At High Point -- Youth sources eye two main targetst
By Marc Barnesl -- Kids Today, 4/1/2006
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| Powell’s No. 354 Z Bedroom sports a sleek contemporary, floating cantilever design and custom-machined, solid-aluminum drawer pulls. |
HIGH POINT -- Youth furniture sources are aiming at two distinct targets with their introductions this spring.
Some manufacturers are offering furniture clearly intended for younger children with bright colors and kid-friendly motifs. And for older children, introductions include furniture for girls with Victorian influences and collections for boys with new loft systems, more storage and space set aside for gaming consoles.
At the same time, many producers are offering collections designed with more of an adult look and feel, which can be used during childhood, college and into first apartments.
Powell Furniture, for one, is pursuing both of these directions this market, with retail price points for beds running between $499 and $599, according to John Conrad, vice president of merchandising.
For young children, Powell will be featuring the Sunday Funnies collection, which includes a sleigh bed, loft bed and other pieces, all in four pastel colors that can be mixed and matched.
Other introductions include the No. 354 Z Bedroom for boys, a full-sized loft constructed with an all-black steel frame and coordinating pieces; and Arcadia, which comes in a dark oak finish and has influences from the Arts & Crafts period.
In addition, Powell will be expanding its Bedroom In A Box collection to include Alexis, a cottage style in painted finishes; Spencer, in cherry; Evan, in merlot; and a student Home Office In A Box unit, which will include a desk and desk chair.
At Lea Inds., Johne Albanese, vice president of marketing, said that the company’s new offerings include Emma’s Treasures, an eclectic bedroom group for girls that features a shabby chic look in an antique white finish.
“We did a significant amount of research and brought together eclectic but familiar items to create the perfect room,” said Albanese. “It is Victorian but not quite as Victorian as an adult bedroom would be.”
Other introductions at Lea include two groups for boys — Austin, in a honey oak finish, and Deer Run, in cherry. Loft beds are included in both groups. And in Deer Run, the beds can be combined with trundle units to provide sleeping space for five, which is useful in a resort home. Pieces within the collections are available at retail price points from $199 to $999.
This market, Riverside Furniture is bringing out the Spring Street collection, a cottage style finished in white with picket fence headboards. Some of the pieces within the collection will be in clear spring green, antique black and soft blue, according to Linda Owen, vice president of marketing.
Riverside also is bringing out a loft collection in metal and oak in a casual contemporary style. Other youth intros include new twin-sized beds, computer desk and side tables.
At Stanley’s Young America, Glenn Prillaman, senior vice president of marketing and sales, said introductions will include Surfer’s Chase, a collection for boys with an island look in cherry and maple on select pieces. The collection includes louvered detailing on headboards and door fronts.
Young America’s Young Authors boys collection includes a bed with a reading light and a padded raffia headboard, mirror and tall chest. The bed features storage within the platform on both sides.
On the case pieces, drawers are larger and deeper to accommodate the bigger clothing sizes that boys generally have.
Sets within the collection will sell in the range of $899, similar to other collections within the line, Prillaman said.
Within many of the collections, a loft system provides a variety of different ways the bed, desk and chest can be arranged to suit the needs of a particular room. And an entertainment center features a drop-down drawer front so that it can be used as a computer desk or gaming station.
At Legacy Kids, General Manager Lee Boone said that Lauren, a girl’s group, will be offered in a two-tone antique white finish, with cherry tops on the dresser. Lauren has some Victorian overtones, but is softer and more casual and is being marketed to older girls. Beds will sell up to $499 and case pieces up to $599 at retail.
“It is in larger proportions and has more shaping,” Boone said. “It is not too small for when the girl is fully grown and it’s not too small for them to take to college or their first apartment.”
With that in mind, Lauren is more solidly built, so that it will last longer.
Other features include hidden storage wings next to the mirror, a hidden drawer in the base rail of a chest, bookcase headboards and cane mounted on panels for added appearance and durability.
In one of its offerings, Palliser is marketing to the same group. Sophie, a white cottage group with modern lines that features a canopy bed, is aimed at older girls — and the set could be used later as a master bedroom. Sophie prices will run between $299 and $499 retail.
Joan Sikorsky, Palliser’s product manager for youth, said two other groups will be offered in veneers. In addition, a loft bed program is being launched across six major collections.
The boys’ group, called Spencer, features a dark oak finish with bronze accents and clean, modern styling. Spencer also will feature a loft bed in veneer and metal with similar finish combinations, Sikorsky said.
Palliser also is introducing Bardot, a girls’ bedroom in maple veneer with a deep burgundy finish. The bed is a curved sleigh bed, intended to be used both in youth and small master bedrooms.
“The style statements are for kids as they get older and the products can carry kids through (into adulthood), ” said Sikorsky. “And many of us have smaller quarters today, with small apartments and condominiums.”
