Evening star., 1937-03-13
MAHOGANY RISES
UNPOPULAR FAVOR
Walnut Furniture, Widely
Shown in "Borax" Stores,
Declines.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, March
l3.-According to claims by the Grand
Rapids Furniture Exposition and the
Merchandise Mart, Chicago, two Of the
countrys wholesale furniture centers
representing a bulk of manufacturers,
the American public is furnishing and
refurnishing its homes with better
merchandise. This conclusion is
prediCated in the increased demand
for mahogany furniture, considered by
the industry the barometer of flnan-
cial conditions in the average home.
Together with the wholesale market
figures the Walnut Manufacturers
Association compiled figures which
showed a continued decrease in dis
tribution of its product over the last
six months. In the July, 1886, and
the January 1887, markets in Grand
Rapids and Chicago the production
of walnut bed room and dining room
furniture dropped 684 per cent, while
mahogany increased 1880 per cent.
Walnut furniture is most widely dis
tributed, according to dealers attend
ing the last market, in the so-called
"boraX" stores and inStallment houses.
The market survey also shows
slight dropping off of maple furni-
ture, usually expressed in the early
American styles. The July figures
were 1917 per cent. against 10 per cent
In January. There was little change
in the demand for oak furniture which
was "a per cent in July and 3.03
per cent in January. Philippine hard
woods, often sold as substitute for
mahogany, took the greatest drop of
all woods that of 38 per cent, from
"a per cent in July to / 48 per cent in
January. Aspen was virtually sta
tionary with "a per cent in July and
81 per cent in January.
The cabinet woods mentioned in the
foregoing make up 83 per cent of the
woods used in building furniture. The
remaining IT per cent is scattered
among some so others, mostly tropi-
cal and mostly in veneers of which
cherry, prima vera, mrytle, burl, hare
wood, paldao, nara, rosewood, avo-
dire birch, tigerWood and gum ac-
count for per cent. approximately
40 fancy veneer woods make up the
remaining.
Styles in furniture demanded by
the public were also revealed in the
market figures. Modern led the very
low priced brackets by being a 34l
per cent choice. This percentage also
includes some of the better styled
modern pieces. However, it is / per
cent less popular than it was in July.
Eighteenth century English styles,
which are represented in practically
all price brackets but the very lowest.
rose in demand from 27 per cent in
July to 30.1 per cent in January. This
bracket of patterns is correctly and
authentically expressed only in ma
hogany. French styles made a gain
of from 81 per cent to "a per cent
and American Colonial patterns
stepped up from 7.3 per cent to 80
per cent. Both neo-classic and Italian
styles virtually disappeared from the
fashion picture. The so-called "hy-
brid" furniture, which represents no
period or design, dropped from per
cent to 6.1 per cent. In this group
very few mahogany pieces appear,
walnut leading mahogany in the
ratio of 81 to /.
Furniture purchased in the January
markets and represented in these
figures is now being shipped to dealers
and will appear on their floors in
March and April. Dealers anticipate
an almost normal return to public
purchasing power this Spring unless
the industrial strike situation becomes
more serious.