What was recalled
In July of 2020, a significant safety alert was issued regarding the Cottage Town Bedroom Furniture Collection, a popular line of home furnishings manufactured by Avalon Furniture. This recall specifically targets items that were sold through Rooms To Go retail locations. The scope of this recall is quite broad, encompassing nearly every piece within the Cottage Town bedroom suite. If you purchased a complete bedroom set or individual components during the specified timeframe, it is important to verify whether your furniture falls under these specific criteria.
The affected products were produced over a relatively short window, specifically between August 1, 2019, and December 18, 2019. Avalon Furniture manufactured these items in three distinct color options: white, black, and gray. Each color group contains a comprehensive array of bedroom furniture pieces designed to create a cohesive look. The recalled inventory includes essential bedroom staples such as dressers, mirrors, nightstands, chests of drawers, and “Gent’s” chests. Furthermore, the recall extends to the bed frames themselves, covering both king-size and queen-size headboards and footboards.
To help you identify if your furniture is part of this recall, Avalon Furniture placed specific labels on the back of each piece. These labels are crucial for verification as they contain the product’s SKU number and the date of manufacture. The placement of these labels varies slightly depending on the type of furniture. For dressers, nightstands, chests, and Gent’s chests, you will find the label in the top left corner of the back panel. On mirrors, the label is located on the bottom left of the back panel. For headboards and footboards, look to the bottom right of the back panel.
The specific model numbers and SKU codes for the recalled items are detailed below by color group. All items listed were sold with vertical wood paneling featured on the front or sides, which is a key design element of the Cottage Town collection.
- Gray Cottage Town Collection: This includes Dresser (SKU 32124858), Mirror (SKU 32224850), King Headboard (SKU 32424854), King Footboard (SKU 32824852), Nightstand (SKU 32524856), Chest (SKU 32624858), Gent’s Chest (SKU 33024857), Queen Headboard (SKU 32324852), and Queen Footboard (SKU 32724850).
- White Cottage Town Collection: This includes Dresser (SKU 32124810), Mirror (SKU 32224812), King Headboard (SKU 32424816), King Footboard (SKU 32824814), Nightstand (SKU 32524818), Chest (SKU 32624810), Gent’s Chest (SKU 33024819), Queen Headboard (SKU 32324814), and Queen Footboard (SKU 32724812).
- Black Cottage Town Collection: This includes Dresser (SKU 32124834), Mirror (SKU 32224836), King Headboard (SKU 32424830), King Footboard (SKU 32824838), Nightstand (SKU 32524832), Chest (SKU 32624834), Gent’s Chest (SKU 33024833), Queen Headboard (SKU 32324838), and Queen Footboard (SKU 32724836).
While the recall notice provides these exhaustive lists, it is worth noting that the official documents do not specify the exact total number of units sold or manufactured. However, because this collection was widely distributed through Rooms To Go stores, the potential reach of the issue is substantial. If your furniture matches any of the SKUs listed above and bears a manufacturing date within the August to December 2019 range, it is part of this recall.
The hazard, explained
When we talk about lead in household products, it can sometimes feel like an abstract concept, but the danger here is very physical and immediate. In this specific recall involving Avalon Furniture’s Cottage Town Bedroom collection, the issue lies in the base coat paint used on these pieces. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the levels of lead in that paint exceed the strict federal standard for consumer products. This isn’t a minor deviation; it is a significant violation that creates a tangible risk of poisoning, particularly for young children who might come into contact with the furniture.
To understand why this is dangerous, it helps to look at how lead behaves when it is part of a painted surface. Lead-based paints are known for their durability and smooth finish, which is likely why they may have been used in manufacturing. However, as furniture ages or suffers from normal wear and tear—such as friction from clothes, accidental bumps, or simply the natural drying and shrinking of the wood—the paint can begin to degrade. This degradation often results in the formation of fine dust or small chips that break away from the surface. Unlike some modern coatings that might flake off in large, visible sheets, lead-containing paint can disintegrate into microscopic particles that are nearly invisible to the naked eye.
The primary mechanism of harm occurs when these particles are ingested or inhaled. Young children are especially vulnerable because they explore their environment through touch and taste. A child might crawl on the floor near the dresser, touch the base where paint may be chipping, and then put their hands in their mouth. Alternatively, they might chew on a part of the furniture that has exposed leaded paint. Once ingested, lead is absorbed into the bloodstream. Unlike many other substances that the body can process or eliminate, lead accumulates in the body over time, affecting various systems including the brain and nervous system.
The health effects of lead exposure are severe and can be long-lasting. Even low levels of exposure can cause adverse health effects in children, including developmental delays, learning difficulties, irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, sluggishness, and stomach pain. In higher doses, it can lead to more serious neurological damage. While the recall notice notes that no incidents have been reported so far, the potential for harm is real because the hazard is embedded in the very structure of the furniture’s finish. This is why the CPSC and Avalon Furniture are treating this with urgency: the risk isn't just about a flawed product; it’s about preventing exposure to a toxic substance that can silently affect a child’s health before any symptoms even appear.
It is also important to note that lead does not disappear on its own. Without intervention, the paint will continue to degrade over time, potentially releasing more hazardous dust into the home environment. This makes immediate action critical. By removing the source of the exposure, you eliminate the risk entirely. The remedy offered—free replacement and free pickup—is designed to ensure that these hazardous materials are disposed of safely and professionally, rather than being thrown in a regular trash bin where they could still pose a risk to sanitation workers or end up in a landfill where they might leach into the soil.
Who is most at risk
The primary group at serious risk from this Avalon Furniture recall consists of young children, particularly those under the age of six. This vulnerability stems not from the structural integrity of the furniture itself, but from the chemical composition of its finish. The base coat paint used on these Cottage Town Bedroom Furniture pieces contains lead levels that exceed federal safety standards. For adults, incidental contact with dry, intact paint generally poses a minimal immediate threat. However, young children are uniquely vulnerable because of their developmental behaviors and physiological differences. Toddlers and preschoolers frequently engage in hand-to-mouth activity as they explore their environment. If this furniture is placed in a child’s bedroom or play area, a child may chew on the edges, corners, or vertical wood paneling featured on the front or sides of the dresser, mirror, headboards, footboards, chests, and nightstands. As the paint chips, flakes, or wears down from friction and chewing, microscopic particles containing lead can be ingested.
The danger of lead ingestion is severe because lead is a potent neurotoxin. Unlike many other substances that pass through the body relatively quickly, lead accumulates in bones, teeth, and soft tissues over time. For developing brains, which are rapidly forming neural connections during the first five years of life, even low levels of exposure can cause irreversible damage. This can result in reduced IQ, attention deficits, behavioral problems, and learning disabilities. The risk is heightened because young children absorb lead more efficiently than adults; their bodies take in a significantly higher percentage of ingested lead, making them disproportionately affected by the same amount of exposure. Furthermore, pregnant women are also at elevated risk, as lead can cross the placental barrier, potentially harming the developing fetus’s brain and nervous system before birth.
While the recall notice does not report any current incidents of poisoning or illness related to these specific items, the potential for harm is significant enough to warrant immediate action. It is important to note that risk is not limited only to those who actively chew on the furniture. As painted surfaces degrade over time due to normal wear and tear—such as opening drawers repeatedly or leaning against the headboard—they can generate fine dust. Children playing on floors near these items may inhale this lead-contaminated dust or ingest it when they touch surfaces and then their mouths. Therefore, any household with young children who have purchased the Gray, White, or Black Cottage Town Bedroom Furniture Collection manufactured between August 1, 2019, and December 18, 2019, should treat this as an urgent safety priority. The presence of vertical wood paneling on these pieces may create additional crevices where paint can chip more easily, further increasing the likelihood of exposure for curious hands and mouths.
How to tell if you have the recalled item
Identifying whether your bedroom furniture is part of this specific recall requires a careful look at both the physical characteristics of the pieces and the official labels attached to them. The recall covers the Cottage Town Bedroom Furniture Collection, which was manufactured by Avalon Furniture. These items were sold exclusively through Rooms To Go stores. If you purchased a bedroom set from that retailer during the relevant timeframe, it is important to verify the details below.
First, look at the color and style of your furniture. The recalled collection features vertical wood paneling on the front or sides of each piece. The sets were available in three distinct colors: white, black, and gray. If your furniture matches this description and was bought between August 1, 2019, and December 18, 2019, it may be included in the recall.
The most reliable way to confirm if your item is affected is by checking the label located on the back of each piece. This label contains the product’s SKU number and the manufacture date. The location of this label varies depending on the type of furniture:
- Dresser, Nightstand, Chest, and Gents Chest: Look in the top left corner of the back panel.
- Mirror: Check the bottom left of the back panel.
- Headboard and Footboard: Find the label on the bottom right of the back panel.
Once you have located the label, compare the SKU numbers below to see if your items are included. The recall applies to specific model group names and item numbers as well.
Gray Cottage Town Collection
- Dresser: Group 2485-1, Item 32124858
- Mirror: Group 2485-2, Item 32224850
- King Headboard: Group 2485-4, Item 32424854
- King Footboard: Group 2485-8, Item 32824852
- Nightstand: Group 2485-5, Item 32524856
- Chest: Group 2485-6, Item 32624858
- Gents Chest: Group 2485-10, Item 33024857
- Queen Headboard: Group 2485-3, Item 32324852
- Queen Footboard: Group 2485-7, Item 32724850
White Cottage Town Collection
- Dresser: Group 2481-1, Item 32124810
- Mirror: Group 2481-2, Item 32224812
- King Headboard: Group 2481-4, Item 32424816
- King Footboard: Group 2481-8, Item 32824814
- Nightstand: Group 2481-5, Item 32524818
- Chest: Group 2481-6, Item 32624810
- Gents Chest: Group 2481-10, Item 33024819
- Queen Headboard: Group 2481-3, Item 32324814
- Queen Footboard: Group 2481-7, Item 32724812
Black Cottage Town Collection
- Dresser: Group 2483-1, Item 32124834
- Mirror: Group 2483-2, Item 32224836
- King Headboard: Group 2483-4, Item 32424830
- King Footboard: Group 2483-8, Item 32824838
- Nightstand: Group 2483-5, Item 32524832
- Chest: Group 2483-6, Item 32624834
- Gents Chest: Group 2483-10, Item 33024833
- Queen Headboard: Group 2483-3, Item 32324838
- Queen Footboard: Group 2483-7, Item 32724836
If your furniture matches any of these descriptions and SKU numbers, it is part of the recall. Do not attempt to remove the paint or use chemical strippers yourself, as this could release hazardous lead dust. Instead, follow the remedy steps provided by the retailer.
What to do — step by step
If you own any piece of the recalled Cottage Town Bedroom Furniture Collection, your first and most important action is to stop using the affected items immediately. Because the base coat paint contains lead levels that exceed federal safety standards, continued use—particularly in a bedroom where children might be present or where surfaces are frequently touched—poses a genuine risk of poisoning. Lead is toxic if ingested, and young children are especially vulnerable to its adverse health effects. Please do not wait for further instructions; take the furniture out of circulation right now to ensure the safety of your household. Once you have secured the area, you should contact Rooms To Go to initiate the remedy process. The manufacturer, Avalon Furniture, has arranged for Rooms To Go to handle all consumer communications and logistics. You can reach them toll-free at 855-688-0919. Their customer service team is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. When you call, have your product information ready, as detailed below, to help them locate your purchase record quickly. Alternatively, you may visit www.cottagetownrecall.com for comprehensive information or go to www.avalonfurniture.com and click on “Contact Us” at the top of the page. Rooms To Go is contacting all known purchasers directly, so keep an eye out for their communication. However, if you have not received a call or email, do not assume your item is safe; proactively reach out to them using the contact methods above. When you speak with a representative, they will coordinate the free replacement of your furniture and arrange for the free pickup of the recalled items. It is important to know that you will not be responsible for any shipping costs associated with this process. The company has covered all logistics to make this exchange as seamless as possible for you. While you wait for the replacement, ensure the recalled pieces remain inaccessible to children and pets. Do not attempt to sand, repaint, or modify the furniture yourself, as this could disturb the lead-containing dust and create additional hazards. Simply leave the items in a safe place until the pickup crew arrives. By following these steps, you are taking care of your family’s health without incurring any financial burden. The remedy is straightforward: stop use, contact the retailer, and let them handle the rest.Your refund, repair, or replacement options
If you own one of the recalled Cottage Town Bedroom Furniture Collection items, the good news is that Avalon Furniture and Rooms To Go have established a straightforward remedy to make things right. You are not required to pay for any part of this process. The manufacturer has arranged for free replacement units to be provided to customers who contact them, along with free pickup services to remove the hazardous furniture from your home. This means you do not need to worry about shipping costs or labor fees; the entire resolution is covered by the responsible parties.
The first and most important step is to stop using the recalled furniture immediately. Once you have ensured that the item is no longer in use, you should contact Rooms To Go directly to initiate the remedy. You can reach their dedicated support team toll-free at 855-688-0919. Their agents are available to assist you from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. When you call, be prepared to provide details about your purchase, including the specific model and color of the furniture piece(s) you own. This helps them verify that your item falls within the scope of this recall and allows them to schedule the necessary logistics.
In addition to calling, Rooms To Go is proactively reaching out to all known purchasers directly. If you bought the furniture from a Rooms To Go store, keep an eye on your phone or mail for their outreach. They will likely provide instructions tailored to your specific order history. However, if you have not received contact from them, do not wait. Take the initiative to call the number provided above or visit www.avalonfurniture.com and click on “Contact Us” at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can visit www.cottagetownrecall.com for further information and updates regarding the recall process.
During your interaction with customer service, confirm that the replacement furniture will be free of the lead paint hazard. The goal is to ensure your bedroom set is both aesthetically pleasing and safe for your family. The pickup service is designed to remove the recalled dresser, mirror, headboards, footboards, chests, or nightstands from your home without any burden to you. This comprehensive approach ensures that you are not left with a hazardous item while waiting for a replacement, nor are you forced to dispose of it yourself in a manner that might expose others to lead dust.
Please remember that this recall covers specific items manufactured between August 1, 2019, and December 18, 2019. By following the official channels and contacting Rooms ToGo or Avalon Furniture through the provided methods, you ensure that you receive the correct, safe replacement item. This process is designed to be as seamless as possible, allowing you to focus on your family’s safety rather than the administrative details of the recall.
What can happen if you ignore it
It is completely understandable why this situation might feel manageable to put off. The Cottage Town Bedroom Furniture Collection looks like standard, sturdy bedroom furniture. There are no visible cracks in the wood, the finish appears smooth and professional, and the pieces are functioning exactly as intended for holding clothes or supporting a mattress. When a product looks and feels "fine," the natural human instinct is to assume it is safe, especially when the manufacturer or retailer is already handling the logistics of a replacement. However, ignoring this recall carries a silent, insidious risk that has nothing to do with the structural integrity of the furniture and everything to do with what is hidden in its layers.
The core danger here is lead, a heavy metal that is both toxic and cumulative. The recall notice specifies that the base coat paint used on these pieces contains levels of lead that exceed the federal standard. While the top layer of paint may seem intact, lead-based paints are notorious for degrading over time. As the furniture ages, or even due to minor friction from daily use—such as clothes sliding against a dresser front or a child’s hand rubbing against a nightstand edge—the paint can begin to chalk, chip, or peel. This creates microscopic dust and larger flakes that settle on surrounding surfaces, bedding, and clothing.
The primary concern is ingestion. Young children are particularly vulnerable because they explore their environment by touching everything and then putting their hands in their mouths. If lead-laden dust settles on a child’s toys, sheets, or directly on the furniture itself, it can be easily transferred to their mouth. Once ingested, lead does not leave the body quickly; it accumulates in bones and tissues over time. Even low levels of exposure can have serious long-term health effects on developing brains and nervous systems, including learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and slowed growth. For pregnant women, lead exposure can also harm the developing fetus.
Although the CPSC report notes that no incidents or injuries have been reported to date, the absence of current reports does not mean the risk is zero. It simply means that, so far, no one has come forward with a documented case directly linked to these specific items. Relying on "no reports" as a safety metric is dangerous because the effects of lead poisoning are slow and cumulative. A child might be exposed repeatedly over months or years without immediate symptoms, only to suffer developmental consequences later that could have been prevented by removing the source early.
Furthermore, ignoring the recall means you are keeping a potential hazard in your home indefinitely. The furniture was manufactured between August 1, 2019, and December 18, 2019. As time passes, the likelihood of paint degradation increases. By delaying action, you are essentially gambling with the health of anyone who lives in or visits your home, particularly children under six years old. The remedy offered is free and hassle-free, involving pickup and replacement at no cost to you. Choosing to keep the furniture means choosing to accept an unnecessary, preventable risk for a problem that has already been solved by Avalon Furniture and Rooms To Go. The inconvenience of waiting for a pickup is far outweighed by the certainty of keeping your home safe from invisible, cumulative toxicity.