Bedroom set (group)

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A bedroom set is a group of furniture sold as a unit, typically comprising a bed, nightstand, and wardrobe, sometimes also including a chest of drawers, dresser, mirror and/or chair.

[edit] History

Prior to 1920 furniture was produced and sold with each item presented as a separate item. A sofa was conceived without the thought of a matching armchair; a bedroom chest was produced without thought of a matching bed.

In 1926 Nathan S. Ancell developed the concept of the bedroom set. He was a furniture manufacturer who realized that the furniture industry's future was limited by the long usage and small purchases of its products. He believed that a set could be transformed into a stylish product that might become outdated with time. This obsolescence would create the need for replacement product. Of course, the set would allow more product to be sold.

Ancell's term 'set' was modeled after children’s toys in which many parts were combined as a group. Soon after he began manufacturing sets, he realized that the term 'set' would be better replaced by the designation 'suite', after the French word, to assemble coordinating objects. His merchandising ability was so persuasive that the term ‘set’ remained as a term for a group of coordinated furniture. His efforts to introduce the term 'suite' were only partly successful, and the term 'set' remained popular.

Ancell founded the Baumritter Furniture Company that later became the Ethan Allen Furniture Company.