Meet&CoHIGH POINT — As dining rooms become less prescriptive, consumers are increasingly willing to assemble a look of their own rather than purchase a predetermined suite.
For Coaster Fine Furniture, that shift has placed fresh emphasis on a familiar product: the dining chair.
Source: https://www.furnituretoday.com/
“In casual dining, it‘s about the chairs,” said Crystal Nguyen, vice president of merchandise and strategic product planning at Coaster Fine Furniture. “Chair shapes, complex designs and comfort are the statement makers that anchor the room.”
That changing consumer mindset is influencing Coaster‘s product development. At the same time, Nguyen said successful dining assortments still need to address both ends of today‘s market: shoppers prepared to invest in elevated features and those primarily motivated by price.
Confidence to mix and match
Consumers replacing worn dining chairs are not necessarily looking to recreate the set they previously owned. Instead, Nguyen said, they are increasingly treating new seating as an opportunity to update the entire room‘s appearance.
That trend led Coaster to introduce its Mix & Match dining collection, which includes three wood finishes, 15 tables, 18 chairs and 12 stools that can be combined according to shoppers’ individual tastes and needs.
Within those personalized combinations, softer silhouettes and warm, natural finishes are proving particularly effective. Nguyen said round and oval tables paired with curvaceous chairs are“attracting the love”at Coaster.
Popular wood treatments include refined warm browns, natural oak, rich walnut and neutral beige, particularly when visible grain reinforces the material story. Weathered and textured surfaces also remain relevant, while black and charcoal accents provide contrast.
Value at multiple price points
With discretionary spending under pressure, Nguyen said dining suppliers and retailers need to give shoppers a clear reason to buy, whether that comes through design, functionality, construction or an attainable opening price point.
“In either case, if we make the customer feel they got a great value, then we have a win,”she added.
Versatility is also becoming more important as a single dining area is asked to support everyday meals and more formal entertaining. Nguyen said larger tables with extension leaves can help one dining room fulfill both roles.
Elevated functional details can strengthen that proposition. Tables with equalizing metal cable glides, upholstered chairs that swivel or roll on casters, and counter-height stools corresponding to dining-chair styles give consumers additional ways to tailor a room.
