International Wood International Wood 2008 | Page 55

“Personalization is an important attribute
Combining species and finishes plays a
that we bring to the marketplace,” says
large role in Hickory Chair’s designs.
Reardon. “It’s exciting for us that someone
“You’re getting the tonality that makes the
in the same neighborhood could buy the
piece much more interesting,” says Reardon.
same chest, change the hardware, change “It replicates what a craftsman did in the 17th
the finish, use it in a different application, or 18th century by hand selecting and com-
and you wouldn’t recognize it as the same
bining colors of wood to create a distinctive
piece. This has been dramatically beneficial
look for that customer.
to our business.”
“This allows our designers to combine
veneers
and finishes to provide customers
CELEBR ATING WOOD’S NATUR AL
with truly personalized pieces that make a
ARCHITECTURE
“We don’t have one standard wood or veneer,” statement in their home. This past year, we
says Reardon. “We look at each piece and ask, began allowing customers to select their own
‘What would dress that piece with the most hardware. In this way, an antique piece could
receive antique brass hardware, or a piece
effect?’ Instead of putting a muddy brown
finish on everything to make it all look alike, with our more modern sable finish could
substitute silver-finished hardware. The same
we celebrate the distinctive characteristics of
silhouette then takes on a completely distinct
the wood with clear finishes. If you love the
grain of mahogany, oak or yew wood, we em- personality.
“We work with our suppliers on how we
phasize their character by using a light finish
can do last-stage customization. Combining
on one, or medium on another.”
a veneer field of one kind with a couple of
different borders, or inlays of exotic veneer,
creates a distinctive layout. With dining room
tabletops, we’ve experimented with different
fancy-face veneer configurations to allow a
really distinctive end product.”
Some examples Reardon cites are ma-
hogany (Swietenia macrophylla) combined
with quartered mahogany, or kingwood
(Dalbergia cearensis) with a mahogany border.
“You can take a picture of the same
dining room tabletop with different veneer,
and you wouldn’t recognize it as the same
piece of furniture. We don’t do this for the
novelty. It is so the consumer can feel that
they’ve purchased something that is their
own personal statement of taste, something
that’s truly hand crafted.”
FAMOUS -NAME DESIGNS
Hickory Chair’s director of merchandising,
Cathy Mitchell, has a lot to say about the
palette of veneers the company chooses. She
works directly with veneer suppliers as well as
with the famous-name designers whose col-
lections the company offers.
“Our accent items take advantage of the
most exciting woods. On the larger scale items
such as dining tables and armoires, we don’t
see a big demand for wood that is too bold or
too busy. If they want more flash, they’ll do
it with the finish, or opt for some of the hand
decorating techniques we use, such as painting
a base or staining the top.
“We look at each piece and ask,
‘What would dress that piece
with the most effect?’ Instead of
putting a muddy brown finish
on everything to make it all look
alike, we celebrate the distinctive
characteristics of the wood with
clear finishes. If you love the grain
of mahogany, oak or yew wood,
we emphasize their character by
using a light finish on one, or
medium on another.”
JAY REARDON, President of Hickory Chair
i m p o r t e d w o o d
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