There will be major changes in the way families live in their living and dining rooms. Casual dining room furniture becomes more popular in the coming 2022.
In this article, we will see how the new trends will affect the furniture industry from the perspective of the casual dining room furniture.
The epidemic is showing some signs of easing, yet demand for casual furniture does not seem to be slowing down with it.
Families even became the focus of life during the epidemic, with most people spending more time at home than ever before.
As described in the article “Lonely Modern Man”, the living room and dining room will undergo a major change in the lifestyle.
This change is not only a factor due to the epidemic, but also a generational change in consumers, as well as changes in entertainment and lifestyles due to technological developments. This article will show you how new trends will impact the furniture industry from a casual dining room furniture perspective.
From clothing to furniture, we all desire comfort
There are still a lot of Americans who work at home, and that’s unlikely to change,” says Cindy Hall, sales VP at Sherrill Furniture. The dining rooms often double as offices during the day and are used for dinner in the evening, sometimes even switching back to office after dinner.
From casual clothing to casual furniture, we all crave comfort. We just want to be more relaxed because the environment is not stable and home is a haven for all of us.”
Sherrill and its sister companies, Hickory White and Lillian August, sell a range of dining tables and chairs. Hall said the dining room furniture remains strong, especially at the high end of the market.
“While leisure is important, the desire for formal dining remains,” she says, “and I think customers want not only matching dining tables and chairs, but also areas that are timeless, essentially classic, and designed to be comfortable and warm.”
She speculated that there may be more small intimate gatherings now than before. Because of the epidemic, people are more likely to meet with friends and family in small gatherings at home, rather than meeting in crowded restaurants.
She noted, “I think casual dining room furniture will continue to grow, even at the high end of the market where formal furniture is prevalent. The desire to live at home will probably continue beyond 2022.”
Try new styles for less money
Najarian Furniture, which supplies dining room furniture and freestanding dining tables, chairs, utensils, bar tables and stools, also predicted a strong performance in this category.
Michael Lawrence, VP of the company, said, “Consumers are still looking for affordable merchandise to update their dining rooms, and they want stylish products while being less expensive. The outlook for this category is just right.”
“The lower cost allows consumers to try a fresh style or trend without spending a lot of money. In addition, there are many small apartments in the U.S. where small casual dining room furniture would be more appropriate. For us, the casual dining furniture category consists mainly of glass top dining tables and folding chairs.”
Lawrence believes that formal dining room tables and chairs have a long way to go. “As a company, we’ve done very well in the formal dining room furniture arena. A lot of our styles translate well into larger dining tables and chairs. There are definitely consumers who need formal dining tables that can afford six to ten people.”
When asked about the future of this category, Lawrence suggested that dining room furniture suppliers should offer better price or better design to better meet market demand.
The battle between casual and formal
Gat Creek primarily supplies dining room furniture that offers an upper-middle price point. Similar to Sherrill and Najarian, the company president Gat Caperton says business and demand remain high, but he has a different opinion on the balance between casual and formal dining.
“Casual dining room furniture continues to be strong after the COVID-19 epidemic, and it is continuing to steal market share from formal dining room furniture.” Caperton said, “New housing rates also remain strong. There is a lot of formal dining room furniture now, but there is little growth. However, casual dining room furniture will exceed formal one in terms of market share.”
He believes casual dining will perform well on its way in the future, and a large part of that will be driven by demand for upgrades to old furniture. “More and more people are choosing to eat in the area between the refrigerator and the TV rather than in the rectangular dining room next to it. Old furniture doesn’t fit it.”
Lifestyle Diversity
Household supplier Parker House says the surge of open layout home designs and home renovations is the reason for the category’s increase.
Marietta Willey, the company’s vice president for product development and sales, says: “Family members are returning to the era of dining together, and the need for flexible, comfortable dining furniture is re-emerging. This lifestyle continues to be driven by the popularity of modern farmhouse aesthetics and the DIY home trends.”
“The large flat floor design, with its focus on cooking, eating and entertaining, has also contributed to the growth of dining room furniture.” Willie says Parker House has found a way to combine casual and formal dining styles.
Our focus is on what we call ‘casual luxury dining,'” she says. This category covers a number of styles and collections designed to integrate today’s lifestyles through a stylish but not overly formal look.
Our luxury casual dining furniture offers a wide selection of finishes, including classic styles, innovative features and fresh materials that blend with existing furniture.”
Willie says customers want counter-height designs that include tables, islands, bars and stools. They also wanted multifunctional surfaces, integrated lights and upgraded power outlets. Both design and function were important.
“I think the growth of casual dining furniture will transform today’s lifestyles in both aesthetic and functional ways.” She added, “We will continue to focus on stylish finishes, hardware and styles, as well as flexible designs that allow consumers to personalize their look with a wide selection of chairs and coordinated storage cabinets.”