HIGH POINT, NC -- Comfort and connectivity are the common denominators of today’s eclectic home environments, where Americans are effortlessly streaming and beaming the whole wide world into their private living spaces, for relaxation, entertainment and virtual socializing.

Whether they’re using a laptop, desktop or gaming system, tapping into countless apps on their smartphones and tablets, or sharing pictures, videos and music, people are connecting with people, and they’re doing so from the comfort of their homes.

In fact, 79 percent of Americans have Internet access at home, 98 percent have a television, there are nearly two computers per household, and the majority of the population uses social media, according to Edison Research.

“Rapid-fire technology advances have become a seamless part of the home sanctuary, creating an unprecedented level of connectivity and putting a timely spin on the proverbial home nest,” says Mike Lambright, director of marketing at Sauder.

“As a result,” Lambright said, “consumers are seeking furnishings that evoke a warm, emotional response at the same time that they address today’s essential technologies with effortless built-in function.”

At the Home Furnishings Market opening Oct. 13, Sauder is debuting over three dozen fresh styles geared to the needs of today’s technology-rich homefronts. The company is unveiling two collections, Barrister Lane and Original Cottage, and showcasing offerings from its French Mills collection, introduced earlier this year. In addition, Sauder is debuting over half a dozen entertainment pieces, representing a variety of styles and finishes and providing still more techno-cued options for the contemporary home.

Order in the home: timeless barrister styling presents a bold, functional style statement

With its new Barrister Lane collection, Sauder is offering a dynamic fusion of function and flair in 10 entertainment and storage designs. The grouping combines elements of classic legal looks, vintage flea market finds and refined antiques, and the result is a bold, distinguished style statement that’s right at home in today’s eclectic, techno-centric living spaces.

An updated barrister-style door feature, harkening back to past centuries, defines the new grouping with versatility and masculine good looks—and the signature roll-up door also brings a sense of gracious living into the technology century. With its variety of size options in bookcases and entertainment pieces, the collection delivers cross-functional storage capability scaled to any room. And aged metal hardware enhances the archival look of the grouping.

The debut collection offers three finish choices ranging from medium to light and representing repurposed native wood patterns. Salt Oak is a planked grey oak finish with varying color depth and scale, adding up to clean, warm tones that work equally well in traditional and transitional settings. Pale Oak is a natural oak finish influenced by European aesthetics, with planking that gives the clean grain a casual warmth at home in today’s comfort-cued rooms. Bianco Oak is an off-white painted oak finish with a straight grain, featuring deep, textured embossing and crosscut saw marks for a rough-hewn, recycled look. Pieces will retail from approximately $159 to $329.

Cottage styling brings bright, cheery comfort to the home nest

Sauder is also unveiling its Original Cottage collection with 17 new designs in a broad range of categories including kitchen, bedroom, office, storage and occasional. The pieces showcase the bright, airy side of popular Cottage styling, thanks to three fresh color options as well as a simplicity in form and function attuned to in-home technologies.

The new collection’s solid finish color choices set a relaxed, light-hearted tone: Melon Yellow offers a vibrant rendition of the sunshine color; Cobblestone is a neutral grey option that provides a fresh take on conventional Cottage white; and Rainwater offers a versatile neutral finish with a green hue.

Design elements such as simple round knobs and straightforward forms underscore the cheery, easygoing Cottage look that epitomizes eclectic, mixing and matching comfortably in a variety of environments. Ease and function are also in the details, including casters on select pieces such as occasional tables as well as a tough, long-wearing Eversheen™ top on a Slate finish kitchen island. Pieces are expected to retail from approximately $69 to $279.

Techno-cued styling at home with Old World/New World design

Sauder is also showcasing its recently-introduced French Mills collection, a higher-end traditional grouping that combines time-honored American and European design elements for a formal yet welcoming air. Distinguished continental styling on entertainment and office pieces is warmed with a mellow finish and the softened lines of New World craftsmen. Wide door frames and bold molding treatments project self-assurance, enhanced by a warm American Chestnut finish and aged brass hardware. Complete with hidden techno-cued features that discreetly provide forward-looking functionality, the collection lends a gracious note to the high-tech home. Now available in stores, the collection retails from approximately $79 to $299.

“Today’s consumers are savvy homebodies with wide-ranging interests and connections,” said Lambright. “They’re seeking furnishings that not only foster comfort, intimacy and timeless style, but also provide no-nonsense solutions to the demands of their ever-expanding at-home technologies.”

For information about Sauder Woodworking Co., visit the company's showroom located in Space #218 in the 220 Elm Building or visit their Web site at Sauder.com

Source: Sauder Woodworking Co.