Exhibit 10(u)



                             SPLIT DOLLAR AGREEMENT

     This  AGREEMENT  (the  "Agreement")  is  made  on_______________,   between
FURNITURE BRANDS  INTERNATIONAL,  INC., a Delaware  corporation (the "Company"),
and  _______________________________of  ________________ (the "Employee" and the
"Owner").

     The Company desires to assist the Employee in providing permanent insurance
protection for his family and to supplement  existing  Company  benefits for the
Employee.

     In pursuit of this desire,  the Owner has applied to the insurance  company
named in Schedule A (the  "Insurance  Company") for a policy of insurance on the
life of the  Employee  and the  Insurance  Company has issued that policy in the
face amount and under the policy number also shown in Schedule A (the "Policy").
The Company and the Owner have agreed to share the cash value and death benefits
of the Policy.

     Therefore,  in consideration of the mutual covenants  contained herein, the
parties agree as follows:


                        ARTICLE 1: OWNERSHIP OF INSURANCE

     The Owner shall be the owner of the Policy and may  exercise  all rights of
ownership  with  respect to the  Policy,  except as  otherwise  provided  in the
Agreement.


                    ARTICLE 2: PAYMENT OF PREMIUMS ON POLICY

     On or before the due date of each annual premium on the Policy, the Company
will pay to the Insurance  Company,  on behalf of the Owner, that portion of the
annual premium which equals the "cost" of the insurance which the beneficiary or
beneficiaries  named in the policy  would be entitled to receive if the employee
were to die during the policy year for which the annual  premium was paid.  This
amount  is  deemed  to be  the  "Owner's  Contribution"  toward  payment  of the
premiums. The Owner's premium share is determined by the amount of death benefit
payable in the event of the  Employee's  death in that year,  multiplied  by the
lesser of:  (a) the  Insurance  Company's  net  yearly  renewable  term rate per
thousand dollars in insurance  coverage;  or (b) the Internal Revenue  Service's
"PS58"  rate.  The  Company  will  also pay the cost of any  Waiver  of  Premium
provisions.

     Upon  payment of the Owner's  premium  share by the  Company,  the Employee
shall be deemed immediately to have received  compensation equal to the total of
(i) the Owner's  premium  share,  as  determined  in the first  paragraph of the
Article  2; and (ii) the cost of any  Waiver of  Premium  provision  paid by the
Company.

     The Company  will also pay the balance of the premium due to the  Insurance
Company,  which  amount  is  deemed to be the  "Company's  Contribution"  toward
payment of the premium.  This payment shall not be deemed to be  compensation to
the Employee.

     Schedule A provides the current allocation of annual premium which is based
upon the benefit payable in the event of the Employee's  death and the Insurance
Company's current dividend scale. .

                     ARTICLE 3: ELECTION OF DIVIDEND OPTION

     All  dividends  declared by the  Insurance  Company on the Policy  shall be
applied to purchase additional paid up insurance or a blend of paid up additions
and one year term  insurance on the life of the  Employee.  The dividend  option
which is  elected  will not be  terminated  or  changed  without  the  Company's
consent.


                 ARTICLE 4: ASSIGNMENT OR TERMINATION OF POLICY

     The Owner will  collaterally  assign the Policy to the  Company as security
for the  repayment of the amounts which the Company will pay toward the premiums
due on the Policy.  The Collateral  Assignment  will not be changed  without the
Company's consent.

     While this Agreement is in effect, the Owner will neither sell,  surrender,
withdraw any portion of the policy's  cash value,  nor  otherwise  terminate the
Policy without the Company's consent.



                             ARTICLE 5: DEATH CLAIMS

     In the  event of the  death of the  Employee  while  this  Agreement  is in
effect,  the Company will be entitled to receive a portion of the death benefits
provided under the Policy. The amount to which the Company will be entitled will
be the aggregate amount of the Company's contributions.

     When the Employee is deceased,  the beneficiary or  beneficiaries  named in
the Policy will be entitled to receive the amount of the death benefit in excess
of the amount  payable to the Company under the first  paragraph of this Article
5. This amount will be paid under any settlement option elected by the Owner.



                       ARTICLE 6: TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT

     This  Agreement  will terminate upon the occurrence of any of the following
events:

          (a)  cessation of the Company's business;

          (b)  written notice given by either party to the other;

          (c)  termination   (including  by   retirement)   of  the   Employee's
               employment by the Company;

          (d)  bankruptcy, receivership or dissolution of the Company; or

          (e)  repayment in full by the Owner of the  contributions  made by the
               Company under the third paragraph of Article 2 of this Agreement,
               provided that upon receipt of such repayment the Company releases
               the  Collateral  Assignment  of the  Policy  made  by  the  Owner
               pursuant to Article 4 of this Agreement.

          ARTICLE 7: DISPOSITION OF POLICY ON TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT

     If this Agreement is terminated under any sub-paragraphs (a) through (d) of
Article  6, the  Owner  shall  repay the  Company  the  aggregate  amount of the
Company's  contributions.  Said  repayment to be made within thirty (30) days of
such termination  event. Upon receipt of that amount,  the Company shall release
the  Collateral  Assignment  of the  Policy.  If the  Owner  does not  repay the
aggregate  amount of the  Company's  contributions  within  this thirty (30) day
period,  the Company may enforce any rights  which it has under this  Agreement,
the Collateral Assignment, and/or the premium Retrieval Agreement.

     Anything in this Article 7 to the contrary notwithstanding, the parties may
agree by a separate  addendum  delivered  contemporaneously  herewith,  that the
Company  will defer the  request for  repayment  under this  Agreement  for such
period of time after  retirement as may be  appropriate to realize for the Owner
the full benefits contemplated hereby.


                             ARTICLE 8: POLICY LOANS

     The Company has the right to borrow from the Policy an amount not to exceed
the aggregate amount of the Company's contributions.

     The Owner has the right to borrow  from the Policy an amount  equal to this
total premium share and the  corporation  will consent to such loans.  Any loans
exceeding the Employee's total premium share must be approved by the Company.

     Each party is solely responsible for payment of interest on monies borrowed
from the Policy by such party.


                    ARTICLE 9: INSURANCE COMPANY NOT A PARTY

     The  Insurance  Company:  (a)  will  not be  deemed  to be a party  to this
Agreement  nor be in any way  responsible  for its  validity;  (b)  will  not be
obligated to inquire as to the  distribution of any monies payable or paid by it
under the Policy.


                       ARTICLE 10: AMENDMENT OF AGREEMENT

     This Agreement may not be amended except by a writing signed by the Company
and the Owner. This Agreement will be binding upon the heirs,  administrators or
executors, and the successors and assigns of each party to this Agreement.

     The  Owner  reserves  the  right to  assign  all of his or her  rights  and
obligations under this Agreement.

     This Agreement  contains the entire  understanding of the parties and there
has been no reliance on any other representations.




                  ARTICLE 11: LIMITATION OF COMPANY'S LIABILITY

     The  Company's  sole  liability  under this  Agreement  will be to make its
contribution  to the annual  premium  cost in  accordance  with  Schedule A. The
Company is in no way responsible for the tax consequences of this transaction to
the Employee or the Owner, and/or the content of the Policy,  and/or the content
of accuracy of any schedules,  publications or other documents  presented by the
Insurance Company or its agents with respect thereto.


                           ARTICLE 12: APPLICABLE LAW

     This  Agreement  is subject to and will be  construed  under the law of the
State of Delaware.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have hereunto set their hands and seals
the day and year first above written.



ATTEST:  FURNITURE BRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC.



By: ___________________________________   By: __________________________________
       (Officer Name and Title)                    (Officer Name and Title)



_______________________________________   ______________________________________
          (Witness)                                  (Employee)











<PAGE>


                           PREMIUM RETRIEVAL AGREEMENT



     Agreement  made this  __________ day of  __________________  by and between
FURNITURE BRANDS INTERNATIONAL, INC., (hereinafter called "the Corporation") and
___________________    of   the    city   of    ________________,    State    of
_______________________, (hereinafter called "the employee")


     A Split  Dollar  Agreement  has been  entered into on . The purpose of this
Agreement  is for  the  Corporation  to  assist  the  Employee  in  acquiring  a
substantial  life  insurance  policy to  supplement  existing  Employee  Benefit
Programs. In accordance with this Agreement, The Guardian Life Insurance Company
has issued Policy No.  ___________ on the life of the Employee dated with a face
amount of $___________.  It is the Corporation's  intent to be responsible for a
substantial  portion of the premiums payable with the  understanding  that these
premium  advances are fully  recoverable  by the  Corporation  at the Employee's
retirement or in the event of his death or disability.

     In the event of the Employee's voluntary termination of employment prior to
the Corporation's  having cash equity in the Split Dollar Insurance Policy equal
to its cumulative premium  contributions,  the Employee hereby agrees to satisfy
any lack of full  recovery  by the  Corporation  within  thirty (30) days of his
termination,  per the attached schedule. This Premium Retrieval Agreement is not
assignable.


                                                 FURNITURE BRANDS
                                                 INTERNATIONAL, INC.:



ATTEST:                                       By: ______________________________
                                                     (Officer Name and Title)



FURNITURE BRANDS                                  ______________________________
INTERNATIONAL ,INC.                                       (Employee)




By: ________________________________              ______________________________
       (Officer Name and Title)                            (Witness)