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 solid wood and veneered dining and occasional range, Cadell is an interpretation of the vintage industrial style priced to meet the budget of the mainstream consumer.
According to design manager Ray Davies, Cadell’s straight lines are offest by naturalistic waney edges, inspired by sawn tree trunks, in “a meeting of linear precision, evident in the fine tapering splayed legs present in many of the pieces, which is in contrast with the natural waney lines of the tops and cabinet frontages”.
The range is completed in two contrasting natural-look finishes, aged and weathered oak, which “define and accentuate the meeting of natural and linear styling”.
The Cadell range comprises a fixed dining table, chairs in fabric, bonded leather and semi-analine leather, sideboard, entertainment unit, open display unit, console table, coffee and lamp table. It is manufactured in Vietnam, and its design rights are protected by ACID.
“Inspiration for the Cadell dining and occasional range comes from the vintage industrial style which is very much in vogue today, but is noticeably out of the reach of many consumers,” explains Ray. “In response, our take on this style is all about commercial viability and opening it up to the middle market without any compromise on quality or design.
“That look is all over at the better end, and I think that this is the most commercial version of the waney-edged table I’ve yet seen”
“By daring to be different at this level we feel the range will shout out and grab the attention of a wider audience who is appreciative of an exciting and on-trend furniture range entering the middle marketplace. This is a gap filled for the many and not the few, which is at the heart of what we do.”
Bentley Designs’ City range took first place in the Value Category at last year’s awards, and the company continues to set a high bar with Cadell.
“It’s distinctive, and the combinations available mean there is a versatility to it," said the judges. "The two-tone look is attractive, the dimensions are exciting, and there are lots of options available. It’s quite understated, but it’s on trend and commercial.
“That look is quite difficult to turn into a commercial design. It’s all over at the better end, and I think that this is the most commercial version of the waney-edged table we’ve yet seen.”
“It hangs together very well. Bentley weren’t over-thinking the situation when they made this – it’s symmetrical, and its non-random nature helps unify its elements.”
