Made By Hickory Chair

Luxurious Bedroom Retreats

Laura Holland — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:55:57 -0500

A really comfortable bed in a beautifully styled room is one of the most loved parts of a home. It is our retreat at the end of a long day. It is the place where we linger on cool mornings. It is a place where we tend to indulge ourselves with luxury. In reviewing some photographs recently shared with us at Hickory Chair we found some really amazing bedroom get-a-ways that inspired us to share them with you!

Maybe it is a luxurious suite at the famous Cincinnatian Inn with the Candler Bed by Suzanne Kasler.

Or this luxurious bedroom at the Moraya Bay Club with a pair of Montauk Beds by Mariette Himes Gomez...

Maybe you would prefer this bedroom shared with us by David Fuller of Alyson Jon Interiors (photo courtesy of Merrick Ales Photography) featuring the Candler Bed by Suzanne Kasler.

Perhaps you would have to smile with a Simone Bed by Suzanne Kasler in an amazing room created by Tobi Fairley!

Our own Ron Fiore's master bedroom seen in the October 2011 issue of Traditional Home featuring the 1911 Collection Artisan Bed.

A night at Blackberry Farms in Cleveland, Tennessee might make you never want to return to your own bedroom without a Hickory Chair bed! Shown is the Calla Bed by Mariette Himes Gomez in this inviting room.

The Lakehouse Bed by Thomas O'Brien is inviting in this cottage at Blackberry Farm.

This luxurious bedroom in a Blackberry Farm cottage features the Chelsea Bed by Thomas O'Brien.

Whether your style is romantic, masculine, formal, casual, traditional, modern, country or coastal, with fabric, leather and finish options why settle for just a bed when you can have it made just for you at our workroom in Hickory, North Carolina!

Paula Grace Halewski - Ashburn, VA - Part 2

Laura Holland — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:22:38 -0500

In November we shared with you a beautiful home that Paula Grace had completed for her client. She owns Paula Grace Designs in Ashburn, Virginia. She also shared with us a home for different client. This client has a home with very high ceilings, hardwood floors and has a love for contemporary art. They chose dark finishes and rich, bold color.

The living room is a great example of this aesthetic. Paula Grace selected a Camden Sofa for her client. A warm neutral fabric was selected for the sofa and is dressed with damask and silk throw pillows in reds, greens and golds to pull out the dynamic colors in the painting that hangs above it. A pair of Alec Benches from the Thomas O'Brien Collection sit in the foreground of the picture. Their beautiful walnut butt burl veneers and transitional form add interest along with additional seating.

In the kitchen is a tall island with a display cabinet on the end and on the side the Amsterdam Bar Stools have been selected from the Suzanne Kasler Collection. They have been finished in a dark stain to blend with the rich tone of the custom cabinetry. A contrasting fabric has been used on the outback of the chairs to add visual interest.

In the formal dining room Paula Grace chose the Duchamp Sideboard. This european style sideboard is part of the glamour she has created for her client.

We thought you might enjoy seeing some additional photographs of this beautiful home by the talented Paula Grace Halewski!

2012 The Beginning of Our Next Hundred Years

Laura Holland — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:23:55 -0500

Beginning our second hundred years is a great honor for all of us at Hickory Chair. We are proud of our Hickory, North Carolina workroom where almost 90% of our products are made. It is not the workroom that makes Hickory Chair products special. It is the nearly 500 artisans and craftsmen that choose to collaborate to make one of a kind pieces to order.

Today a couple of us were admiring a panoramic photograph taken in 1933 of the Machining Department. We discussed how much had changed since the photograph was taken in our world and remarked how much had stayed the same... We still make heirloom quality furniture domestically. We are proud to be an American manufacturer.

Our craftsmen created these pieces in the room scenes below for the October 2011 Market. These pieces are posted to our website www.hickorychair.com and are in stores... And are ready to be made in your choice of finish, fabric, leather, hardware. Many of them are also available in the size that is right for your room. We hope that we can make a special piece for your home. Thank you in advance for helping this American company stay American.

1911 to 2011 - Our 100th Year

Laura Holland — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:34:15 -0500

As we all celebrate the New Year, we at Hickory Chair are thankful for everyone who helped us celebrate our 100th anniversary. Looking forward into our next 100 years is now our focus.

We begin this new year ready to take your wishes for special pieces for your home and make them a reality. We are ready to make custom adaptations to our extensive product assortment. Would it be perfect for your room if the sofa was longer, shorter, less deep, taller, tufted, etc? Need a modification of a dining table to have a different base, more narrow top, made counter height, etc? Our talented artisans are ready to accept your challenge as we return to work after our annual holiday vacation.

These photographs feature our new introductions from the fall market. Why settle when you can have it made?

Happy Holidays!

Laura Holland — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:15:43 -0500

As 2011 comes to an end all of us at Hickory Chair are filled with memories of our special centennial year. We have enjoyed learning about our 100 year journey. We are thankful for our nearly 500 talented craftsmen, our suppliers, our network of dealers and to all of you who have chosen our hand made creations for your home.

Hickory Chair is closed for the holidays and will reopen on Tuesday, January 3, 2012. We look forward to making special for you in the New Year!

Albert Sack, an American Visionary

Laura Holland — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:46:13 -0500

This fall as we prepared for our Centennial celebration at Hickory Chair we caught up with Deborah Friedman, daughter of the late Albert Sack. We were reflecting on the great talent and visionary that was Albert Sack and how we wished that he had lived to see his latest collaboration with Hickory Chair be introduced at the October 2011 Market. It was not to be as he departed this life on May 29, 2011. Fortunately, we had the honor of selecting a very special American Federal period sofa with him from his archives to introduce as a part of this special celebration. As shown below our modern day interpretation of the original antique shares the crisp lines of the Federal Period. The Albert Sofa and Chair are both clean lined, comfortable and have a timeless quality about their style. Like the original antique, classic furniture with heirloom quality is our goal for all we create in our Hickory, North Carolina workroom.

As we continued to speak with Deborah about her Father and this most special way to honor his memory she shared with us this following letter. We felt you might appreciate the love and respect between this father and daughter. "On a balmy day in May 2010, I videotaped my father, Albert Sack on my back porch. He said, "You gotta have a dream. My father's [Israel Sack] dream was the glory of Americana at its best." "You caught that dream?, I asked. My father replied, "I caught that dream".

With little interest and virtually no knowledge of American antiques, my father left college in the midst of the depression to help his father's ailing business. His father, Israel was already considered a maverick for championing Americana at a time when European furniture was the favored trend. And faced with the daunting responsibility of becoming Israel Sack's principal buyer at a time when people were standing in bread lines, he began to identify with and appreciate the early settlers who returned from battles to lovingly create American masterpieces. As John Hays of Christie's said in The Magazine Antiques, "For Albert, American furniture was more than great art. The virtues of each piece for him were a foil for America: the success of a piece depended on the strength and vigor of its design...and always the singular pride of its being American."

For Albert Sack to succeed as a buyer, he would face obstacles too, but he was certain he had to buy only the most extraordinary objects for Israel Sack even in the worst of times. Shortly after my father joined the firm, Israel Sack showed DuPont a newly acquired masterpiece. DuPont remarked about its high price tag during the Depression. To which Israel countered, "There's always room for special friends". A passion was ignited in my father and he began to see Israel's vision. In 2004, I began a conversation with Jay Reardon, President of Hickory Chair about a collection bearing my father's name. I viewed a potential line as relevant, a solution for families who inherited treasured antiques, but needed exceptional American pieces with character and personality (much like my father's) that could blend seamlessly into modern interiors.

Outwardly we appeared like an unlikely, unconventional couple. I hadn't worked at Israel Sack so my background was in retail and manufacturing. What people didn't know was my entire life was spent looking at products and fashion and finding ways to refine them, to make them more beautiful.

My father and I applied the same shared analytical approach to selecting, and translating design elements to recreate masterpieces for a 21st century customer. What I didn't expect was to fall in love along the way with cabinetmakers, John and Thomas Seymour or to wax poetic about a hand painted table like my father did. Apparently, I had caught the dream, too. Unexpectedly my own path's purpose converged with his and redefined my aesthetic point of view.

As Hickory Chair introduces the "Albert sofa and chair", I am reminded of the many conversations my father and I shared traveling to Hickory and High Point. He viewed his partnership with Hickory Chair as an opportunity to show a new generation the way he looked at furniture. He marveled at the way Hickory Chair met his standards for excellence by refining the tiniest detail to exquisite execution. He knew the multi-generational artisans at Hickory Chair would create "gems" for a generation that would value beauty as he had in his lifetime. Hickory Chair honors Albert Sack's legacy by sharing his vision of the bold, American spirit. Thank you for catching the dream." - Deborah Friedman

Shown below is the Albert Sofa as a silhouette and as a room scene from the Albert Sack Collection from Hickory Chair. Modern and Traditional...Timeless just like Albert Sack. For more about Albert Sack's life achievements click on the following posts:

NY Times, Antiques & The Arts 1, A Lucky Daughter, Antiques & The Arts 2, Design Source, AFA News, Prices 4 Antiques,

Hable Construction for Hickory Chair

Laura Holland — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:40:13 -0500

Perhaps you remember the Elle Decor feature on Susan and Kate Hable designing an exclusive fabric collection for Hickory Chair. The Hable Construction collection launched in October 2010 to great success! These fabrics begin with original paintings by Susan Hable and then are used to create fabrics that are woven in North Carolina exclusively for Hickory Chair. Susan and Kate thoughtfully researched Hickory Chair's existing fabric offerings studying the colors and textures that were most successful. Using this insight, patterns and very importantly colors were developed that would work back to our fabric rack. They wanted their fabrics to be an extension of what we are known for. As you can see below in this Elle Decor feature from earlier this year, the original launch featured silvery grays, browns, greens and other colors of nature. The patterns are named Lollipop, Stripes, Pom Pom, Geranium, Facets, Endpapers and Mustaches. Susan and Kate were eager to bring their modern fabrics to Hickory Chair as we share a passion for making things in America. Our fabrics are woven in North Carolina and almost 90% of our furniture is hand made in North Carolina as well. We knew this collaboration could be something special!

At the Spring 2011 Market, additional neutral colorways were added to some of the original patterns and two new patterns were introduced named Ponti and Library. At the Spring 2011 Market, Hickory Chair launched its 100th anniversary with the 1911 Collection. Shown in the foreground below is a new color of Pom Pom from the April 2011 Market which is a very soft green. Shown above is Pom Pom in a dark blue-brown colorway from the original October 2010 launch.

This brings us to the Fall 2011 Market where we celebrated our centennial! Our showroom was alive with vibrant color thanks to Hable Construction and our Creative Director/VP Ron Fiore! You have to be happy with 100 years of successfully making fine custom furniture in America! So, this season we added vibrant shades of fushia, tomato, terra cotta, sapphire, lapis and other amazing shades of blue, pink and oranges in addition to snow and black. One new pattern was added named Snakes is available in a neutral Wheat color and darker brown-black color named Bark. Shown below is a Silhouettes custom made sofa shown in Library in the new Fushia colorway. Susan was invited to create a display of our furniture with her fabrics that illustrates her unafraid design aesthetic. A special Susan Hable touch is the cream paper wrapped books that she hand painted to add a fresh, decorative look to the room. So Susan!

Library pattern in fushia is complemented by the new fushia tweed pattern, the luxurious velvet and leather. The rug was custom made for Susan and was inspired by the Ponti fabric pattern.

Susan's hand painting brought these book spines to life!

Are you a lover of vibrant colors?

Or do you love neutrals?

Either way Hickory Chair and Hable Construction have you 'covered'!

Paula Grace Designs - Ashburn, VA

Laura Holland — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:11:23 -0500

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

Laura Holland — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:15:14 -0500

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?

Bruce Kading Interiors - Minneapolis, MN

Laura Holland — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:24:24 -0400

Finding inspirational rooms furnished with hand made pieces from the craftsman of the 100 year old Hickory Chair company seems to be getting simpler every day! Our friends at Bruce Kading Interior Design shared with us these beautiful rooms.

Bruce Kading Interior Design is a full service studio specializing in high-end residential and executive office interior design. From a brown stone in Philadelphia to a camp in Montana to upscale beach front property in Florida we pride ourselves in the diversity of our style that allows us to design personalized environments in every region of the country.

Their expertise includes custom interior architectural design and space planning, lighting, cabinetry, furniture and detailing to create the perfect turnkey environment. Coupled with an infinite number of resources, the cornerstone of our business is fine quality design, dialoging with the home owner, architect and builder to create a cohesive, creative design team with impeccable details.

Recently Bruce and several of his design associates, Laura Hartman, Eric Kaufmann and Rob Edman (all shown right with Susan Thayer their Hickory Chair sales representative) participated in our HCC University program where they met our hundreds of artisans and craftsmen. Rob Edman has opened his own studio, Edmanhill Interior Design. For 8 years Rob worked with Bruce Kading and was involved in each of the projects displayed below. With their new found inspiration of the one of a kind pieces that are made in America in our Hickory, North Carolina workroom, they can design for your home that our craftsmen can make we are sure they can create a very special home or office for you.

A Silhouettes leather sectional by Hickory Chair.

Thomas O'Brien King Size Lakehouse Bed by Hickory Chair.

From the James River Collection a 2121-30 Sideboard, 1801-21 Host Chairs and a Baltimore Dining Table Top and Base.

A 1271-55 Townsend Wing Chair from the James River Collection in leather.

A set of 9026-11 Louis XVI Arm Chairs add beauty and comfort to this dining room.

Do you have a special story to share? Contact us at press@hickorychair.com!