SITCOM PUTS IN FUNCTIONAL

The Oakland, Calif.-based company designs and manufactures sleek, clean-lined furniture with fun and functional features such as hidden storage compartments, built-in file cabinets, pull-out shelves, push-through drawers and adjustable-height table legs.

“Most furniture nowadays is becoming more and more generic. We try to put a little bit of design and fun into our furniture and great function whenever possible,” said David King, vice president of sales. “Our furniture tends to be a little on the contemporary side; it’s different than what people grew up seeing in their household.”

Although it is contemporary and appeals primarily to those 40 and younger, King said they refuse to be pigeonholed.

“A lot of people do buy it for those references, but older people do buy our designs, too,” he said.

Sitcom’s repertoire includes furnishings and accessories for the bedroom, dining room and living room. Additionally, it manufactures entertainment, accent and occasional pieces.

Creating well-designed furniture has been Sitcom’s mission since it was founded in 1991. In fact, it’s first product release, a single folding chair, won a best furniture design award from International Design magazine and is in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Inspiration for the company’s versatile furnishings comes from its in-house design team. King said the designers, whose average age is 32, “understand what we are trying to do customerwise because they are our customer. If you don’t have that type of understanding, you will never be successful.”

King called the company’s designs fresh and forward-thinking. The clean lines and minimal approach are conducive to creating a sense of peace in today’s hectic world, particularly among the younger, computer-oriented generations who are accustomed to instant everything and try to do three times the amount of work in the same amount of time as their parents.

Although Sitcom has been earning awards and accolades for its designs and they have been well received by consumers, it’s only recently that its name has been publicly recognized, according to Anna Jolly, who heads the marketing department. Most of the company’s designs have been created for major lifestyle retailers.

It’s Sitcom’s signature look and style that is garnering the company attention by consumers, King said. Young consumers, especially, are seeking out specific collections by the company’s designers.

King said the designers try to remain as original as possible, but they occasionally delve into the past for inspiration.

“One of our most popular collections now has a real retro feel. It’s based on the 1940s and 1950s and you see elements of furnishings that my grandmother used to have, except that they’ve been re-engineered and rediscovered.”

For example, the new Audrey collection, which debuted at the recent home-furnishings trade show at the World Market Center, was modeled after an old music box of one of the designer’s father, Jolly said.

Heralding the simple style of the 1960s, pieces within the collection are noted by their two-tone finish, chrome metal caps on case goods and absence of any hardware.

The whole home collection includes pieces for the bedroom, living room, home office and entertainment area.

“The Audrey collection epitomizes the fresh and clean, yet balanced and comfortable design that today’s consumer desires,” King said. “The gracefulness of the collection almost lulls one into overlooking its highly functional features, such as hidden storage in the headboard of the platform bed.”

Another new collection, the Rae table group, also fuses the retro look with art and design. Chrome legs with adjustable feet are combined with table tops made of reverse-beveled walnut veneers.

“Rae’s straight lines fused with its warm curves invites design reflections from the 1960s — all while making a bold contemporary, urban design statement,” King said.

Slightly less contemporary, but no less functional, is the new Sasha desk. A cumulative effort of the entire design team, the desk features an oval top with a leather insert and tapered legs. The front drawer opens to reveal compartments for organized storage.