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! 

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Hearst Design Group Inside Design Event At ADAC

The Inside Design Event at ADAC was a compelling case for Dovecote Decor to embark upon a spring road-trip. With two days of design luminaries and publishing pundits discussing our favorite topics, we headed down to Atlanta anticipating the prospect of hearing and meeting Hearst Design Group's editorial director Newell Turner, among others. In addition, daughter number 3 was down in Atlanta assisting House Beautiful's food editor, Alex Hitz, test recipes for his second cook book. We could not resist the prospect of poking our heads into his kitchen, to watch a culinary maestro  direct his gastronomic alchemy and hopefully sample some of the results.

 Alex Hitz, author of the best selling cookbook, My Beverly Hills Kitchen: Classic Southern Cooking with a French Twist, with his new assistant. 

Believe me when I say that sampling his recipes from the day before prompted an instantaneous proposal of marriage, and yes it was a humble potato salad that sent me over the edge. A man fluent in mirepoix short circuits my synapses. His curried chicken salad and cold asparagus soup leave me wondering where these recipes have been all my life. We were in the illustrious Soiree Catering space owned by the legendary chef, restaurateur and caterer, Mary Boyle Hataway. Mary mentored Alex as a lad--starting him as a dishwasher during his school holidays. Decades later, they collaborate with the same cooking brain in two separate bodies. D3 (daughter #3) says they are seamless. 

I haven't mentioned Mary Boyle Hataway was a Vogue model in the 1960's, a business woman and is a very kind, soft spoken person, who so dazzles me I lose myself in the moment--without being in a tortuous yoga pose. Right, and it is only 10:00 a.m..... Christine, my wing-woman, and I motor off to ADAC high on life. 

This is the first time Hearst Magazine's trifecta shelter trio: Elle Decor, House Beautiful and Veranda have hosted an Inside Design series. To say the least, there was nothing half hearted or scattered in this inaugural design fest. The first keynote presentation was Amy Preiser, digital web editor for Elle Decor hosting Susan Ferrier and Capella Kincheloe to discuss how the web has been a game changer for the interior design industry.

Our take away from this discussion was to become familiar with the wide array of social media options, then to pick a few that you are comfortable with and use them. Susan and Capella use pinterest in very different ways to connect with clients successfully illustrating the fluidity of applications. There is no right way but the path that works for you. Social media is a tool, but we are not its tool if you get my drift.  Amy is a person who is comfortable in her own skin and clearly loves her work. Four days before her wedding she was an animated and funny moderator who is fast on her feet, go figure. Most women in this position are dotting calamine lotion on their hives. Happy wedding day!!

Newell Turner gave a stunning presentation exploring the visual ways we make sense of our lives. Drilling down to the impulse to both build and chronicle we were treated to a compendium from stylish birds nests to the unbelievable actual cocoons by Hubert Duprat.  Humans are not the only species with a predilection for  decoration. Duprat noticed the cocoons for the larvae of the caddisfly were eclectically chosen from their environment. His question was: "What if we change that environment?"

Placing the flies in an aquarium at the delicate moment, filling it with gold flakes, turquoise, small pearls and opals, those little pests went to work like any self respecting prospective parent preparing a nursery.    Duprat is Kafkaesque--absolutely, combining the surreal with the ethereal. 

The male Bower bird builds a nest and decorates it with colorful objects to attract a mate--yup. This bachelor pad is guaranteed to attract the Kate Middleton of Bower babes. Kidding aside, actual humans have a powerful desire to create an environment around ourselves that expresses our sense of beauty and reflects our lives in the thousands of ways we've found to forge that idiom. As technology evolves, we create endless vehicles to chronicle that journey. Newell Turner built on this theme with an informative history of the scrapbook, diarists and journals culminating in the work of Peter Beard.

I am also fond of the Baron de Cabrol illustrated diaries, that I found in Thierry Coudert's Cafe Society:  Socialites, Patrons, and Artists 1920 to 1960. The real fun is in the creation of the ever evolving stage for the times of our lives. We have magazines, bloggers, instagram, pinterest, tumblir to show us every creation from the coolest dorm room to the ultimate burger (Alex?)

We have a tsunami of information overwhelming us. We can drop in and filter that avalanche through the shelter magazines. They are the front line of taste. Even if you detest a house or garden, there is a reason to see it. The magazines are scrapbooks of people's homes, dogs, and dinner parties inspiring us to create glorious memories for family and friends. It was great to meet all the wonderful editors and publishers from the Hearst shelter team.

Thank You Hearst for Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Veranda and all the work that went into the new Inside Design Series! 

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Highlighting Madcap Cottage from the Junior League of Greensboro Showhouse and also one of Luther Lashmit's Winston-Salem Homes

John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon of Madcap Cottage did one of the most delightful rooms at Adamsleigh, the Traditional Home / Junior League of Greensboro Showhouse by architect Luther Lashmit. 

via Madcap Cottage's blog: Demystifying Design

John explained how they used the original turquoise color of the breakfast room and paired it with this bold Thibaut wall paper which creates a cottagey comfort vibe that threads throughout their design portfolio. While it seems counter-intuitive to use a large scale paper in a small room. It actually makes the room feel bigger. 

 

via Traditional Home

I am counting at least 6 different patterns in this room alone creating the harmonious collected layered effect of a room that has grown generationally. 

The designers encourage clients to use their homes as a form of self expression. A home with no personality in evidence is telling in itself and who wants to telegraph the message: "boring!" John and Jason encourage their clients to push the envelope and be willing to have fun with their environment. They are inspired by the work of Dorothy Draper, Nancy Lancaster, and Rose Cummings to name a few. 

This curio piece on the left is a natural selection for them as it is from the iconic Kindel Furniture Dorothy Draper collection. Again, this aesthetic has a distinct chinoiserie melody that we are seeing so much of this market. This pair of Currey and Company Chinese ginger jar style lamps continues this brush stroke throughout the canvas of the room.

You can find them HERE in our online store or we can give you other suggestions and resources 

for creating fun, eclectic rooms with sizzle, personality and comfort.  Since architect Luther Lashmit was a local architect for us in Winston Salem, we thought you might enjoy a glimpse of a more approachable Lashmit creation, for sale right here in Winston-Salem. 

 Luther Lashmit built several model homes at the inception of the Buena Vista subdivision in 1926. Deceptive in size from curb side, this house has been tastefully expanded over the years to accommodate modern sensibilities such as family kitchen spaces, luxurious master bedrooms, baths and dressing areas. You've got the best of both worlds, with generous moldings, arched door ways and architectural flourishes that add character and integrity to the home.

Architectural ovolo molding throughout the house combined with Lashmit's signature octagonal windows and unique hardware lend a dignified character to the non-palatial projects he completed throughout his career.

More Later!! 

Stand-by on instagram as we travel 

to beautiful Lexington Virginia 

Junior League of Greensboro Show House 2013 Sponsored by Traditional Home Magazine: Miles Redd's Grand Reception Room.

We arrived for the press breakfast at Adamsleigh, the unbelievable remnant of the American Country House Movement, to view the resurrection of a home that had been virtually untouched since 1930. To read our last post on the architect, Luther Lashmit and other artisans on the property click HERE.

I showed the main reception room in the previous post, but wanted to juxtapose the dramatic Miles Redd, Oscar de  la Renta Century Furniture transformation. 

While we can see that Arthur Cassel Griffin, the original designer was adhering to the antiquarian precedents of an ancient structure, Miles Redd relevantly applies a graceful Chinoiserie style throughout the room. Open fretwork Oscar de la Renta chairs are ingeniously placed in the central area of the room allowing a clean, homogenous visual sweep of the room. 

Parsing the large space with a central table and chairs creates a functional gathering area maintaining the characteristic airy Chinoiserie effect without sacrificing the density of seating required for large receptions. Flow throughout is achieved by the repetition of the branching patterns on the rug, fabrics, wall panels, that the fretwork chairs echo. This room becomes engaging and complex by Redd's masterful mix of blues, complementery orange, bold large scale ceramic pieces and architectural pediments. The original architect, Luther Lashmit, had a predilection for octagonal windows, so Miles Redd nailed the vernacular in his mirror selection above.  

This is a characteristic octagonal window in a friend's Lashmit home in Winston-Salem. Many of the surviving homes feature this signature flourish. 

Early mid-century lighting combined with a modern abstract painting convey a light-handed sense of continuity and the evolution of decor over generations. This market more than any other market in years, reiterates a luxurious aesthetic through rich tactile fabrics, carpeting and precious veneers. Chinoiserie, popular since the 17th century French infatuation, has never gone out, but is more visible in the showrooms and has been reinterpreted by many designers. Where did we find the look around market? Let's start with Mary McDonald's beautiful linen chinoiserie wall panels. 

Chelsea House had a wide array of Chinoiserie on hand for buyers, as has been their tradition for decades. 

The prices are unbelievable!! 

Christine and I are never tired of Alexa Hampton's Susanna Table. Hickory Chair is a custom manufacturer, so we love seeing what Alexa does with this piece every market. Don't you love how you can add notes to your images in Google+?

Bungalow 5 speaks fluid Mandarin and Cantonese in their well curated line and demonstrated how to use it with neutrals several markets ago. Here is what they've got going on this market!

Bungalow 5 High Point April 2013

Worlds Away

Liz Gray of HGTV's Design Happens blog and I chatted about our collaboration on a Worlds-Away giveaway for the Feebie Friday post. Worlds-Away does a fantastic job with modern interpretations of Chinoiserie fret work, lacquer and pagoda designs. Finally, I have to say Mirror Image Home has a premium line of Mirrors with design legends Bunny Williams and Barclay Butera. We were delighted to find them in Market Square Suites and look forward to adding these items to our online store. 

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