New licenses, slimmer scaling mark wood furniture intros
High Point Market Guide: Product Strategies
Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, April 7, 2008
HIGH POINT — Licensing, scaling and European designs are three of the hot topics for case goods products going into market.
After a drop in licensing in recent markets, more than a dozen licensed groups will debut this market — both as new lines and as additions to established collections.
The new lines are Alexander Julian for Vaughan-Bassett; Candice Olson, Revco; Newport Mansions, E.J. Victor; Ty Pennington, Howard Miller; William Randolph Hearst, Habersham; and Yellowstone Park, Old Hickory Furniture.
Ridgeway also has a new group of eight clocks for Biltmore for Your Home, which has case goods licenses with Magnussen Home and Habersham.
Adding new groups or new pieces to current lines are Bernhardt with both Smithsonian and Martha Stewart; Lane, Country Living magazine;
Copeland, Frank Lloyd Wright; and Highland House, Paul Burrell (Royal Manner).
At the same time, some well-publicized groups have faded from the scene or switched strategies in recent years. Alexander Julian partnered with Vaughan-Bassett after parting ways with Thomas Hahn & Home and Universal. Jaclyn Smith started her own brand company after Largo dropped her licensed line. Magnussen dropped collections with Cristina Ferrare and Caroline Kinder. Powell Co. no longer has Pfaltzgraff casual dining.
In some cases, the collection simply ran its course, said one manufacturer. Lots of suites only last a few years, and licenses are the same way. Sometimes the group seems to have everything going for it, only to fail for no apparent reason; the World of Bob Timberlake has been one of the longest-running collections in the industry, but Timberlake Lodge fell flat.
Or, the group may not be a good fit, said Tom Liddell, Powell senior vice president of sales. He admitted that Pfaltzgraff didn’t work mostly because the demographics between the dinnerware specialist and Powell were too different. The people who are shopping for fancy dishes aren’t looking for dinettes, he said.
On the other hand, a good fit rings true with retailers and consumers alike. Powell had one of the biggest successes in High Point last October with its LittleMissmatched line of youth furniture. The whimsical styling and accessible price points of the licensor fit perfectly with the furniture.
The Mount Vernon Ladies Assn., which holds the rights to George Washington’s estate, found its best fit with two different case goods providers. Kindel Furniture has produced museum-quality reproductions at high price points, while Durham offers more casual bedroom goods at moderate prices.
This time around, the association has granted two licenses for the same collection, Marquis de Lafayette. Durham will again introduce a bedroom group, while fellow solid-wood producer Caperton Furnitureworks will provide the dining.
Caperton will provide eight solid-maple pieces: three dining tables, two chair designs, a server/buffet, sideboard and open cupboard, according to Gat Caperton, president and CEO.
“There is a historical connection with our region of West Virginia that makes this Mount Vernon association all the more special for us,” noted Caperton. “More than two centuries ago, a young surveyor named George Washington surveyed our valley and walked the road that runs in front of our headquarters.”
Named for the Frenchman who brought assistance to the colonies during the Revolutionary War, Marquis de Lafayette appropriately draws on French styling.
French designs are popping up in a number of showrooms this cycle, and it’s not just Louis Philippe. Even then, the design has been tweaked — like RiversEdge’s Brookside with a contemporized Louis Philippe.
There are soft curves like bombé chests from the Louis XV period, which influenced new pieces for P.A.M.A. Furniture. Then there are straighter lines and fluted posts of Louis XVI, where ancient Greek culture spilled over, as seen on a new canopy bed from Kindel.
Other groups citing French influences are Les Marchés by Marge Carson, Windhall from RiversEdge, and one group from new case goods source Belle Meade Signature. French Heritage has two new groups that fit — Paris Loft and Maison Provence — but French is its usual bread and butter.
Harden Furniture draws upon two different countries’ styles with the new 40-piece Continental Crossing group. Available in 38 finishes, the group sports a French design with Italian influences.
“We wanted to make this collection interesting, warm and inviting, with a mix of different design elements for today’s sophisticated consumer,” said President Greg Harden.
Jaclyn Smith Home is debuting three collections here, including The Library, with Tuscan flavoring. The dining suite has warm finishes, marquetry, carvings and a rubbed Farnese finish.
Hekman’s Tuscan Estates was a “fabulous success” in October, so the company is expanding the collection with a 12-piece bedroom suite, according to Neil McKenzie, vice president of sales and marketing.
He said buyers related to “the eclectic breadth of styles, and the unique finish applications derived from Old World Italian artisans.” The group has hand-hewn thick veneers hand-rubbed with beeswax.
David Michael Furniture’s No. GV-829 Tuscan group is imported from Italy and includes a sideboard with hand-carved rosettes and pilasters.
Like French Heritage, one would expect Doimo Elite to have Italian designs. The Harris collection is Italian modern with a dark oak lacquer; Wynd is contemporary Italian with veneers of cherry, oak and zebrano and a variety of finish options.
CR-Home’s Casa Verona has nine bedroom pieces drawing upon Northern Italy.
Casa Bella from Bernhardt features designs derived from both Northern Italy and the Tuscan region. Depending on the shaping, carvings, moldings and overlays, the pieces feel more formal or relaxed.
This market, several companies are introducing smaller-sized pieces designed for smaller master bedrooms, second houses and guest rooms.
One manufacturer said the strategy is to ensure as many selling opportunities as possible. If the consumer doesn’t have the space for a group, she will either move on to a different collection or simply buy fewer pieces. That leaves money on the table, he said.
Another executive said that worries about the current foreclosure news has couples planning smaller homes than just a few years ago.
American Drew introduced the Profiles line three years ago to be a smaller-scaled, lower-priced alternative to its grand Jessica McClintock and Bob Mackie collections. Profiles has been well received and continues to grow, adding the No. 914 group this market.
Magnussen Home goes smaller with its Dartmouth collection, which has about 20 pieces in a retro style with a medium Caramel finish.
SLF introduces four suites that are smaller in scale. Edgewood and Cordova are transitional in style, while Belair is contemporary and Nouveau country.
Universal has a new, smaller group that looks vastly different depending on the finish. The 20 pieces, which include seven bedroom and six dining items, have a weathered coastal look in Willow Creek with its aged linen finish. Bungalow has more of a casual getaway feel in cherry veneers with a medium brown finish.
Other styles showing up in multiple showrooms this market are American farmhouse, clean contemporary and European modern.
