Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 14, 1995                   TAG: 9505160125
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: E-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JUDY ROSE KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE: HIGH POINT, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

BUY YOURSELF A WORK OF ART - AND HAVE A SEAT

This isn't news to people who inhabit the world of fine art. Original furniture by artists has been a staple of collectors for more than 10 years.

But now the average person can indulge in one dramatic accent chair because furniture makers are bringing them out in droves.

Don't worry that you can't see yourself with a matched set of these intrusive pieces. Think of one as a single sculpture.

You could spend a couple thousand dollars for a very high-end accent chair, or you can spend $100 for something with great lines or a great finish. You could also find a secondhand chair.

``It can be something you find at a flea market. Or, there are so many wonderful inexpensive reproductions now of great chairs,'' says Joe Ruggiero, who produces and hosts two shows for cable's new House and Garden network.

You don't have to limit yourself to one. ``I like to gather up the (unmatched) chairs and use them around my dining room table,'' says Ruggiero.

High-drama chairs in about any style were at the International Home Furnishings Market, where about 50,000 retailers shopped for the furniture you'll see in their showrooms next fall.

For example, in a traditional, feminine vein, Drexel Heritage has a small, tufted, leather-covered slipper chair.

Or in the near-assaultive vein, Larry Laslo designed the Stiletto chair for the contemporary furniture company, Directional. He made it in black patent leather - yes it really shines up - with chrome studs and a little red leather pillow tucked onto the seat.

Other offerings run the gamut from striking metal garden chairs to ornately carved wooden side chairs.

The killjoy might say these aren't comfortable. The answer is every chair doesn't have to be. You need enough comfy chairs only for the number of people who usually use the room. After that, you can choose a dramatic accent piece.