Exhibit 10(a)
                               FURNITURE BRANDS 
                            1992 STOCK OPTION PLAN

     1.     Objectives of the Plan

          The Furniture Brands 1992 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") of
     Furniture Brands International, Inc. (the "Corporation") is intended
     to encourage and provide opportunities for ownership of the
     Corporation's Common Stock by such key employees (including officers)
     of the Corporation and any subsidiaries of the Corporation as the
     Board of Directors of the Corporation (the "Board") or a committee
     thereof constituted for this purpose may from time to time determine. 
     The Plan is also intended to provide incentives for such employees to
     put forth maximum efforts for the successful operation of the
     Corporation and its subsidiaries. By extending to such key employees
     the opportunity to acquire proprietary interests in the Corporation
     and to participate in its success, the Plan may be expected to benefit
     the Corporation and its shareholders by making it possible for the
     Corporation and its subsidiaries to attract and retain the best
     available talent and by providing such key employees with added
     incentives to increase the value of the Corporation's stock.


     2.     Stock Subject to the Plan

          There are reserved for issue under the Plan 5,500,000 shares of
     the Common Stock, without nominal or par value, of the Corporation
     (the "Shares"). Such Shares may be, in whole or in part, as the Board
     shall from time to time determine, authorized but unissued Shares, or
     issued Shares which shall have been reacquired by the Corporation.


     3.     Administration

          Subject to the express provisions of the Plan, the Plan shall be
     administered by the Executive Compensation and Stock Option Committee
     of the Board (the "Committee"), and the Committee shall have plenary
     authority, in its discretion, to determine the individuals to whom,
     and the time or times at which, options, if any, shall be granted, the
     type of option to be granted (e.g., qualified or nonqualified) and the
     number of Shares to be subject to an option.   Subject to the express
     provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall also have plenary
     authority to interpret the Plan, to prescribe, amend and rescind rules
     and regulations regarding it, and to take whatever action is necessary
     to carry out the purposes of the Plan. The Committee's determinations
     on matters referred to in this Section 3 shall be conclusive.
          

     4.     The Committee

          The Committee shall consist of three or more members of the
     Board. The Committee shall be appointed by the Board, which may from
     time to time designate the number to serve on the Committee, appoint<PAGE>

     members of the Committee in substitution for members previously
     appointed and fill vacancies, however caused, in the Committee.  No
     member of the Board while a member of the Committee shall be eligible
     to receive an option under the Plan. The Committee shall elect one of
     its members as its Chairman and shall hold its meetings at such times
     and places as it may determine.  A majority of the members shall
     constitute a quorum. Any determination reduced to writing and signed
     by all the members of the Committee shall be fully as effective as if
     it had been made by a majority vote at a meeting duly called and held.
     The Committee may appoint a secretary, shall keep minutes of its
     meetings and shall make such rules and regulations for the conduct of
     its business as it shall deem advisable.


     5.     Eligibility

          Options may be granted only to key employees (which term as used
     herein includes officers) of the Corporation and of its subsidiary
     corporations (the "subsidiaries") as the term "subsidiary corporation"
     is defined in Section 424(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
     amended, (the "Code"). For the purposes of the Plan the term
     "employee" shall be an individual with an "employment relationship" as
     defined in Section 421 (Regs. Section 1.421-7(h)) of the Code.  A
     member of the Board or of the board of directors of a subsidiary who
     is not also an employee of the Corporation or of one of its
     subsidiaries shall not be eligible to receive an option.  Nothing
     contained in the Plan shall be construed to limit the right of the
     Corporation to grant options otherwise than under the Plan in
     connection with (i) the employment of any person,(ii) the acquisition,
     by purchase, lease, merger, consolidation or otherwise, of the
     business or assets of another corporation, firm or association,
     including grants to employees thereof who become employees of the
     Corporation or a subsidiary, or (iii) other proper corporate purposes.


     6.     Nonqualified Stock Options

          Unless it is designated a qualified option by the Committee, any
     option granted under the Plan shall be nonqualified and shall be in
     such form as the Committee may from time to time approve.  Any such
     nonqualified option shall be subject to the following terms and
     conditions and shall contain such additional terms and conditions, not
     inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall
     deem desirable:

            (a)    Option Price.   The per share purchase price of Shares
     purchasable under an option shall be determined by the Committee in
     accordance with procedures established by the Committee; provided
     however, that except for options granted to replace pre-existing
     compensation or benefit programs, in no event shall more than 10% of
     the shares reserved for issue under the Plan be the subject of (i)
     options granted at less than fair market value on the date of grant,
     and (ii) new options substituted for previously granted options having
     higher option prices as provided for in Section 9 hereof.

            (b)    Option Period.   The term of option shall be fixed by
     the Committee, but no option shall be exercisable after the expiration
     of ten years from the date the option is granted.

            (c)    Exercisability.  Options shall be exercisable at such
     time or times as determined by the Committee at or subsequent to
     grant; no option shall be exercisable during the year ending on the
     day before the first anniversary date of the granting of the option. 
     The proceeds of sale of Shares subject to option are to be added to
     the general funds of the Corporation.  Except as provided in
     Subsections (f), (g) and (h) of this Section 6, no option may be
     exercised at any time unless the holder is then a regular employee of
     the Corporation or a subsidiary and has continuously remained an
     employee at all times since the date of granting of the option. If any
     option granted under the Plan shall expire or terminate for any reason
     without ever having been exercised in full, the unissued shares
     subject thereto shall again be available for the purposes of the Plan.

             (d)    Method of Exercise.  Options which are exercisable may
     be exercised in whole or in part at any time during the option period,
     by completing and delivering to the Corporation an option exercise
     form provided by the Corporation specifying the number of Shares to be
     purchased. Such form shall be accompanied by payment in full of the
     purchase price in cash. No Shares shall be issued until full payment
     therefor has been made.

             (e)   Nontransferability of Options. No option shall be
     transferable by the optionee otherwise than by will or by the laws of
     descent and distribution, and such options shall be exercisable,
     during the optionee's lifetime, only by the optionee.

             (f)   Termination by Reason of Death. If an optionee's
     employment by the Corporation or any subsidiary terminates by reason
     of death, as to those Shares with respect to which the option had
     become exercisable (under the provisions of the particular option) on
     the date of death, the stock option may thereafter be exercised by the
     legal representative of the estate or by the legatee of the optionee
     under the will of the optionee, during a period of six months from the
     date of such death or until the expiration of the stated period of the
     option, whichever period is the shorter.

             (g)    Termination by Reason of Retirement or Permanent
     Disability. If an optionee's employment by the Corporation or any
     subsidiary terminates by reason of retirement or permanent disability,
     as to those Shares with respect to which the option had become
     exercisable (under the provisions of the particular option) on the
     date of termination of employment, any stock option held by such
     optionee may thereafter be exercised during a period of three months
     from the date of such termination of employment or the expiration of
     the stated period of the option, whichever period is the shorter;
     provided, however, that if the optionee dies within such three-month
     period, any unexercised stock option held by such optionee shall
     thereafter be exercisable to the extent to which it was exercisable at
     the time of death for a period of six months from the date of such
     death or for the stated period of the option, whichever period is the
     shorter.

             (h)    Other Termination. If an optionee's employment
     terminates for any reason other than death, permanent disability, or
     retirement, as to those Shares with respect to which the option had
     become exercisable (under the provisions of the particular option) on
     the date of termination of employment, any option held by such
     optionee may thereafter be exercised during a period of one month from
     the date of such termination of employment or the expiration of the
     stated period of the option, whichever period is shorter; provided,
     however, that if the optionee dies within such one-month period, any
     unexercised option held by such optionee shall thereafter be
     exercisable to the extent to which is was exercisable at the time of
     death for a period of six months from the date of such death or for
     the stated period of the option, whichever period is the shorter.

            (i)     Option Buyout. The Committee may at any time offer to
     repurchase an option (other than an option which has been held for
     less than six months by an optionee who is subject to Section 16(b) of
     the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) based on such terms and
     conditions as the Committee shall establish and communicate to the
     optionee at the time that such offer is made.

     7.     Qualified Stock Options

          Any option granted under the Plan shall, at the discretion of the
     Committee, qualify as an incentive stock option as defined in Section
     422(b) of the Code and shall be in such form as the Committee may from
     time to time approve.  Any such qualified option shall be subject to
     the following terms and conditions in addition to those set forth in
     Section 6 and shall contain such additional terms and conditions, not
     inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall
     deem desirable:

             (a)    Eligibility.  Incentive stock options shall not be
     granted to any individual who, at the time the option is granted,owns
     stock possessing more than ten percent of the total combined voting
     power of all classes of stock of the Corporation or its parent
     corporation (as the term "parent corporation" is defined in Section
     424(e) of the Code) or the subsidiaries unless: l) the option price is
     at least 110% of the fair market value of the stock subject to the
     option and 2) the option states that it is not exercisable after the
     expiration of five years from the date of its grant.

            (b)    Limitation on Exercise of Options.  The maximum
     aggregate fair market value (determined at the time an option is
     <PAGE>

     granted) of the Shares with respect to which qualified options are
     exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar
     year (under all plans of the Company and its parent corporation and
     subsidiaries) shall not exceed $100,000. If the provisions of this
     Section limit the exercisability of certain qualified options which
     would otherwise become exercisable on account of termination of
     employment or a change of control, the Committee, in its sole
     discretion, shall determine the times at which such qualified options
     become exercisable so that the provisions of this Section 7(b) are not
     violated; provided that in no event shall any qualified option be
     exercisable more than ten (10) years from the date of granting thereof
     (five (5) years in the case of qualified options granted to ten
     percent shareholders (described in Section 7(a)).

     8.     Adjustment Upon Changes in Capitalization, Etc.

          The aggregate number and class of shares reserved under the Plan,
     the number and class of shares subject to each option granted pursuant
     to the Plan and/or the option price per share payable under each such
     option shall be appropriately and equitably adjusted in the event of: 
     any reclassification or increase or decrease in the number of the
     issued Shares of the Corporation by reason of a split-up or
     consolidation of Shares; the payment of a stock dividend; a
     recapitalization; a combination or exchange of Shares; a spin-off; or
     any like capital adjustment.

          If the Corporation shall be reorganized or shall be merged into
     or consolidated with any other corporation, each option, if any, then
     outstanding under the Plan shall thereafter apply to such number and
     kind of securities as would have been issuable by reason of such
     reorganization, merger or consolidation to a holder of the number of
     Shares which were subject to the option, if any, immediately prior to
     such reorganization, merger or consolidation.

          In the event of the proposed dissolution or liquidation of the
     Corporation or in the event of a proposed sale of substantially all of
     the assets of the Corporation, each option, if any, outstanding under
     the Plan shall terminate as of a date to be fixed by the Committee and
     approved by the Board upon not less than thirty days' written notice
     to the optionee; provided, however, that any option granted at least
     six months prior to such event, if any, of any optionee who has been
     an employee for one year or more prior to the date of such notice
     shall be accelerated and such optionee shall be entitled to exercise
     such option, in whole or in part, without regard to any installment
     provision of the option, and provided further that said exercise shall
     be made prior to the termination date fixed in said notice.

          All adjustments under this Section 8 shall be made by the
     Committee, subject to the approval of the Board, which action shall be
     final and conclusive.

          Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, upon a Change of
     Control(as hereinafter defined) which occurs after the first
     anniversary of the Effective Date (as defined in Section 12), each
     option granted at least six months prior to such Change of Control
     shall become immediately exercisable in full.  As used herein, "Change
     of Control" shall mean any of the following events which occur more
     than one year after the first anniversary of the Effective Date:

          (a) The acquisition (other than from the Corporation) by any
     person, entity or "group", within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or
     14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"),
     excluding, for this purpose, the Corporation or its subsidiaries, or
     any employee benefit plan of the Corporation or its subsidiaries, of
     beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated
     under the Exchange Act) of 20% or more of either the then outstanding
     Shares or the combined voting power of the Corporation's then
     outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the
     election of directors; or

          (b)   Individuals who, as of the first anniversary of the
     Effective Date, constitute the Board (as of such date, the "Incumbent
     Board"), cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the
     Board, provided that any person becoming a director subsequent to the
     first anniversary of the Effective Date whose election, or nomination
     for election by the Corporation's stockholders, was approved by a vote
     of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent
     Board (other than an election or nomination of an individual whose
     initial assumption of office is in connection with an actual or
     threatened election contest relating to the election of the directors
     of the Corporation, as such terms are used in Rule 14 all of
     Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act) shall be considered
     as though such person were a member of the Incumbent Board; or

          (c)   Approval by the stockholders of the Corporation of a
     reorganization, merger or consolidation, in each case, with respect to
     which persons who were the stockholders of the Corporation immediately
     prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation do not,
     immediately thereafter, own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of
     the combined voting power entitled to vote generally in the election
     of directors of the reorganized, merged or consolidated company's then
     outstanding voting securities, or a liquidation or dissolution of the
     Corporation or the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of
     the Corporation.

     9.     Amendments and Termination

          The Board may amend, alter, or discontinue the Plan, but no
     amendment, alteration, or discontinuation shall be made which would
     impair the rights of an optionee under an option without the
     optionee's consent, or which without the approval of the stockholders
     would: except as is provided in Section 8 of the Plan, increase the
     total number of Shares reserved for the purpose of the Plan; decrease
     the option price of any option to less than 100% of the fair market
       <PAGE>


     value on the date of the granting of the option; change the employees
     or class of employees eligible to participate in the Plan; or extend
     the maximum option period under Section 6(b) of the Plan.

          The Committee may amend the terms of any option theretofore
     granted, prospectively or retroactively, but no such amendment shall
     impair the rights of any optionee without the consent of the optionee. 
     The Committee may also substitute new options for previously granted
     options, including substitution for previously granted options having
     higher option prices, subject to the limitation set forth in Section
     6(a) hereof.


     10.  General Provisions

          (a)     The Committee may require each person purchasing Shares
     pursuant to an option under the Plan to represent to and agree with
     the Corporation in writing that the optionee is acquiring the Shares
     without a view to distribution thereof.  The certificates for such
     Shares may include any legend which the Committee deems appropriate to
     reflect any restrictions on transfer.

          (b)     All certificates for Shares delivered under the Plan
     shall be subject to such stock-transfer orders and other restrictions
     as the Committee may deem advisable under the rules, regulations, and
     other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any
     stock exchange upon which the Shares are then listed, and any
     applicable federal or state securities law, and the Committee may
     cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make
     appropriate reference to such restrictions.

          (c)     Nothing contained in this Plan shall prevent the Board
     from adopting other or additional compensation arrangements, subject
     to stockholder approval if such approval is required; and such
     arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in
     specific cases.

     11.     Taxes

          Following exercise of an option, the optionee shall, no later
     than the date as of which an amount related to the option exercise
     first becomes includable in the gross income of the optionee for
     federal income tax purposes, pay to the Corporation, or make
     arrangements satisfactory to the Corporation regarding payment of, any
     federal, state, or local taxes of any kind required by law to be
     withheld with respect to such amount and the Corporation and its
     subsidiaries shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to
     deduct any such taxes from any payment of any kind otherwise due to
     the optionee.
          

     12.     Effective Date of Plan

          This Plan shall be effective on the effective date of the Joint
     Plan of Reorganization of the Corporation and its subsidiaries
     ("Effective Date"). However, no option granted under this Plan may be
     exercised in whole or in part until this Plan is approved by the
     holders of a majority of the outstanding stock of the Corporation
     entitled to vote on the issue, which approval must occur within the
     twelve-month period after the Effective Date. In the event such
     approval is not forthcoming within the time specified, this Plan and
     any options granted pursuant to it shall be null and void.


     13.     Term of Plan

          No option shall be granted pursuant to the Plan more than 10
     years after the Plan is approved by the Board of Directors of the
     Corporation, but options theretofore granted may extend beyond and be
     exercised after that date.







     Adopted by the Board of Directors on January 20, 1992.
     Amended by the Board of Directors on January 26, 1993.
     Approved by stockholders on May 5, 1993.
     Amended by the Board of Directors on October 19, 1994.
     Amended by the Board of Directors on April 23, 1996 
       and approved by the stockholders on April 23, 1996.
     Amended by the Board of Directors on January 28, 1997
       and approved by the stockholders on April 29, 1997