Pushing the envelope
Industry Faces
By Tanya K. Merritte -- Kids Today, 11/1/2008 12:00:00 AM
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Who: James Millner, vice president of merchandising, Hooker Furniture
Background: Millner got his start in the industry while in high school. A friend recruited him to work half days as a product engineer at a local manufacturing facility, where he was responsible for drawing the interior parts of the furniture. “Back then, there was no CAD system,” Millner said.
His work garnered praise and suggestions that the budding artist consider attending design school. Millner said he worked for American of Martinsville for a year to save money and then attended the Kendall School of Art & Design in Grand Rapids, Mich., earning a degree in furniture design.
After graduation, Millner took a job at Coleman Furniture in Pulaski, Va., and then moved on to Stanley Furniture, where he worked for 13 years and designed youth furniture. “They had a young designer who wanted to go into a young category,” Millner said. “I was excited about the opportunity” to help establish the category.
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Millner left Stanley for Lea Inds., where he remained for five years before deciding to strike out on his own. “Now with that knowledge, I think I can take the best of both those companies and start my own business,” Millner said of his thought process during that time. He and business partner Marc Katzman launched Opus Designs in spring 2005. Opus Designs was acquired by Hooker Furniture late last year.
The process: Millner said that because of his early experience of only drawing the interior of furniture, he gained a better understanding of how pieces come together. “I understood the inside of the case better than the other guys,” he said. “The value is I can look at a case and figure out the construction without affecting the design.
“That early education in construction formed the basis for the design. I work from the inside out.”
Millner said before deciding what to design next, he reviews the current line to see what is working, what is selling and to make sure there is balance. “I want to have something for everyone,” he said. “I make sure every category is covered.”
When he finds a gap that needs filling, he begins with sketches. He says it can take about two or three weeks to come up with the concept and another three weeks to complete a rendering. Millner says that his methods are a bit unusual because he then draws full-size sketches that he gives to the professional who puts it in the CAD program.
“I like to see it in pencil full size,” he said, explaining that design choices he made in the smaller renderings can change when he draws a product full scale. The full-size drawing leads to the actual design.
Millner said one of the things that makes the Opus Designs by Hooker Furniture collection unique is how it incorporates storage into pieces that are scaled down for a child’s room, which tend to be smaller. Millner said a good example is the use of rounded pieces that fit into small spaces. Several of his collections feature round nightstands, which he said sell well.
Millner said his two favorite collections from the line, which is sold in medium- to high-end stores, are Madeline’s World, an off-white girl’s group with hand-painted floral motifs, and Aura, a contemporary group in a merlot finish with brushed nickel accents and trim. “It’s so clean and it makes a statement without screaming,” he said.
One of the designer’s biggest influences is his 10-year-old son. “I look at the stuff he has – clothes, shoes, electronics, trophies, badges, school books. You have to have places to put all that stuff,” he said. “Kids today have so much stuff.”
Millner said he also pays attention to trends in electronics, which he describes as a quick-changing arena. For example, with the popularity of flat-panel LCD TVs in kids rooms, two-piece armoires make more sense than the traditional design. Parents can buy only the bottom piece and place the TV on it. “It’s just easier,” he explained.
The challenges: As a designer, Millner said on obstacle is getting others onboard with his ideas. “My biggest challenge is getting people to see my vision,” he said. He said there is also a delicate balance between style and function. “Always be creative and always push the envelope a little bit,” Millner said. “Make it practical, yet creative.”
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