FURNITURE NOVELTY.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17721, 24 March 1923, Page 18

FURNITURE NOVELTY.

METAL SUITE PRODUCED. (r»OM OUB OWlf COBBBSPORBWrrJ SAN FRANCISCO, February 18. Whoever invented the oft-disproven fallacy that "there's nothing new under the sun," may receive another jolt, for there has recently been evolved m the United States a bedroom set, complete in all its details, made entirely of metal. , A The substitution of metal for wood in furniture has progressed to a certain degree, as Antipodeans are already aware, but heretofore one could almost detect the metal, either in appearance or by its resonant sound. Besides, metal furniture has been confined m the past to office and factory requirements, particularly in some of the big fireproof buildings also. But the new innovation is furniture for the home built entirely of metal, even to the imitation "cane" seats and insets for decorative purposes. Twin beds, chairs, both rocker and straight, tables and boudoir dressers are among the articles-made of all-metal, and they were on exhibition at a big furniture exhibition staged in San Francisco in Februry, naturally attracting universal attention. It is all a new idea; in fact, the first samples of the new art, for the imitation of the wood finish, the decorations and the designs all were works of art, only arrived in California from the East a few days before the opening of the semi-annual furniture dealers' convention in San Francisco, and were admired not only by the hundreds of delegates from all over Western America but by thousands of interested visitors from the general public class. The bedroom suite on display in the Furniture Exchange building was the second manufactured in the United States. No dealer, all experts in furniture, was able to detect that the metal bedroom suite did not consist of wood; in fact, each one who visited the exhibit hardly could believe that the furniture with the baked finish in two colours was imitation of black walnut and not the real wood. Demand Phenomenal. The demand from all over the country, in the few weeks the furniture has been on display, has been pnenomenal, hotels in particular wisning to substitute the metal furniture for their wooden equipment. The demand on the Pacific Coast has warranted the decision to construct in San Francisco a large factory to be devoted entirely 'to the manufacture of these products, according to Mr Allen T. Cruncher, Pacific Coast sales manager for the Simmons Company, manufacturers, inventors, and designers ot the new furniture. This factory will be started in a few months, it is expected. . - In the course of an interesting statement, relative to this furniture innovation, Mr Crutcher said there were two objections to overcome in substituting metal for wood in home furniture construction, namely, the metallic sound and the easily scratched surface. By lining each piece of furniture with asbestos cloth, it had been found that the metallic sound could be subdued until it resembled that of wood, while baking on enamel in the same fashion that the hardy finishes of automobiles were applied, made metal furniture more impervious to scratches than even wood itself. "This coating is so Bard," said Mr Crutcher, "that even a burning cigarette or cigar will not mar it," and he demonstrated by placing his ignited cigar on the handsome "walnut" finish of the dresser. "It takes a very sharp point to scratch it, too," be continued, as he rubbed his thumb nail over the surface without leaving the slightest trace of a mark. Some of the reasons why householders in 'the future will buy metal furniture in preference, to wood, were stated by Mr Crutcher to be: Cheaper, more durable, takes a uniform polish, which wood does not, fireproof, dust proof, rodent proof, will not warp, all drawers fit tightly but do not stick. The furniture is made of oold rolled furniture steel. The more dainty pieces of furniture made of steel will be more durable and lasting than wood because of their greater strength. At present only bedroom sets are being manufactured at the home factory at Kenosha, Wisconsin, but at the factory to be erected in San Francisco there will be made furniture for every room in the house.