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Furniture On Upbeat Trend For This Year

Economically speaking. 1982 may not be the peppiest but furniture trends are taking a turn for the upbeat, taste-makers say. "People aren't going to be afraid to sock it with color." Is how Jim Edmunds of Designers Showcase puts it.

"We're not as Inhibited and afraid as in years past, when beige and gold and off-white were de rigueur. Today we're seeing lots of forest green, and maroons- strong, earthy colors to make a statement"

Edmunds, who wholesales furniture to interior decorators, is convinced that the world of design is heading for stunning breakthroughs in furniture to boggle the conventionally minded. "The lines are getting to be sensuous - there's just no other word for it" he said. "Everything is becoming warmer and softer. "In many ways, we're giving the traditional look an unconventional twist.

"The overstuffed look of the '4Os is coming back - and that stark modern Danish look we have been living with for some time is suddenly out, out, out."

Glass and rattan are also making a big comeback. Furniture is assuming natural shapes modified to fit bodies. And natural fabrics are big - down pillows are back.

Synthetic fabrics are more costly because of the energy crisis. So glass is replacing some plastics. The same thing can be said for natural fabrics. They're both making up for lost time and catching up with the synthetics "Naturals" won't be any cheaper than plastic, but they are now at least competitive. The furniture world is even returning to burl veneers.

What's all this going to cost the budget-minded consumer? "Plenty, there's no way around, it." according to Carol Cleator, a sales representative with Cleator Furniture, a 6-year-old manufacturer of home furnishings. "We are seeing a return to opulence" she said. "In tighter times, people want to see quality for their money. It isn't cheap, but it's good, and that's what our customers want. From: The Daily Intelligencer, Doylestown, Pennsylvania - March 23, 1982.