Ethan Allen, a major manufacturer of home furnishings, reported last week that orders for the first two months of 2010 improved by 25% over last year’s admittedly low numbers. The improvement is attributed to a pickup in housing sales. Ethan Allen’s only domestic upholstery plant, located in North Carolina, is running six days per week, with lots of overtime according to the company.

Office furniture giant Herman Miller is due to report third quarter results soon. They reported a stabilization in orders for their second quarter ending in November in a press release late last year. The office furniture business is expected to remain soft until hiring picks up. Ethan Allen may be hiring soon at that upholstery plant in NC.