SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): March 4, 2003 (March 3, 2003)

                      Furniture Brands International, Inc.
                      ------------------------------------

               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in charter)


        Delaware                    I-91                      43-0337683
-----------------------      -------------------         --------------------
(State of Incorporation)         (Commission                 (IRS Employer
                                 File Number)            Identification Number)




                101 South Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63105
                ------------------------------------------------
                    (Address of principal executive offices)




                                 (314) 863-1100
                         -------------------------------
                         (Registrant's telephone number)


<PAGE>


Item 5. Other Matters

     On March 3, 2003, the Company  announced that it expects first quarter 2003
sales to be slightly below the level previously  expected and earnings per share
on a diluted  basis to be in the $0.50 to $0.55  range for the first  quarter of
2003 and $2.30 - $2.40 for the full year.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits

          (c)  Exhibit

               99   Press Release, dated March 3, 2003





<PAGE>


                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                        Furniture Brands International, Inc.




                                By:      /s/  Steven W. Alstadt
                                       ------------------------------
                                       Steven W. Alstadt
                                       Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

Dated:  March 4, 2003




<page>



INFORMATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


               FURNITURE BRANDS INTERNATIONAL COMMENTS ON OUTLOOK
                    FOR THE FIRST QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2003

St. Louis, Missouri,  March 3, 2003 - Furniture Brands International (NYSE: FBN)
announced  today it expects  first  quarter 2003 sales to be slightly  below the
level  previously  expected,  and first quarter  earnings per share on a diluted
basis to be in the $0.50 to $0.55 range.

W.G. (Mickey) Holliman,  Chairman,  President and Chief Executive Officer, said,
"When we issued  our 2002  year-end  results in  January,  we said we foresaw no
improvement  in the business  climate for the near term.  Indeed,  since then we
have seen  business  conditions  deteriorate  somewhat.  We are  experiencing  a
continuing  soft business  environment  at the  upper-end  and our  middle-price
companies are seeing the difficult  year-over-year  comparisons we predicted. In
addition,  adverse weather in January and February  resulted in multiple days of
manufacturing  downtime  and  significantly  impacted  retail,  particularly  on
Presidents' Day weekend.  As a result, we now foresee a year-over-year  decrease
in  first  quarter  revenues  in the  2-3%  range,  rather  than  flat  sales as
previously suggested. With respect to earnings, we now expect earnings per share
in the first  quarter to be in the $0.50 to $0.55  range as compared to $0.58 in
the first quarter of 2002, five cents lower than our previous guidance.

"For the full year 2003,  we  continue  to believe we will see some  recovery in
business in the second half,  particularly as  international  uncertainties  are
resolved and if our domestic economy begins to show renewed strength.  We expect
solid  middle-price  point  business  for the full year even  though  comparison
hurdles,  particularly in the early part of 2003, are substantial, and we expect
moderately  lower high-end sales through the year's first half with  anticipated
improvement in demand over the balance of the year. Our current  expectation for
the full year 2003 is for sales growth in the  low-single  digits with  earnings
per share in the $2.30 to $2.40 range, ten cents less than previous guidance. We
will update this  guidance,  as is our custom,  when we issue our first  quarter
results on April 23, 2003."

Furniture   Brands   International   is  America's   largest  home   furnishings
manufacturer,   manufacturing  and  sourcing  its  products  under  six  of  the
best-known brand names in the industry - Broyhill, Lane, Thomasville,  Henredon,
Drexel  Heritage and  Maitland-Smith.  The company markets its products across a
broad  spectrum of price  categories  and  distributes  its products  through an
extensive system of independently owned national, regional and local retailers.

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe
harbor"  provisions  of the Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act of 1995.
These  forward-looking  statements  include the company's  expected earnings per
share, the prospects for the overall business environment,  and other statements
containing the words  "expects,"  "anticipates,"  "estimates,"  "believes,"  and
words  of  similar  import.   The  company  cautions  investors  that  any  such
forward-looking  statements  are not guarantees of future  performance  and that
certain factors may cause actual results to differ  materially from those in the
forward-looking  statements.  Such  factors may  include:  overall  business and
economic  conditions and growth in the furniture  industry;  changes in customer
spending patterns and demand for home furnishings;  competitive factors, such as
design  and  marketing  efforts  by  other  furniture   manufacturers;   pricing
pressures;  success of the marketing  efforts of retailers and the prospects for
further  customer  failures;  the  company's  success  in  furniture  design and
manufacture;   the  effects  of  manufacturing  realignments  and  cost  savings
programs;  and other  risk  factors  listed  from time to time in the  company's
public  releases and SEC reports,  including  but not limited to the most recent
reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K.  The company also  cautions  investors  that our
forecast  for the first  quarter and the full year 2003  represents  our outlook
only as of this date,  and we  undertake no  obligation  to update or revise any
forward-looking  statements,   whether  as  a  result  of  new  developments  or
otherwise.
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "FURNITURE BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC", "cik": "0000050957", "assigned-sic": "2510", "irs-number": "430337683", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-00091", "film-number": "03591987"}, "business-address": {"street1": "101 S HANLEY RD STE 1900", "city": "ST LOUIS", "state": "MO", "zip": "63105", "phone": "3148631100"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "101 SOUTH HANLEY RD", "city": "ST LOUIS", "state": "MO", "zip": "63105"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "INTERNATIONAL SHOE CO", "date-changed": "19690313"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): March 4, 2003 (March 3, 2003)

                      Furniture Brands International, Inc.
                      ------------------------------------

               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in charter)

        Delaware                    I-91                      43-0337683
-----------------------      -------------------         --------------------
(State of Incorporation)         (Commission                 (IRS Employer
                                 File Number)            Identification Number)

                101 South Hanley Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63105
                ------------------------------------------------
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                                 (314) 863-1100
                         -------------------------------
                         (Registrant's telephone number)
Item 5. Other Matters

     On March 3, 2003, the Company  announced that it expects first quarter 2003
sales to be slightly below the level previously  expected and earnings per share
on a diluted  basis to be in the $0.50 to $0.55  range for the first  quarter of
2003 and $2.30 - $2.40 for the full year.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits

          (c)  Exhibit

               99   Press Release, dated March 3, 2003
SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                        Furniture Brands International, Inc.

                                By:      /s/  Steven W. Alstadt
                                       ------------------------------
                                       Steven W. Alstadt
                                       Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

Dated:  March 4, 2003
INFORMATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

               FURNITURE BRANDS INTERNATIONAL COMMENTS ON OUTLOOK
                    FOR THE FIRST QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2003

St. Louis, Missouri,  March 3, 2003 - Furniture Brands International (NYSE: FBN)
announced  today it expects  first  quarter 2003 sales to be slightly  below the
level  previously  expected,  and first quarter  earnings per share on a diluted
basis to be in the $0.50 to $0.55 range.

W.G. (Mickey) Holliman,  Chairman,  President and Chief Executive Officer, said,
"When we issued  our 2002  year-end  results in  January,  we said we foresaw no
improvement  in the business  climate for the near term.  Indeed,  since then we
have seen  business  conditions  deteriorate  somewhat.  We are  experiencing  a
continuing  soft business  environment  at the  upper-end  and our  middle-price
companies are seeing the difficult  year-over-year  comparisons we predicted. In
addition,  adverse weather in January and February  resulted in multiple days of
manufacturing  downtime  and  significantly  impacted  retail,  particularly  on
Presidents' Day weekend.  As a result, we now foresee a year-over-year  decrease
in  first  quarter  revenues  in the  2-3%  range,  rather  than  flat  sales as
previously suggested. With respect to earnings, we now expect earnings per share
in the first  quarter to be in the $0.50 to $0.55  range as compared to $0.58 in
the first quarter of 2002, five cents lower than our previous guidance.

"For the full year 2003,  we  continue  to believe we will see some  recovery in
business in the second half,  particularly as  international  uncertainties  are
resolved and if our domestic economy begins to show renewed strength.  We expect
solid  middle-price  point  business  for the full year even  though  comparison
hurdles,  particularly in the early part of 2003, are substantial, and we expect
moderately  lower high-end sales through the year's first half with  anticipated
improvement in demand over the balance of the year. Our current  expectation for
the full year 2003 is for sales growth in the  low-single  digits with  earnings
per share in the $2.30 to $2.40 range, ten cents less than previous guidance. We
will update this  guidance,  as is our custom,  when we issue our first  quarter
results on April 23, 2003."

Furniture   Brands   International   is  America's   largest  home   furnishings
manufacturer,   manufacturing  and  sourcing  its  products  under  six  of  the
best-known brand names in the industry - Broyhill, Lane, Thomasville,  Henredon,
Drexel  Heritage and  Maitland-Smith.  The company markets its products across a
broad  spectrum of price  categories  and  distributes  its products  through an
extensive system of independently owned national, regional and local retailers.

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe
harbor"  provisions  of the Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act of 1995.
These  forward-looking  statements  include the company's  expected earnings per
share, the prospects for the overall business environment,  and other statements
containing the words  "expects,"  "anticipates,"  "estimates,"  "believes,"  and
words  of  similar  import.   The  company  cautions  investors  that  any  such
forward-looking  statements  are not guarantees of future  performance  and that
certain factors may cause actual results to differ  materially from those in the
forward-looking  statements.  Such  factors may  include:  overall  business and
economic  conditions and growth in the furniture  industry;  changes in customer
spending patterns and demand for home furnishings;  competitive factors, such as
design  and  marketing  efforts  by  other  furniture   manufacturers;   pricing
pressures;  success of the marketing  efforts of retailers and the prospects for
further  customer  failures;  the  company's  success  in  furniture  design and
manufacture;   the  effects  of  manufacturing  realignments  and  cost  savings
programs;  and other  risk  factors  listed  from time to time in the  company's
public  releases and SEC reports,  including  but not limited to the most recent
reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K.  The company also  cautions  investors  that our
forecast  for the first  quarter and the full year 2003  represents  our outlook
only as of this date,  and we  undertake no  obligation  to update or revise any
forward-looking  statements,   whether  as  a  result  of  new  developments  or
otherwise.