C.R. Laine is one of the most photographed upholstery companies in the United States today. Their furniture has graced the pages of Traditional Home, Veranda, House Beautiful and Country Living, just to name a few. For years, C.R. Laine has been at the forefront of upholstery fashion, shaping the way Americans design their homes. But when it comes to name recognition this trendsetter is not very well known.
In The Beginning
C.E. Roseman Sr. founded the company in 1958. It started small, with only three part-time employees, specializing in gooseneck rockers. Today, nearly 60 years later, C.R. Laine is still family owned and operated with second- and third-generation family members serving as CEO and president of the company.
Innovation
Kilim Rug Ottoman by C.R. Laine Furniture
“C.R. Laine is the leading company in fashion, style and frame fabrics,” says Reb Nicholson a C.R. Laine Sales Representative. Laine is consistently trying new things or— in the case of their Kilim Rug ottomans—mixing old with new.
Three years ago the manufacturer started sourcing vintage Kilim dowry rugs from Turkey and the surrounding areas. These rugs were originally made by brides as part of their dowry. C.R. Laine acquired the rugs from Turkish rug dealers, and turned them into unique and durable ottomans. These one-of-a-kind pieces were custom-sized to best showcase the hand-woven designs.
In addition to experimenting with different textiles, C.R. Laine is also known for pushing color boundaries. With the onset of the Great Recession, many upholstery companies veered toward safer body colors for their upholstered pieces. But, in a time when grays, browns and tans dominated showroom floors C.R. Laine doubled down with bright pinks, blues, avocados and coral. This gamble paid off. While many furniture manufacturers struggled to get furniture out in a timely manner and keep their doors open during the recession, C.R. Laine was one of the few companies that could be relied upon to provide a wonderful quality product in a timely manner, without resorting to moving their production overseas.
Moving into the Future
Tobi Fairley with the Olivia Chair, a new addition to the Tobi Fairley Collection by C.R. Laine, which debuted at October’s High Point Market.
Recently, C.R. Laine partnered with designer Tobi Fairley to create a new collection of furniture. Fairley is known for her interior design blog at tobifairley.com, as well as her collection of interior design businesses, including Inbox Interiors an online design service aimed at helping DIY designers.
C.R. Laine shows off the Julianne sofa and Helen chairs from the Tobi Fairley Collection in their High Point Showroom during October Market 2015.
Both Toby Fairley and C.R. Laine are known for their bold and dramatic use of colors, combined with tailored upholstery. Together they have created a sophisticated, yet whimsical collection, featuring not only chairs and sofas, but occasional tables and screens as well.
Many upholstery companies’ in-house designers went into hibernation during the recession, afraid to create anything so daring it might scare off customers. C.R. Laine, however, used this time to create bright, bold designs, cementing their position as an industry trendsetter.
“I see us continuing to be a leader in the fashion industry,” says Nicholson. And with their fall market introductions, that is exactly what they are doing.
Photos Courtesy of C.R. Laine Furniture
