Butler To Introduce Exclusive Accent Furniture Collection For Affordable Design By Connie Post Selling System

Furniture World Magazine

Butler Specialty Company (IHFC C-354) will celebrate its 75th anniversary in April by introducing 150 new furniture products in High Point, N.C., 36 of them as the exclusive accent brand partner for the innovative Affordable Design by Connie Post comprehensive selling system of coordinated home furnishings collections. Producer of the industry’s largest and most diverse line of accent home furnishings, Butler will also showcase a new Eastern Inspirations collection and five new hand-painted finishes, including a bold polka dot, while doubling the offerings in its Hors D’oeuvres collection of decorative accessories first introduced at the International Home Furnishings Market last October. “We believe being the exclusive brand partner for accent furniture in Affordable Design Ô by Connie Post is going to create enormous excitement and additional traffic in our High Point showroom,” said Dan Sumner, vice president of sales and marketing. “This is a wonderful – and very different – addition to our line. The timing couldn’t be better as we ramp up our efforts to redefine the accent category while celebrating Butler’s 75th diamond anniversary at market.” Unlike most celebrity collections on the market, Affordable Design by Connie Post was created by an internationally recognized designer who understands retail. This comprehensive selling system encompasses coordinated collections of home furnishings for the living room, dining room and bedroom. It is produced by nine brand partners representing accent, case goods, upholstery, outdoor, lighting, area rugs, decorative accessories, linens and wall décor. Connie Post said she selected Butler as accent partner because for 75 years the company has demonstrated an overriding commitment to the accent category and, during the past 10 years, has established the industry’s largest and most innovative accent line. “Butler is a company with a rich, compelling tradition of excellence,” she said. “Just as its marketing slogan proclaims, Butler’s accent pieces truly create the ‘brightest spots in the room.’ I am enjoying a wonderful collaboration with the Butler team. The designs, craftsmanship and finishes on these accent pieces are impeccable, and they carry price tags meant to move merchandise.” Butler’s 36 pieces in Affordable Design Ô by Connie Post – covering the gamut from tables to consoles, from bookcases to secretaries and from French writing desks to curio cabinets – feature tone-on-tone colors designed to coordinate with other elements of the broad home furnishings collection. Colorways include rust/tangerine; light green; two-tone grape (red and white); taupe with scrollwork; rose with floral pattern; and traditional cherry tops with black bases. Butler will also introduce Eastern Inspirations, a collection opening with a dozen pieces inspired by classic Chinese designs, each updated for today’s homes. Each piece stands on its own, and none of the hand-painted or stained wood finishes on the 12 pieces are alike. Yellow or red base coats bleed through the black finish in places, establishing an aged patina, for example. The collection is designed to complement traditional and contemporary decors. Beyond the 36 new pieces in Affordable Design Ô by Connie Post and 12 new pieces in Eastern Inspirations, Butler will add roughly 100 products across its diverse collections. That total doesn’t include the same product shown in multiple finishes – an option unique to Butler. With just over 1,000 SKUs, Butler isn’t only the largest accent line, but it is also the design leader – the innovator other producers try to imitate. To enhance its leadership role, the company will showcase five new finishes in High Point, including an eye-popping polka dot with subtle red, gold and green dots on a black background shown on a French-style console. Butler’s foray into decorative accessories at the October High Point market with the Hors D’oeuvres collection was so well received that the company will double its size in April to more than 100 items. Chargers, spheres, planters, boxes and jars – originally cast in earth tones – will be shown in vibrant reds, blues and greens. Celebrating its 75th diamond anniversary throughout the market, Butler will have a special birthday party on Thursday, April 14, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. In addition to cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and live music, guests will be invited to participate in drawings to win thousands of dollars worth of beautiful jewelry – featuring, of course, diamonds. At Butler, accent furniture is designed to be brightest spots in rooms throughout the home. These brightest spots are crafted from solid woods and veneers with exquisite inlays and fossil stone. Many pieces feature authentic hand painting. Others are made from an array of exotic materials in inspired combinations of fossil stone, hand-hammered copper and various metals, bamboo inlays, cane, cogon flower inlays, rattan, and cocoa bark. Established here in 1930 by the fathers and grandfathers of today’s owners/managers, Butler has been specializing in accent furniture longer than any other company in America. Products include chests, tables, benches, chairs, game tables, console cabinets, secretaries, armoires, bars, entertainment centers, headboards, fireplace screens, desks, pedestals, mirrors and globes.