It is not unusual for a car manufacturer to attach the brand name to other products. Bugatti and watches, for example. So I suppose we shouldn't be surprised to find Bentley linked with furniture. What is unusual is that the luxury car maker isn't just leasing out the logo. It is going the full monte, taking the lead in everything from design to manufacturing to marketing.
I'm not quite certain why Bentley would do this but I suspect it has something to do with China. The brand is becoming a huge hit among Chinese millionaires, of whom there appears to be a dozen new ones every day. "If they love our cars, won't they also love our chairs, couches, and beds? What a nice way to increase profits and have a little fun doing it!"
I've no idea what these Bentley furnishings will cost but you can count on paying a small fortune by average person's standards, if the descriptions are any indication.
Here's an example: "Bentley Motors presents its range of luxury home and executive furniture at the Maison & Objet fair in Paris, designed and manufactured in collaboration with Luxury Living Group, one of Europe’s leading furniture makers. The collection is inspired by the renowned craftsmanship and exquisite materials that characterise the interiors of all Bentley models." The company goes on to tell us "the range has been expanded and developed by the architect Carlo Colombo with Daniele Ceccomori, Bentley’s Head of Product Design."
Got your interest? Okay, read on: "The collection is an exercise in subtlety, incorporating functional performance with comfort and luxurious, sensuous quality. It captures the style of the Bentley driver through items that mirror the impeccable quality and attention to detail of the Crewe-based marque. The colour palette is natural, featuring mocha, cognac, taupe, quartz, grey and ice, flanking variations of purple-red, burgundy, brick red or blue. The combinations exalt the use of tactile leather and sensuous textiles. Hints of male attire, pinstripe or houndstooth, are introduced into sophisticated velvets and the lightest of cashmeres, crafted with three-dimensional patterns."
Still not sold? Better log out now because you'll never resist this poetic pitch: "The Home Collection embodies Bentley’s emergence as a modern high luxury brand. It combines sophisticated materials with contemporary design and the ultimate in bespoke craftsmanship." Or this from Alberto Vignatelli, CEO and chairman of the Luxury Living Group: "We accepted with enthusiasm the challenge of interpreting in furnishings the exclusivity and charm of Bentley. In the Bentley Home collection there exists a passion for details, care of materials and a style that anticipates the trends while remaining true to the codes of elegance and tradition."
While you're calling your banker to transfer the funds I recommend the Butterfly sofa and armchair. "The deep, plush seat is encased in a shell quilted with Bentley’s iconic diamond pattern. The geometry of its side neatly reaches outward, providing a contemporary touch that reflects is cosy yet dynamic form. The sofa is in distinguished ivory leather and the armchair in pinstriped fabric, quilted in fine, grey wool."
Okay, I want them. I'm sending my order in the morning. And when my Butterfly sofa and armchair arrive I'll have them carefully set down on my Rolls-Royce carpet. The car comes later.
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