Youth furniture offerings ‘grow up’ with children
Whether it’s a room fit for a princess, a cowboy or one cool dude, today’s youth furniture is keeping pace with a growing market.
In recent years, the trend has shifted away from disposable or pass-along furnishings toward children’s bedroom furniture designed to last more than 15 years — furniture that “grows up” with the child.
At the recent Spring 2006 market in High Point, N.C., furniture manufacturers trotted out their youth collections and it was clear companies recognize “parents and their offspring alike want furniture choices that are designed and build to last. They also look for style and an easy level of sophistication that’s appealing to the youngest tastes,” says Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance.
Quality, safety and convertibility are issues, although some designs take flights of fancy meant to appeal directly to the younger set. There also are grown-up pieces that look equally at home in an adult’s bedroom.
Stanley’s new Young America collection, “Surfer’s Chase” is a 30-piece group that is masculine in design and its ability to take hard knocks from active children, while sporting a little sassy island attitude with woven raffia and cherry finishes. Stand-alone pieces can be configured in numerous ways, including a bunk bed that converts into a single bed. A bed with reading lights and plenty of storage round out the collection.
“Overall, the various forms of media attractions that can now be found in a child’s room has increased the amount of time kids are spending in their rooms. This leads to more of the family’s disposable income going towards making the child’s room more of a haven than just a place to sleep,” Stanley’s Young America product manager Glenn Prillaman told Baby Shop, the trade magazine representing juvenile product retailers.
“We continue to see parents sacrifice spending on other rooms in the home for the child’s room. We have retailers whose customers buy Young America yet consider our adult goods too expensive for their needs.”
Broyhill’s comfortable design and livability quotient, “Ready, Set, Grow,” is aimed at children ages 3 to 11. It starts with the child’s first grown-up size bed and transports them into the teen years with desks and hutches made for computers and video games, with ample storage for plenty of kids’ stuff.
The company’s “Brittany” bedroom group, in a creamy white finish with flower borders on posts and crowns, is sure to make any little girl’s heart sing.
In a more formal vein, Pulaski’s Edwardian Youth Collection features a bed with carved arch crown and a dresser with carved pilasters, carved base overlays, and antique brass finish hardware on its six dovetailed drawers.
For the little cowboy or cowgirl, Klaussner expands its youth line with Cody & Cold, named for noted outdoorsman and artist Dick Idol’s children. Continuing to build on Klaussner’s successful Homeworks Collection launched last year, the Cody & Colt program offers smaller-scale pieces sized just right for kids’ rooms, cozy condos or mom and dad’s second home. The comfortable collection of traditional pieces features a two-tone, warm honey finish embellished with bronzed detailing and hardware.
Part of the La-Z-Boy Kidz line, Emma’s Treasures is one of three new youth collections from Lea, offering an immensely popular “shabby chic” look complete with carved details and “secret” compartments for little girl treasures.
The two new collections for boys include Austin, with a new tri-bunk (full-size bed with convenient trundle underneath and bunk above) and Deer Run, which features a full-over-full bed configuration that’s perfect for consumers in search of function and versatility. www.wcfcourier.com
