Top lines in latest furniture design

Press, 22 June 1984, Page 13

Top lines in latest furniture design

The DIC has bought top lines of the latest in furniture design to display in its new-look Christchurch showroom.

The DlC’s central buyer for furniture, Mr Mike Ellis, was at the recent four-day Canterbury Furniture Fair, at Addington Raceway, to look over the diverse range of furniture from more than 50 exhibitors.

He was impressed with the displays and has secured for the DIC designs from several companies. These new pieces will be part of the store’s huge furniture offering when the DIC celebrates the present opening of its new-style showroom, which will continue until tomorrow.

Mr Ellis says he has purchased highlights from the stands which will appeal to all DIC customers.

Representatives of the manufacturers and designers will be at the DIC to talk with customers and will be able to discuss individual styling. One of the choices for

display in the up-dated showroom on the second floor is furniture from Morgan Bros, Ltd. Mr Ellis said: “Morgans are leaders in lounge furniture for quality and they give very good value for money.”

The new Homestead lounge suite will be presented at the DIC. Mr Ellis described it as superb. It had show wood used in a refined way. The look was tailored with sophisticated sewing. The Homestead is covered in Fonteyn Natural dralon and has padded arms, backs and seats. It has been created from a mixture of European and American styling to make it extremely comfortable. Exposed dark wood, an American influence, is used for the frame and the suite has curved, ladder back and straight rail sides. The sewing is European style and features gathering — a trend in the new relaxedlook upholstery designs.

The suite consists of a two-seat settee and two chairs.

From Morgans, Mr Ellis has bought the Prince setting. In natural oak with the soft Dralon Fonteyn covering, it retails at $1399. “It has a very convenient butterfly extension and is a style that is very different,” Mr Ellis said. “It is one of the best designs I have seen in dining room furniture.” DIC has also bought the Coburg suite. Mr Ellis describes it as a co-ordinated lounge and dining suite of superb quality. The lounge suite costs $1699 and the ' dining suite $1399. DIC has bought from Vita New Zealand, Ltd, bed settees in cotton prints. They open out to a good-sized bed and are being sold at $249, which the DIC describes as an exceptionally good price. Also on show will be a modern two-seater from the Skipton range. This is another cotton print style and sells for $299. A corner suite costing $761 is another Vita piece on display.

Mr Ellis describes the Auckland company, Castle Furniture, as an innovator in bedroom furniture manufacturing and says the company offers one of New Zealand’s biggest ranges. DIC has bought a mix and match setting which breaks away from the traditional plain units and offers people more style when they are putting together a bedroom suite. The White Peal look was a set of bedroom furniture •that would be ideal for children’s rooms with its louvred fronts, moulded tops and hard wearing quality. Also from Castle was the Washington setting. Original and definitely new to bedroom furniture, it included drawers with a front panel which could be covered in any fabric, possibly to match the curtains or bed coverings. It will sell at the DIC for $1299.

Sleepwell Bedding will also be represented at the DIC. Of special interest will be an electric bed featuring a massage unit.

Woolrest will have its representative, Mr Jim Judd, at the DIC to talk about the mattress overlay which has become popular.

“Mr Judd was involved in the development of the overlay from the beginning, and can tell people everything about it. He is really worth talking to,” Mr Ellis said.

Mr Ellis, who has been in the furniture business for about 12 years, says the DIC has tremendous advantages in the furniture market because it has a central buying system. “We can purchase the best at the most realistic prices,” said Mr Ellis, who buys for all DIC stores, from Invercargill to Hamilton.

He has been with DIC for two years and a half, and his career has taken him through all aspects of the furniture business, from manufacturing to retailing. With regular trips to Auckland, Mr Ellis says he is able to keep in touch with the latest in design and

trends in the furniture world.

But, he says, Christchurch is as much a centre for furniture as Auckland. It is a definite leader and products are always offered at good prices. Freight across Cook Strait had made it difficult for furniture from one island to compete in the other, but the DIC had overcome this to some extent through its buying methods. They were able to offer promotional lines and had been able to keep prices down.

Mr Ellis says he buys furniture to suit everyone, as customers represent a wide range of tastes and have different priorities when furnishing thenhomes.

It was not unusual for customers to take eight weeks to make their choice, but it did not matter how long they took, as long as they felt they had purchased the furniture that was right for them.