Youth bedroom makers realistic, but optimistic

PALLISER - The 547 Treehouse has a relaxed, urban casual look in pine solids and veneers. Five bed options are available. Other details include metal drawer glides on nylon rollers, solid-wood drawer boxes, and shaped tops and drawer fronts.

Youth bedroom makers reported some strong introductions here, and most remain cautiously optimistic about the months ahead for the growing category.

Last market saw a proliferation of gender-neutral cottage collections, but solid-feeling boys groups and feminine girls groups stood out this spring. Lea, a youth bedroom major, showed five new groups.

A new boy’s collection, Jackson Creek, with a rugged, distressed look and plenty of storage options, generated “extremely positive” reaction, said Bryan Edwards, Lea’s national vice president of sales. The collection is versatile, a big plus for consumers who want to mix-and-match options.

Lea’s Mackenzie’s Park, a new white painted girl’s collection with Swedish and Italian influences and interesting details, also saw positive reaction.

“We’re thinking in terms of what the consumer would want,” said Edwards. “It’s got to look good, be priced right, and it’s got to have innovation.”

FASHION BED GROUP - The company offers a trundle bed with this Springhill twin bed of transitional styling in hardwoods. The bed comes in finishes of honey maple, white, burnt red and chicory blue.

Lamont Hope, president of Lea, said he remains concerned about consumer buying attitudes because of the war. “Our business, like everyone else’s, is a little soft,” he said.

Vaughan-Bassett introduced Emily’s Cottage, a white girls group that fills the youth cottage category for the company. The group hits sharp price points and
can be merchandised for second bedroom and vacation homes. Gene Clark, vice president of sales for children’s furniture at Vaughan-Bassett, said he came in expecting a quiet market, but he’s not discouraged.

“New product may take a little longer to place than in the past because of everything that’s going on,” he said.

Vaughan-Bassett is working on some different channels of distribution for youth, including specialty stores, Clark said.

Stanley made a splash with its Isabella collection, a white girls’ group with toile fabric accents, carvings and appliqués. Fabric panels are available on the beds in either Ballet Pink or Powder Blue.

HIGHLAND DESIGN - The Carnival collection has a cottage feel in white. The group includes a bed, dresser, drawer chest, nightstand, student desk and junior armoire.

Glenn Prillaman, vice president of product development for Stanley’s Young America, said girls’ white groups continue to be strong sellers, and that Isabella fills a niche in a more formal European traditional look.

Isabella includes several unique pieces, like a dolls’ chest and an 11-drawer bureau, but most interesting is a new crib and changing table, Stanley’s first venture into this arena.

Prillaman said Stanley hopes to sell the cribs to both full-line furniture stores and youth specialty stores, but admits the path to full-line stores will be difficult, although retailers tell him they often turn away shoppers looking for cribs.

Based on response here, Prillaman expects to show cribs in other collections. Vaughan showed a new pine boys’ group, Smoky Mountain Retreat, with physical and finish distressing for a rugged look. The collection includes a tall panel bed that easily could fit a second bedroom, at $350 retail.

LEA INDS. McKenzie’s Park has 25 pieces in a mixture of Italian and Swedish designs, bridging the gap between classic and contemporary. Pieces feature a painted white linen finish, beaded motif on drawer tops, picture frame drawer fronts, shaped and fluted legs, and carved rose overlays on the beds, mirrors and hutch.

The company relaunched last market’s Colours collection, but with fewer color options. President Bill Vaughan said the numerous color options confused some buyers, so the options were cut to two: sea foam and dark blue.

“We came here priced as if it will continue to be slow,” Vaughan said. “We’re selling less than we’d like to, but there’s no sense of panic from the dealers. There’s just a sense that business is slow.”

Standard also showed a new boys’ group, Captain’s Quarters, part of the Kathy Ireland collection. Don Mecke, vice president of sales and marketing, said response had been “excellent.”

Coaster made a big push into kids furniture this market with six juvenile bedroom groups and an entire showroom dedicated to the category. Robert Soussana, project manager for Coaster, said the category eventually could account for 5% to 10% of sales.

Riverside also debuted a licensed collection, Imaginations Youth, based on the children’s book “Inch by Inch.” Michael Charlton, vice president of product development and merchandising, said he has high hopes for the collection.

COLBY - This student loft bed from Colby is shown in the saddlebrook finish, but also is available in honey pine, whitewash, cherry, pecan and natural.

A.P. Inds. remodeled its space to show youth in four distinct lifestyles, based on famous roadways: Pacific Coast Highway, Blue Ridge Parkway, Main Street and 5th Ave.

Gary Bryant, vice president of sales, said different finish and hardware options give the groups completely different looks.

“When we separate them and start talking about lifestyles, buyers understand,” he said.

Bryant said lower attendance can be a blessing in disguise. If fewer people are in the showrooms, buyers shop the lines in more detail, he said.