Tropitone Expands Stoneworks Collection To Include Dramatic New Table Designs While Also Making Additions To Its Sling Seating Collection

Furniture World Magazine

Tropitone is introducing for 2005 as part of its expanded Stoneworks offerings several dramatic new solid surface tables and tabletops, including the Mosaic line of tabletops. The company also has added a variety of stylish sling seating groups, including Santorini with its elaborate decorative details and handsome silhouette. According to Michael Echolds, Tropitone’s chief executive officer, the new Mosaic solid surface tabletops with their one piece construction are manufactured using the same process as the highly successful Tiled-Stone solid surface tabletops introduced earlier. “While the Mosaic tabletops look as though they are crafted of individual tiles, they are molded as one piece with layers of patina either brushed or rubbed on by hand to create the appearance of ceramic tiles. Yet, they don’t require the high maintenance that ceramic tile surfaces need,” Echolds said. Tropitone has the significant competitive advantage of being the only major company in the casual furniture industry with the technology and manufacturing capabilities to design and produce its own high-quality solid-surface tables and tabletops. According to Peter Homestead, vice president of design and marketing at Tropitone, the tables in the company’s Stoneworks Collection are constructed with high density urethane, which resists expansions and contractions in extreme temperature changes and protects the finish and color integrity from the effects of UV rays as well as stains. These features, in addition to the dramatic upscale look of the tables, make them ideal for today’s customers who want functional furniture for their ‘outdoor rooms’ that is also stylish and decorative, Homestead said. “Also, since the materials used in designing and manufacturing the tables in the Stoneworks Collection are highly flexible, we have great freedom to innovate and be imaginative as we design new products – including the Mosaic tabletops being debuted for 2005 as well as the Tiled-Stone tabletops introduced earlier in the Stoneworks Collection,” he said. The Mosaic tabletops are currently offered in five distinctive patina finishes -- Cathedral (dark black with a hint of rust), Walnut, Sand, Terra Cota, and Taupe. Each of these patina finishes complement and coordinate with the other finishes and fabrics offered in the Tropitone casual furniture collection - as well those in the Basta Sole Umbrella Collection. The tables are available in a wide variety of sizes for occasional and dining needs, including a dramatic 66” square table that can seat eight comfortably. Other new additions to the Stoneworks Collections, Echolds said, are the existing Tiled-Stone tabletops with a new pedestal base as well as the new Skoros table with a faux granite finish and pedestal base. Both the Tiled-Stone and Skoros tables also are available in a variety of sizes and shapes for occasional and dining needs and configured with one or two pedestal bases, depending on the size of the tabletop. According to Echolds, an addition to Tropitone’s new sling seating for 2005 is the Santorini Sling, designed by John Caldwell with an old-world charm and elaborate decorative details. “Unlike Tropitone’s other sling seating, the Santorini is a two-piece sling, which creates a more traditional look. Santorini also features a hidden sling rail and highly detailed cast aluminum ornamental flourishes,” Echolds said. Included in the Santorini line are a swivel rocker, chaise lounge, swivel barstool, double glider, as well as a recliner and ottoman. In addition, Tropitone is introducing the Radiance Sling for 2005, also designed by John Caldwell to incorporate both a contemporary elegance and the ‘comfort technology’ for which Tropitone’s sling furniture is so well known. The Radiance Sling includes a dining chair, swivel rocker, double glider, swivel barstool and a recliner and ottoman. Founded in 1954, Tropitone is based in Irvine, California, and is recognized throughout the casual furniture marketplace for its design leadership as well as its commitment to service and value. The company sells its products to retailers, designers and the hospitality trade under the Tropitone and Basta Sole trademarks. In addition to its headquarters and manufacturing plant in Irvine, the company operates a manufacturing facility in Sarasota, Florida. For more information about the company, visit www.tropitone.com.