High Point Market Highlights April 2014

After five straight days of hoofing it through market, I hopped a bus to Lexington, Kentucky with the High Point Garden Club and the Bienenstock Furniture Library. We visited beautiful historic houses not to mention Keeneland. More about that later... meanwhile let me send you a round-up on High Point highlights from the April 2014 market. Below we have the ever gracious and talented Mariette Himes Gomez of Hickory Chair showing her classic, clean and completely elegant line of furniture.  We just cannot help leading with one of our favorite furniture companies in the world!!

Mariette's luxurious Syrie Maugham sofa recalls the elegance of the '30's and 40's with a silk satin fabric articulating the luxurious glamor of the era.

You need to wear this on the sofa! 

Mariette's Porter Divan dons a creamy leather with impressive trapunto detailing on the back illustrating the virtuoso workmanship executed by the artisans of Hickory Chair.

Alexa Hampton uses her showroom as a design laboratory. Absolutely no designer at market shows such range in style, but the extra push creates great anticipation from High Point devotees. It trains our eye to visualize the elasticity of her line in a seemingly unlimited parade of genres.

We were all in awe of the fact that Alexa created all of the collages and paintings in her showrooms. This year her inspiration came from a book that she read as a young girl in her father's library: La Réussité de la Decoration Française, vols. I & II.  Channeling the unmistakeably chic Gallic aesthetic, these rooms speak of old world luxury layered and collected from past generations through the present.

Suzanne Kasler revived these fabulous DeGournay panels from years ago. Known for her serene and feminine spaces, Suzanne adds exquisite dressmaker tapes, nail heads creating rooms that are livable, finished and fresh.

French inspired twin beds kick into the millennium with a slightly elongated headboard. A bold Phillip Jeffries painted graphic wall covering, hung on a single surface, energizes the space without dominating the scene. Bright tribal patterns with a casual striped area rug balance elegance with a low-key interesting collected sophisticated vibe. Suzanne's interiors are like meeting a famous person and discovering that they are highly companionable!

We love Chelsea House as their line ticks all our requirements for our online store and residential clientele. Great Prices--check...Great Workmanship--check....Great style--check.....Multi-tasking transitional pieces--check. Lisa Kahn is the guiding light of design in this atelier and we hit it for several days at market. If you don't go, its like going to New York and eating fast food--you'd be missing the boat!

There's a small new crop of 19th century reproduction casino chairs popping up in various showrooms. C.R. Laine's version has the best leather, scale and price of the few I'm grooving on lately. I start to think that I am crazy, but Shay Geyer did Style Spot it, so another set of eyes share my quirks. May I add that it is wonderfully comfortable as a dining, desk or occasional chair.

All of design and media land came out for the Mary McDonald launch at Chaddock. It was fabulous, and I hadn't been in Chaddock since they showed their fare up on Hamilton. Things have changed... I can only identify Newell Turner of Hearst and Mary McDonald in this image, but it was slammed with "The Talent." We loved seeing our old friend Jay Reardon, previously of Hickory Chair and current chairman of the executive committee at Chaddock also sitting on their board. Margaret Russel and her stable of editors was there as well as the Traditional Home girls. 

I was excited to meet David Easton and view his collection. He's a charmer that one, but in my humble opinion his work is in The Great Tradition, confirmed by the fact that he knelt down and kissed my hand. I was blushing.....

More Later!! 

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Fashion and Decor Embrace The Divine Feminine!

After the cruelest winter to wit, we are all looking for a mood elevator to leap into Spring. Fashion and Decor decant from the same cultural elixirs. What we are seeing is the resurgence of color, florals, embroidery and I will add the "L" word--luxury.  In the interior design world floral chintzes are emerging with bold graphics and Indian paisleys. Rich hand embroidered silks are expanding their real estate section in the racks of the textile showrooms.

 Alexander McQueen at Saks on Worth Avenue

Sumptuous hand embroidered draperies from Designers Guild. Yes, I want to wear it!

  

 Hello Manolo Blahnik!

 Frida Giannini, as Gucci's  creative director (successor to Tom Ford) shifted the  emphasis from typography and initials to iconic patterns from their extensive library of pattern and design. While this new style got the thumbs down from the fashion critics, consumers snapped up these Gucci heritage inspired bags. 

Oscar de la Renta

Mariette Himes Gomez at Hickory Chair treated us to a pleasant return to the classic Lee Jofa Althea print, smartly mixing in a relaxed check with a humble mattress ticking, balancing a fresh traditional aesthetic. I hail from the days when we started a room with a floral chintz and the room came together exactly like this. I'm all in for the bit of sunlight to the look I love. 

Then, for October market, Alexa Hampton takes it to another level. 

Alexa stirs up a delicious cocktail of a room incorporating graphic plums, warm green velvets, John Robshaw and Muriel Brandolini Indian patterns with the Cowtan and Tout floral chintz as the fulcrum for the room scheme. 

Alexa Hampton gave us a finger wagging style lesson in her Hickory Chair space last October. It was a brilliant idea to work with a floral chintz to show young people, who might never have considered using this traditional stand-by. We are back to the future of florals in fashion and interior design. Bring on the Spring!! 

More Later!!

Liz

Visit our online store for 

more design ideas for your home!

336-705-1316

liz@dovecotedecor.com

Hickory Chair Illustrates Value Driven Management--and It Works!!

A. Hoke Ltd. of Charlotte kindly sponsored Dovecote Decor for Hickory Chair University. Forty designers congregated in Hickory, N.C. for 2 days of education demonstrating how our clients' furniture is assembled, finished and upholstered. Steered by president Jay Reardon, we were treated to much more than nuts and bolts. Christine and I were awed by the level of leadership, sense of community and the outright pride and happiness at all levels of this organization. We witnessed highly diverse individuals sharing a mission that is focused by a constantly fine tuned process.

Hickory Chair is like very few organizations I have ever experienced. At the 100th anniversary party I told Jay: "Hickory Chair is not an institution--it is a movement!" That is true for so many reasons. Trying to articulate this phenomena, I found two books on opposite sides of the spectrum which express this dichotomy as a universal best practices for teams that attract a community of raving fans: Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO's Quest for Meaning and Authenticity and Marketing Lessons of the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn from the Most Iconic Band in History.

The Cistercian Order is dedicated to Spiritual Growth through work, community and creating the highest quality products to support their monasteries and convents. The 48th chapter of the Rule of St. Benedict states "for then are they monks in truth, if they live by the work of their hands".  For example,   Trappist Westvleteran 12 is considered to be the best beer in the world. 

Bear with me, but what do the Trappist Monks, the Grateful Dead and Hickory Chair have in common? Quite a bit actually! All three work with complete reverence to produce the highest quality product while creating a work environment that nurtures their communities. Counter intuitively, Hickory Chair has survived and created a broad designer driven line that can be completely customized while building 90% of their product in the U.S.A! They have accomplished this with only three price increases in the last decade. Hickory Chair management sees themselves as facilitators and communicators at every level of the organization, from the artisans who build the product to the designers who conceive the product. Everyone is encouraged to share improvements and ideas in a constant dynamic process with concrete systems in place to execute these changes.

Dedicated to the premise that this company will be different tomorrow than it is today and creating a process called EDGE (Employees Dedicated to Growth and Excellence),  Hickory Chair thrives in a notoriously difficult industry. Constantly seeking errors and communicating concrete solutions forms an enabled  and accountable team that works together smartly as a unit.  August Turak shared in his book this interesting point: "Louis Mobely of the famed IBM Executive School discovered what great executives share are not skills or knowledge, but values and attitudes. Great leaders thrive on ambiguity." Respect, empowerment and trust at all levels cultivate a work place where the human spirit thrives. Jay was not going to be the guy that padlocked the factory doors and fired his workers. He did not know the answers to his dilemna so he assembled his artisans to devise solutions.

When a competitor exactly replicated (knocked off) one of their products, Hickory Chair investigated and made a side by side comparison. The  competitor's chair (on the left) was made more cheaply with a higher retail price. Consumers get respect too!. When market opens in  High Point, Hickory Chair's showrooms are universally lauded as the most exciting experience at market. Like the Grateful Dead and the Trappist Monks, Hickory Chair creates an experience that translates into  community and culture. The scene is shored up with complete authenticity.

We all love bantering with Alexa Hampton, Thomas O'Brien, Suzanne Kasler and Mariette Himes Gomez--all Architectural Digest top 100 designers. There's no micromanaging their showrooms--the designers "do their thing." Like a Grateful Dead show, they never play the same song the same way.
Because the furniture is bespoke, followers and designers love to see the infinite possibilities at each market. Here are some spectacular room arrangements of Alexa's line over the years.

We love to see the mood boards throughout the showrooms.  It is fascinating watch the disparate visual cues that inspire the designers from conception to final product.

Hable Construction illustrates their textile design process at the Hickory Chair showroom. 

Artisan Boards in the Factory

The print is hard to read, but essentially the notes explain why even small steps in the process are of paramount importance, graphically demonstrating the difference when something goes right or wrong. Over 1,100 hand-worker ideas are implemented each year at Hickory Chair! The details are evidenced by the immaculate floors that are constantly swept, the sawdust that is vacuumed into the electrical system to generate power and save electricity. So what do Hickory Chair, the Trappist monks and the Grateful Dead have in common?

 *Quality Products--Trappist Beers are the only beers that improve with age.

*Commitment to a constantly evolving process--short cuts are in efficiency--quality is never compromised

*Dedication to keeping humanity in the equation while creating a more beautiful world includes quality of life at every level

And...There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert!!
*All disperate products united by the will to create an innovative culture and community of raving fans!!
See Jay Reardon on the Daily Show

Click Here
For an in-depth discussion of the unique approach of Hickory Chair's management and production innovations:
Click Here 

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Hickory Chair Products! 

We can work with you to create furniture made in America to last--reflecting your unique style.

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Hickory Chair Wows High Point Again! April 2011

High Point is in full swing. Traffic has increased, and buyers are replenishing inventory. I was on day 4 of shopping when I started this post,  a tired girl reporting to you at the end of the day.  Let's just cut to the chase and go to Hickory Chair--the rare destination where we can tick off extinct traditions, thriving in its own unique American archipelago.  This surviving niche product line is made in America (Hickory N.C.), by American craftsman, one unique and custom piece at a time. The driving force of their success, in my opinion, is that their line is driven by the top designers of our era, versus the finger to the wind interpretation of what consumers want.  Suzanne Kasler styles the ultimate girl cave for us.

I could take over the world empowered by these "tools of the trade." The perfect work table is combined with muscular industrial shelving and lighting, and infused with energy. My synapses are positively crackling here. Suzanne is a sparkling raconteur, communicating her aesthetic of creating a neutral space with color accents. This light hearted Suzani fabric is exclusive to Hickory chair.

Below, study the left side horizon to the perfect office in chic, chick aesthetic. First we do the work, then we close the deal. I am now seeing myself on the cover of Forbes. Hickory Chair understands imagination, vision and talent. 

After you have made the deal of the Century, you might retire with close family and friends (with a celebratory glass of Champagne) to your quiet and elegant living room.

Panning to the right.....

I know that I am thin and wearing Armani!  My imagination is  running amok, and the generous Suzanne, communicating her aesthetic, carries none of the drama flashing through my brain. Suzanne explains how her super clean aesthetic succeeds through the use of mixed metaphor and oxymoron. Mid-century merges with a comfortable clubby upholstery, combined with a feminine arrangement of ceramics. It is a Yin/Yang assemblage balancing structure with dark finishes, light fabrics and dimensional wall treatment. Mentally, we need to balance, and so, the external reflects the internal. I don't like to hear the nonsensical comment: "It's just a house." Pirouetting, vibrant wall art pops, warming up the space. My imaginary friends are very happy. Should I tell them you can have this room within two or three weeks? Call me if you want it. 

Moving on to the fun and gregarious Alexa Hampton,  president of her father's Mark Hampton atelier, tells a different story. Alexa is all legacy, with a twist and fresh take on both traditional and mid-century. Her look makes me feel like I am an only child, inheriting layered years of households. Forgive the photograph. Alexa has the best dining table ever, ever, ever. I have been shopping for 30 years. It is The Bomb. 

Inspired by Alexa's own antique Irish Regency drop leaf table, the Christiansen can be ordered to seat as many as 20 people, at nearly 216" in length. This table has 5 leaves so it has "features and options." You can order special cloth bags for storage, which I recommend.  My Uncle inherited my grandparents' 

"State dinner table," which is what I called it. I have the happiest memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas family dinners, with most of us at the big table. My Aunt would bring out the leaves and move it to the long Lanai. She set it so beautifully it took my breath away. We would eat and talk for hours. It is not just a house, it is your home--the staging for your life and memories. The dinner table is the family center, and this is the best. The price is entirely reasonable for the quality and options. I am using it with these Mariette Himes Gomez  Hickory Chairs, with a custom paint finish. 

I became a little tongue tied with Thomas O'Brien , it is all me. I asked him really stupid questions, and he doesn't suffer fools like me. Anyway, silly me aside, Thomas has the best book shelves on the planet. 

Give me a Stendal break, these studly bookcases are shown in a luminous velvet, and can be done in linen, wood, paint and so on and so on. I would think they will be part of the line for eternity, but you never know. They are entirely collectible.  Thomas O'Brien does ground breaking work. If you want to collect modern American furniture, this line is for you. 

Are you seeing the distorted Georgian chair, in front of the knock out saddle leather bed? This chair is a completely original and defining concept. Collectors succeed wildly, when they purchase the first wave of an aesthetic. I would say, this chair is most collectible piece I've ever seen at market. I have had the experience of a website making the furniture look better than it really is. Hickory Chair is the opposite. 

I'm not losing my mind over this image on the website. I've seen enough "High Virginia" style to last me a lifetime. I snapped this picture in the showroom this week. 

How much prettier is this James River Breakfront done in a gray/white paint finish? It is really fun to play with the online design studio. We have all been talking about creating versatile dining areas. Especially in apartments where space is tight. The showroom has some stylish examples of library or living room dining solutions. 

Raising this sectional to dining height creates a much tighter space that multitasks as dining, workspace, reading or just relaxing. 

Love the classic Georgian table with the very cool zeb sofa and sleek leather printed modern chairs. Its all in the mix. I have gone on and on, but Hickory Chair is without a doubt the gold standard of furniture manufacturers in America. The showroom illustrates the best design in the country. On a corporate level, it is a very open and friendly place. The president, Jay Reardon even sat down and ate lunch with little me!!