HIGH POINT — The response to lighter finishes in April influenced several introductions debuting in the Global Views showroom at this October’s market, along with the company’s commitment to surprising its customers with products not seen in every showroom.
Nodding to consumer sentiment that there is no “one size fits all” when referencing design preferences, CEO David Gebhart said that Global Views is focused on creating “relaxed, comfortable designs with a stylish feel” that will stand the test of time.
“As trends continued to lean towards lighter, natural wood tones, we saw success in providing beautifully crafted natural oak-finished furniture in the Ashley Childers for Global Views’ Paxton Collection at April Market,” Gebhart said. “For October, we’re expanding our furniture offerings in lighter oak wood tones in three distinctly different collections.
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“Ashley Childers is designed the clean, curved lines of the new Luna and Tristan Collections, while Creative Director George Sellers designed the elegant Directoire Collection that features a Neoclassical architectural style silhouette. Also, we will be reintroducing our sleek and sophisticated Mack collection in natural oak, which our customers will love.”
Global Views is pairing the lighter wood tones with “inspiration from the harmonious hues of the natural agate stone,” according to Gebhart.
“Our color story for High Point Market offers varying shades of ivory, toffee, tobacco, and amber highlighted with bronze and gold accents,” he said. “We’re introducing new materials like terracotta in the Villa Collection that can be used indoors as well as outdoors. As always, we’re staying true to the Global Views brand by introducing new artisan-crafted accents from Italy, Poland, Portugal and Mexico.”
One of the artisanal décor lines debuting at April market is Claraval, a sound-made Portuguese ceramic collection. Global Views is the first U.S. manufacturer to show Claraval, a line that combines art, technology and innovation in one collection.
According to Claraval representatives, the process of creating the debut line began with recording an “amazing voice in a spaciously beautiful monastery in Alcobaça, Portugal.” Following the recording, a computer program maps the coordinates for the base of the design, then allows the sound of the voice to create the shape that builds from there. Once completed, the digital design is 3D printed into a mold that’s then used to create slip-molded ceramic vases.
For the current collection, the vessels are only available in a white finish “as a tribute to the Cistercian aesthetic of the monastery which prohibited all colored and patterned stained glass,” officials said, noting that only colorless stained glass was allowed for light to pass through as clean, pure and white, a contrast to “a chaotic digital world.”
The Claraval launch is just one part of Global Views focus on the unexpected for fall and beyond, Gebhart said.
“Reinvention is our key direction and priority in 2024,” he noted. “While holding on to the tried and true, we’ll venture out beyond our own comfort zones to create the unexpected surprise we’ve become known for producing.”
And along with unique product presentations, Global Views will continue to build on the success of its partnerships within the industry.
“Wisdom and good stewardship of the brands we build is as important as maintaining the financial integrity of each business within our industry,” Gebhart said. “None of us can forget what brought us to where we are today, and we need to be mindful and thankful for all we have and all that we have achieved.”