New U.S. Schiavello Distributor

Also planning to expand--although it opened only this month--is Schiavello USA, the new domestic distributor for the Australia-based office furniture company.

Having claimed exclusive rights to sell the ergonomically correct furniture in the United States, Van Jacobsen and Judy Witt have opened their first showroom in Newport Beach.

The sleek furnishings include adjustable “desking systems,” all of which have work surfaces that can be raised or lowered. The product is high-end, with desk chairs costing $400 to $800. Witt thinks the hottest product will be the “tech module,” a cabinet that holds computer hardware, such as printers and scanners, hiding all those messy cables.

“We really think that it will be the product that will lead our expansion,” she said.

Jacobsen and Witt, both Newport Beach residents, have begun advertising in Orange County but expect to eventually move to Los Angeles and other areas.

“We’re going to start in California,” Witt said, “but we’re going to grow outside of California and go to the major markets.”