NEWS

As a proud British Furniture Manufacturer and the UK's largest independent upholstery manufacturer the heat is on and we are getting set for our second big show of the year, the Manchester Furniture Show!

This years’ show will be our biggest yet as we are doubling the amount of exhibition space we have had in previous years. In addition to our new sofa and bed ranges, we are really excited to launch several new projects that many people have been working on behind the scenes for several months.

First up, we will be launching a new portfolio of accent pieces comprising of chairs, footstools, chaises and ottomans. Our research suggests that up to 50% of consumers buy an occasional piece of furniture such as a footstool or chair if they are displayed with the sofa or bed they are looking to buy, and that retailers who employ this tactic see week on week strong repeat business from consumers. We hope by introducing this dedicated portfolio of models, we will meet the rising demand of our customers for these products.

Secondly, we are excited to be unveiling our new range of sofa beds, many of which will be available to our independent customers for the first time. Within this, we are delighted to announce a new collaboration with award winning mattress manufacturer Hypnos. This is the first time ever that Hypos have manufactured a sofa bed mattress and we are delighted that they chose to work with us on this exciting collaboration. A selection of our sofa bed models can be upgraded to include a Hypnos mattress, which we believe will be very successful.

All the products will be on the website in time for the show so please keep a look out for them, and if you have not already registered with us, then please do! You can also keep up to date with all Whitemeadow news on our Instagram and Twitter accounts, so make sure you are following us!

It’s also been great to see our products featured on the Manchester Show’s website and social media platforms. The Chi Chi photography in particular is very popular!

Sales Manager Dan Oscroft commented: “The Manchester show brings with it a great opportunity for us to engage with our customers at the half year mark. It’s important for us as the manufacturer to connect with our customers to hear their views and suggestions on current and upcoming styles and trends. Ultimately, it’s our customers, the retailers who have this knowledge, being in contact with consumers every day and understanding what they are buying, so for us, this is extremely valuable and drives much of our design concepts for the succeeding months”.

To register for tickets, please see here.

As our Sales Manager Daniel Oscroft pointed out before the Manchester Furniture Show, it is from our customers and their buying trends that we learn the greatest amount of useful information. By analysing what our customers are buying, we can tap into trends on fabrics and furniture shapes to ensure that we are creating exactly what the market needs, when they need it. It’s what we’ve become renowned for as the UK’s largest independent upholstery manufacturer.

So, what did we learn from our time in Manchester this year? Well, ultimately, our customers were looking for well executed products, whether is was a retro, 60’s inspired model, or a more comfortable and familiar piece. Great fabric stories were also crucial, with many of our customers ordering models in the fabrics they were presented in at the show.

Here’s a round-up of some of the key trends that were driving sales this year.

Pastel Velvets

The popularity of velvets shows no sign of abating any time soon, with a lot of our customers ordering display models in the fabric. Many of our upholstered bed collection models were ordered in the new Plush velvet pastel tones that we now have to offer, including Sky and Petal. This indicates that consumers are looking for a softer, more relaxed look and feel to their bedrooms. It also shows that consumers are not afraid of colour and are confident to experiment with palettes that are not used widely throughout the home.

Decadent Interiors

It’s not just softer colours that we noticed were popular at the show. Sumptuously detailed beds with scroll ends, deep buttoning and relaxed diamond pleats were also extremely popular this summer. Our customers reported a demand from consumers for luxurious, yet relaxed and contemporary styles. This is a trend we picked up on back in our February post ‘Top Bedroom Interior Trends to Look Out For in 2018’, that consumers were looking to turn their bedrooms into sanctuaries, a place to escape the unstable and sometimes turbulent world outside.

The Big Slouch

At the January Furniture Show we noticed a definite trend for the relaxed and informal style sofas that we love to make! This popularity has continued into the summer with customers opting for the larger pieces of furniture in the ranges. Big, comfy, deep corner groups were high on the buyer’s lists, with models such as the Metro and the new Sadler corner group proving to be a big hit. If staying in is the new going out, perhaps consumers are looking for big pieces to accommodate family and friends? Whatever the reason, we’re all for it!

To find out more about our latest upholstery and bed collections, please speak to your Whitemeadow Sales Manager, or email enquiries@whitemeadow.com

January got off to a big and busy start for all at Whitemeadow with the January Furniture Show 2019. With visitor registration up 50% on last year, we made sure we had the products, fabrics and people out on the stands to impress. And we didn’t disappoint!

We took several new ranges to the show- all received with interest and enthusiasm from customers old and new. And our new fabric stories were greeted with delight as many customers chose to mix up their in-store offering by ordering models in new fabrics and colourways.

Whilst there, we took the opportunity to browse all five halls to see if we could spot any clear interior trends for the next twelve months. We were pleased to note that most of these were present on both the Whitemeadow Upholstery and Bed stands.

Monochrome

Monochrome is set to make a come back in 2019 as we noted a slight move-away from the greys that have dominated the last few years. But if being bold is not your thing, you can still use the palette on scatter cushions and stools. We have now launched a brand-new hanger, aptly called Black and White, that can be used on both scatters and accent pieces. The new Luca model, below, is presented in new Flair Charcoal with a number of scatters and George footstools in fabrics from  the new Black and White hanger.

Texture

Soft furnishings in a selection of textures can make a big impact when displayed together. We noticed lots of velvets, wools and textiles with movement across the show, indicating this will be a big trend in interiors for this year. On our own stand, we have introduced a number of new boucle co-ordinating and body fabrics. The Como model, below, is presented in brand new fabrics Gio Cream with Herdwick Taupe and Latte scatters.

Feminine Tones

Florals and feminine tones were another trend that we noticed at this year’s show. Although pastels have been popular in recent years, 2019 looks set to be the year that greys and neutrals are broken up with blush, dusty pink tones and delicate floral prints across the home. We interpreted this on the Whitemeadow upholstery stand using our brand-new Tivoli model (below). Presented in new fabric, Ashcroft, Blush and new scatter fabrics from our new Topanga hanger.

Rust and Bronze

Edgier than the feminine tones mentioned above, we predict rust and bronze tones will be more noticeable in homes this year. Perhaps influenced by Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2019, Living Coral, these earth-tones evoke vitality and buoyancy. Again, this palette can be introduced in subtle ways such as scatters and accent pieces. Launched at the show, our new co-ordinate range, Spectrum, was featured on the scatters on the Capri in Prisma Spice. Hints of burnt orange also come through on the body fabric, Piero, Hedgerow.

To watch highlights from the show, please click here, or for more information on any of the above ranges or fabrics, please contact your Sales Manager or email Enquiries@whitemeadow.com