by MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Hooker Furnishings announced this week it is launching a new modern lifestyle furniture brand, called M at the April 2023 High Point Market. Led by Crate & Barrel merchandising veteran, Becky Weber, the brand targets design conscious consumers, retailers and interior designers with a curated assortment of upholstery silhouettes and complementary occasional items that the company said “deliver an upscale, timeless aesthetic.”
Weber has more than 30 years of industry experience and was most recently divisional merchandise manager at Crate & Barrel. In this role, she was responsible for product development of both furniture and décor.
In her new role as executive director of M, she will develop a product mix that the company said “adds a decidedly modern lifestyle vibe” to its large product portfolio.
The brand will be unveiled at the April High Point Market with an initial offering of 210 pieces in a dedicated 8,500 square-foot space in the company’s new showroom on the third floor of Showplace.
Combining Hooker Furnishings’ domestic upholstery manufacturing capabilities in North Carolina and Virginia with its global case goods sourcing expertise, the new brand includes upholstered sofas, sectionals, accent chairs, ottomans, dining chairs, and beds and a
variety of accent items including occasional tables, consoles, and bookcases.
“Through a multifaceted collaboration across several of our divisions, M combines the industry-leading manufacturing and sourcing strengths of our company with Becky’s extensive merchandising experience to deliver a new brand that reaches an entire demographic of
consumers that we’re not addressing with our current product assortment,” said Anne Smith, chief administrative officer, and president of domestic upholstery for Hooker Furnishings.
“Becky’s track record of developing high-performing products has been instrumental in the development of M and we are excited to launch this new brand with our retail and interior design partners,” Smith added. “We feel confident that the addition of this modern lifestyle category of products will help our partners reach the next generation of consumers.”
Inspired by organic earth tones that “blend classic modern and transitional styles effortlessly together,” the company describe pieces in the new brand ranging from “traditional designs rooted in simplicity with clean lines and expert tailoring, to new transitional designs that embrace a more relaxed and casual feel.”
“Melding modern design with meticulous craftsmanship, M is juxtaposed with inviting layers and a bold contrast that exudes comfort,” Weber added. “Pieces deliver the perfect blend of old-age meets new-modern and strike just the right balance of femininity and masculinity. It is a beautiful mix of natural light and moody ambience wrapped up in one, with the utmost combination of texture and warmth.”
Due to its domestic manufacturing capabilities, upholstery pieces are fully customizable in a selection of 125 fabrics and 35 leathers. Weber said this an important product attribute for consumers shopping this style category.
“As part of our extensive research in developing the brand, we discovered a void in the marketplace for fully customizable modern upholstery, paired with complementary accents that are interchangeable,” Weber added. “M fills this void with a variety of designs that are very prevalent in the marketplace today.”
“M is unlike anything Hooker has done in the past and we are looking forward to seeing how our partners incorporate this unique, curated collection into their showrooms and homes,” she added.
With a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the Harrington Institute in Chicago, Weber has more than 30 years of experience with Crate & Barrel in a variety of sales, merchandising and product development roles. She worked her way up from retail sales to divisional merchandise manager for the furniture, upholstery and décor categories and her experience has allowed her to travel the globe, studying consumer and global design trends, while sourcing and developing product for one of the leading retailers in the world.
“When the team at Hooker Furnishings approached me to develop a new brand of furniture with a more modern aesthetic, I jumped at the opportunity,” said Weber. “Known in the industry as a leading source of design inspiration, Hooker’s reputation for quality, combined with its rich heritage and vast network of global manufacturing resources, makes it the perfect source to bring this new brand to life – and to inspire a whole new era of consumers.”
