Restoration Hardware......the world has gone mad

[Steve at Silverstone Fabrics]

Hey Group. Have you seen the 2012 Restoration Hardware catalog? If you have not, then you need to see what the "next" hot trend might be....."Deconstructed" furniture.

Here is a link:  http://www.restorationhardware.com/content/promo.jsp?id=263001

Here is a link to a well written reaction to "deconstructed" furniture that appeared in the Kansas City Star: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/04/03/3533674/catalog-scout-restoration-hardwares.html

This trend could be good news for all of the reupholsterers of the world.........furniture straight from the manufacturer that is ready to be upholstered.

Steve Terry

[MinUph]

Ive seen this in several home already. I don't think it is going to help the re upholstery business yet. It is a new style that seems to be taking hold.

[sofadoc]

There is a "niche" market for this type of furniture. But my observation so far is that those who prefer this style want to leave it "as is". They buy it as a novelty piece rather than for practical use. And if it did really catch on widespread, then it wouldn't be a novelty anymore.
So far, it hasn't resulted in any work for me.

Besides, am I going to charge less because there's less teardown?  Nope.

[gene]

I've had two interior designers talk about this in the past month.

This past week I cut and hemmed two painters' drop cloths to hang 10" all around on two very large dining room tables. This is a part of the same trend.

gene

[bobbin]

I'm way too much of a fabric junkie to want that sort of thing in my home.  I also had to wonder about the amount of dust it might shed... what with so many people suffering from debilitating allergies these days...

[mike802]

This style would force many manufactures to raise their quality, no longer could they hide their plywood frames with blown out ends from multiple staples, or the huge knots in the middle of of a frame members, or the loosely stapled knotty oak board so they could advertise "hardwood frame" they would also have to nix the cardboard.

P.S I just realized this stuff looks like most of the furniture in my house!  LOL

[Gregg @ Keystone Sewing]

That cool, I didn't see anything like this until now.  I guess people want the 'quality and workmanship' to show off?  Try this with an cheap import, with glued clap board, weak frames and junk.

[sofadoc]

I don't think that many customers will buy that furniture with the intention of having it FULLY reupholstered. If they intend to have it fully recovered, then they can just buy a junker at a thrift store instead of paying over $600 for a half-done chair (and THEN paying the upholsterer on top of that).

This trend could be good news for all of the reupholsterers of the world.........furniture straight from the manufacturer that is ready to be upholstered.

I'm not counting THOSE chickens until they hatch ;D

[scottymc]

How am I supposed to cover up my mistakes? ;)

[gene]

Scotty, on furniture like that I would charge more for any mistakes I made.   ;D

When I'm in a house where they are remodeling or building, and they have the wall studs up but not the plaster, I always comment, "I like the decor. Early Appalachian, right?" I guess this will be the next trend in multi million dollar homes.

gene

[DDandJ]

I see that Ralph Lauren has jumped on the "deconstructed" furniture too.  His newest chair sells at Horchow for a mere $3,500. 

How crazy is home fashion?  Strip half the fabric off the chair, slap a fancy name on it and triple the price.  I should have attemped this strategy on the last chair I recovered.

Personally, its a look I don't like.  It's kinda like crunchy peanut butter:  it's not finished...

[gene]

I took a picture but forgot to bring my camera home.

I am doing two wing back chairs and I have the deck and inside arms/back finished. I got a chuckle thinking that it would be great to be finished at this point, and, I could charge double for it.   :D

gene