Made By Hickory Chair

Paula Grace Designs - Ashburn, VA

Paula Grace Halewski, owner of Paula Grace Designs, Inc. recently shared with us some truly inspirational photography of homes she completed for her clients.  Paula Grace is also the author of a blog on interior design, her projects and great finds.  She has attended HCC University where she was able to meet the artists and craftsmen that make our pieces while also continuing to build her vast knowledge base on furniture.  We are quite honored that she turned to Hickory Chair for special pieces for her clients. 

Paula Grace shared with us that the home shown belongs to a busy couple with three very active kids.  She shared that "they have an extensive art and antique collection that I married effortlessly with Hickory Chair furniture and furniture of my own design (two beautiful Curio Lamp Tables that are shown below)."

She adds that "the kitchen is completely custom designed and you can see how the Simon Bench just blends in as if it was always there."

"I used two swivel chairs in the sitting area of this great room, the Joseanne and Eton Swivel Chairs.  Both turn to view the fireplace and television." says Paula Grace.  "They haven’t added the television yet but I think that is because the family now enjoys curling up in front of their fireplace on the cold nights we have been having." Also shown is the Milo M2M Cocktail Table, Wakeley M2M Sofa, Charles Hassocks and the Auburn Round Ottoman.

"I have to say that the Joseanne is my ‘go to’ swivel chair because of its scale and clean lines.  This is a very traditional design but we wanted to do a lot in the space we had so some smaller scale furniture was in order.  The Joseanne fit that need perfectly and the Wakeley Sofa was custom sized to accommodate the available space." 

Our artisans and craftsmen look to Paula Grace and other talented designers for pieces to make each day.  It has been our honor to make pieces to order for 100 years! If you enjoyed Paula Grace's work, join us soon for Part II where we will showcase more of her beautiful projects!

Artist's Studio by Hickory Chair

An artist's studio is a special place where inspired ideas become works of art. At Hickory Chair we are fortunate to have an Artist's StudioTM where inspired ideas and talented artists make furniture items works of art. Our artists have had their studio at Hickory Chair for 30 years. Their talents allow you to personalize pieces to order. You can send us a design (if it is a logo you must provide written permission along with the request) or choose from motifs that we have created.  Pick from any of our paint colors or send us colors for us to match. These can be paint chips, fabric samples or other color sources.  Select the base paint or stain finish and then we will paint it with your approved strike off.  Lastly we will adorn the piece with either the standard hardware, your hardware or something selected from our Customer's Own HardwareTM program.  We thought you would enjoy seeing some of their recent pieces that were shown during the recent International Furniture Market.

 

 

7889-70 Havana Chest from the Mariette Himes Gomez Collection shown in optional Birch Paint with Random Stripe Motif in match panel paint colors to coordinate with Hickory Chair fabric number 3707-97.

189-71 Artisan Curved Front Chest - Mahogany from the 1911 Collection shown in Espresso finish with Birch paint drawer fronts with Stripe Motif in match panel paint colors to coordinate with fabric 3724-95 with Customer's Own HardwareTM in Antique Bronze finish.

2348-70/2349-70 Fretwork Cabinet from Thomas O'Brien Collection finished in optional Weathered White paint with Trompe Loeil Motif with Antique Rub technique to coordinate with fabric 3538-98.

 
2108-70 Tricia Chest also from the Thomas O'Brien Collection finished in Rustic Silver paint without the crackle or release techniques applied in the Modern Chinoisserie Motif with decoration in Antique Rub Ivory.

These are just a few examples of what we can make for you in our Hickory, North Carolina workroom.  Why not allow us to make something special for you?  

 

Remembering September 11, 2001

Six degrees of seperation connects everyone people say.  The impact of the tragedies of the fateful September 11, 2001 touched every American and countless individuals around the world.  Here at Hickory Chair thousands of miles from New York City and Washington DC we were not spared loss.  Customers whose offices were in the World Trade Centers, a boyfriend of a sales rep's daughter, a brother, a cousin, a friend and others were lost that day.  Their memory remains with us with our determination to never forget. 

We Americans have always had grit, determination and an entrepreneurial spirit.  It began with the first settlers who left their homes and families from other countries and sailed to America to create a new life for themselves and their families. Imagine their dreams and courage to leave everything behind.  Todays America needs the grit, determination, dreams, courage and entrepreneurial spirit that our forefathers had.

All around us are great examples of this spirit.  Boys earn their Eagle Scout award and girls their Gold Award, men and women join the police and armed forces, young people go to college to better themselves, new companies are started every week, existing companies reinvent themselves to be competitive in a world market. Unfortunately others choose opposite paths.  Companies close or move their manufacturing offshore.  Making success in 2011 requires hard work, grit and determination. 

Hickory Chair is blest to be amongst the companies who have reinvented themselves.  The employees have the grit and determination to challenge the standard American manufacturing model that has failed over these past 10 years.  Instead of giving up their work they pulled together and focused on what adds value with determination to give the customer what they want and eliminate the things they do not want to pay for in the price of the furniture.  Over production, closeouts, repairs, rework and waiting to be made are wastes that should not be in the cost of furniture.  Since 1997 when our challenge began (four years before 9/11) we began the journey of lean manufacturing.  Today we stand strong with 100 years of manufacturing in America.  We stand strong with over 87% made in Hickory, North Carolina.  We stand strong working with as many American suppliers as possible.  We are focused on remaining strong by continuously working together to make our furniture in a lean environment focused on giving our customer exactly what they want.

We believe that the independent spirit we Americans have always had is perhaps part of our success.  We have moved from making batches of one style in one finish to making one piece at a time custom to order.  We know our customer wants unique pieces for their home.  They choose independence.  We are blest that our talented artisans can stand strong to the challenge of one of a kind pieces.  Join us as we honor 100 years of making as we all pause to honor the memory of those lost 10 years ago.

Doors & Drawers Make A Great Canvas

 
Finding the right signature or statement wood furniture piece for a room often means a trip to an antiques dealer or custom woodworker for many designers.  While that is appropriate for some projects it certainly is not necessary when you stop to consider the talented artisans and craftsmen at Hickory Chair's Hickory, North Carolina workroom.  In this 100-year-old workroom you will find hundreds of eager artisans ready to make your idea into reality.  Shown above is the Renata Stand by Alexa Hampton for Hickory Chair.  One Renata Stand is very classic while the other is very transitional.

 
 
 Since over 87% of our pieces are made in America, we have the flexibility to make modifications to height, width, depth and architecture to personalize our wood products to order. We can change finishes to a different Hickory Chair finish or match to your stain or paint color.  We can change hardware to a different style in our line or install the hardware you send to us to a piece.  With your creativity and our determination we can make one of a kind pieces to order in just a few weeks.  Above is the Taylor Chest by Thomas O'Brien for Hickory Chair shown in two very different custom applications.  Speaking of two very different custom applications are the American Empire Tall Dressers shown below.  A designer in Michigan was able to create a custom piece for their client by requesting 7 different Benjamin Moore paint colors along with hand applied checkerboard and polka dots.

 
While each of these items have been made special through finish and/or hardware options you are not limited to just these options.  For example, why not ask that we remove the crown from a classic piece to make it more transitional such as the Vauxhall Cabinet from the Winterthur Country Estate Collection?

 
One designer in Florida took it on themselves to have a chest hand painted by a local artist.  I guess they did not know that we could have personalized our Continental Chest by Mariette Himes Gomez for them. We are sure the client must love their special piece.  Do you have an idea for an item?  Just contact your Hickory Chair dealer or showroom.  They can contact their Hickory Chair Customer Service Representative for you with your custom request.  Why settle for something standard when we can make a one of a kind heirloom quality piece for you?

 

 

The People Behind The Furniture

Our centennial ad that has been featured in Architectural Digest, Traditional Home, Veranda, Lonny and House Beautiful showcases an Elliott Wing Chair and the Artisan Curved Front Chest each from the 1911 Collection that are reflected into a Sophia Mirror by Thomas O'Brien.  The Elliott Wing Chairs are upholstered in different fabrics.  The brown chest is made from mahogany and the gray one from ash.  Each of the wing chairs and tests were made by hand to order in our workroom in Hickory, North Carolina.

 We are so thankful for the talented craftsmen who choose to come to Hickory Chair each day to invest their talent and time to make one of a kind pieces to order.  We are proud that these talented employees have chosen to make hand made furniture as their vocation. They come to carve, cut, sew, upholster, sand, finish and make fine pieces. It is rewarding to see what they can do while at Hickory Chair. 

It is rewarding to learn about the talents and hobbies our craftsmen enjoy while not at work.  We have artists who create paintings and sculptures.  We have musicians who play professionally, serve as music ministers, and perform regularly.  We have employees who participate in community theater.  Other employees raise show dogs...some for their looks while others for their strength.  Some have beautiful voices and sing in their church choirs and community performances. Others spend their time exercizing, running, working out, playing golf, tennis or softball.  Some kick-box and compete.  Others cycle, jog or dance.  Employees serve as deacon, Sunday school teachers and other leadership roles such as Boy Scout leaders, volunteer firemen, and coaches. 

Each day this group of talented artists, musicians come to our workroom and have the opportunity to make one of a kind pieces to order.  They love making custom length sofas, dining tables made from the top of one style with the base from another, changing hardware and finish on a chest, making the depth of a sofa just right for that tall or small client.  Making one of a kind pieces allows our talented craftsmen to hone their skills.  You help us become even more skilled.  Our 100 year foundation with your custom pieces give us the opportunity to make our furniture in Hickory hopefully for the next 100 years. 

House Beautiful's Kitchen Of The Year Featuring Hickory Chair

Hickory Chair is honored to be part of the 2011 House Beautiful Kitchen Of The Year project that began today.  A full kitchen was construction on Rockefeller Plaza for the great chef, Tyler Florence. All week Tyler will be demonstrating special recipes.  Hickory Chair provided a set of six Madigan Counter Stools that sit at the island where Tyler creates his delicious entrees.  This morning Lester Holt of The Today Show interviewed Tyler as he prepared a shrimp boil. 

Lori Yeomans created the kitchen which has been portrayed as an outdoor living room. Her interior design firm is USA Interior Design and is located in San Francisco, California.  The team selected the Madigan Counter Stools for their design and comfort.  They were made in Hickory, North Carolina by a team of talented artisans and craftsmen.  These Madigan Counter Stools are part of a series that includes dining chairs, bar and counter stools and a bench.  For 100 years pieces like these Madigan Counter Stools have been made by hand to order.  Focused on making one of a kind pieces in heirloom quality construction is our passion.  Hand made in America.

For this event the Madigan Counter Stools were finished in our Dark Walnut finish.  A family friendly leather was selected in a rich brown color. Lastly large NL-09 Antique Nickel nail head trim and a matching stretcher guard were applied.  Personalizing pieces to order is our artist's and craftsmen's passion.   In just a few weeks from order we can make and ship one of a kind furniture pieces.  We appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the Kitchen of The Year with House Beautiful.  If you are in New York this week you can stop by and see this beautiful creation!

Roger Bills Interior Design - Ocala, FL

Roger A. Bills is a talented interior designer in Ocala, Florida.  We at Hickory Chair have enjoyed working with him for over 15 years.  Recently he shared some photographs with us of some inspirational rooms he created for a client.

Show left is a picture of the master bedroom.  The rich colors in the rug provided the direction for the color palette.  He selected the rich orange from the rug as a punch of color to accentuate in accessories.  Over the pair of Jasper Dressers from the Mariette Himes Gomez Collection is an Upholstered Dauphine Mirror in a rich orange toned leather.  The Eton M2M Sofa at the foot of the bed is upholstered in a neutral fabric with throw pillows in two-toned silk as well as a print fabric that picks up the orange tones of the rug.  Show right is a portion of the Avon Chair that has been upholstered in an orange silk.  Its standard nail head trim adds interest to the room.  A pair of Charles M2M Hassocks sit in front of the Eton Sofa.  They were upholstered with a solid fabric on the sides and a luxurious print on the top.  The room has great color, form and pattern due to the pieces Roger recommended to his client.

In the dining area, Roger continued his thoughtful use of color.  From the Mark Hampton Collection Roger selected the Adam Arm Chairs.  Our Weathered Linen paint was selected and then a combination of  blue, brown and gold silk fabrics made each chair have its own personality.  These Adam chairs surround the Sutherland Dining Table.  Its top features Light Walnut finish over the Olive Ash Burl top.  The Olive Ash Burl veneers are applied in a sunburst pattern.  The base of the table as well as the Duchamp Sideboard were also finished in Weathered Linen paint.  The top of the sideboard also was finished in Light Walnut stain.  The resulting effect is warm, inviting, luxurious and textural. 

We appreciate the opportunity to become the workroom for talented designers like Roger Bills.  Our artisans and craftsmen in Hickory, North Carolina enjoy making each piece to order personalized for a home.  It makes us feel proud to know that families all over the world gather together with our pieces.  For 100 years we have had the honor and as we celebrate this milestone, we look forward to making pieces hopefully for another 100 years for families. 

Please share your Hickory Chair story with us.  Contact us at press@hickorychair.com . You may also visit our facebook page and learn about our Centennial Design Challenge where your design could win a $10,000 prize!

Making "It" For You

Finding "it" - the right thing for your room can be a daunting task.  Sometimes the piece you find is perfect except it is the wrong finish.  Maybe the hardware is not your style.  Maybe if it was a few inches shorter, taller or longer it would have been perfect.  

We listen at Hickory Chair.  It is the passion of our nearly 500 telented artisans and craftsmen to help you personalize our pieces so that they are just right for your home.  It is our 100 year old workroom in Hickory, North Carolina where we make one of a kind pieces to order.  It is the generations skill passed from the master craftsman to apprentice for these 100 years married to lean thinking and environmental stewardship that has allowed us to remain a relevant, valued partner to the designer and collector of quality American made pieces.  It is this passion that has allowed us to trim waste from the process while focusing on fine details of tailoring and finish.  It has allowed us to make one piece at a time from beginning to end in just a few weeks from order the way you want it. 

Shown in our ad featured in the July issue of Architectural Digest, Traditional Home and House Beautiful along with the July/August issue of Veranda, is the new Elliott Wing Chair and Artisan Curved Front Chest with Overlay from our 1911 Collection in the foreground along with the Sophia Mirror by Thomas O'Brien where another version of the chair and chest are reflected.  Because almost 90% of our pieces are made by hand to order that we can offer this kind of personalization.  These pieces tease you with our ability to transform almost every piece we offer for you for your room.  A classic piece can become transitional with the change of finish and hardware or the look of a cherished antique with an aged finish and antiqued hardware.  Want to create your own version of the Artisan Curved Front Chest? Want to upholster your own version of the Elliott Wing Chair?  By clicking on their names you can become the upholsterer or finisher of these pieces.  You can try different hardware on the chest along with finish choices, a combination of two finishes and then hand striping to create your own creation.  

If you enjoyed this, we invite you to enter our first ever Centennial Design Challenge that begins this Wednesday.  Have you have designed that you wish could be made for your home or client?  Are you a student wishing that someone could make your piece?  Beginning this Wednesday you can become the furniture designer and enter our contest.  Join us as a Hickory Chair Furniture facebook friend.  Check back on Wednesday to www.hickorychair.com or www.facebook.com/hickorychairfurniture for all the details.  Maybe you'll win the grand prize!

Doing The Right Thing

My grandmother loved catching us doing something good.  She would smile, give us a big hug and thank us for seeing something positive that could be done for someone else.  It could be picking up a piece of litter, simply playing nicely with each other or running inside to get help for a baby bird that had fallen from its nest. 

We celebrate this spirit each day at Hickory Chair. We call it EDGE (Employees Dedicated to Growth and Excellence).  It is our journey of environmental stewardship and continuous improvement. We set internal goals and celebrate when we reach them (notice the circus tent!).  We celebrate recycling and repurposing efforts.  We love celebrating when we have designed the waste from the product itself so that there is nothing to be recycled or repurposed.  We celebrate safety, quality and other valuable goals.  

 We set a goal to become EFEC (Effecting Furniture's Environmental Culture) registered by the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AFHA) and reached it in 2008.  We entered the contest for the first SAGE Award that was co-sponsored by the AHFA and Cargill.  We won not because of making the greenest product but because of a company-wide culture of doing the right thing... conserving materials and time, recycling and repurposing, and other efforts to control waste and the associated costs.  In 2010 we earned Sustainable By Design (SBD) registration also from the AHFA.  When a drought hit in 2010 we encouraged our employees to conserve water... let us know when a sink or water fountain had a trip or a toilet that ran.  Once everyone knew it was important and worked together, we reduced our water useage by 50%! 

With the rising cost of energy, we asked our team to help us reduce our need for power.  We began by turning off lights when we left our office or work station for meetings or breaks and this lead to turning off computers at night, not printing pages if they were not essential and other acts.  Our maintenance department replaced bulbs with energy saving styles along with new ballasts.  They installed heat reflective roofing in areas ready to be replaced.  The company then signed up for the program that would allow our power company, Duke Energy, to cut our power if a shortage occured due to cold or hot weather.  These countless acts of wise use of resources were noticed.  Hickory Chair was chosen as a 2010 Power Partner along with The Kroger Company - Cincinnati, Ohio; Greater Clark County Schools - Clark County, Indiana; Fabri-Kal - Greenville, South Carolina, Techtronic Industries - Anderson, South Carolina, the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System - Charlotte, North Carolina, DataChambers/Salem Business Park - Winston Salem, North Carolina; Davidson College - Davidson, North Carolina Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center - Winston Salem, North Carolina and Wells Fargo / Wachovia Bank - Charlotte, North Carolina.

On May 2nd, Hickory Chair had planned a picnic lunch for all 450 employees to celebrate a 100% safety record for the year.  Duke Energy contacted us about presenting Hickory Chair's employees with the 2010 Power Partner Award.  In addition, the AHFA had completed the hand carved award for the SAGE Award.  We invited both organizations to join us for our celebratory lunch.  We are proud that for 100 years we have worked hard to do the right thing making heirloom quality furniture in a safe environment for our talented artisans and craftsmen while conserving raw materials, energy and other wasteful factors.  we are proud that over 87% of our products are made by these artisans and craftsmen in Hickory, North Carolina.  We were caught doing the right thing.  We intend to be caught again in the future!

 

Your Workroom in Hickory, North Carolina

For those of you who have had the opportunity to visit Hickory Chair's workroom in Hickory, North Carolina, you know that it has the feel of a series of custom workrooms instead of an assembly line factory.  Their sentiment also shared that we have master craftsmen and artisans and not factory workers.  This is our secret ingredient... we have talented craftsmen and artisans who are eager to make pieces just the way that you want them.  We have not been able to say yes to every special request but we are working hard to be able to accomodate your wishes. 

We thought you would enjoy seeing some examples of the things that we have been able to personalize in our workroom.  In this first example is our Eton M2M.  Eton is a graceful 72 inch love seat that can be transformed from a 32 inch wide chair to a 120 inch wide sofa.  It is standard with nail head trim.  The chair is available as a swivel. There were many wishes that we could make it without nail head trim.  Our team worked together to determine a manner in which we could upholster the piece without the nail head trim without a problem. Now you can request no nails any time!  Recently someone wished that we could make it into a chaise.  Our craftsmen reviewed the wooden frame and what it would take to modify the frame, fabric and cushion patterns. We were able to say yes!

A different customer wished that we could take a classic 5662-10 tall chest standard in our American Antique finish and paint it in paint colors.  They sent color chips to us along with a rendering of where they wanted each paint color applied.  We were able to say yes and complete this one of a kind piece for them.  Their client wanted to use this cabinet in their den for a media cabinet.  They applied custom hardware once they received the one of a kind chest.

Another customer searched for a special bed for their home.  They selected the Venetian Bed which was originally designed to have a wood panel headboard (8806-20).  Several years ago someone asked that we upholster the head and foot board (8806-71).  We said yes.  This summer a different customer asked if we could apply Silver Leaf to the exposed wood and tuft the head and footboard.  We studied what it would require and then we said yes!

Another wish we have been able to make come true is with our Personal Preferences Dining Table program.  You can design your own dining table by selecting from one of 17 bases and 31 tops in your choice of finishes.  In the example below, we were asked to make a custom 60-inch Campagne Dining Table Top instead of the standard 48-inch size and then use the metal New Yorker table base (7887-11) instead of the faux limestone base (9844-10) that is normally standard with the Campagne top (9843-40).  The result looks great! In fact, we like the 60-inch Campagne top so much we are adding it to our collection at the fall market!

Our workroom is YOUR workroom.  Our group of nearly 500 employees hand make 87% of our entire assortment in this vintage 1911 facility.  The remaining 13% that we purchase are things like the metal New Yorker Dining Table Base, hand carved mahogany chairs, stone, mirror, glass and hardware.  We work hard every day to increase our quality and eliminate waste from our processes so that we are freed to make one of a kind pieces of you.  Is there something you have been wishing for that you have not been able to find?  You know we will help you if we can!