It was perhaps poignant and appropriate that with the onset of a new decade, we should decide to come to Birmingham with a few surprises up our sleeves at a time when the temptation might be to play it safe and stick with the tried and tested.

Certainly, looking around the vast halls of the NEC, there appeared to be certain reluctance for manufacturers to buck any trends, which after a challenging trading year is perhaps hardly surprising.

Yet times of austerity, historically spawn innovation and it felt wholly relevant to choose this exhibition platform for OBC to showcase for the first time, an exciting new product line-up to gauge reaction and response.

For those visitors who thought that any new direction was a response to the economic mood, we would beg to differ. Indeed, most of the new product categories have been under development for some considerable time and it is only recently that we arrived at the culmination of these development efforts with a range that we believe is worthy of the closest scrutiny.

For this debut the intention was never to fill order books but rather to suggest that there is more to The Original Bedstead Company than the traditional and contemporary bedstead ranges for which we are best known. Diversification sends out an intriguing message and we were by and large flattered by the feedback both from our established customers and from those people that we were meeting for the first time.

To start the ball rolling we had brought along a group of bedroom furniture from our new Wooden Bedstead and accessories collection. So new in fact, that as of time of writing we do not yet have a name for it, these lovely highly hand polished pieces owe more than just a little to deco-esque style for design inspiration.

Consisting of an inviting bedstead, bedside table, a chest of drawers and a magnificent wardrobe, the starburst walnut veneer finish is unlike any other that you are likely to encounter, irrespective of price. Designed and painstakingly handmade in house, it is the culmination of several years of development work drawing on traditional manufacturing disciplines and arduous oiling and finishing techniques, resulting in furniture with a wonderfully deep patina and construction integrity.

It forms one of several new wooden ranges that we will incorporate within our wood collection during the coming year and judging from initial response, it looks set to become a collection that will find many new friends.

As a long time manufacturer of bedsteads, it was perhaps inevitable that at some point in time we would set our sights on the mattress and divan marketplace as a natural evolution within the development strategies of the business. Within an industry awash with bedding companies, the challenge for us was to develop something a little different from the norm that would find an appreciative audience.

Demanding customers are always prepared to pay a little more for quality as the premium bed manufacturers will tell you, and the feel and appearance of a quality hand laid bed is unmistakable. Drawing on this ethos, we exhibited for the first time a single size bed divan which is the forerunner of a new range of beds that will be a traditional departure from the norm, appealing to the customer who reveres all natural fillings and old fashioned manufacturing values.

With a focus on the green issues of sustainability and recycling, we are quietly excited with the bespoke market prospects for this new range, which we are confident, will further enhance our association with uncompromised quality within the industry. We invite you to watch this space as the year unfolds.

Some might have noticed a rather evocative traditional metal bedstead sharing the stand. In ever popular glossy ivory finish we like to think that it sent out a message of reassurance that we have no intention of ignoring our roots and the core business which continues to be the design and manufacture of quality metal bedsteads and headboards.

With more designs on the drawing board, we are looking forward to several new additions to the metal bed family throughout the year, supported by a new brochure and a continuation of our consumer advertising campaigns.

Yet, arguably for us, the star of the OBC stand was not our latest metal bedstead or wooden bed collection. Nor even our ground breaking mattress set. In fact, the real showstopper was our prototype patchwork Chesterfield upholstered bedstead, which had made it to Birmingham in the nick of time. Bringing a riot of colours and textures to the stand with deep upholstered styling and dramatic studded detailing, it attracted constant attention as a very new and somewhat radical diversion from the traditional norm.

With a” love-it/hate-it” persona, the very fact that it solicited debate, justified its invite and inclusion at the show. Several visitors had described it as a “joyful” bed, which in these grey economic times can surely be no bad thing?

Certainly, with a beguiling and somewhat opulent character, it brought a touch of golden-age glamour to lift the spirits. Moreover, whilst those with smallish bedrooms might need to look elsewhere, it’s good to think that there will always be an enthusiastic welcome for innovation and diversity within an industry that has constantly thrived on these very same principles.

For The Original Bedstead Company, the year ahead looks set to be an exciting time of development and change. As a taste of things to come, The Interiors Show proved to be a fabulous showcase and a great springboard into a new decade of opportunity.

Tags: Original Bedstead

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