Vegas sees resurgence in feminine youth looks
Tanya K. Merritte -- Kids Today, 1/31/2008 7:12:00 AM
Feminine furniture groups have made a resurgence in the youth category here this week. Dainty pulls, floral accents and girlish colors are popping up on pieces designed for tots to teens.
Broyhill Home Furnishings introduced four youth groups, including Halsten. The collection is offered in two finishes – pine and a head-turning mint with a rubbed-through distressed look. The mint case goods have pine tops, allowing mix and match options. The collection includes three bed choices: a sleigh bed, a bookcase headboard and a panel headboard with an eyelet cane design. Details include an oval-shaped cameo mirror, clear knobs and subtle carvings on all pieces.
South Shore’s Anais group features a bright white finish with pink-tinted pulls and a removable appliqué of hot pink flowers that comes with each piece in the collection. Acme Furniture’s Flora group, which skews slightly younger, has a more traditional floral motif along with clear pulls. Powell’s Morgan, the female equivalent of its popular Monster and Z-Bedroom metal groups, is designed to last into the teens and includes pieces such as a loft bed, $650, and a storage media box, which have a uniform dimple pattern on the panel fronts.
In the infant category, Berg is showing the Crib n’ Twin, a crib with two drawers underneath and three on each end panel. The crib converts to a twin bed and a student desk with the purchase of a desktop surface and twin headboard. Simmons Juvenile Furniture is showing several new infant furniture collections. Keith Bluestein, director of sales, said Simmons plans to add twin beds, nightstands and bookcases to all of its current collections. “We’ve had a lot of requests for nightstands and bookcases,” he said, adding the move also makes sense as Simmons is going after placement in more adult furniture stores. The new pieces will start shipping in April.
With the ongoing wave of product recalls in the juvenile because of lead and other concerns, many manufacturers here are stressing the safety and health features of their product. Khoury Furniture is launching the 12-SKU Louisville collection, an ash group that is Smartwood certified by the Rainforest Alliance and uses water-based, non-toxic finishes, said Daniel Khoury, owner and CEO.
John Boyd, owner of John Boyd Designs, said that an increasing number of buyers and end customers want to know where product is made and the production standards. “We are made in the USA, and we are lead free,” Boyd said, noting that information is prominently displayed on product hang tags.
