The furniture industry responded to the first signs of a recovery in its business with a plethora of product at this past High Point Market, making the HFN Award of Excellence process all that much more difficult. Selecting the outstanding new products from the market is always a challenge when there are 11 million square feet of showroom space to cover, but when much of it featured new product the task got even harder. Undaunted, HFN’s editors picked a cross-section of significant introductions to feature on the following pages.
BEDDING
HASTENS
Who says a mattress has to be rectangular? Hästens, the venerable Swedish manufacturer, has proven that not only can a bed be round, but it also can be of high quality. The uniqueness of the Excelsior II, aside from its shape, lies in its layered construction: Eight layers of 100 percent cotton and wool, and six layers of hand-placed, genuine horsehair. Priced at $42,900, the Excelsior II is part of the new Continental collection. hastens.com
ECO-FRIENDLY COLLECTION
TURNING HOUSE
The challenge in using vintage, repurposed woods is how to make it look like something other than vintage repurposed wood. Turning House Furniture found a solution with its Ecotek table line which mixes reclaimed wood with new, sustainable birch plywood. The result is a line with a fresh look and a lower price but still an eco-friendly story to tell. Pieces can be used indoors and outdoors and are often combined with iron band accenting. turninghousefurniture.com
FRAMED ART
NATURAL CURIOSITIES
For anyone who says all wall art is starting to look alike, meet Natural Curiosities, which specializes in visuals that are anything but standard issue. This market it introduced its new horse collection, in which each photograph represents the power and magic of these animals. It’s the first time they have ever been used as wall art and they stand apart in their distinctiveness, a trademark of the company. naturalcuriousities.com
MOTION CHAIR
BERKLINE
The perennial battle of comfort versus style in recliners was a tie at Berkline this market as the big motion supplier introduced its French Bistro recliner. The spitting image of a classic silhouette from 1930s Paris, the new chair does all the things a recliner is supposed to do, but with a certain je ne sais quoi not normally seen in the family room. berkline.com
NEW RESOURCE
HOTEL MAISON
The new company that everyone wanted to talk about at market is Hotel Maison, created by legendary furniture figure Judy George in partnership with Steve McKee of Home Furnishings International Brands. Introduced with a massive collection of case pieces, upholstery, accent furniture and accessories, Hotel Maison’s debut ranged from the classic to the contemporary with all stops in between, totaling some 300 pieces in six distinct groupings. hotelmaison.com
TOTAL COLLECTION
SCHNADIG
With the differences between the inside of the house and the outside growing ever more blurred, Schnadig’s new Outside In collection bridges the best of both worlds with a full selection of 17 bedroom, 20 dining and 24 occasional pieces. There are various finishes, materials and silhouettes that take their inspiration from both the European countryside and a weekend in the Hamptons. It might be cottage, but a very stylish cottage. schnadig.com