High Point highlights
By Tom Edmonds -- Furniture Today, November 3, 2003
After a slump of more than two years, home office appears to be firming up, and that was reflected at the just-concluded High Point market by the more aggressive introductions from several key players.
"Demand is stronger across the board," said Mike Charlton, senior vice president for Riverside. "It might be pent-up demand, but interest in the category has definitely picked up."
At market, high-end resources such as Hekman and Sligh beefed up their modular and executive collections while more moderately priced resources such as Martin and Hooker used imports to add face and function to their lines at value prices. Three new licensed SOHO collections also hit the market. Hooker's relationship with Faith Popcorn expanded with the colorful Canyon Cocoon collection. Z-Line Designs took the wraps off its Maxim magazine collection, and Martin added home office to a couple of Kathy Ireland Home case goods patterns.
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The cross-matched birch veneers and smoked glass privacy panel in this Italian import collection add a new contemporary flavor to the Sauder Woodworking line, as well as a step up in pricing, with the desk retailing at $699.
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Furniture makers have been building surge protectors into desks for years, but O'Sullivan Furniture takes the next step in convenient connectivity with its Digital Satellite, which offers an RJ-45 connection for broadband Internet, five USB ports for peripherals and power.
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Z-Line Designs' new Maxim collection features numerous metal and glass pieces for entertainment and office, but the licensed collection also includes this wood office group, with the desk at $399 retail and the credenza-hutch combination at $499.
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The UV laser-print finish on Tvilum-Scanbirk's Browser office collection achieves the look of veneers at price points associated with flat-pack laminate finishes. This L configuration will retail for $499.
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Several producers reported that computer armoires are back, including Riverside Furniture with this new Meridian collection model at $999 retail. Demand is strong again as consumers have a clear need for guest-room office furniture that allows them to hide their work.
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A well-received addition to Hooker's Faith Popcorn SOHO series, Canyon Cocoon features four base colors to go with the oak tops, including the cranberry tone on this lateral file with apothecary-style drawer.
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A new coffee finish on the Madison modular collection hit a happy contemporary note for d-Scan, offering veneer styling at a moderate step up from laminate price points.
