Buyers in the A.R.T. Furniture showroom will find introductions ranging from cottage glam to locale-inspired epicenters, and now the company has added leather upholstery to the line-up as well.

Five new top grain leather lifestyle groups are on the floor in the A.R.T. showroom here, and Adam Tilley, senior vice president of product and marketing, said the category introduction adds another benefit to the company’s logistical efficiencies.

“These groups are 100% top grain leather and fully blend with our case goods,” Tilley said. “They offer our customers a nice lifestyle story to tell.”

Tilley said the decision to bring leather to the A.R.T. floor made sense from both a product and timing standpoint.

“Leather is hot right now, and you can get into it at almost any price point,” he said. “This is something we’ve wanted to do for a while.”

The Gavin series features a traditional aesthetic with a three-over-three, rolled-arm sofa that includes a deeper seat and nailhead trim and is available in a choice of two leathers. The complementing Miles group showcases a contemporary notched frame sofa with exposed wood, both at $3,999 retail.

“We have the ability to align our operations and bring packages to our customers in a way they want to buy it,” Tilley said. “We can marry the whole home offering from A.R.T. from a logistics standpoint.”

In addition to the new leather category, A.R.T. is showcasing Roseline, a collection described as cottage glam by company officials and featuring understated case and upholstery pieces that incorporate a hint of shimmer. The Epicenters gallery is also a focus for fall market and includes the latest iteration of the collection, Austin.

“We have 10 to 15 upholstery-themed vignettes throughout the showroom,” said Denise Alala, vice president of upholstery and creative design. “We have put everything together in a way to show how our upholstery, including leather, can be mixed and matched with our case pieces.”

Prices for sofas in the leather category range from $2,499 to $3,999. Leather colors currently include Gunmetal, Truffle and Oxblood, and all are “fully mixable” with case goods, Tilley said.

“I expect to hear a lot of people to come into the showroom and say, ‘I didn’t know you had that,’” Tilley said. “One of our goals is to always surprise buyers with what we bring to the floor.”

(Source: furnituretoday.com  Author: Cindy W. Hodnett)