by Mix of living room furniture includes 25 pieces of stationary and motion upholstery available in 70 fabrics
FERDINAND, Ind. — Upholstery manufacturer Best Home Furnishings is partnering with outdoor lifestyle brand Field & Stream on a new licensed collection to debut at the October 26-30 High Point Market.
The Field & Stream Home collection features 25 individual styles of stationary and motion upholstery including sofas, sectionals and chairs. The mix is available in 70 fabrics designed specifically for the line in conjunction with Valdese Weavers, Richloom and Regal Fabrics, for example. Several leather options also are available.
The partnership represents a major opportunity for both companies: It is Best Home Furnishings’ first major license and is Field & Stream’s latest effort to extend its brand beyond its core print publication. It also follows the purchase of the magazine earlier this year by country music stars Morgan Wallen and Eric Church.
Church also is the son of industry veteran and former Southern Furniture President Ken Church and previously had a licensed furniture collection called Highway to Home with Pulaski Furniture and later retailer Rooms To Go.
First established in 1871, Field & Stream was a print publication from 1895 to 2015, when it became an online-only publication. The new owners relaunched the print publication this year. and the brand also has launched a music festival as well as an apparel line inspired by Church and Wallen. Its president is Doug McNamee, a former president of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia brand, which also previously had a furniture line in partnership with Standard Furniture.
“When seeking an ideal partner for our upholstered furniture line, it was important to choose a company that shared our core values: family, community, tradition, storytelling and stewardship,” McNamee said. “Our new furniture line is more than just a collection of products; it’s a tribute to the cherished memories our readers create, both in the great outdoors and around the warmth of family gatherings. With over 60 years of experience, Best Home Furnishings has a strong reputation for producing high-quality, made-in-America products. Knowing the Lange family’s shared passion for the outdoors makes this partnership even more meaningful.”
The furniture license is the latest step the brand is taking to extend its name beyond its core print and digital publication.
“We were approached by Field & Stream which was looking for a licensing partner for upholstered furniture,” said Greg Sicard, vice president of sales and marketing at Best, noting that the brand has been around since 1871. “So it’s well established. It’s been a lifelong extension for a lot of people involved in hunting and the outdoors.
“When they were trying to bring back the name Field & Stream and build it back up again, they were looking for partners in things like upholstery and they were looking for a brand that is made in the USA and that has the same kind of story that Field & Stream has. I think that is what led them back to us with our family-owned business, our made in the USA story and top-quality products. We kind of fit that bill.”
Eric Vollmer, senior marketing strategist at Best Home Furnishings, agreed that Best had the type of qualities the magazine was looking for, adding that a furniture license falls within its plans to expand the brand even further into the marketplace.
“When they came under new ownership, they were wanting to take it back to its roots and restart the print magazine, which is kind of rare in today’s world,” Vollmer said. “But it’s going back to its roots with outdoor enthusiasts and providing detailed content that outdoor enthusiasts would like to read. And then of course there is the licensing part of what else can they use to market the name?”
Sicard added that Church and Wallen have been involved in the development process to ensure that the product meets the standards they are seeking for the brand.
“They are hands on to make sure that it fits the values of what Field & Stream is and that the companies they are working with are doing the same,” Sicard noted.
The fabric selection was led by Brooke Messmer-Cook, senior fabric buyer and showroom designer at Best. She noted that the fabrics were developed specifically for the line, offering a mix of traditional and modern designs that “meet the needs of younger and older clients. … We wanted to definitely meet the criteria of all customers.”
More traditional designs, she noted, feature animal patterns such as bear, deer and pheasant, with a mix of plain and plaid patterns that are in addition to these looks. While the patterns would complement a lodge or cabin home, the line also aims to appeal to those living in coastal areas.
In fabric, chairs are targeted to retail from about $899 to $1,199, and sofas are targeted to retail from $1,499 to $1,999.
“The product line that we are creating is basically on the high end of the midrange and on the lower side of the high end,” Sicard said.
At the Oct. 26-30 High Point Market, the company will take orders for the product at its showroom at 239 S. Main St. It is expected to go into production immediately after market with completed orders shipping in roughly two weeks.
“We’re really excited about it,” Sicard said. “It’s our first licensing program like this, but it fits in so well with our company being family owned. The core values of our company tie in directly with Field & Stream’s values. So from that aspect, it’s been very easy to develop the program to fit in with what we were both looking for.”
