My Very Own Hickory Chair Story - Part 2

After sharing Lauren's story yesterday, I started thinking more about that 1857-55 Chippendale Wing Chair. I investigated to see how long Hickory Chair had been making this wing chair. Since November 2, 1982 this wing chair has been made to order for clients. Twenty-seven years seems like a very long time until you consider that we have been making furniture since 1911! We actually have a chair that is pictured in our 1930 catalog! As this is the oldest catalog in existence, we really do not know when we began making that chair!

I thought more about how many other ways that I have seen the 1857-55 Chippendale Wing Chair upholstered over the years. I found a few pictures that helped me realize how a timeless form may be personalized for the home it is being made for. For example, the picture of the pair of chairs at the upper left were in a nice white sateen with a red and white braided welt cord. I can see this pair of chairs in a beautiful, traditional living room.

In the next picture, shown right, is an example where the designer sent COL hair-on-hide to Hickory Chair to upholster on the chair. They chose a contrasting solid leather for the seat cushion. I can almost see the snow falling outside the big picture windows at the mountain home where this chair might be located or perhaps this chair found a home on a ranch where the family spends their weekends and holidays!

In this example, the designer asked that we make the chair with a tight seat and eliminate the loose seat cushion entirely. They chose a reproduction French flour sack type fabric and used nail head trim to punctuate the fine lines of the shapes of the chair. These chairs could have shipped anywhere!

At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide what your style is and ask for it. It is not necessary to settle for off the shelf items when you have a workroom in Hickory, North Carolina eager to make your vision a reality!

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!

I Was Inspired By...

Creativity takes many forms. I was inspired by the designer who asked us to personalize two of the Drake Cabinet bases for their client's bath! The Hickory Chair Drake Cabinet, by Alexa Hampton, is almost a 'transformer' from its original design. Ordered through our HCC University Alumni friend, The Finished Room, in Alpharetta, Georgia, were two amazing Drake Cabinets!


As a base, it is available wide or as a narrow center section. It also has an optional deck that is available in your choice of wood, glass, antique mirror or leaded glass doors.


This designer could visualize the base only in their client's bath room. They requested that we make a 5347-70 Drake Base and a5347-71 Narrow Drake Base with these personalized choices:

• Make the top center drawer a false front




• Remove the top completely




• Apply Sable finish with the door panels in contrasting Classic finish




• From the COHTM hardware program, replace the standard hardware with Antique Silver A3 knobs on the end drawers and N3 pulls on the doors

Each week we are given the opportunity to make one of a kind pieces. Each piece we hand make to order helps make our craftsmen even more skilled!

Rested, Relaxed & Ready!

All of us at Hickory Chair are back after a week's long vacation break! We, like so many other manufacturing companies in the Carolinas close for the week of the 4th of July and again at Christmas. We find it is easier for all of us to vacation at one time instead of part of the employees being away any given week.

We appreciate the influx of new orders for our employees to make for your clients. Just this week we have received countless orders for M2M pieces personalized by length, new Silhouettes upholstery orders for personalized pieces with arm, back, height, depth, cushion, back and length decisions made, as well as personalized wood pieces with finish and hardware selections chosen.

Just before the vacation I was walking through our final rub and pack area with some HCC University participants and we saw a 2244-60 Bachelor's Chest in the standard Medium Mahogany and its solid shiny brass hardware. It was ordered standard. I stood transfixed to the spot in amazement with how long it had been since I had seen a piece like this... in its standard finish and hardware! It is a beautiful piece just as it was originally designed but now is available just the way you want it!

I am so very proud of how our employees have learned to build one of a kind pieces to order so that they can make pieces just for you! Keep sending in those requests for one of a kind pieces... we love making them and love learning from you!