Bellini Modern Living. Rockford Wholesale. Steve Silver Furniture. Furniture of America. Sunpan.
That is a short list of full-line manufacturers who brought outdoor furniture to High Point Market. Whether just getting into the category or expanding their selection, these exhibitors didn’t bring just one or two pieces.
The dedication these companies have to the category is clear by the broad offerings available in High Point, and it’s proving to be a powerful category for full-line retailers and manufacturers alike. Many are taking popular indoor designs and making them outdoor-safe, a strategy that’s showing success as the line between the indoors and outdoors continues to blur.
From modular sofas to outdoor lighting, fire pits and more, retailers already in the category could find anything they wanted this market. But more importantly, those who were not in the category are offered an easier way in with partners they’ve already worked with and trust.
In addition to the trend of full-line companies carrying outdoor furniture, a few product trends revealed themselves this spring as well.
Fully upholstered outdoor seating
Flexsteel was just one of many to bring fully upholstered outdoor furniture to the market, and its Sky offers that as well as the company’s patented Blue Steel Spring seat system — now engineered to weather the elements.
The collection is customizable, featuring modular components, and includes a custom protective cover for each seat that retailers can provide free of charge to consumers.
Flexsteel’s cushions are protected by a double-wrapped waterproof cover to prevent water from entering the cushion. This was a broader trend at the market, with others like Bellini Modern Living also wrapping their fully upholstered cushions in a similar material. However, Bellini was the only company offering furniture that could float in a pool.
Lights, camera, action!
Palecek is a leader in outdoor lighting and it showed in a brand-new showroom at 200 N. Hamilton where the company had ample space to display a wide variety of its outdoor furnishings. Lighting took center stage, as all types — from table lamps to giant hanging bowl lights that make a statement — were scattered around the on-trend furniture.
Speaking of dramatic, Skyline Design, known for its large-scale and stunning pieces, introduced a dining set with hanging swing chairs. Each swing is individually hung and provides a floating effect. The table is fastened to the sturdy metal frame, and a cross-pattern on the ceiling provides shade while diners eat.
A few other observations:
Nearly every exhibitor had a swivel chair, and that’s a trend that has become more permanent because of the desire to have motion in seating. But not everyone was showing those swivels in vibrant colors like Spectra Outdoor. While the company stocks classic tried-and-true colors, it wanted to show buyers how they could spice up their floors with colorful displays. This merchandising tool alerts shoppers that they can special order the product in different fabrics, building the sale for a retailer.
Fire pits, while a popular category, are one product few seemed to carry in High Point. Meanwhile, Plank & Hide, known for its innovative, patented fire pit designs, brought out even more designs, and Ashley Furniture has expanded in the product category as well.
Lane Venture released another line in partnership with Designer Celerie Kemble, exemplifying the power of a well-executed designer partnership. As an outdoor manufacturer, it recognizes the value of High Point Market as a place to grow its designer business, according to President Schon Duke.
Touching on the indoor-outdoor trend, Lexington unveiled a new Tommy Bahama Outdoor collection that matches with a newly introduced indoor set — aiming to help customers transition seamlessly from indoors to out. The line features a frame that looks like bamboo but is in reality hand-painted aluminum. The exotic-looking set comes in two dining styles, a large rectangle and circle, and a seating group.
Who knew that Rockford Wholesale has been in the outdoor industry since 2020 and has a wide variety of great-looking outdoor furniture? We didn’t, but this market the third floor of the company’s showroom housed its outdoor lines. One of which, Sorrento, used a unique material called accoya wood — a strong natural wood that looks like weathered gray teak.
A few years ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find a full-line manufacturer offering a full lineup of outdoor furniture. But things have changed, and now that everyone is in the game, hopefully it will give the category more exposure and in turn help educate consumers on the weatherproof difference.
