“Beds by Design”: Inside the House of Kingsdown

Go behind the scenes with Kingsdown Chair Mike James and learn about their creative process when it comes to design. And be sure to check out the full Kingsdown Beds by Design feature in the March issue of BedTimes.

Transcript

Waynette Goodson
Welcome to this edition of “Beds by Design,” sponsored by Kingsdown. Today, we have a treat for you. We have Mike James. He is the chairman of Kingsdown. Kick us off with our style plus substance window here.

Mike James
We’re really, really excited about this selection this year. A lot of times with our couture collection, we tend to get very edgy, but we think that with the design we have here, we’re more in tune with what we sell every day at a really good price point and the high-end furniture store’s mattress store.

Waynette Goodson
Right. Well, you have to tell us about this new embellishment here. We have never seen this before in bedding.

Mike James
We actually got the idea, obviously, from those awesome shoes that you have on and some really current trends in the furniture business. We have the idea that we want to develop a box brand that has that material so that homeowners can buy the mattress set that can actually showcase space. When we put the mattress together, we thought, wouldn’t it be fun to try and accent the mattress with the same material? So, we cut it to a five-inch width.

We have a special binder that we use. And we were really pleased with what we could generate with the machinery we have. We made the handles, the taping and the base all from the material, you know, a natural look. And, of course, they all have a beautiful feel.

Waynette Goodson
Such a cozy look. You’ve got the tape, the handles, the down here, and even the box spring cover. So. Okay. So what’s next, Mike? I will let you lead. Take us into it. We’re going backstage for you. Are you ready? Come on. Come on, follow us.

Mike James
Well, this is a step back. And what you see in the window as part of our vintage selection is our entry-level inventions. But as you can see, we’re using the same fashion-forward idea to create an extreme fashion look in the furniture store’s mattress store. We’re taking a tencel cover. So has beautiful hand. We’re using velvet materials on the euro top. Velvet materials are embroidered on the handle.

Mike James
It’s a beautiful tape that is not the same as the one in the window, but we’re still using a five-inch chenille tape on a chenille base. So we’re trying to have a fashion-forward look at a price every consumer can afford.

Waynette Goodson
Wow. And I love the way that you really emphasize fashion. And this is also good. We’ll let you lead. Okay.

Mike James
So, this is our new entry into what we would classify as $2,500 to $1,500 price points. Beautiful fashion-forward cover. Actually, the idea came from a pocket square. We love the coloration and the detail that we’ve got here. Again, in this line, we’re using, you know, very soft tickings. We’re using some viscose foam from latex foams. We’re putting these on suede bases and have suede yourself.

And we’re trying to make a fashion statement at a very affordable price. This pattern actually came from a beautiful dress that my wife had. So this line has tremendous value and feel, and we’re very excited about it.

Waynette Goodson
It looks very expensive, but it’s a tremendous value.

Mike James
Wow.

Waynette Goodson
So, okay, how in the world are you going to top this? I mean, so much innovation, so much creativity. What’s next?

Mike James
I think you’re going to have to come back in July.

Waynette Goodson
Well, on that teaser, folks. Thank you so much for tuning in to this edition of “Beds By Design.” And, as always, get a great night’s sleep.