Equal to world’s best furniture

Press, 25 May 1977, Page 4

Equal to world’s best furniture

Retailers and members of the public at the Canterbury Furniture Show will see furniture equal to that found anywhere else in the world, according to the chairman of the furniture trade group of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association (Mr K. C. Watson). “The very best furniture that New Zealand manufacturers have to offer will be on display and it is right up with the styles and designs that are fashionable overseas,” said Mr Watson. “Tastes in furnishings seem to be moving away from the light and towards darker furniture,” he said. “The natural finish to wooden furniture is disappearing quickly and the demand seems to be more for the walnut stains.

“The bulky lounge suites are still gaining in popularity and a preference for suites that are covered to the floor, rather than with visible legs, seems to be increasing.

"One of the clearest trends is the move towards matched settings or the adoption of one theme throughout the lounge and dining room suites.

"The demand for a complete range of furniture, of the same or similar design, is certainly causing the manufacturers to think a bit harder about their products.” One of the biggest problems facing the furniture manufacturer was getting the right fabric for lounge and dining room suites, said Mr Watson. "The velour and dralon fabrics which are becoming increasingly popular

all have to be imported. There is just nothing like them in this country,” he said. “The problem is that the price of importing them is prohibitive because they carry a 47.5 per cent duty rate. “Most of this type of

furnishing fabric is imported from Japan or Germany and the high duty is forcing the cost of furniture up.” Mr Watson said he believed the duty on the same material when imported to Australia was only 5 per cent.