You’ll soon see three new furniture lines from American institutions: The Smithsonian, Better Homes and Gardens, and Donald Trump.

Trump created the most buzz when new looks were unveiled recently at the High Point Market, formerly the International Home Furnishings Market. He strode the red carpet like a rock star and gave a thumbs-up to more than 300 cheering fans.

Trump’s furniture will be at home in your uptown penthouse or country estate, but the line from the iconic magazine is most likely to fill your suburban great room. A few pieces in the Smithsonian line were surprisingly current, even though they’re based on historic artifacts, proving that classic design endures.

Celebrity endorsements have been important to the furniture industry for more than a decade. The industry said the three lines helped push the trend to a new high at this market. Here’s a look at the three lines:

Lexington Furniture (lexington.com) launched the Trump Home line with two full collections. Central Park is sleek, contemporary, with a hint of Deco. It features dark woods and leathers, offering a lush but masculine appeal.

The Trump Westchester collection is ornately carved and larger in scale. Like the Central Park collection, it’s based on furniture in homes and buildings Trump has built or restored. Lexington designers toured properties to create the look. Trump Home (trump.com) will be offered through select Macy’s stores and other retailers.

The Better Homes and Gardens furniture line, produced by Universal Furniture (universalfurniture.com) in partnership with publisher Meredith Corp., captures the middle-America look reflected in the magazine.

“It was designed in collaboration with the editors of Better Homes and Gardens, taking cues from 38 million readers,” said Universal’s Larissa Rolland.

Scale and colors are friendly. This furniture will be easy to live with, and will complement your grandmother’s china cabinet.

The line offers furniture for every room, in three categories: Cottage View, Classics Today and Modern Outlook. Fabrics include bright spring florals, with neutrals, garden greens and teals. Wood pieces offer lots of innovative function: An end table has a sliding top, so you can pull the top across your lap as you sit on the sofa. A round dining table expands with perimeter leaves — and there’s a decorative storage pedestal for the leaves when they’re not in use. On a night stand, a panel at the rear of the table top flips up to reveal an electric power strip for your cell phone and other gadgets.

The Smithsonian collection from Bernhardt Furniture (bernhardt.com) is based not only on pieces owned by the museums in Washington, but also on the structures themselves. The pattern in the glass front of a china cabinet, for instance, is based on a window in the Castle, the original museum dating to 1855.

The sleek and surprisingly contemporary Campeachy leather chair and ottoman is based on an early 19th century piece Thomas Jefferson discovered in New Orleans.

Why a Smithsonian furniture line? “People feel like they have ownership because it is an American institution,” said Bernhardt’s LeAnna Graves. Most of the wood is walnut, she said, because it’s considered an American look.

A portion of sales proceeds will go to support educational programs of the Smithsonian Institution.

source : www.commercialappeal.com