Hooker Furnishings showcased Driftwood, a new case goods collection, alongside Donovan, a three-piece modular sectional at Premarket.
HIGH POINT — Consumers have more exposure to design choices than ever before through current and emerging technologies, and numerous showrooms at High Point are answering the call with curated collections that merge product options with manufacturing efficiencies, an “eclectic by design” approach.
Across several price points, upholstery and case goods showrooms at Premarket were highlighting furniture introductions that provide retailers with programs that allow consumers to create “eclectic by design” interiors that eschew matching sets.
The mix-and-match approach mirrors the style preference that many consumers desire, but often struggle with, in their own homes and adds a cohesive design element that translates well on retail floors.
Hooker’s new Driftwood collection includes three finishes (Worn Saddle, Buckboard and Burnt Timber) that can be mixed throughout a variety of interiors. One of the latest additions to Hooker’s “Collected Living,” Driftwood is shown throughout the showroom in a variety of settings, from a Yellowstone-reminiscent luxury ranch aesthetic when paired with the Donovan leather sectional to a more traditional interior vibe when shown in Burnt Timber against a dark painted backdrop.
Thirty-five new additions in the Mélange collection also support the “eclectic by design” approach. Defined as showstoppers by company officials, intros in Mélange incorporate three lifestyles: the Traditionalist, the Naturalist, and the Modernist, each with a distinctive product personality.
The Commerce & Market group at Hooker also offers three lifestyle looks: Coastal Cottage, Eco Chic and Boho. A range of sizes and price points, in addition to a variety of materials, underscores the design flexibility in the group.
Flexibility, cohesion
Universal is introducing the Montclair collection, as well as a new collection for Coastal Living, and both highlight design flexibility as well as cohesion.
Montclair features 39 SKUs in warm tones and smaller scale, while Oasis, the fourth Coastal Living collection, has 86 SKUs and highlights unique materials including twisted abaca and sintered stone.
“There are seven beds, five dressers, four dining tables and six dining chairs in the collection, and we’re mixing materials and finishes to create numerous options,” said Shannon Lookabill, vice president of product development. “Coastal Living is a lifestyle, and people relate to it even if they are not coastal.”
Universal is also offering a mix of domestic and imported upholstery with both ready-to-ship and custom options. The flexibility allows retailers to customize as needed for their stores while also providing an underlying synergy between products.
“We’ve focused on making Universal unique, and we are now a differentiated offering for brick-and-mortar retailers as well as designers,” said Sean O’Connor, president. “We can support our retailers in getting product on the floor at a price point as well as offer special orders.
“Our ready-to-ship product is immediate delivery, and we also have 35 fabrics to choose from that are four-to-six week delivery time, as well as a custom program that is six-to-eight weeks. We can meet them where they need to be.”
At A.R.T. Furniture, the new Eave collection showcases a variety of finishes and materials that can be incorporated into a room as distinctive accent pieces that create an eclectic addition to dining, living and bedroom groups.
A notable green finish for the group adds an artisanal, nature-inspired vibe and complementary accent hue to numerous wood finishes.
Custom options have been in demand for a while, but the ubiquitous amount of furniture and design information available to consumers suggests that personalized interior spaces will be the desired norm rather than the exception across all income demographics for some time to come.
However, with consumers who aren’t interested in creating their own curated designs in mind, manufacturers are offering product groups that do the work for them and add visual intrigue to retail floors.
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