June 21, 2007
Donald Trump introduces his line of home furniture
Jason Salzenstein READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Real estate tycoon Donald Trump has made his fortune building homes. Now he wants to furnish them.
Recently, he unveiled his line of home furnishings and upholstery, Trump Home, to 350 furniture buyers, and said no subject was off limits.
"We can talk sex, home building. Home building is a big factor when it comes to your business," he said. "We can talk about other name brands or the competition."
The audience was timid at first, but then someone asked if Rosie O'Donnell, co-host of ABC's "The View" would approve.
"Honestly, we built a very high quality bed," Trump responded. "But they're not strong enough," implying that they could not handle her weight.
The fight between Trump and O'Donnell, a co-host of ABC television's morning talk show "The View," broke out in December after Trump announced that Miss USA Tara Conner would keep her title, which had been in jeopardy because of underage drinking. He owns the pageant.
O'Donnell said the twice-divorced real-estate mogul had no right to be "the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America." Trump, host of the NBC reality show "The Apprentice," fired back in various interviews, calling O'Donnell a "loser" and a "degenerate."
During the war of words, which played out on television and through the national media, Trump denied that he had insulted O'Donnell with the f-word - "fat." He did, however, use the word in reference to O'Donnell in an interview with Fox in December.
Trump Home, made by Lexington Home Brands, is inspired by his larger-than-life style that graces the real estate mogul's personal homes and luxurious properties.
"This is really the most natural extension of me outside of real estate," Trump told The Associated Press as he walked through a Lexington Home Brands showroom in Thomasville. "It just made sense."
Two Trump Home collections, which are being offered by Lexington through Macy's, will hit stores this summer.
The Westchester line is more on the formal side, with cathedral walnut, burled woods, brocades and leather. The other line, Central Park, has a modern flair with Art Deco-influenced accents.
Trump Home is in the middle of Lexington's price range, and includes bedroom, dining, home office, home entertainment and occasional furniture, as well as upholstery.
The furniture is being showcased at this year's spring High Point Market, a biannual show that bills itself as the largest wholesale home furnishings event in the world.
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On the Net:
Lexington Home Brands: http://www.lexington.com
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Jason Salzenstein is a writer and editor; design, image, and marketing consultant; and professional shopper. His work has appeared in numerous national and international publications and he has clients around the world. For more information :: www.JasonSalzenstein.com