FURNISHING TRENDS

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30846, 3 September 1965, Page 9

FURNISHING TRENDS

There have been many changes in furniture and furniture buying in the last few years. Four or five years ago when television was first introduced, there was a tendency for home owners, as they had done overseas, to buy a television set and then invest in cheaper types of floor coverings and furniture, as the cost of the television had committed so much of their funds.

Now persons have either saved more money after paying cash for their television or paid off the sets they purchased on time payment. Consequently their thoughts are turning to better furniture for the home. Thus stores are noticing that home-owners are now furnishing to a higher

standard, and buying topquality articles. Whereas a few years ago most furniture sold seemed to be in the £4O to £BO, range, today the popular range seems to be in the £7O to £l5O bracket.

Buyers are preferring suites to individual pieces, and particularly popular are the show-wood mahogany suites in the latest Scandinavian styles. A popular fashion is the reversible cushion with a zipped-on cover that can be easily removed for repair or cleaning. Suites with this type of cushion have the added advantage of longer wear. The vinyl-upholstered suites are also quite popular, although not to the extent that had been expected.

In the bedroom furniture line, suites are popular, but many persons are also buying such furniture by the item. The biggest seller in the line is the double bed bedroom suite, which now comes in a wide range of styles. Here again buyers are showing a preference for better quality furniture than was being purchased two years ago. There is now very little interest in wardrobes. This is mainly because many homes now have built-in wardrobes, and at the same time the tendency has been for bedrooms to be built smaller. The average bedroom suite bought today is a three-piece unit comprising double bed, tallboy and duchess. Polished wood is just as popular in bedroom furni-

ture as other furniture and the most popular woods are mahogany and ash. Double beds have not decreased in size and for years have been a standard 4ft 6in wide. However

various styles give different impressions as to size. Electrically-heated mattresses are proving popular with persons buying new mattresses, although the ordinary mattress and electric blanket still claims many adherents. In recent years scatter rugs have become very popular indeed, and here again buyers are showing a preference for the more expensive and better quality items. Prices of £2O to £3O are not unusual.

Wall-to-wall carpets are “the thing” in the modern home, although a few carpet squares are still sold, particularly to persons living in flats. The selection of carpet styles is probably wider today than ever before. In the North Island some stores stock nothing but broadloom because of its popularity, and this type of carpet is expected to become even more popular in Christchurch. Butterfield’s has one of the biggest and most comprehensive collection of carpets in the city, and their showroom also contains some new designs not previously seen in the city. The new showrooms have provided much extra room for the display of carpets. Linoleum is to some extent giving place to both lino tiles and to carpet. It

is, however, the main choice, for kitchen and bathroom areas. Nonetheless modern homes probably have less linoleum and more carpet on their floors than ever before.

In the kitchen tables with plastic laminate tops are very popular, and the wooden table is almost a thing of the past. Laminate surfaced furniture is also finding more and more favour in the livingroom and lounge.