by HIGH POINT — Tom Erdman with HL Home Furnishings sees big opportunities by developing fashion-forward furniture designed for small spaces.
The cost of housing, labor and materials has resulted in builders focusing lots of new construction on building houses that are 1,000 square feet, Erdman observed.
Erdman, who lives in Arizona, says the state is being flooded with people from California looking to escape the high prices for homes there.
Rising interest and mortgage rates also have many Americans who can’t afford a single-family home living in apartments.
Factor in the trends of baby boomers downsizing coupled with a growing rate of single-member households, and one can readily understand Erdman’s strategy to bring furniture to market designed to work well in smaller living spaces.
Growing incidences of a flurry of new subdivisions such as the Elm Trails subdivision in San Antonio further support Erdman’s strategy.
These two-story homes, which offer a full kitchen, a second-story loft over a one-car driveway, and a full backyard are being built to deliver just over 600 square feet.
According to Erdman, an industry veteran with decades of experience in upholstery, “When I look at what is being offered at retail for small-space living, it is usually shown off in a corner someplace in the store,” he says, adding, “and it also looks like there was not a lot of thought or attention given to the design or the fashion statement.”
And that did not resonate with Erdman. “I sense that people who live in small spaces want fashion as much as anyone else,” he noted.
With that objective in mind, Erdman says, “We are starting with a 75-inch sofa that will be available in 14 fabric slash colorways. We will also have correlating chairs and pillows for each.”
As for pricing, container-direct pricing for the sofas has been set at $399. For those wanting these sofas out of the company’s warehouse in Chico, California, the cost is $499.
Container-direct pricing for the chairs is $199 each, and $299 if bought from the warehouse.
Buyers attending the upcoming Las Vegas Market can get their first glimpse of the new products by visiting the Zoy showroom in Space 504 in Building A.
Everything ships by UPS and FedEx, Erdman explained, and suggested that retailers wanting to take on the line can simply put samples on the floor and HL Home Furnishings will ship order directly to the customer.
