ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 20, 1997 TAG: 9704220121
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: HIGH POINT, N.C.
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL/THE ROANOKE TIMES
The bad news is, Mediterranean furniture is back.
If you lived through the 1960s and '70s, surely you remember the first coming of Mediterranean: a profusion of bureaus and tables and cabinets - some of them plastic! - slathered with ornate carvings and dark, glossy finishes.
But the good news, according to manufacturers at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point last week, is that 1997 Mediterranean is not the Mediterranean of 25 years ago.
This time around, manufacturers displaying their wares at the twice-yearly show seemed to be subscribing to the less-is-more school, with simpler carvings, finishes that are lighter and drier and all-wood constructions.
They've even shunned the M-word, describing their collections instead as "coastal European inspired" or "Spanish" or "Old World."
And who can blame them? Back in the 1970s, the trend with Mediterranean-style furniture was to see "just how dirty and how ugly you make it," said John McGhee, senior vice president of sales at Vaughan Furniture Co. Inc. in Galax.
Vaughan's new Old World collection does feature some fairly heavy carving, but not on every inch of wood. That's what killed Mediterranean the first time around, McGhee said: Designers started out with a good idea but just didn't know when to quit. They've learned their lesson now.
"It's simpler. It's casual, but it's a little more dignified," said Wayne Burris, corporate merchan-
dising coordinator for Pulaski Furniture Corp. "It's not just trying to see how many carvings you can put on a door without ripping it off the hinges." Pulaski's new Corsica bedroom suite is in oak with a dry, distressed sandstone finish.
Slightly more ornate is The Lane Co.'s Hearst Castle collection, based on the eclectic furnishings of William Randolph Hearst's California estate, San Simeon. The 65-piece collection, which includes pieces for every room in the house, carries strong Spanish and Italian influences. A signature piece is a four-poster bed translated from a 17th-century Spanish-style bedroom suite, featuring twisted posts and a headboard with sunburst centerpiece.
Other companies that have embraced nouveau Mediterranean include Vaughan-Bassett, Thomasville and Century.
If the thought of even toned-down Mediterranean brings on flashbacks of lava lamps and red velvet, you may be tempted by the far simpler Mission style. This squared-off, rather austere style was as strong as ever at market, with numerous furniture makers showing off their takes on the arts-and-crafts-inspired look.
Bassett's new Grove Park collection started as an attempt to update its Legend line, a Mission-inspired collection introduced several years ago. But the new line ended up noticeably different from the old, with a larger scale; darker, richer finish; and hammered iron, rather than brass, hardware.
As in the Legend collection, Grove Park features dovetail inlays in doors and tops. New is the V-groove glass with lead inlays that decorates the china and dining chests. Other companies introducing Mission lines include Vaughan-Bassett, Sauder, Stickley and Henredon.
Some other new introductions at the market:
Furniture companies are still going after that demanding baby boomer population, which, manufacturers say, wants comfort. Rowe, which last year introduced its Comfortable Stuff by Rowe line of cushiony slipcovered sofas, has expanded the collection. And Stanley came out with slipcovered sofas of its own, plus the Sedgefield II line of casual, country-style bedroom furniture.
Home office and home entertainment are still big sellers among the cocooning set, and they're getting bigger - literally. Manufacturers including Hooker and Stanley introduced computer desks sized to support larger monitors and CPUs. Bassett is offering an armoire designed specifically to house the new Internet TV systems, which typically use large-screen TVs.
And almost all the new home entertainment centers on the market now can house at least 35-inch TVs.
Rowe this market showed off its new Kaydee Rowe line of modular sofas. Kaydee - a play on "KD," furniture lingo for knock-down - sofas are of average size but break down into five pieces for easier storage and moving. They're available in both traditional and slipcover styles.
Can't get enough golf? Both Pulaski and Bassett introduced golf-themed collections this market. Pulaski's line of accent pieces includes a hand-painted chest, trunk and umbrella stand. Bassett's Old Argyle line includes upholstered furniture and accessories.
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. Stanley's slipcovered sofas are aimed at the babyby CNBboomer population, which manufacturers say wants comfort. 2. Pulaski
Furniture's new Corsica nedroom suite is in oak with a dry,
distrssed sandstone finish. 3. Hooker's computer desk is sized to
support larger monitors and cpus. color. 4. Bassett's new
Park collection features dovetail inlays in doors and tops. New is the V-grove glass with lead inlays that decorates china and dining
chests. 5. Lane Co.'s 65-piece Hearst Castle collection carries
strong Spanish and Italian influences. A signature piece is a
four-poster bed translated from a 17th-century Spanish-style bedroom
suite, featuring twisted posts and a headboard with sunburst
centerpeice.