When you think about your best relationships, whether they’re with friends, family or work – what makes them so successful? Common values and interests, complimenting each other’s ideals and simply enjoying one another’s company.

We were fortunate to experience exactly this last month with renowned Australian designer, Charles Wilson.

Our special partnership began about two years ago. Aware of Charles’ work for quite some time, we approached him to add a new dimension to our current collection. Something that conformed to our values of quality, flexibility and value for money. And of course, it had to be built around our unique steel frame.

While many can design great shapes, Charles has the ability to create beautiful sculptural forms which are also highly functional. This would be a match made in heaven.

Together, we developed the Andrea sofa. Andrea is completely modular and has a sleek artistic line. It offers all the current King Furniture features in a new and exciting design concept.

There’s been such overwhelming public and media interest in the sofa that we are now working hard to fine-tune this prototype so we can release it in showrooms in summer.

This first Australian collaboration has been incredibly rewarding, and we hope to be able to enjoy more time with Charles in the future. We are both very excited about what other visions this relationship could bring to life!

Supporting Australian designers is definitely an area we wish to continue to pursue. The depth of talent we have locally is truly inspiring. And as our company moves towards a global presence, it’s important to us that we continually promote our local foundation. It’s a relationship that’s close to our heart.

It’s been quite the adventure for our managers - whisked off to Shanghai for the 2010 World Expo and experiencing a true hot pot of sights and culture.

The Expo extends across a 5.28 kilometre site, with around 200 nations represented. Organisers are expecting around 70 million visitors making it the largest Expo the world has ever seen – so you can imagine how excited we were to get the chance to visit!

King Furniture was selected as the seating designer for the Australian Pavilion of the Expo. Our sofas are being showcased over three levels in the VIP areas of the pavilion, including the Commissioner General’s office, until 31 October this year.

The third level lounge/bar was even named after our new breakthrough sofa design – Twenty10 – created especially for the Expo to embody sustainable urban living.

The Expo itself is extraordinary – definitely worth a visit if you get the chance. It is packed with sights and sounds and wonderful people from all the corners of the earth. It was like taking a round-the-world trip in itself.

The most unforgettable part of the Expo would have to be the Chinese Pavilion. It is completely out of this world – hovering over the whole Expo like a craft from outer space!

Shanghai itself is also a very special city. Traditional Chinese architecture is contrasted with glamorous skyscrapers united by tiny street dwellings with washing hanging over the footpaths. This eclectic backdrop makes you feel like you’re in several completely different cities and cultures depending on which direction you’re facing. At night the city transforms to a dazzling fairyland with amazing lighting displays on everything – even the fishing boats in the harbour.

Considering the city has around 20 million people, it is very clean with the most beautifully manicured gardens and extremely efficient with a fantastic rail system.

Shopping for everything from handmade jewellery to exotic foods in the city’s markets was another highlight. ‘Set price’ is an unknown concept in China so we all had to learn how to barter, and fast!

It’s all too easy to drift off to somewhere new, as discovered by two of our managers who found themselves lost with no money, phone or ability to speak Chinese after walking in the wrong direction after a bathroom stop. Fortunately, after a frantic few minutes, we all found each other again and vowed never to give our handbags to someone to mind again!

We had an amazing time in this dynamic city. And experiencing Australia through the eyes of another country at the impressive Australian Pavilion – has left us with an even greater love for our lucky country.

Most of us have experienced the feelings involved with moving house. The unforgettable emotions which are felt by everyone – grandparents, parents, the kids, friends and even our beloved pets! For some there are feelings of sadness in saying goodbye, apprehension and plain exhaustion. Fortunately for us, we get to skip all of this and just feel the overwhelming excitement of meeting new friends and venturing somewhere new and amazing!

We are in the midst of opening three fantastic new showrooms, located at Nunawading, South Wharf and the Gold Coast.

Renowned designer David Hicks is behind our newly styled showrooms, adding an exciting new twist to our brand. A new environment has been created to provide our customers with a heightened experience and allow them to truly discover the intricacies behind King quality and design. Subtle residential references have also been used to help customers envisage what the products may look like in their home.

Our new Nunawading showroom opened on 1 May and is located at a notorious furniture precinct. This will be followed by our new South Wharf showroom which opens 13 May and sits within a fantastic new complex that includes DFO, and a floor dedicated to furniture and home wares. Both are easy to get to with plenty of parking available.

We’ve also decided it’s time for a sea change – with the third showroom opening in Bundall. Centrally located, Bundall boasts some of the largest showrooms on the Gold Coast. Our designs are a perfect match for the distinct and sleek, yet relaxed Gold Coast vibe.

So three new showrooms in two months - with all this moving we might get hooked! Who knows where we’ll move next…

Ever since our earliest ancestor, Og the Cavewoman rolled a stone into her cave to sit on, the search for the perfect chair has been a big part of the human experience.

The Ancient Egyptians knew all about chairs. In fact the tomb of Tutankhamun contained fragments of primitive chairs, with several other tombs depicting the chair-making process!

Variations of chairs with solid backs and arms continued, until the 1700’s, when the first armchair with a cane seat and back was created. Armchairs evolved and production skyrocketed following this period – everyone wanted a piece of the in-action!

So chair makers wracked their brains for the Next Big Idea.

It came in the early part of the twentieth century - a breakthrough that both hard-working and lazy people over the world are grateful for to this very day. The world’s first reclining chair was invented.

The seat had a leaning back bringing a completely new dimension to comfort. It was at this point that the eternal battle for prime position began: couples fighting for ‘their chair’!

And while our lives have progressed to a point beyond compare – our ‘fight’ continues.

Until now.

Today’s digital era demands faster convenience. And at King we’re living up to this challenge – taking a classic favourite to a new level…

Our Meridian sofa now comes with an electronic mechanism - PostureGlide. From upright seating to a more relaxed lean, each person is able to adjust their own seating at the touch of a button.

In a new legacy of comfort and style, we think we’ve found the perfect chair! And we think there will be no more battles in the home.

But who’s leaving their seat to do the dishes…?

What were you doing in the 80s? The era of balloon skirts, teased hair and stone-washed jeans…

Well for one of our customers, she purchased her first sofa from King.

Last month, Chris contacted us in a desperate bid to bring back the 80s! Did we have any suggestions as to how she could resurrect her sofa?

A constant throughout so many lifetime memories, Chris just refused to let her love affair with her sofa die. A sofa she had purchased some twenty-two years ago – a sofa that’s seen it all!

Sofas are one of the most frequently used items in our lives… was there any way we could save it?

Much to her relief, we have just launched an innovative new division at King called King-Care.

We knew we could revive the sofa.

With its sturdy steel frame still in perfect condition, King has definitely been proven to stand the test of time! The original fabric, despite wearing decades of dirt, did not need to be replaced. It was professionally cleaned using King-Care technology and protected with KingGuard™.

Now more than 20 years on, Chris wondered if we could change the height of the sofa. An easy fix! The King Care team fitted the sofa with new adjustable feet, meaning it should be good for another 20+ years of personal comfort!

With a revitalised sofa - inside and out - Chris was absolutely delighted with the results! And was also impressed with King Furniture’s minimisation of waste and damage to the environment.

The rejuvenation of older furniture is an environmentally sensible initiative, and the King-Care team are experts at leather and fabric care.

Some things from the 80s, like the ‘mullet’, are not worth keeping. But others, like a beloved sofa, should last a lifetime!

King Furniture was very proud to support a wonderful charity event to help give kids with hearing impairment and other disabilities the “gift of the gab”.

The St Gabriel’s Celebrity “Gift of the Gab FUN-Raising Lunch” was held on 23 October at Oatlands House. It featured a fast and furious celebrity discussion panel kept under control by special guest MC Andrew Voss from the Footy Show.

The luncheon, which was attended by local business people, sporting legends, celebrities and the Premier of NSW, featured great company, a lively discussion panel, a fast money draw, a performance by kids from the school on how the human ear works, and a “Silent and Live” auction.

King Furniture donated a Delta II package in KingSuede Chilli, and two tables to the value of RRP$4204 to the “Silent and Live” auction held during the afternoon, which also featured a guitar signed by the Rolling Stones.

Who won our sofa? Read on…

The fundraiser was organised by Georgina Springer from St Gabriel’s

School at Castle Hill. It was all about closing the funding gap to provide specialised education programs to students with hearing impairment and other special needs at the school. Thanks to Georgina’s efforts and the support of the AMP Foundation’s Community Giving Program, the luncheon cleared over $24,500 on the day.

Georgina fell in love with the Delta II package and after a brief but fierce bidding war, is now the proud owner of our sofa system.

The luncheon was held in Oatlands House with its beautiful surrounding grounds. Premier Nathan Rees, Phil“Gus” Gould, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor and Matthew Hill were interviewed by Footy Show legend Andrew Voss from the comfort of our Delta II sofa! We think it’s the perfect setting for demonstrating the “gift of the gab”.

Ever since our new Concerto Curve ad hit the newsstands, we’ve been inundated with enquiries about the pretty young thing who features in the photos…

No, we haven’t discovered the next Miranda Kerr – but it seems that Penelope the puppy definitely has that “star quality”. The funny thing is… we had no intention of using a dog in that shoot – however loveable. We had some lovely human models lined up and they were looking fabulous. But then Penelope worked her charm.

Here’s how it happened…

Sonia, one of our company directors, was at the vet with her dog, Boss, recently and there she met a very sick three-month-old bulldog.

Penelope the puppy has a congenital defect, which meant she needed constant care. Unfortunately, her owners had abandoned her – which meant she had to be put down.

Sonia looked at the puppy. The puppy looked up at her (working those big brown eyes of course)… and you can guess what happened next.

Sonia and Penelope are now inseparable – and Penelope is a great friend to Boss. And just like Boss, she has become a much-loved member of the King family.

As Penelope needed constant care, Sonia took her to the photo shoot for the Concerto Curve sofa and Moon table. Penelope took a great interest in the shoot and even made a few suggestions for more dramatic angles and lighting effects (well, not really, but she did wag her curly little tail whenever the flash went off.)

After the shoot, the models headed home and Penelope grabbed her chance. With an expression that said “Let me show you how it’s done,” she jumped onto the sofa in their place and batted her eyelids at the camera. We all went “awwww” and the photographer fired off a few shots to give to Sonia.

But Penelope just kept on “working the camera.” She pouted, she posed, she reclined, she cocked her head adorably. She threw back her hair and gave us a happy look, a pensive look, a relaxed look and even a (disturbingly) sexy look!

When we looked at the photos from the shoot Penelope’s “puppy sleeping on paws” look perfectly captured what we wanted to say about the Concerto Curve sofa – that although it’s a stunner, it’s also a wonderful comfy couch to come home to.

So we had to apologise to our models and admit that Penelope’s photos had stolen the scene. I guess that old adage about never working with children and animals is true!

And as for Penelope? Let’s just say that she’s definitely stolen the scene here at King Furniture – and is looking forward to a long and happy life as the superstar that she’s always known she was.