Heath E. Combs
AT THE MARKET — Sauder is showing a variety of sophisticated country looks as its chief design theme here this week.
The company says the theme is in response to the 80% of American women who cite “country” as their preferred home decorating style. Sauder also is plugging efforts to “right-size,” or to find the right furniture for today’s full house of high-tech devices.
“With TV screen sizes exploding, audio systems shrinking, CD and DVD libraries multiplying and laptops on the loose everywhere, right-sizing means selecting customized support systems for every format and configuration of consumer electronics,” said Doug Krieger, design director for the ready-to-assemble and case goods source.
Sauder is unveiling two groups here, plus dozens of new designs in existing collections, in the right-sizing campaign. The new groups are Shaker Heights, a purist Shaker style, and Genesee, a French country classic.
Shaker Heights is inspired by the signature Shaker design elements of simplicity and function. The collection is constructed of solid wood and wood veneers and finished in a natural cherry tone with the suggestion of a gently worn patina.
Genesee will include entertainment and home office pieces to accommodate the full gamut of 21st century technologies. Its styling suggests softness and Old World elegance with its solid hardwood and wood veneer construction, delicately tapered feet, arched aprons, and antique brass hardware.
Other introductions also include an entertainment credenza with ample storage and technology-aware design detail.
Sauder is also addressing the demand for bedroom and dining options at modest price points with designs that include a techno-outfitted loft bed geared to the youth market, and Shaker-inspired dining pieces in a versatile natural cherry finish. Solid wood construction and wood veneers are featured in the new collections.
The loft bed is part of the Pine Cone and Cottage Town collections. The design combines generous sleeping space with ample low-tech and high-tech storage capability, allowing families to maximize space with a hip alternative to standard sleep solutions.
In response to continuing consumer interest in new looks for bedroom furnishings, the company is adding a range of bedroom items to its Mill Pond and Brookstone collections.
Home office setups also are undergoing a dramatic transformation as laptops replace desktops, and wireless technologies allow the workplace to migrate from room to room. Sauder is designing a variety of casual office solutions for this nomadic work trend.
Entertainment and home office items are new in several of its existing collections, including the company’s popular Harbor View, Orchard Hills, Colony, Brookstone, Touchstone, Northlight, Del Ray, Mission, WillowFalls, Vizio, Bradford and Heritage Hill collections.
“Since the average American home now boasts more TV sets than people,” Krieger said, citing Nielsen Media research, “it should be no surprise that televisions are leading the charge in electronic purchases with the latest TV technologies, especially plasma and LCD flat-panel 16:9 formats, spearheading consumer demand.”
