Thomas Russell
LAS VEGAS — Aspenhome will launch its first whole home collection at the July market here, marking the latest stage of the importer’s merchandising strategy.

Barolo, a 100-plus piece collection of bedroom, dining room, home office,

home entertainment, occasional and leather, is named after a famous prize wine from northern Italy.

It is in traditional style with Italian Renaissance design influences, with custom hardware and structural elements such as pilasters, diamond-shaped panels and chamfered edges, reflecting lifestyle and architectural elements of Verona and the surrounding mountain and lake regions of northern Italy.

In development for about 18 months, Barolo is sourced entirely from China. Available in a relaxed aged finish, its case pieces feature pecan and walnut veneers and birch veneers and solids.

The group falls in the upper end of Aspenhome’s line, although specific price points weren’t available. Shipping is expected to begin in mid fall.

“It is much more design oriented,” said Jena Hall, vice president of marketing. “There is a high perceived value in terms of the details and scale of the pieces.”

Aspenhome, originally known as Aspen Furniture, long has offered home office and home entertainment furniture. It expanded into leather in October 2004 and bedroom in April 2012. The bedrooms were extensions of the Napa and Skyline home entertainment and home office groups. Barolo represents its first foray into dining room.

“The decision to expand into a full-line furniture provider was made almost three years ago,” said Aspenhome General Manager Bill Colegrove. “Aspenhome, for all rooms in the home, was created because our dealers were encouraging us to move into categories beyond home office and entertainment.”

Barolo required extensive planning to launch the entire collection at one time, Colegrove said, and to ensure high-quality product.

The entire collection won’t quite fit into the company’s 9th floor World Market Center showroom. Hall said most, but not all, of the pieces will be shown. She added the company plans major introductions at High Point markets.

“We are definitely committed to our April and October markets in High Point,” she said. “This does not signal a departure from having important product introductions at those markets.”

But Hall said it makes sense to launch Barolo at Las Vegas given its large draw of customers from across the United States. “From a style perspective, this will appeal to customers in the Southeast, Northeast and West,” she said.