<PAGE>


                                                                  EXHIBIT 24.1










                         CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS



             The Board of Directors
             LADD Furniture, Inc.:


             We  consent  to  incorporation  by  reference  in the  Registration
             Statement (No. 33-53341) on Form S-8 of LADD Furniture, Inc. of our
             reports dated February 16, 1996,  except for paragraph 4 of Note 2,
             which is as of February  26,  1996,  relating  to the  consolidated
             balance  sheets of LADD  Furniture,  Inc.  and  subsidiaries  as of
             December  30,  1995  and   December  31,  1994,   and  the  related
             consolidated statements of operations, shareholders equity and cash
             flows and related  schedule for each of the years in the three-year
             period ended December 30, 1995 which reports appear in the December
             30,  1995  annual  report  on Form  10-K of  LADD  Furniture,  Inc.
             contained  in the  Appendix  to the  Proxy  Statement  for the 1996
             Annual Shareholders Meeting.



                                                KPMG Peat Marwick LLP


             Greensboro, North Carolina
             March 28, 1996

<PAGE>


                                                                           F-1






                           INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT



        The Board of Directors
        LADD Furniture, Inc.:


        Under date of February 16, 1996,  except for paragraph 4 of Note 2,
        which is as of February 26, 1996,  we reported on the  consolidated
        balance  sheets of LADD  Furniture,  Inc.  and  subsidiaries  as of
        December   30,  1995  and   December   31,  1994  and  the  related
        consolidated statements of operations, shareholders equity and cash
        flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December
        30, 1995,  as contained in the Appendix to the Proxy  Statement for
        the 1996 Annual Shareholders Meeting.  These consolidated financial
        statements and our report thereon are included in the annual report
        on Form 10-K for the year ended  December 30, 1995,  also contained
        in  the  Appendix  to the  Proxy  Statement  for  the  1996  Annual
        Shareholders   Meeting.  In  connection  with  our  audits  of  the
        aforementioned  consolidated  financial  statements,  we also  have
        audited the related financial  statement  schedule as listed in the
        accompanying  index.  This  financial  statement  schedule  is  the
        responsibility of the company s management.  Our  responsibility is
        to express an opinion on this financial statement schedule based on
        our audits.

        In our opinion, such financial statement schedule,  when considered
        in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as
        a whole, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information
        set forth therein.



                                                KPMG Peat Marwick LLP


         Greensboro, North Carolina
         February 16, 1996, except for paragraph 4 of Note 2,
          which is as of February 26, 1996

<PAGE>









                                                                            F-2

                                                                   Schedule II
                      LADD FURNITURE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                 Valuation and Qualifying Accounts and Reserves
                          (dollar amounts in thousands)


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               Charged
                                        Balance at            (credited)                                                 Balance at
                                       beginning of          to costs and          Charged to           Deductions         end of
    Description                            year                expenses          other accounts          (c)               year
                                      ----------------     -----------------     ----------------------------------    -------------
<S>                                            <C>                    <C>             <C>                  <C>                <C>  
Year ended December 30, 1995
    Doubtful receivables                       $2,831                 2,898           (1,085) (a)          (2,091)            2,553
    Discounts                                       0                   123 (d)            -                    -               123
    Returns and allowances                      1,462                  (36) (d)          (45) (a)               -             1,381
                                      ================     =================     =============     ================    =============
                                               $4,293                 2,985           (1,130)              (2,091)            4,057
                                      ================     =================     =============     ================    =============


Year ended December 31, 1994
    Doubtful receivables                       $3,316                 1,521               338 (b)          (2,344)            2,831
    Returns and allowances                        862                   294 (d)           306 (b)               -             1,462
                                      ================     =================     =============     ================    =============
                                               $4,178                 1,815               644              (2,344)            4,293
                                      ================     =================     =============     ================    =============


Year ended January 1, 1994
    Doubtful receivables                       $2,763                 2,056                 -              (1,503)            3,316
    Discounts                                      23                     - (d)             -                 (23)                0
    Returns and allowances                        731                   131 (d)             -                  -                862
                                      ================     =================     =============     ================    =============
                                               $3,517                 2,187                 -              (1,526)            4,178
                                      ================     =================     =============     ================    =============
</TABLE>



Notes
    (a)Represents businessess divested or reclassified to businesses held for 
       sale.
    (b)Represents initial reserves of acquired business.
    (c)Represents uncollectible receivables written-off, net of recoveries.
    (d)Represent net increase (decrease) in required reserve.