Alexa Hampton New Collection Launched!

Today is the unofficial opening day of the International Home Furnishings Market held in High Point, North Carolina. We have enjoyed a great day of buyers, designers, press and film crews visiting Hickory Chair. We are thankful that so many individuals have chosen to begin their market experience at Hickory Chair!

Alexa Hampton has a new collection this season! Celebrating her 3rd collection for Hickory Chair, she brought to us forms that have very different originis - Scandanavian, English Regency and American Modern. They work beautifully together because of their timeless proportion, scale and style. She worked alongside the craftsmen in Hickory, North Carolina to select the wood species, hardware and hone the fine details of each piece to create new pieces that blend beautifully with the existing pieces not only in her collection but in the diverse offering from Hickory Chair.

The Kingsley Bed is one of the new pieces for the collection. Adapted from an Anglo-Indian Settee, Alexa felt the form lent itself to become a bed relevant for today's homes. Alexa felt that a cane headboard and footboard was needed in the marketplace because they are really hard to find for clients.

Together we brainstormed why not also make it available with upholstered and also with wood options. Available in a twin, queen, king and california king size and in any of Hickory Chair's extensive palette of over 60 finishes. Not stopping there, the bed is available as a twin size daybed. Lastly, it is available with a low profile footrail instead of the taller foot rail. Truly, it is a hand made piece just for you.

The upholstered version shown left is upholstered in a printed linen fabric designed by Alexa Hampton for Kravet fabrics for a launch in the fall of 2010. A series of these fresh linen prints are available exclusively through Hickory Chair!

These exciting new introductions by Alexa Hampton and Hickory Chair will be in stores beginning in late November!

Silhouettes Chair Safari

Every day is an adventure at Hickory Chair! Walking through our facility is like a safari going out into the wild to see amazing animals in person. It is our workroom and seeing all of the amazing one of a kind Silhouettes creations being made by hand. You never know what you will see day to day. What did we capture before it was carefully packed?


First is a 4300-24 Silhouettes Skirted Chair featuring fabric 2953-93 with contrasting welt and skirt border in 2399-14 with a boxed edge back cushion, t-cushion seat, Lawson arm and soft shirred skirt. This chair was made at standard height and depth.










The second discovery was a 4100-24 Silhouettes Exposed Leg Chair featuring fabric 2702-16 and finish Dark Walnut on the legs. The 511 carved leg was selected for the front leg and when this leg is specified we make a shaped side rail and use a small foot in the back. Lawson arms with a T-cushion seat with Knife Edge back were also selected. Lastly, extended height and depth were requested to make this a more generously scaled chair for the client!






Seeing these two pieces challenged us to continue our search for more amazing one of a kind upholstered chairs. The third chair turned out to be a 4100-33 Silhouettes Exposed Leg Chair in fabric 2540-72 with Narrow Square Arms, Box Edge Back, T-Cushion Seat and 201 legs in Dark Walnut finish. This chair was made standard height and depth and has a thoroughly modern feel.




The last chair found today in our expedition is a 4100-21 Silhouettes Exposed Wood Chair featuring fabric 3118-18, NS-08 nail head trim, English Arms with T-cushion, Knife Edge Back, 530 front legs with serpentine side rail and small legs all finished in Dark Walnut finish. The chair was made standard height with extended depth.

Do you want a distinctive one of a kind chair made for you? We can make these pieces in just 14-21 days from order. Why settle for standard when you can have custom!

A New Look for HCC University Alumni News

For some time we have heard from our HCC University participants in the "impressed by sessions" that they were expecting a factory with production lines. They did not expect Hickory Chair's 600,000 square foot factory to have the feel of being a custom workroom! Our employees showed their passion and craftsmanship. They were happy and shared their enthusiasm for our culture of continuous improvement named EDGE Employees Dedicated to Growth and Excellence. They were eager to share their stories of the ideas they had to make their work not so hard, to make the product better quality, to reduce the waste in the process and to make one of a kind pieces to order. They were amazed to see one of a kind pieces being made to order.

We began using the word made instead of manufactured a few years ago. We do not manufacture large production runs. We do make pieces to order. This allows us to personalize pieces for the person's home. We make the vast majority of our wood and upholstered products here in Hickory, North Carolina. We do source some hand carved posts and pieces from long term associates off shore in areas where there are no local sources. We do source metal, glass, stone and our hardware as we do not make these components. But, if we can possibly make it we are determined to keep the work here for our employees. While most manufacturers have been closing plants, we are working hard to build skill, perfect artisanship and remove the waste through recycling, repurposing and and designing the waste out of the product. It is lack of control of these costs that typically causes domestic factories to close. It is a fact that the percentage of pieces made here in Hickory grows each year!

We celebrate the word MADE as it reflects the dedication of 450 employees here in Hickory, North Carolina who hand make furniture to order. It is in celebration of this ability that we have changed the name of HCC University Alumni news to MADE for those who take furniture personally!

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