Tag Archives: Hickory Chair

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Current Project: Raleigh Residence

Raleigh Interior Design 4

Ashley went on an installation yesterday and wanted to share with you the pieces she installed. In the first picture the little gold accented table is nestled perfectly adjacent to the nail-head velvet chair.

Raleigh Interior Design 3

We did an antique cream finish on the exterior of this Celo Bar from Hickory Chair and a weathered gray finish on the inside of the cabinet. This is a great piece for serving cocktails and hosting a party. But wonderful to close up and use for storage day to day. A very functional piece!

Raleigh Interior Design

 Finally, we put a new chandelier in the master bedroom to add some excitement and light; a wonderful way to add the WOW factor for little money. The light is from Currey and Company.

Raleigh Interior Design 2

What are some of the elemenets in your house that create the WOW factor for you?!

Designer Inspiration/Trends, Hickory Chair, High Point Furniture Market, Lee Industries

2010 Spring High Point Market Trends & Favorites Part 2 of 2

And the crew returns for part 2 of High Point Furniture Market Trends and Favorites. Within part 2 you will find our remaining trends and also a few pictures of some iconic people: Thomas O’Brien and Mariette Hines Gomez. Lets begin!

 

Trend #4 – Neutrals and browns will never go away.

Below are shots in the Lee Industries Showroom of

some classic pieces that scream versatility and style.  

Lee High Point 2010

 

Market wouldn’t be the same without testing the comfort-ability of recliners and sofas. Ashley is lounging in one of the relaxers from Lee Industries.

Design Lines at Lee

 

The bed has a classic and romantic feel while the sofa and coffee table display invites a family for a cup of ice tea on a Sunday afternoon.

Shots below are from the Hickory Chair  Showroom.

Design Lines at Hickory Chair 2010 Highpoint

A pillow line we saw in Inner Hall called Ankasa. Ideal for bedrooms, sun-rooms and/or family rooms.

Wall of Pillows-Ankasa

 

We also had a chance to check out some lamp companies:

Jamey Young (left) and Barabra Cosgrove (right).

Jamey Young Lamps

 

Trend # 5 Purple is still around! All the way from grape juice to wine colored tones.

Shots below are from Hickory Chair Showroom.

Design Lines Purple Trends 

Below: Judy admires the nail head detailing on an upholstered cabinet in the Hickory Chair Showroom.  Need a dining chair, take this cream one below, one of Hickory Chair’s most popular choices (right).

Design Lines at Hickory Chair 2010 Highpoint 2

Often times when the team goes to High Point, it isn’t unusual to run into  interior design icons. Hickory Chair had Thomas O’Brien on hand as he signed copies of his first book, called “American Modern.”You might have seen Thomas’s name on collections in Target, a lighting collection with Visual Comfort and  his interior design studio called Areo in SoHo which he opened in 1992. Here is an article on him in the New York Times.

 Thomas OBrien at Hickory Chair 2010 High Point

The team also stopped to take a photo with Mariette Himes Gomez. Mariette has a design studio  in New York City and also a designer collection with Soicher Marin.  Mariette and Thomas both design furniture for Hickory Chair. Along with Alexa Hampton and Suzanne Kasler who were also in the showroom showing off their collections with Hickory Chair.

It was nice to see you again, Mariette! Thanks for taking a picture with us.

Design Lines with Mariette Himes Gomez in Hickory Chair Showroom 2010

 

Trend 6# Floral sofas are a breath of fresh air.

Below: is a shot from the Lee Showroom of a banquet with a Duralee print.

Floral Sofa at Lee High Point 2010

 Design Lines Trends florals

Left Above: Lee Industries and Right Above: Hickory Chair.

 

Trend # 7  Trellis is popular.

What is a trellis ?  A lattice like pattern inspired by a lot of cultures, they can sometimes be graphic and organic. Below the bed in fabricated in a trellis fabric giving the room life.

This is taken from the Century Showroom and also seen on Apartment Therapy’s review of High Point Furniture Market. 

Market 10 - Century Showroom Pic

 Design Lines Trellis Trends

Above are shots from Hickory Chair Showroom.

 

Trend # 8 Animal Inspiration

Animal influences were in every showroom that we visited. Here are some of the things we saw.

Shots Below are from Hickory Chair Showroom.

 Design Lines Animal Inspiration

 

And last but not least, we had to share one of the coolest discoveries that Marty from Lee Industries showed us. Lee did an experiment putting one of their chairs they manufacture into a lake for two weeks. The actual chair is below on the left and you should definitely click on the YouTube video to see for yourself. We were amazed at how clean the chair looked after being in the lake. It was amazing!

Lee Chair In Lake 2010 High Point

Designer Inspiration/Trends

Scheme of the Day: Back To School

Today marks the beginning of the School Year for many of us in the Triangle.
Why not celebrate with additions to your house that are schoolhouse nostalgic?

Here are some things we love for the K-12 pupils:

The Fabulous Metropolis Wall Clock from CB2 (Great Scale) & These Puzzle Tables from Go Home Ltd:

The Jacqui Desk in Apple Green from Bungalow 5 & Madeline Weinrib Pillows that remind us of Charlie Brown’s Shirt:
Here are some things we love for us:

Pendants with Milk Glass from Visual Comfort & planters for the kitchen in a chalkboard finish
The Domino runner from our Friends at Niba Rug & the Hallings Secretary designed by Thomas O’Brien for Hickory Chair
What are your favorite things about going back to school?
High Point Furniture Market

2009 High Point Furniture Market Finds

Two trips to High Point. Twice the fun.

For this year’s spring market we met with reps from furniture and accessory companies who showed and educated us on the new trends/products for the spring.

I can see where one might feel overwhelmed by the millions of choices and selections but for designers it is our mission to find the best products for our clients.

We often take mental notes, pictures, and even order pieces we know will work with our current-client projects.

We say: the more educated we can be about a particular line or know how the furniture “sits,” the better!

So here are some of our favorites we found this go-around:

BoBo Intriguing Objects: Definitely Intriguing

Bungalow 5: Hip Accessories & Furniture

Cyan Designs: Unique Accessories

(Notice the over-sized Monopoly pieces)


Lee Industries: Eco-friendly furniture


Pearson : Great upholstery pieces


Hickory Chair: Made, not Manufactured


Hickory White: Classic pieces for the home


Natural Curiosities: A lot of great prints


Pine Cone Hill: Awesome Bedding


Trends: In several showrooms we spotted groupings of pendant fixtures. Here are a few! My favorite is the top left one.


Hickory Chair

Hickory Chair University: Stephanie’s Perspective

One of the things that struck me most about our tour of Hickory Chair was the truly jovial disposition of all those that worked there. As we meandered from station to station, in awe of the bustling activiy all around us, it quickly became clear that each employee geniunely enjoyed his or her job and took great pride in improving the company and its products in any way possible. President Jay Reardon has done an excellent job entrusting and empowering his employees, and his respect for them is clearly reflected in their attitudes and commitment to excellence.


As a result of this positive corporate culture, the amount of care that goes into the creation of each piece of furniture at Hickory Chair is absolutely unparalleled. I no longer view Hickory Chair as a manufacturing plant, but as a guild of skilled craftsmen that collaborate to create beautiful heirlooms for those fortunate enough to own them.


Hickory Chair

“Hickory Chair University: Ashley’s Perspective”

After visiting Hickory Chair University I was amazed to actually witness the term we all have heard, “8-Way Hand Tied.” But really, is it better than the other companies? I was very surprised to see why this system works and why this quality is better than the rest. As quoted by others, “8-Way Hand Tied Springs are the Cadillac of upholstery.” Wonder why your grandmother’s sofa is still around to be pawned off to you?

8-Way Hand Tied is a traditional style of support. The springs are laid over webbing, sewn in place, and then the springs are compressed to the desired firmness. They are then tied, with jute twine, to the webbing in the compressed state, and then lashed and tied one to the other. Of course it is tied eight times, twice vertically, twice horizontally, twice at one angle, and then crossed twice and the other angle (that adds up to eight). This technique provides a very firm, solid base for the padding that comprises a fully upholstered seat. This technique, if done right, can cost more but it is worth it. Hickory Chair does not cut corners on this technique which allows for the quality to out last many others.

As labor becomes more expensive and the buying public less willing to pay for it, substitutions are being made. These substitutions can be costly to you if you are not aware, and you will be buying a new sofa in the next 5 years. The jute twine that Hickory Chair uses is being substituted by other companies. Some substitutions include wires and hot rings. This is faster, requires less skill on the part of the upholsterer, and is ultimately cheaper to accomplish.

Being in the plant and seeing the gentleman above do a 8-Way Hand Tied application was amazing to see. It took about 15 minutes to do a full upholstered chair with only the seat being applied. It can take double the time for a sofa or sectional, but it is well worth it. It was great to see how this support effects the way a sofa or chair can sit. Well worth the money in my eyes.

So next time you got to by a sofa, get the facts. Make sure it is a true 8-Way Hand Tied application. It is not entirely uncommon to hear of an 8-Way Hand Tied sofa holding up for several decades, in fact, some can last as long as 50 years. Don’t you want to be able to pass your Hickory Chair or Sofa down to your grandchildren?


Hickory Chair

Hickory Chair University: Molly’s Perspective

On our tour of the Hickory Chair Furniture Manufacturer – late in the day I found this beautiful wing chair in their Mezzanine Showroom. At first glance – it’s just a great wing chair – but a closer look reveals the smoothest curves and shape that creates this chair. Possibly no other chair design has been reproduced over time as the wing – but so often it is poorly done. THIS is perfection. Hickory chair purchased the original chair by John Townsend from Rhode Island and copied it with precision. The wooden frame itself is carved and shaped to capture those curves without relying on the upholstery to shape it. Check out the movement of the curves across the back. This Townsend Wing Chair could easily fit into many interiors – and hopefully one that can showcase it’s beauty from all sides.

Hickory Chair

Hickory Chair University

We’re back in the studio and can’t wait to share our Hickory Chair University experience with everyone (as promised).

I’ve asked the designers to answer the following questions with words & images. “What was the highlight of the trip for you? What will interest your client about Hickory Chair?”

Over the next week they’ll disclose their perspectives & what they learned.

Enjoy!


Hickory Chair

Hickory Chair University

Judy, Molly, Stephanie, Ashley, Lauren and I are off to Hickory, North Carolina this afternoon for a short excursion to tour the upholstery & case good factory of furniture manufacturer Hickory Chair . All of their products are beautiful, with collections from designers Alexa Hampton, Thomas O’Brien, & Suzanne Kasler.

We’ll be back on Wednesday evening to write about our experience (with pictures, too). Until then, feel free to salivate over these gorgeous images from their look book.


Award Winning Interior Design | Raleigh, NC