Robert Idol to launch three lines

Designer Robert Idol will launch three lines under his own name next month at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, N.C.

The vice president of corporate design for Lane Furniture, Idol is debuting a furniture collection with Lane, a wall decor line with CAS and a lighting line with Currey & Company.

"We're very excited to be working with Robert," said Marion Kelly, president of Currey & Company. "He's been in the industry for a long time and he's a great designer. Robert's modern/transitional designs are a new direction for us and will open the door to a different customer base and a different price point."

Lisa Choate, vice president at CAS, also is pleased to work with Idol, especially as this is the company's first licensing foray.

"We've been aware of Robert for years, through Lane and we've often talked about partnering," Choate said. "We saw what he's doing for Lane, taking them in a new direction, and we also wanted to do that. We've done contemporary, but this look is more urban sophisticate and it's inspired by the art in Robert's home."

Choate said the collection of 35 to 40 pieces will include giclee canvases, signed and limited editions, and a few proprietary images and vintage pieces.

Idol also rolls out his own furniture collection with his long-time employer, bringing a more modern, transitional aesthetic to the manufacturer's mix. Though he's designed furniture for his personal use, this will be Idol's first mass-produced effort. The furniture line will have "higher-end sensibility" he said, with exotic woods and a slight Art Deco look but "reinterpreted with contemporary shapes." The collection will include about 50 SKUs for bedroom, dining, occasional and upholstery.

"This is a new venture for me," Idol said. "I'm a commercial and residential designer, but I've always wanted to design product; it really is a dream come true."

The products will be shown together in the Lane showroom in April, as well as individually at Currey & Company and CAS.

Robert Idol with one of his new Currey & Company lamps.