AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Ekornes, renowned for creating chairs and sofas designed for comfort, is jazzing up its product line.

The Norwegian manufacturer debuted its new Stressless Jazz recliner during the recent home-furnishings trade show in High Point, N.C. The recliner has an extremely modern look with its simple lines and visible stainless steel frame.

"The Stressless Jazz will be right at home with today's modern interiors," said Peter Bjerregaard, president of Ekornes. "The sleek, unique design says 'retro' to some and 'futuristic' to others, but everyone agrees on the comfort of Jazz, the comfort for which Stressless is known around the world."

This is the first time in more than a decade that the company has created a steel-frame recliner.

"It's very much a modern chair and kind of fills a gap in our product line," said Joyce Poole, a spokeswoman for the company. "Most of our furnishings are quite sleek and plug in well with a lot of different décors. But looking at the Stressless audiences, our designers felt there was room for this. It looks halfway 'The Jetsons' and halfway retro."

Shown in black, white and red, Poole said the chair was well-received at the home-furnishings market. It debuted at international markets earlier this year, where it also was praised.

"It's an interesting, fun chair," she added.

With its headrest that curves inward and adjustable height, the chair follows in the footsteps of the company's other designs. Long known for its emphasis on function and comfort, Ekornes has tested the chair to find the optimum height for maximum comfort for varying body sizes. Based on the findings, the recliner and matching ottoman were designed to be height-adjustable.

For the first time in the company's history, the recliner includes riser plates that can raise or lower the seat. It comes fully assembled with two plates for the medium height, which is most appropriate for those between the heights of 5 foot 1 inch and 6 foot 1 inch. Two additional riser plates are included with the purchase.

In the past, chairs could be raised with elevator rings, which were available by special purchase.

"At Ekornes, we're always talking about comfort and the way people sit. Ekornes believes you have to have the right size chair to be comfortable," Poole said.

Since 1996, the company has produced all Stressless designs in two sizes, with some styles available in three sizes.

"It is easy to understand that a 6-foot-2-inch person and a 5-foot-2-inch person are going to sit quite differently in the same chair. Proper fit is crucial to comfort and being able to offer various sizes is something that our consumers rave about," Bjerregaard said.

Additionally, the chairs are designed to allow the headrest to snap back and lie flat, and have a lumbar support system that matches the changing contour of its occupant. According to Poole, as the chair glides into the reclining position, the lumbar area curves outward to provide continual support of the lower back area.

These inherent design features have resulted in Stressless chairs and sofas being endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association every year since 2003.

All Stressless products feature a patented system that adjusts automatically, allowing body weight to determine the right level of support.

The Jazz joins 14 other reclining chairs in the Stressless line, most of which have matching sofas and love seats. And like all of the company's seating products, it is available in a choice of four leather grains and 50 colors.

Retail prices for the two sizes of Stressless Jazz begin at $3,295 and $3,595. The recliner is expected to be on retail floors in early 2008.

Established in 1934, Ekornes is the leading manufacturer of sofas and chairs in Scandinavia and has corporate offices in New Jersey to serve the North American market.

For more information, call 888-EKORNES or visit www.ekornes.com.