With an increasing number of independent retailers hoping to stand out from the crowd by offering greater product differentiation, Bluebone Imports’ bold, colourful (and often eccentric!) portfolio has never been more relevant. Furniture News asked the supplier’s business manager, Els Coolen, to share her thoughts on its comprehensive new collection, Kleo …
Bluebone has earned itself a reputation for unique design, principally stemming from the sourcing handiwork of its founders, Dale and Darryl Boal, whose partnerships with specialist Indonesian manufacturers have allowed them to challenge markeplace norms since 1997.
Operating from offices and warehouses in Manchester and Belfast, Bluebone takes a dynamic and creative approach to growing its portfolio – as Kleo amply demonstrates.
Kleo is more of a reframing of part of Bluebone’s portfolio than a new launch, yet there are plenty of fresh elements to it. Indeed, although broadly soft industrial in nature, Kleo offers a huge variety of ranges and styles (see boxout).
“Bluebone have been working with Kleo since 2011,” says Els, “but up until last year we marketed its products under our own brand.
“However, as Kleo has developed and become more recognised worldwide, the manufacturer has sought to better establish its own brand credentials. This works well for us – the customers who do well with this collection can only benefit from a more visible brand and the marketing support this gives them.”
Thanks to the manufacturer’s rigorous QC and a no-quibble returns policy – backed up by Bluebone’s own QC staff who further inspect products prior to shipping – Kleo is a cut above many similar brands, a characteristic that is reflected by its higher price point. “For its price, it offers superb quality and truly unique designs,” says Els.
Bluebone has been a key player in the evolution of the soft industrial trend in the UK. Since bringing it to the market in 2012 – with a focus on mango and steel in its Re-Engineered range, plus its Boatwood collection – Bluebone has expanded its offer to encompass a multitude of dining, living and occasional pieces.
“For me, the soft industrial trend offers the loft or warehouse look to those that don’t own a loft or warehouse,” says Els. “By incorporating combinations of wood and steel as occasional, dining or living pieces – even bedroom – you can create a very on-trend interior without looking like you are living in an architectural yard!
“For example, soft industrial stools can be easily incorporated into any style to add a trendy touch.”
Bluebone’s soft industrial offer comprises vintage-look items that adhere to current quality and safety standards – and Kleo offers a substantially different look to the well-established combination of mango and steel.
One stand-out example is the Influence dining table, which mixes clean white metal with reclaimed boat timbers (sporting original paint markings), plus perforated metal detailing.
“Influence employs 100% dismantled boat timber from old, decommisioned Javanese fishing boats,” explains Bluebone’s sales manager, Elaine Anderson. “Each piece of furniture can be traced back to the original boat – it’s a lovely legacy, and a highly effective re-purposing of materials.”
Elaine believes that Influence’s clean design and use of white metal helps it bridge the gap between existing soft industrial styles and more forward-facing trends. And, aside from each piece being naturally unique, Influence also benefits from a bespoke element.
“A bespoke colour service is available,” says Elaine. “We can powder-coat the metal frames in a choice of over 20 shades, creating new and innovative looks as each combination works alongside the reclaimed boat timbers.”
In fact, there is a bespoke flavour to the entire collection. Retailers can opt to buy Bluebone’s display models, or have the factory create a unique product in line with their demands. “This makes Kleo a perfect product for true retail,” says Els.
But what happens when the product the customer receives is not what they’re expecting? Retailers – and suppliers – of cabinet furniture have been known to mis-manage buyers’ expectations, and surely the proportion of unique, re-used and individual elements employed in Kleo only increases the likelihood of a piece being markedly different in the flesh to how it appears in the marketing photography?
“We offer bulk and container schedules for this reason, so retailers can offer customers the exact piece without having to wait for our stock to ship,” says Els. “Indeed, the sanded-down look proved very popular with buyers at the January Furniture Show, as it takes away the variations in colour.”
In all, Kleo is an engaging range, with a colourful history, backed up by strong branding, and offers retailers wishing to take the soft industrial path a wealth of choice – from carefully-curated product schemes, to developing their own bespoke range.
“We will be showing the new Kleo collections at the Manchester Furniture Show in July,” Els concludes, “alongside a few new ranges in reclaimed timber and steel combinations.
“It’s a great time to be a Bluebone stockist!”
