Made By Hickory Chair

They Made It My Way!

The most amazing piece we saw being made this week was a Venetian Bed with a special construction request. (Shown is a queen size Venetian Bed with Upholstered head and footboard from our catalog in Sable finish.) The designer from Safaveih and their client felt like the Venetian Bed would be the right bed for their room but wished that it featured diamond hand tufting. 

They contacted their customer service representative and requested that we add diamond hand tufting to the headboard and footboard as a special construction request.  We reviewed what it would take to hand tuft the COM fabric and felt like it was very doable.  With approval from Hickory Chair for the diamond hand-tufting, the amount of COM needed and the fee for the labor, patterns and materials, the order was placed.

• The style number is 8807-71 King Size Venetian Bed
• COM purple velvet
• Silver Leaf finish
• NS-02 Pewter Small Nails
• Special Construction Diamond Hand Tufting on the headboard and footboard

Our talented craftsman enjoy the creativity that comes to us from designers and their clients.  They enjoy the challenge of determining how they may be able to accomodate the request of the client.  They enjoy visualizing the rooms these special pieces are made for.  They wish that they could see pictures of these rooms.

If our wish comes true, the designer will email us a picture of the bedroom with this custom made bed as the focal point for their room.  If they do, we can feature it in an upcoming My Hickory Chair Home! 

Are you ready to share your story?  Contact us a press@hickorychair.com.

99 Years And Counting - Part Three

  In the second edition of "99 Years And Counting - Part Two" we ended with the European styled collections such as The French Collection, San Marion Collection and Suzanne Kasler Collection.  The next milestone for Hickory Chair was to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the James River Collection!  This great achievement solidified Hickory Chair's reputation for classic furniture as the James River Collection became the longest continuously made furniture collection in the industry.  It is even harder to imagine that this collection will celebrate 70 years in 2011!  It is the great proportion and scale of the pieces with their timeless form that have allowed the collection to remain viable in an ever-changing world.  We have numerous pieces that have been continuously made since the 1930's!  The best part is that the pieces that have been made all these years were made as tomorrow's heirlooms - they are still in people's homes, on eBay, Craig's List, antique shops and can mix with the new pieces we make to order today!

Hickory Chair turned to the Winterthur Museum in April 1999 to introduce its Winterthur Country Estate Collection.  This museum houses the world's largest collection of American furniture and decorative arts.  In H.F. DuPont's lifetime he transformed his country home to a 275 room museum with rooms from every major city that contributed to American design.  There are rooms devoted to Rhode Island cabinetmakers such as the Townsend's and Goddard's from the 18th Century, to Boston cabinetmaker's such as the Seymour's, to Philadelphia cabinetmakers such as Aitken as well as Shaker, Pennsylvania Dutch, and more.  Each room is furnished as if it were new with every detail considered from the candles to furniture.  We have the license to almost all of the pieces at Winterthur. 

Watch for our next post as we launch the Thomas O'Brien Collection at the fall 1999 market.  Can you believe that the Thomas O'Brien is celebrating its 10th Anniversary!

My Hickory Chair Home - Shannon Murray Interiors

One of our HCC University Alumni, Shannon Murray, shared with us a beautiful home that she completed using mostly Hickory Chair pieces!  Her young client moved from Greenwich, CT to Boca Raton, FL.  She chose to work with Shannon instead of starting over with a new designer.  She trusted Shannon and knew that she would be able to guide her to create very personal interiors in her brand new Florida home. 

Shannon selected Hickory Chair as her primary source for this exciting new home. She knew that the Hickory Chair pieces were appropriate for this project and met budget.  She also knew that with the many options offered, she would be able to personalize the pieces for the color scheme and needs of this young family.  We appreciate that most rooms of the house are adorned with Hickory Chair pieces.

In the Living Room, Shannon chose the Elinor Sofa  and Guilded Lily Cocktail Table in Silver Leaf from the Mariette Himes Collection as well as a pair of Nanette Chairs with Slipcovers from the Suzanne Kasler Collection.  The Mark Desk by Alexa Hampton is used as a sofa table.  She chose our Antique Ivory paint with Antique Silver hardware from our Customer's Own Hardware^TM program.  The fabrics and finishes have created a warm, inviting room for this active family.

The Master Bedroom has great natural light and Shannon used soft blues and whites to make a sanctuary.  The Left Bank Bed was selected and installed without its options four tall posts.  Removeable posts allow you to change the look of your room as your needs or wishes change.  In addition, a sitting area was created using an Oval Pedestal Cocktail Table from the James River Collection in a painted white finish instead of the standard Medium Mahogany traditional finish.  A pair of Stanton Skirted Lounge Chairs flank the cocktail table.  

A retreat was created using the Porter Divan by Mariette Himes Gomez, a Hallings Secretary by Thomas O'Brien and a Hunt Chair by Suzanne Kasler.  Shannon enjoyed selecting the right pieces for each room from the entire Hickory Chair assortment.  She was not bound to pick pieces from one collection so they would match.  She could pick finish, fabric and hardware to tie these pieces together so that she created 'her own collection' for her client. 

Shannon is a professional designer who continues to invest in her training and knowledge base.  She has visited Hickory Chair's workroom in Hickory, North Carolina where over 87% of its wood and upholstered pieces are made to order.  She knows that our talented artisans and craftsmen make each piece one at a time by hand.  We appreciate how she entrusted us to make pieces for her client. 

Do you have a Hickory Chair home to share?  Contact us at press@hickorychair.com

Apartments by Mariette Himes Gomez

Our friend and licensing partner, Mariette Himes Gomez, has just released the third book of her career!  Apartments has joined sister books, Rooms and Houses as a set of inspirational guides to 21st century interior design.  As their titles suggest, each book focuses on projects that Mariette has been commissioned to create with her devoted clients.  Each book shares her design philosophy in both the written word and in beautiful photography.  Harper Collins is the publisher of the series.   

Since 2002, Hickory Chair has had the great pleasure of hand making the Mariette Himes Gomez Collection.  Each piece was thoughtfully inspired by pieces in Mariette or her client's homes and all have references in antique or vintage forms that she has collected.  As a great shopper, she has an eye for intruiging shapes and textures.  Her considers her collection as the bridge between the modern furniture by Thomas O'Brien and the more classic pieces Hickory Chair has been known for since 1911. 

Hickory Chair will sponsor a book signing in its trade showroom in High Point, North Carolina during the International Home Furnishings Market on Saturday, April 17th from 3:00 - 5:00 pm. 

 

Michelle Obama's Chair of Choice

An Associated News Syndicate story printed in the Palm Beach Post on March 1, 2010, featured Michelle Obama's determination to fight childhood obesity.  The photograph by Marvin Joseph was first featured in the Washington Post. A gentleman from Florida recognized the hand carved mahogany chair as Hickory Chair's own Spool Chair from the Mark Hampton Collection.  We appreciate him forwarding the newspaper article to us this morning. 

 

 

As we looked closely at the chair, we realized that it was one of a pair purchased for the private areas of the White House.  The First Lady and her designer selected these Spool Chairs in a graphic dark brown and white fabric to complement the rich finish.  The chairs were hand made in the workroom in Hickory, North Carolina.    We are proud to have talented craftsmen with the ability to carve mahogany and other sustainable types of wood into heirloom quality pieces in our workroom.

Does it not seem right that pieces made by Americans adorn rooms in the White House today? 

A Hickory Chair With Personality

From our early beginnings as a dining chair company we at Hickory Chair have continued our affinity for chairs of all types.  Recently I discovered a blog that I had not visited before by Tracery Interiors.  The story that I discovered titled Subtle Elegance, featured a beautiful home in Mountain Brook, Alabama.  To my pleasure the designer had chosen Hickory Chair dining chairs for the beautiful dining room!

The Birmingham based designer, Doug Davis, worked with Hickory Chair to transform a set of simple Chippendale Side Chairs with graceful mahogany legs with stretchers to a soft and elegant form with the addition of to the floor kick pleat skirts. The graceful curve of the back posts that begin at the top of the back to the floor creates elegant lines with the kick pleat skirt.  The side skirts were custom made to follow the swoop of the back legs. What is typical is to only make skirts for legs that are straight.  Most would not have attempted a kick pleat skirt for a chair with this type of legs.  The resulting chairs create a soft elegance in the room.

Another designer asked that we make a mini-skirt for their set of Chippendale Side Chairs.  They wanted a box pleated skirt that was 6-inches long.  In addition they asked that we add a contrasting welt down the center of the outback and apply a pair of buttons at the base of the back just above the skirt.  The result was stunning!  We ordered a set for the Hickory Chair showroom and added a graceful motif monogram to the inback.  This mix of options created a unique personality for this classic.

Special construction comes easy for the talented craftsmen in the Hickory Chair workroom.  Every day we are challenged with one of a kind requests. Every day we learn new skill levels as we say yes to the vast majority of requests.  Every day our craftsmen leave the workroom knowing that they have more talent than when they arrived.  They return each morning ready to embrace the new opportunities to learn and please the many designers who entrust their client's pieces to us.  We know that as long as we can say yes, complete pieces in just a few weeks from order at a quality level that exceeds their expectations, then this humble 99-year old furniture company will be able to reach its 100th anniversary in 2011 and beyond making one of a kind pieces in Hickory, North Carolina. 

99 Years And Counting - Part Two

Today we are continuing our story "99 Years And Counting" that we began on February 11th.  In the first story, we shared our early beginnings in 1911 as a dining chair company.  As the story progressed, we recounted our legacy of licensed reproductions that began in 1931 with the Dorothy Robinson Collection.  This lead to the launch of the James River Collection in 1941 that is today the industry's oldest and continuously made furniture collection.  We left off with a request to watch for the next installment that would begin with the Mark Hampton Collection. 

It was 1988 when Hickory Chair introduced the Mark Hampton Collection.  This was Hickory Chair's first collection that collaborated with an interior designer.  Licensed designer collections for the furniture industry were in its infancy and the Mark Hampton Collection not only successful for Hickory Chair but it paved a path for designer and non-designer collections around the industry.  The collection is adorned with pieces from the English countryside, Regency, European and West Indies inspiration.  Even though the world lost Mark Hampton in 1998, his timeless designs continue to be made in our workroom. His widow, Duane Hampton, has published a new book to be released on April 20, 2010 named "Mark Hampton: An American Decorator".  A book signing will be held in the Hickory Chair Showroom on Saturday, April 17th. An excerpt from the publisher, Rizzoli, states that the book is "Rich with original materials including Hampton’s watercolors, sketches, and notebooks, as well as hundreds of images of Hampton’s important commissions, and impeccably researched and intimately written by his widow, Duane Hampton, this will be a visual feast for everyone interested in interiors as well as an important addition to the history of interior design."

In 1989, Hickory Chair built on the success of the new Mark Hampton Collection with the French Collection.  This new collection was inspired by the French countryside and was an immediate success.  Over these 21 years, new pieces, finishes and fabrics have been added as well as other European inspired collections such as San Marino (introduced in 1997), Atelier (introduced in 2004), and most recently, the Suzanne Kasler Collection (introduced in 2008). While each collection is unique in its own way, the true proportion and scale of the pieces make them timeless and mixable allowing the collector to purchase pieces they love instead of matched suits.   These European inspired collections provide a less formal approach to luxurious living.

Stay tuned for Part Three in the series as we pick up with the Winterthur Country Estate Collection...

My Hickory Chair Home - Rich Bodin, Hudson Home, Hudson, NY

Our friends at Hudson Home sent their newsletter to us recently.  In the newsletter it shared that Hudson Home is pictured on the covers of Berkshire Homestyle and Capital District Homestyle Magazines in February. In March, both magazines will include an article on interior design featuring an interview of Hudson Home co-owner Richard Bodin.  We felt that this was a great story to share in our weekly post "My Hickory Chair Home".

In the image on the cover, a dining room in Garrison, NY by Interior Designer Gregory Feller, ASID for Hudson Home, Hudson, NY is featured. Gregory and Richard are the owners of Hudson Home.  The photographer is Mick Hales. The room features the graceful Kimball Dining Table by Thomas O'Brien that was adapted from an 1810 original.  A set of 1817-11 Chippendale Side Chairs upholstered in two fabrics that have been seamed down the middle of the seat and back, fiished in Sable finish and have been trimmed in hand nailed trim.  A pair of Delaware Host Chairs flank the breakfront.  Both the Delaware Host Chairs and the Chippendale Side Chairs are part of the historic James River Collection that has been continuously made since 1941. An antique ivory breakfront serves as a counterpoint to the deep rich wood finish of the table. The foundation of the room is a silver-hued natural sisal rug.  The room has a timeless quality about it because of the balance created by classic 18th Century forms mixed with modern finishes and fabrics. 

Great rooms are a result of talented designers like Gregory Feller.  Do you have a great room to share?  We would love to share your home in "My Hickory Chair Home" in a coming Friday edition!  Just email us at press@hickorychair.com.

Marilyn Akins - A Classic Story

Marilyn Akins, ASID, owner of Marilyn Akins Interiorsrecently shared with us these beautiful pictures after returning home from HCC University.  The pictures are of a show house in Hinsdale, Illinois that she completed using some new and vintage Hickory Chair pieces. 

In this beautiful dining room she selected a retired Hickory Chair dining room table that was made about 10 years ago.  The host chairs are Hickory Chair wing chairs.  The classic dining table and wing chairs are complemented by the transitional side chairs.   In the second image that Marilyn shared, a classic James River Sideboard.  The traditional mahogany dining table and sideboard in the rich hand applied, polished stained finishes bring out the natural grain of the mahogany. 

The favorite part of the story from Marilyn is that the owner of the show house loved the pieces so much she ended up buying the table and host chairs!  She had learned that classic pieces like Hickory Chair pieces are timeless.  They can be mixed with painted finishes, transitional forms and classic forms.  Classic forms allow you the flexibility to use them in countless ways. 

Do you have a Hickory Chair classic story to share?  Email your story and pictures to press@hickorychair.com !

 

My Hickory Chair Home - Ray Forehand, Fairfield, CT

This beautiful room is the living room of Ray Forehand.  Ray is the owner of Raymond Forehand Interiors & Architecture in Fairfield, Connecticut.  We had the honor of getting to know him and two talented members of his design team during our early February HCC University event.  He shared this picture with us after his return to show us how he had incorporated three pieces of our hand made custom upholstery in his home.  

His living room features a balance of traditional architecture and modern furnishings.  Some pieces are very contemporary in form such as the paintings, chaise and tables.  He has used leather and natural fabrics to create a textural plane.  The furniture is angular while the lamps, vase and accessories are round.  The chairs are a pair of Modern Club Chairs from the Thomas O'Brien Collection that is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.  The sofa is a Made To Measure^TM Sofa made from the Modern Club Chairs.  He turned to Hickory Chair's custom length upholstery because he needed a sofa that was the right width for his wall.  He wanted to use these side tables and that determined the sofa size.  He chose 84 inches as the right size to not crowd the space.  He selected COM fabrics and contrasting trim to accentuate the lines of the sofa and chairs. The result of the textures, fabrics, leather, architecture and accessories is a very warm and inviting room.  We at Hickory Chair are proud to have been chosen for Ray's own home.

Please share your "My Hickory Chair Home" story with us.  Send your story and pictures to press@hickorychair.com.