Monthly Issue
From Home Furnishing Business
November 9,
2016 by Jane Chero in Advertising, Industry, Product 
By Larry Thomas
Alden Parkes’ Hancock buffet
The neo-classic Hancock Buffet is a best-seller because of its versatility. It can be used in a dining room, hallway, or entryway. It features solid brass circular fretwork accents over four antiqued mirrored door fronts with custom brass hardware, adjustable shelves and finished in an either rich Espresso or a sophisticated Tiffany White. The graceful curved solid brass stretchers complement the fretwork. Suggested retail is $3,747.
A.R.T. Furniture’s Cosmopolitan console table
Mixed media continues to be strong, and this piece blends white and gold, animal texture and scale. With a very chic and modern look, it includes faux-crocodile leather drawer-fronts, top and sides, and its open metal base design will accommodate two bunching benches. Suggested retail is $1,996.
Greenington’s Currant shelf
Crafted in solid bamboo, the popular Currant shelf by Greenington offers a contemporary look and generous storage in a smart scale that fits. The Currant shelf is available in classic caramelized and black walnut finishes. Greenington combines beautiful design, rich colors, and a winning green sustainability story. Suggested retail is $1,167.
Orient Express Furniture’s Carrera media sideboard
Part of the best-selling Traditions collection, this piece features white marble veneer, stone washed acacia veneer and brushed gold.
Universal Furniture’s Dorchester cocktail table
From its popular Curated collection, this simple but elegant table conveys a lot of style, including the warmth of wood against the contemporary chrome, the patterned veneers, and the exposed grain finish. The face features modified herringbone veneers, while the brownstone finish blend brown with grey tones and exposed grain. Suggested retail is $599 to $699.
Ashley Furniture’s O’Kean series
Despite being introduced less than a year ago, the contemporary O’Kean series already has established itself as one the most popular accent furniture groupings. Chrome-finished tables and stylish lamps blend well with the company’s stationary leather seating, allowing for an eclectic style mix.
Four Hands’ Darrow ottoman
The company says it has re-invented the ottoman with this cunningly shaped piece. It features a distressed, flatrock iron frame and a spare-yet-comfortable cushion in aged, top-grain leather.
Uttermost’s Roosevelt club chair
From the Revelation by Uttermost line, this chair has box cushions, a birch frame, and features a distressed, top grain leather cover in a worn cognac finish. The natural markings and slight color variations from hide to hide enhance the leather’s unique characteristics.
Magnussen Home’s Bellamy end table
Old world charm abounds in the Bellamy table collection. The end table features a gracious carved base that supports an overlaid pine top finished in vintage inspired Deep Weathered Pine. The design speaks to European influenced elegance. Suggested retail is $349.
Renewil’s Whitesilk accent table
This elegant table has an iron base, a Carrara white marble top and an antique gold finish. The sturdy, yet graceful design makes it suitable for almost any formal or casual room setting.
Christopher Guy’s Monte Carlo occasional chair
Complete with a sweeping low back rest that incorporates the designer’s signature “Chris-Cross” legs, it is available in several low-sheen and lacquer finishes. More than a dozen fabric options are also available. Suggested retail is $2,993.
Zuo’s 100171-1 accent table
This adjustable-height table blends industrial design elements with a more whimsical top that incorporates a wood and marble look. It’s part of a collection of tables that use a similar top with a variety of different bases.
Bramble’s 24379 French wing chair
Intricate hand-carvings on the solid mahogany frame gives the chair an air of elegance and distinction. Its cushioning is lined with a smooth linen and has exposed jute upholstery on the back for subtle contrast. This piece is available to order in over 100 different finish and fabric options.
Dovetail Furniture’s Baker accent chair
The Mid-century-inspired design of this chair features solid wood frame with natural finish and a comfortable backrest. The seat is upholstered in a goat hide, which has a natural white color. Besides its very unique look, the chair is very comfortable, but stylish, and can be used as an accent or a dining chair.
Surya’s Shadi pouf
This fun, colorful item is woven in India of 88% jute and 12% cotton, and is designed for indoor use. Suggested retail is $201.
October 13,
2016 by Jane Chero in Product, Upholstery
By Trisha McBride Ferguson
If there’s one piece of furniture that establishes the style and décor of a home, it’s the sofa. As fashionable as they are functional, sofas serve as the centerpiece to the family room, living room, den, bonus room and plenty of man caves. Together with loveseats and upholstered chairs, they provide the go-to space for relaxing and entertaining.
The stationary upholstery category continues to grow, although at a slower pace (3.74 percent for the first half of 2016) than the impressive growth posted during the same period last year (5.31 percent). In 2015, stationary upholstery sales finished at $19.32 billion, up from $18.34 billion in 2014.
Combining stationary and motion sales, the total upholstery segment comprised 38.67 percent of total furniture industry sales (excluding bedding) last year, up from 38.55 percent prior year. For this first half of this year, it is trending flat at 38.67. Factoring in bedding sales, the first half of 2016 looks slightly more positive with total upholstery sales accounting for 32.98 percent of total furniture sales, up from 32.88 percent in the same period last year.
Design Matters
A quick look at Pinterest and Houzz shows that upholstered furnishings not only anchor a room’s design and functionality, they give consumers a way to express their personal style. Yet 44 percent of consumers who bought upholstery in the last 18 months cite product selection as the biggest shopping challenge they faced, according to Home Furnishings Business’ most recent survey. Respondents cited wanting a wider selection of products as a more significant challenge than experiencing higher prices than expected (19 percent), difficulty in distinguishing differences in products (12 percent), and inexperienced salespeople (4 percent).
As for design preferences, more than half of those surveyed (54.4 percent) identified their style as traditional, followed by contemporary (28.8 percent), country/rustic (6.3 percent), transitional (4.4 percent), cottage (3.8 percent) and mission/shaker (2.3 percent).
Shopping Savvy
It comes as no surprise that consumers are browsing and searching online before purchasing upholstery. A notable 61.9 percent of those surveyed report researching products online before making their upholstery purchase. When asked about the importance of upholstery manufactured domestically, 62.5 percent of those surveyed said they’d pay more for an item made in America.
Eco-friendly upholstery products are valuable to some, but not to a majority of shoppers. When asked about the importance of environmentally friendly furniture, 18.7 percent cited it as important, compared to 23.1 percent who classified it as unimportant—with the majority of respondents (58.2 percent) falling somewhere in the middle.
When it comes to shopping, the majority of these consumers are acting decisively. According to this survey, 39.1 percent shopped two weeks or less before purchasing, with an additional 28.6 percent buying within the first month. Their willingness to wait for custom-order upholstery mirrors this trend, with 65.3 percent of those surveyed reporting they would wait up to four weeks, 23.6 percent would wait up to eight weeks, and only 11.1 percent willing to wait longer than eight weeks.
As for brand preferences, the importance of a brand name is declining. Of respondents most recently surveyed, 63.7 percent rated the brand as somewhat influential to their purchase—the middle ground between very influential and not influential at all. This is down from the 67 percent of shoppers who responded similarly in last year’s survey.
Vanguard Furniture’s Brit
Rolled arms, casters, and a button-tufted back give Vanguard’s Brit sofa a casually elegant look. Ultimately configurable, its cover (available in fabric or leather), finish and embellishments can be customized. Suggested retail starts at $4,800.
Uptown from American Furniture Manufacturing
“This is one of our bestsellers because it has a casual, contemporary style, a soft chenille fabric with attractive coordinating toss pillows, and it’s a tremendous value at $499 for the sofa.”
Kennedy from La-Z-Boy
Petite in scale with narrow arms, the Kennedy is perfect for smaller spaces. It features welt trim, fully padded arms, and ComfortCore® zoned cushioned seating. Suggested retail as shown is $879.
Universal Furniture’s Corbin
Sleek and urban, the Corbin’s signature is an exposed chrome frame complemented with upholstered arm caps and loose, box cushions. It’s available in gray cloud velvet (quilted), brown leather or gray leather. Suggested retail ranges from $1,500 to $2,250.
HTL’s RS-11048
This sofa-chaise from HTL features slightly flared, curved arms with welt detailing and espresso-colored wood legs. It’s also available in coordinating sofa, loveseat and chair configurations. Power reclining models such as this include USB port for device charging.
Rachael Ray Home Collection by Craftmaster
Part of the Upstate collection for Rachael Ray Home, the R7612 Sofa is shown here in fabric Frasier 10. It features a relaxed traditional aesthetic and classic details such as pewter nailhead trim. Suggested retail sofa price is $1,299.
Sherrill Furniture
The 2361 Sofa from Sherrill Furniture is made in the USA and features eight-way, hand-tied construction and feather-down throw pillows. It’s shown here with the Falcon Brown fabric cover, a contrasting welt in Porto Tobacco, and bronze nailhead trim. Suggested retail is $4,439.
Santor from Taylor King
Transitional in style, the 85” Santor is Taylor King’s best-selling sofa. It boasts a distinctive silhouette with thin, track arms and a comfortable seat depth. Suggested retail is $5,547.
Bellini Modern Living’s Lauren
Luxurious without being fussy, the Lauren sofa offers contemporary styling, clean lines, and neutral versatility. Its leather cover is distinguished by unique quilted detailing on its inner arms. Suggested retail is $5,249.
Oliver from Best Home Furnishings
This transitionally styled sofa offers clean lines and coil-encased seat cushions. It’s available in over 700 fabrics, with a choice of pillows and finish options. Suggested retail starts at $1,099.
A.R.T. Furniture’s Stuart
The Stuart Sofa has a classic sleigh-style exposed wood frame with three-cushion seating. Its four pillows feature linen and animal print fabric and custom trim. Suggested retail is $3,927.
Magnussen Home’s Swan
Inspired by the elegance and grace of a swan, this namesake upholstery group features a curved, solid-wood exposed frame, a v-shaped back, channel tufting and luxurious coordinating accent pillows. Suggested retail is $999.
Klaussner’s Leisure
“This sectional features down-blend deep seating—its slightly lower seat height is what makes it retail well.” Suggested retail is $1,999.
-Len Burke, Vice President of Marketing
Flexsteel’s Blake
The Blake upholstery group from Flexsteel features lifetime-warranted blue-steel spring construction and design details such as clean lines, small nailhead trim and block legs in a rich wood finish. Shown here in leather 014-07, the suggested retail for the chair and ottoman is $2,835.
Nicoletti Calia’s Romeo
Combining European contemporary style with modern functionality, the Romeo sofa with chaise features ultra-smooth, virtually silent, power motion. Its sleek, off-the-floor silhouette has a sculptural, stainless-steel base and is available in multiple configurations. Suggested retail is $4,999.
Somerton Dwelling’s Miranda
A fresh option in seating, Somerton Dwelling’s Miranda chair is stylish and comfortable. Available in a variety of fashion fabrics, it can be used as an accent chair, dining chair or desk chair. Suggested retail is $340.
Manhattan from Ekornes
With a fixed back, gently sloping contours and a curved exposed wood frame, the Manhattan has an evolved sense of style. It’s available in a traditional three-seat sofa, a two-seat loveseat, and chair. Suggested retail is $3,395.
CH Living’s Sutton
The Sutton's squared back gives it modern appeal, while its recline, glide and swivel features make it a top-seller. It boasts a hidden-release mechanism and is available in over 200 fashion fabrics—shown here in Honor Flurry. Suggested retail ranges from $675 to $825.
Lee Industries’ 3583-03
This classic track-arm sofa features a bench seat and three back cushions. It’s shown here in Belize Camel—a 100-percent Belgian linen, and complemented by legs in a tobacco finish.
Suggested retail starts at $3,231, as shown $4,701.
Hancock & Moore’s Sundance
A bestselling stationary sofa for Hancock & Moore, the Sundance exemplifies the designer aesthetic. There is a slight concavity to its shape that makes it a perfect sofa to float in a room. Subtle button detailing on the sides and nailhead trim give it universal appeal. Suggested retail is $9,825.
September 9,
2016 by Jane Chero in Advertising, Bedroom, Industry, Product
Dreamy Bedrooms
By Trisha McBride Ferguson
The Bedroom category (master bedroom and adult bedroom furnishings) has been climbing steadily in annual sales over the last five years. In 2015, the year ended with $10.86 billion in sales, up from $10.36 billion in 2014. Adult bedroom continues to see growth this year with second quarter up 3.75 percent over the same quarter last year.
Universal’s Halston
Part of its Curated collection, the Halston fully upholstered bed features a tufted headboard with subtle arch and nailhead trim. It’s shown here in a gray cotton velvet and is also available in linen. Suggested retail $1.875.
A.R.T. Furniture’s Epicenters Williamsburg
Directly inspired by the warehouse-turned-loft neighborhood of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY, this bed features a stacked railroad tie design, a reclaimed pallet finish, and a two-drawer storage footboard. Suggested retail for the King bed is $2,999.
Ashley’s Windlore
Rustic yet refined, the Windlore bedroom collection maximizes the beauty of minimalism. Its rustic oak-grain character is enhanced with a two-tone finish that modernizes its plank styling and hardware-free design.
Cresent Fine Furniture’s Larkspur
Simple yet sophisticated, the Larkspur platform panel bed features clean lines and a fresh finish. Suggested retail for the Queen bed is $1,199.
Flexsteel’s Homestead
This solid hardwood bedroom group is crafted of birch veneers and features a black rub-through finish. Its round metal hardware wears a gunmetal finish and the bed and mirror are available with metal or solid-wood frames.
Furniture Traditions’ Master-piece Pier Group
Full of innovative features and clever details, the Master-piece pier group adds function and interest to a timeless look.
Greenington’s Currant
Crafted of 100-percent solid Moso bamboo, the Currant bedroom collection blends contemporary and Mid-century Modern influences. An eco-friendly and sustainable option, the platform bed is shown here in a black walnut finish. Suggested retail for the Queen bed is $1,878.
Hooker Furniture’s Chatelet
This upholstered mantle panel bed is part of Hooker’s whole home collection inspired by timeless antiques found in Old World Europe. The epitome of rustic luxury, its look is defined by pecky pecan veneers wearing a soft amber finish with highlights of distressed aged white.
Ligna Furniture’s Jackson
Crafted of solid, rough-hewn mahogany, the Jackson collection fuses modern and rustic. The bedroom group wears a cinnamon and sea salt finish.
Modus’ Townsend
Effortlessly stylish, the Townsend collection is crafted from solid hardwood and features naturally rough-hewn planks with heavy saw marks, pitting and distressing. A nine-step finish highlights its wood grain while simulating the patina of age. Suggested retail for pieces in the bedroom group range from $299 to $2,249.
Orient Express Furniture’s Boulevard
The Villa Collection’s Boulevard bed is one of Orient Express’ most iconic pieces. Its scalloped headboard is covered in an oatmeal linen and features a button-tufted back and nailhead trim around its headboard and rails. Suggested retail starts at $1,699.
Stanley’s Virage
Part of its whole home collection, the Virage Panel bed combines stark lines and clean surfaces with subtle moulding details and sweeping arched plinth bases. Its cherry veneers wear a Truffle finish accented by lightly striated Caviar black paint and glowing hand-applied Antique Gold Leaf highlights. Suggested retail for the Panel bed is $2,829.
Stickley’s Highlands
Stickley’s Mission collection is crafted from solid, quarter-sawn white oak and includes the distinctive yet timeless Harvey Ellis bedroom group.
Vanguard’s Emma Bed
From Vanguard’s “Make it Yours” bedroom program, the Emma bed features a fully upholstered headboard and footboard. Available in fabric or leather, its tufted headboard is accented with nailhead trim. Suggested retail for King starts at $4,146.
July 18,
2016 by in Motion Upholstery, Product
For relaxing after work or bingeing on a favorite TV show, nothing beats reclining—and American consumers seem to agree. Motion upholstery sales are on the rise with total category sales for 2015 of $11.02 billion, up from $10.48 billion in 2014.
Year to year, the category posted a 5.1% sales increase from 2014 to 2015—up significantly from the 2.7% growth from 2013 to 2014. This upward swing is tracking only slightly less than the 5.4% annual growth of stationary upholstery last year. This year is trending strong as well with first quarter of 2016 up 4.1% over the same period in 2015.
Bradington Young’s 932 Kerley
Ultimately customizable, this luxury motion collection can be configured as a sofa or sectional and is available in leather, fabric, leather and fabric combo, or COM. It features manual and power options as well as charging stations, cup holders and storage trays. Design choices include arm style, wood finish and nailhead trim.
Ashley’s 38401 Austere
When it comes to contemporary styling, this power reclining upholstery series lives up to its name. It features a tailored silhouette, sporty jumbo stitching, nailhead trim, a “weather-worn” finish, and a one-touch power mechanism.
American Leather’s Hudson
Part of its Style in Motion collection, this ergonomically designed motion group can be configured as a sofa or sectional. It features a wall-hugging design, a clean-profile mechanism, continuous support for head, back and legs in one fluid movement, an articulating power headrest, a stainless steel power control with back-lit LED and USB port, and a choice of classic (23”) or European (35”) seat cushion width.
Craftmaster’s L3112
Combining luxury and comfort, this power motion sofa is shown in “Caress 27” leather. It features two fully reclining power seats with hidden controls, coil cushioning, attached backs, nailhead trim, and decorative stitching on the backs, seats and arms. Matching reclining loveseat and reclining chair are also available. Suggested Retail is $1,799.
Ekornes’ Stressless Panorama
Strong and streamlined, this motion sofa features Balance Adapt technology enabling each chair back and seat to automatically adjust the seated position according to body movement. Suggested retail with a mid-grade leather is $5,795.
Flexsteel’s 1559 Jude
This best-selling power reclining group features smooth reclining and adjustable power headrests. Other options include a USB port located at the center of each power button, cup holders, and a storage compartment.
July 11,
2016 by in Product, Youth, Juvenile Furniture
By Trisha McBride Ferguson
There’s nothing pint-sized about the growth of today’s youth furnishings market. The category has experienced steady growth, keeping up with casegoods and tracking slightly behind upholstery. In 2015, youth sales grew 4.9% over the previous year—more than double the 2.1% growth experienced between 2013 to 2014.
Whether it’s the steady growth of U.S. births or consumers’ renewed interest in creating distinctive kid-friendly spaces, the trend is upward. As the children of baby boomers move through their prime child-bearing years, the slow but continued increase in the number of U.S. babies will propel the infant furniture and “Under 5” industries. While the recession slowed rates, births are now projected to grow 3.2% over the next five years and continue a slow ascent over the next 30 years.
The “Under 5” age segment has the highest projected population increase. By 2020, this segment is expected to grow somewhere between 3% and 5.2 %, increasing from 20 million to 21 million. Over the next 10 years, youth ages 5-9 are expected to grow 2.1%.
As one of the industry’s steadily growing segments, today’s youth and baby furniture markets offer retailers and suppliers the opportunity to reach consumers at an earlier age and build lifetime relationships and brand preference.
Standard Furniture’s Magnolia Home
The BOHO styling of Joanna’s Playhouse Canopy Bed brings grown-up style to youth spaces. Available in two finishes (white and salvage), it features a pitched, roof-shaped canopy top, open window pane headboard panel, shiplap head and footboard panels, and sturdy square posts. Suggested retail is $899 in twin.
Walker Edison’s Youth Desks
Small in scale yet big in style, these popular desks offer offer a generous work surface and are constructed of sturdy powder-coated steel and colored, tempered safety glass.
Samuel Lawrence Furniture’s Room Gear
The perfect retreat for today’s active youth, “ClubHouse” group features oak veneers, bronze pipe-inspired accents and antique brass-finished hardware.
Legacy Classic Kids’ Fulton County
Offering under-bed drawers, shelving and cubbies—the Bookcase Lounge Bed is packed with storage. It owes its reclaimed vibe to poplar solids with oak, pecan, hickory and ash veneers complemented by oil-rubbed bronze hardware. Suggested retail is $1,299.
Universal Furniture’s SmartStuff
Fun and functional, the Varsity Bookcase has a corkboard right door covering two adjustable wood shelves. It also features a self-closing lower drawer and a “Jersey” finish over birch veneers.
Capel’s Sailor Boy
Inspired by the fusion of water and sky, this casual area rug unites unites tranquil blues and greens. Handcrafted in North Carolina, it’s reversible and made of cotton chenille. Suggested retail for a 5’ x 6’ round rug is $349.
Trendwood’s Hideout Bed
American-made and kid-tough, this imaginative bed is built of solid Ponderosa pine and available in three stain finishes. It features four under-bed storage drawers and matching case goods are available. Suggested retail for bed as pictured is $699.
Elements International’s Alana
Fit for fairytales, this collection offers a button-tufted, faux leather headboard, delicate bow-tie moldings, and crystal hardware. Storage options include generous drawer sizes and a trundle bed option. Suggested retail is $599.
South Shore’s Mobby
A Twin Loft Bed with stairs is paired with a Twin Trundle bed on casters to turn every bedtime into an adventure. Its streamlined silhouettes are finished in a Morgan Cherry finish. Suggested retail for the Twin Loft Bed is $541.99.
Stanley’s Stone & Leigh
Taking a cue from the popularity of gray in today’s home décor, the Clementine Court collection is designed to grow along with its owner. A classically styled crib converts to a full size headboard and footboard and is also available in a creamy white finish. Suggested retail is $699.