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The new home collection from Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. is encouraging consumers to break all the rules and be fearless with color.
The Danbury-based retailer debuted its New Eclecticism collection this month, inviting a new element of fashion into the home.
“The New Eclecticism clearly reflects the attitude of consumers in the clothes they wear, the foods they eat and most of all, in the homes they decorate,” said Farooq Kathwari, president and CEO of Ethan Allen. “People are living with color more than ever and we captured this trend in an idea we call the New Eclecticism, which adds fashion, color and the spirit of mixing things after our well-known and time-honored story of quality, value and style.”
Now on display at Ethan Allen”™s 200 North American stores, the new collection mixes classic and contemporary, formal and funky and hot and cool.
Kathwari said the collection is already well received by customers and is expected to help the store expand its customer base, especially within Generation X.
Yet beyond Ethan Allen”™s bright color pallet, analysts say the forecast looks gloomy for home retailers.
With rising mortgage interest rates, analysts warned home retailers in late August to prepare for a significant downside. Not only will fewer people be purchasing homes, they say, but consumers will have less disposable income to spend on home goods if they have higher monthly house payments.
While the economic environment remains uncertain, Kathwari says he remains cautiously optimistic given the major steps the company has taken to reach more customers. The economy is on the upswing and people are feeling more colorful and outgoing, he said. Ethan Allen”™s collection plans to follow suit.
“Our consumers are ready,” Kathwari said. “We were always a leader in furniture but this will take our brand to a new level as leader in fashion in the home.”
Beyond clothes, Kathwari said you can see evidence of consumer”™s more eclectic taste just by how they dress their phones and cars in more colorful packages now.
“First you dress yourself, then your transportation, technology, and now the home,” he said. “Home is following this whole trend.”
At a collection launch party this month for designers in Danbury, Amy Franks, Ethan Allen vice president for the Northeast region, said she believed the store was doing things like no other furniture retailer.
The stores”™ interior designers have always known you can break the rules and they have encouraged customers to do the same. But with new store layouts that place desks next to beds and chairs on top of platforms, Franks said the store was showing a more playful side to help customers think creatively.
“People don”™t want to fit into a mold, we”™re individuals,” Franks said, mentioning the universal fascination with unique fingerprints and one-of-a-kind snowflakes. “With the economic collapse we”™ve all had to be safe in our lives and at home. But now we”™re giving people permission to live crazy, do what they want and create their own style.”
Franks said already the company has seen customers stay in the store longer and explore more. Often clients are afraid of making a costly mistake, but with a more mix-and-match showcase, customers have said they feel more relaxed and inspired, she said.
“Furnishing your home should be something that you want to do and is fun to do,” Franks said. “We”™re enhancing the user experience.”
