Made By Hickory Chair

Round Robin - Dining Style

After spending a wonderful weekend with friends, my thoughts turn to the wonderful dinner that we prepared with fresh late summer vegetables with herbs from the garden and flavorful meat from the grill.  We gathered around the round dining table with this sumptuous meal.  We  laughed and shared stories for hours as we lingered around the table.  None of us wanted our perfect evening to end.  It made me think of the previous blog post on Made By Hickory Chair where the benefits of round dining tables were expressed.  I had to smile when the post came to life over the weekend!

Shown above is Tobi Fairley's kitchen where she chose the Kimball Dining Table from the Thomas O'Brien Collection, the Amsterdam Side Chairs and Counter Stools from the Suzanne Kasler Collection.  Tobi shares this love of a round dining table as well. During the holidays she has slipcovers that bring the cheer of the season to her breakfast room table.

 Roger A. Bills created a fresh look for his client with the Sunderland Dining Table from the James River Collection and the Adam Arm Chairs from the Mark Hampton Collection.  He selected our Light Walnut finish for the top of the table and Weathered Linen paint for the base of the table and the chairs which were upholstered in a variety of colors of silk. 

  At Blackberry Farms luxury hotel and resort in Tennessee you may choose to stay in one of the cottages.  In this particular cottage, the Sheraton Round Dining Table is surrounded by the Samantha Chairs from the Alexa Hampton Collection.  This vintage farmhouse has a fresh, modern attitude with the mix of art, painted chairs and wood stain table.  These guests have an inviting dining room to enjoy during their stay at the number one small luxury hotel in America!

It is easy to find just the right round dining table for your room with the flexibility our Hickory, North Carolina workroom provides.  Select from the many sizes ranging from 40-inches to 84-inches that we make each day.  Modern, Classic and Contential forms can be personalized with over 70 paint and stain finishes and a dozen striping colors for additional decoration.  Our ability to create a one of a kind table does not end there!  Go to www.hickorychair.com to our Online Design Center and there you will be able to visualize changing the base to a different style or change the top.  Once you select the top and base our tool will allow you to apply the finish(es), distressing and striping that will make your table perfect for your room! When you print your final design a list of your specifications are listed so that your Hickory Chair dealer can order your custom table for you! 

Are you ready for holiday entertaining?

Nights At The Round Table

As summer begins to wind down we begin thinking of indoor entertaining.  In the world of dining table shapes a simple round is the most friendly to your guests.  Wonderful times with friends and family sitting 'a round' the table so that everyone can see each other.  This is in contrast to an oval, rectangle or square table where it is impossible to see everyone's faces.  Shown is the Sheraton Dining Table which is a 60" round table with perimeter leaves that create an 84-inch dining table.  The Boston Side Chairs complement it beautifully.

Finding the right size table for your room is somewhat of an art.  The balance struck between the number of guests and the size of the room can be made.  A 42-48" dining table seats 4 easily.  (Shown right is the Collier Dining Table which is a 48" dining table and below is the Hudson Dining Table at 44"). A 54-60" dining table seats 6 easily (shown below is the Kimball Dining Table which is a 60" table with a 24" leaf).  A 72" dining table seats 8 comfortably.  (This size will be new at the upcoming market!) We entertain at Hickory Chair and one group from Georgia set a record of 11 sitting at one 60" round dining table!  A banquette was used on one 'side' while dining chairs and a hassock or two were pulled up for new friends to enjoy dinner and conversation.  The morale of the story is that sitting around a table is engaging to everyone!

Not sure of the style that is right for your room? We try to make it easy for you.  Most of our round dining table tops may be ordered with a wide variety of pedestal bases.  We have 16 round dining table tops and 18 pedestal bases that may be interchanged to create just the right combination for your room and style.  We have a tool on our website that will allow you to not only pick a top and base, but also will allow you to choose the finish(es) and hand striping so that you can visualize your creation!  Once ordered our talented artisans and craftsmen in Hickory, North Carolina will make and finish your custom table in just a couple weeks.  We take great pride in making furniture in America for your home.  Why wait when you could be entertaining in your home?

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.