BABY, let's play house - and decorate it with a new line of Elvis Presley-inspired furniture. But there's not a crushed-velvet chair or white shaggy bedspread in either of two sleek, modernistic new lines of Graceland-sanctioned bedroom pieces debuting today in High Point, N.C. Rather than focus on Elvis' tackier side, the new lines - called "Hollywood" and "Graceland" - are designed to appeal to a wider range of fans.
Licensed by the Elvis Presley Enterprises and produced by the Virginia-based Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Co. That was the idea, says Carol Butler, director of worldwide licensing, E.P.E. "We tried to think about what Elvis would buy today if he were alive," she says. Rather than focus on the "cheesy Elvis impersonator" side, the line focuses on the "classier and more stylish Elvis of the late '50s and early '60s," says Doug Bassett, vice president of the Vaughan-Bassett. There are two bedroom groups in the collection. Elvis Presley’s Hollywoodis a retro group that evokes the Golden Age of Hollywood of the late 1950’s and 1960’s, when Elvis Presley made his 31 films. Elvis enjoyed retro style furniture, some of which can be seen at Graceland. The Heartbreak Hotel, which is owned and operated by EPE and sits across the street from Graceland, is also decorated with many retro pieces.
At 8:00 am on Thursday, April 18th, Vaughan-Bassett will officially open its doors and begin taking orders from furniture dealers for The Elvis Presley Collection.