from Miles Talbott Furniture.
Description: Joe Ruggiero upholstery frame designs, using his fabric line from Sunbrella.
Why it's selling: Ann O'Shields, owner of The Nest Egg in Fairfax, Va., said she saw Joe Ruggiero's Sunbrella Indoor Fabrics in the Miles Talbott showing last year and began carrying the line. O'Shields said her store offers at least 40 fabrics and a variety of color tones from Ruggiero.
     "The response we've gotten has been terrific," O'Shields said. "We're a retail storefront so we cater to general customers ever day, but we also have a design business as well so we've been selling to both. We've been finding that it appeals to the mass market, but its something our designer likes to incorporate into her plans as well."
     O'Shields said that the designs have a versatility that can flow between traditional, transitional and contemporary looks. Customers, especially those with children and pets, also like the fact that they're stain and fade resistant.
     "They've been a really nice option as opposed to just a regular stain protector that you get on the other lines," she added.

What's hot: Chromcraft Revington's Southern Living Shenandoah Valley collection.
Description: Launched in 2009, the collection includes this poster panel bed, which is made from cherry veneers and hardwood solids. It is shown here in black but also is available in a cherry finish.
Why it's selling: Jody Higdon, store manager of Paducah, Ky.-based Higdon Furniture, said Chromcraft and Southern Living are great at listening to what customers want in terms of styling. "They
have such a diverse line, and that is what I like about Southern Living," he said. "There is something there for every customer, and they try to target that with some good price points." He also said that a good deal of the store's customer base is women who read magazines like Southern Living. "The publications do a great job of marketing, and that's a huge draw."
     Aileen Wooldridge, owner of Shepherdsville, Ky.-based Ridgemont Furniture Galleries, has five Southern Living groups on the floor and at least 3,000 square feet devoted to the line. She said customers particularly like the styling and soft edges of Shenandoah Valley. "It's not a hardedged, or boxy look," she said, adding that customers also like the two-tone color pattern on some items such as dining tables. "It does sell well in the dining area as well as the bedroom." She added that the Southern Living brand gives a good story to the line, but ultimately it's the styling that helps the furniture sell.

What's hot: Universal Furniture's Paula Deen Home.
Description: Launched in March 2009, the relaxed casual line reflects furniture seen in the celebrity cook's Savannah, Ga., home. The Paula's Table shown here is in a tobacco finish and retails at $2,685 for a table and four chairs.
Why it's selling: Paula Deen has its own distinct look, and it's doing extremely well for us," said Jody Higdon, store manager of Paducah, Ky.-based Higdon Furniture. "It is a little different styling than anything else we carry in our showroom." Customers in particular are drawn to design features such as turned legs, ladderback chairs and shutter effects on headboards and doorfronts. The Paula Deen name also is a draw, particularly for women who watch her cooking shows, read her magazines and buy her cookbooks.

What's hot: AICO's Michael Amini & Jane Seymour - A Design Collaboration.
Description: Introduced in January 2010, this upholstered swivel lingerie chest is among the pieces in the soft contemporary, retro-inspired Hollywood Swank part of the collection. It is wrapped in a black iguana vinyl, features crystal inlays and has seven velvet-lined drawers, two drawers that open to a removable, velvet-lined jewelry tray, a fixed shelf and hooks for hanging jewelry.
Why it's selling: Miami Gardens, Fla.-based El Dorado Furniture has the collection on three of its floors, in Palmetto, Palm Beach and Kendall, Fla. Signage at those stores helps play up the licensing tie in, which helps draw customers to the line. AICO founder and CEO Michael Amini has made appearances at El Dorado stores, so customers are familiar with his name and face, which also appears on promotional signage with his other signature brands.
     Pedro Capo, chief operating officer of El Dorado, said that customers like the styling and detail-oriented nature of the collection. "It is a different style statement, which is what we need in the industry right now," he said. He added that the styling of the collection also tends to create more piece sales rather than sales of an entire bedroom. "If someone already has a bedroom set, they might just replace a headboard or nightstand. It is that kind of look."