To download high-resolution images of the furniture collection in this release, please visit www.centuryfurniturepresskits.com. Additional photos and Suggested Retail Prices become available after our press kit has been printed, so we invite you to visit the Web site periodically.

Century Furniture pays homage to every shade of purple this Market with a spring bouquet of vivid upholstered creations.

High Point Furniture Market (April 2008)—Plum is hot! Starting late last
year and continuing through winter, this vibrant color lit up fashion
runways in the form of purple patent leather handbags, merlot-hued
evening gowns, and funky violet tunics. This spring, plum has come home
to roost. We’re dressing our walls in soft lavender paints, draping our beds
in amethyst silks and adorning our shelves with pottery in swirling shades
of purple.

Century Furniture,P.O.Box 608,Hickory,North Carolina 28603
Telephone:828-328-1851 •Fax:828-328-2176

No surprise, then, that Century Furniture plans to unveil a wealth of plum-colored upholstery at the Spring 2008 International Home Furnishings Market. Among its offerings are a show-stopping purple glazed leather & stainless steel chair, a contemporized fauteuil chair in a paisley “butterfly” pattern and an amethyst-hued mohair club chair. “Plum, in all its varying shades, is the newest color trend,” says Edward M. Tashjian, Century’s VP of Marketing. “Indeed, Pantone selected Blue Iris, a mixture of blue and purple, as the 2008 Color of the Year. Plum has connotations that are almost contradictory: wealth and spirituality, power and mysticism, energy and calm. Because it combines the coolest color, blue, with the warmest color, red, it’s believed to be the perfect hue.” Fascinating stuff, for sure…but can you decorate with it? Absolutely, says Tashjian. He offers a few principles and pointers about plum:

• Think of plum pieces as the “flowers” of your décor. Plum, in all its dazzling shades, evokes the lushness of flowers: lavender, allium, violets, lilacs, irises, wisteria. Still, such blooms are rare enough to be prized when they’re discovered; there is no sight quite so heart gladdening as a cluster of purple flowers growing wild in a grassy meadow. Take your decorating cue from nature, suggests Tashjian. “Use plum pieces sparingly for maximum impact,” he says. “They will stand outlike jewels.”

• It can go ultra modern or traditional. Plum is versatile. Depending on how it’s presented, it looks fabulous in any style décor. “Our Stiletto Chair, with its lustrous leather and chrome frame, clearly has a contemporary edge,” says Tashjian. “Meanwhile, our Klismos Chair leans more in the other direction—it would be perfectly at home in a traditional dining room appointed with rich, dark wood.”

• Plum complements a wide range of colors. Vivid grape is stunning paired with other jewel tones like emerald green or accented with icy gleaming silver. Deep eggplant looks tasteful and classic with neutrals like beige or warm brown. And virtually all variations of plum work well with black or white. “Remember, plum is both warm and cool,” says Tashjian. “Lighter shades act as neutrals.”

• Depending on the shade, plum can “shout” or “whisper.” Here’s the really great thing about this color family: it suits every personality. Extroverts might choose a “statement making” shocking purple. Shrinking violets (to borrow an appropriate term!) might prefer a muted mauve. And creative types might gravitate toward a mesmerizing thistle & lilac print like the paisley silk jacquard on Century’s Ellipse Chair. “There’s something plum for everyone,” says Tashjian.“Call it plum, call it purple or call it violet; people just love this color,” says Tashjian. “It stimulates our creativity. It brings out our inner child. There’s something magical about plum, and right now I think people need a little magic.”

# # #

For more information, please contact Michelle Roll
(828) 326-8260
mroll@centuryfurniture.com.

To download high-resolution images of the furniture collection in this release, please visit www.centuryfurniturepresskits.com.

Plum Creations by Century Furniture

A sophisticated leather finishing technique (also used on shoes and handbags) gives our Stiletto chair a sleek, liquid, luminous patina that dazzles the senses. The icy steel frame, which juts high above the upholstered back and flows sinuously to the floor, catches every shard of lightand reflects its surroundings.

Dressed in amethyst mohair, one of the earliest velvets, this brilliant club chair is a pleasing marriage of old and new. Its time-tested fabric and gentle tufting suggest shades of Grandma’s parlor, yet its angular profile, track arms and gleaming nickel ferrules keep it coolly up to date. Finished in Sable.

This geometric chair is enhanced with a clean, fresh, white paint finish—the perfect foil for the decadent dark plum Brisa faux leather. Graceful scroll arms. Flared saber legs. Finished in Cloud.

A stylized butterfly emerges from the paisley swirls of this groovy fauteuil chair. The silk jacquard fabric, woven with shades of thistle, lilac, pink and gold, harmonizes nicely with the aubergine scalloped frame. Gentle flared legs. Finished in Cordovan.

A soft mauve polyester blend with a loosely tailored skirt gives our settee
a touchably casual look. Its back features a pair of keyhole shaped “windows” outlined with bronze and rust cording.