Mountain House Furniture’s Portofino sectional is made of powdered aluminum but features teak inlays on the arms. (Image courtesy of the company)
HIGH POINT—Canadian Outdoor brand Mountain House Furniture is showcasing a product selection at High Point Market that offers a middle ground between high design and low-maintenance durability.
Director of Business Operations Sandra Howell told Furniture Today that the company’s space in the Suites at Market Square “has been fairly quiet traffic wise, (but) we’ve had customers come to get familiar with our product ahead of the causal season.”
The small assortment of product on display reveals a design-forward approach that makes selective use of materials such as teak to lend a high-end look while cutting down on burdensome maintenance for the end customer.
An example of this is seen in the Sonato seating collection, an introduction for 2025.
It includes a three-seater sofa, a curved sectional, conversational set and a hidden motion swivel lounge. The frame and legs are teak, and the pieces make use of wound rope for structure on the back and sides.
“It has proven really popular here at High Point. Customers seem to like a robust teak set as well as the rope detailing on the side,” Howell said. “It’s teak from Indonesia, with quick dry foam and Sunbrella fabric. So it’s got all the top materials used for outdoor furniture. It’s going to last, but it also has a beautiful look.”
Howell also pointed out that, because the teak material is not used in abundance in the pieces, they are less maintenance intensive than other teak products on the market.
“The really nice thick seat cushions make the upholstery the star of the show here, and that is much easier to take care of than a bunch of teak,” Howell remarked.
Another introduction that takes this “touch of teak” approach even further is the Portofino seating collection. A full range of seating, dining, conversational and bar top pieces, its primary media is powder-coated aluminum, with the conversational seating pieces featuring teak inlays in the arms.
“People just love this option for a low-maintenance product,” Howell said. “This is a fantastic set. It also has a swivel and a lounge chair.”
Despite a slower sales picture, Mountain House views its showing at High Point as very valuable from a brand awareness and lead generation perspective.
“For outdoor furniture, this is kind of the time that (retailers) are planning, and they’re looking at ideas, and they’re gathering information on what’s available,” Howell observed.
“No one’s necessarily in a rush, and that’s okay. This is a perfect time for us to showcase new products, show clients what we have, show what we can customize, get ideas in their head. We have gotten some good leads, along with a few really good new accounts that we’re excited for.”
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