The January Furniture Show was accompanied by the second edition of The Furniture Awards, and another collection of worthy winners across each of the awards’ three pricing tiers. Setting out to identify some of the exhibition’s most eye-catching, well-priced and commercially viable launches, The Furniture Awards were created by Furniture News magazine in partnership with the show’s organiser. After shortlisting the most promising entries, the judges, led by awards co-ordinator Paul Farley, walked the halls of the NEC prior to the show’s opening to evaluate the launches in person.
The expert judging panel for this year’s edition comprised: Maxim Romain, general manager for Wayfair Europe; visual merchandising consultant Andrew Durham; ACID CEO and co-founder Dids Macdonald OBE; and Malcolm Walker, director of buying for Furniture Village. This year’s edition was sponsored by bed specialist Dreams.
A compact, contemporary model boasting top-grade Italian leather, rich metal legs and distinctively-shaped arms, Allure is an elegant sofa that boasts smooth motion technology.
“The lateral shape of the arm is unique and gives this model an alluring appeal,” says Nicoletti Home's sales manager, Domenico Scarola. “It’s a model offering a casual style in a compact size.”
Nicoletti Home is an internationally-recognised Italian brand, with 40 years’ experience of producing high-quality upholstered furniture. Located in Bari’s famous Murgia district, the company distributes Italian-made products to 70 countries.
“Whoever chooses Nicoletti worldwide is aware that they will sit on a sofa which is the result of authentic passion, highest care for details and continuous search for the right balance between design and comfort,” says Domenico.
“Tradition and technology blend perfectly in our wide range of models, that is constantly diversified and characterised by a tailored approach thanks to a know-how that has been handed down from generation to generation.”
“The design could so easily have run away with itself, but it works so well, and it’s a great interpretation of this style”
Nicoletti’s classy entry was certainly one of the priciest models shortlisted, but its style and construction credentials won the day.
“A high foot with a recliner is hard to do, but they’ve done it, using a knuckle joint that comes out from underneath … and they’ve sloped it down at the back, employing some different stitching details," said the judges. "Everything about it – the way the feet splay forwards instead of sideways, the decision to employ blanket stitching, its slanted design – works so well.
“We like the gunmetal finish to it, and the decision to blanket stitch on top of the arm as opposed to employing normal stitching.
“You have five working headrests, two recliners, and very smart electric motion – the design could so easily have run away with itself, but it works so well, and it’s a great interpretation of this style.”
