This past April, I attended High Point Market , the worlds largest furniture trade show, where I spent 5 days going from showroom to showroom in search of product for my current interior design projects as well as scoping out the season’s biggest trends – something I have become known for and share regularly on my blog and as my position as the Trends Moderator for the Interior Design Community. However, I find the greatest joy when I find new resources, and W. Schillig was one of them this past market.
W. Schillig – Contemporary Upholstery and Luxury Motion
W. Schillig is a contemporary upholstery manufacturer based in Germany that has been in business since 1949. They are known for their European styling, and German engineering. Those of you who own German made products know that Germans are very particular when it comes to design, as they believe that so much more goes into design than looks. The same holds true for the folks at W. Schillig. It is their motto that fashion, form and function always come hand in hand and they do not feel that you need to sacrifice one for the other.
As I walked through the showroom, David Stewart, VP of Sales and Operations, hopped on the sofa in shoes (gasp!) and stood, jumping up and down. Apparently, this is a practice that is done at sales meetings and goes to show the quality and durability of the leather that W. Schilling uses on their upholstery. In addition, with a 5 year warranty on leather and 10 year warranty on frame and springs, they stand behind their product.
There was so much to see in the showroom but here are some of my favorite picks:
Chiara has a modern metal leg and ratcheted arms – something that is a must for those who like to lie down horizontally on the sofa at a comfortable incline. There is nothing worse than trying to get comfortable on a sofa with the arm putting your head at an awkward angle. Because the arm on Chiara is low, wide and flat, it can also be used as additional seating when in the flat position.
Below, W. Schillig VP of Sales and Operations, David Stewart demonstrates the incline on the ratcheted arm.
This is my favorite position – an incline that leaves the head slightly elevated and a great position for a nap or to relax and watch TV.
The Massimo sofa is unique in that it has repositionable back cushions, which allows you to adjust the back cushion to sit deep and high or slightly shallower and lower.
The seat cushion offers buttonless tufting – another great feature, as it gives the look of tufting but without the buttons, which if you’ve ever had a soft button tufted seat, you would know that the buttons tend to pop out and are uncomfortable when they stick into the side of your body as you are lying down. Optional lumbar pillows can be added to provide the perfect position.
Because W. Schillig offers a variety of components in each collection, each sofa can be tailored to your space, whether it be a left or right arm sectional, chaise, or a free standing sofa.
W. Schillig’s Cleo sectional is a hidden gem that offers a sleek, sexy contemporary sofa…and so much more.
Hidden buttons placed along the seat cushion activate the power incliner in 3 of the seat sections. Notice that the sectional is referred to as an incliner as opposed to recliner, as the sofa moves forward, not backward, allowing the sofa to be placed against the wall – a big space saver, if you are old enough to recall the recliners of the past.
This sofa below has a kidney shaped extension on casters that allow it to be fully extended when additional seating is needed.
…and turned in when less space is needed or when you want extra space to extend your legs and simply lounge.
W. Schillig Expands to Offer Rugs
This past market, W. Schillig added rugs to their offerings. For years, W. Schillig partnered with rug manufacturers to merchandise their showroom, as the consumer typically has difficulty envisioning what a sofa might look like in a room. The rugs they merchandised with their upholstery created an environment which buyers were able to visualize and understand, and this resulted in the sale of the upholstery, but they were also sending people out the door to purchase rugs elsewhere. They then came up with the brilliant idea to expand the line’s offerings to rugs, and in doing would increase sales in the showroom. If you have a captive audience, give them what they want, and they won’t go elsewhere…and this is exactly what W. Schillig has done.
To start, W. Schillig’s introduced 50-60 rugs using their own private label, all with a variety of rug constructions. Some using old world techniques such as hand knotting, and some with techniques that I have never seen before such as this rug shown below, which marries hand tufted wool and hair on hide cutouts in a neutral palette.
For the consumer that craves a little pop of color, this wool tufted and hair on hide rug might do the trick.
The wool tufted rug shown below has a hint of viscose for a little bit of texture and sheen. What I especially love about this rug is that the colors and lines are a take on the Moroccan Beni Ourain rugs that have become popular in recent years, but the composition in this particular rug put it in a class of its own.
W. Schilling offers rugs in a varying price range, with this hand knotted wool rug being on the higher end. For those who are not familiar with rug construction, hand knotted means exactly that – each yarn is knotted individually by hand, and the time involved in creating the rug warrants the added cost.
Recycled sari silk rugs were also on hand in the showroom. The use of silk allows vibrant colors to show through, and because recycled sari silk is used, these rugs fall into the category of sustainable design.
A trend that we will be seeing more of in seasons to come is the the time worn and weathered look, which is a look that has been emerging in Europe. W. Schillig has a number of rugs that fall into this category, many with a contemporary edge.
It was a pleasure attending High Point market this past April as a blogger sponsored by W. Schillig. With over 11.5 million square feet of show space, High Point Market is so large that it is easy to miss the important showrooms, and there are many hidden gems at market, W. Schillig being one of them. I am excited to add them to my repertoire of trusted, designer friendly resources that I will continue to specify for projects calling for contemporary upholstery and/or rugs. The next time you are in town for market, be sure to stop by their showroom located in showroom 316, 3rd Floor in the 220 Elm Building.
