Hickory Chair Unveils the Everett by Skip Rumley Furniture Collection

Furniture World News Desk on 9/9/2020

This fall, Hickory Chair unveils a new collection that brings the vision of Skip Rumley, VP Creative, to reality at the upcoming 2020 International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, NC. This exciting new collection celebrates the special culture found in the people working at the Hickory workroom, that has not only made one-of-a-kind furniture to order for the past 109 years, but also where over 90% of the company’s entire product assortment is made. This determination to make furniture in America has honed the skill of the venerable craftsmen and women and has allowed the company to flourish while delighting designers and their clients with truly personalized custom furniture.

The collection is rooted in Skip’s twenty-year journey through the world of design. “One learns to ‘speak a lot of languages’ as style, fashion and form have evolved,” states Rumley. He continues, “Even for me personally, I lived in a modern glass house and recently moved into a 1940’s Cape Cod home. I love the tension that occurs when combining traditional and modern forms. I love references to classic design and the excitement that is created when they are mixed with both soft organic silhouettes and architectural forms. I believe interiors should be both masculine and feminine - when married together it creates a lovely dynamic.”

For Skip, his design process begins with a place and who might live there. He loves creating an environment for this client that becomes filled with pieces that reflect their personality and taste. With additional inspiration from fashion, jewelry and fine art, Skip has created this collection of bedroom, dining room and living room furniture with a deep understanding of the desires of the Hickory Chair consumer. “It is important to me that each piece has beautiful proportion and scale, a dynamic shape and be made from an interesting array of materials,” states Rumley, “It is essential that our design clientele be able to personalize each piece for their projects. Therefore, designing the collection to be made domestically was of upmost importance. We want our pieces to be a canvas that truly become functional art once our craftsmen build it with the specifications from the designer.”

Each piece was designed utilizing the innovative prowess of our talented team of wood workers and upholsterers who have thoughtfully planned ahead for not only personalization requests, but also special construction custom requests. A mix of materials from American Ash, American Walnut and Mahogany, marble, glass and custom-designed hardware were used in the creation of the wood products. True to form, optional tops, finishes and Customer’s Own Hardware COH® as well as a new Made 2 Measure table group will certainly provide an exciting palette of new products ready for personalization. The extensive new upholstery collection includes not only signature chairs and sumptuous sofa and sectional groupings, but also a selection of hand-tufted pieces including a new banquette series and ottoman with Made 2 Measure pieces as well as a handsome new sofa and companion lounge chair.

“I am very proud of Skip and our team at Hickory Chair that have worked together to create this important new collection. It is a reflection of our culture of continuous improvement and team collaboration that has driven Hickory Chair forward through its storied history,” states Kevin Bowman, President. He continues, “The collection is rooted in Skip’s vision but was made possible by the teamwork of our people that choose to practice their vocation here in our Hickory, North Carolina workroom. Truly this is a celebration of American craftsmanship, our company culture, and our passion for great design.”
The Everett by Skip Rumley collection will debut in the Hickory Chair Showroom that is conveniently located on the 3rd floor of the historic Market Square building.

About Skip Rumley: For the past eight years, Skip Rumley has led the fashion and design aesthetic for Hickory Chair bringing such talents as Ray Booth, David Phoenix and Susan Hable to create collections for the 109-year-old company. In this role, Skip has been responsible for leading product innovation, merchandising the product assortment and creating collaborative collections with each of our design partners. Over the past twenty years, Skip has forged a career engaged with some of the most prestigious luxury brands in the furniture industry where he has designed interiors for showrooms and galleries as well as designing lighting, accessories and furniture. Prior to joining Hickory Chair, Rumley served as Vice President of Design for furniture manufacturer Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman. He has also held other furniture design and merchandising positions, including creative director for Henredon and gallery designer for both Baker and Ralph Lauren.

About Hickory Chair: For more than 100 years, Hickory Chair has been crafting custom wood and upholstered furnishings in a wide range of classic styles. Inspired by such historical sites as Winterthur Estate and the James River Plantations, as well as by noted furniture authorities such as Mariette Himes Gomez, Albert Sack, Suzanne Kasler, David Phoenix, Susan Hable and Ray Booth; Hickory Chair’s hallmark is luxurious yet livable furniture that’s made to order and made to last. For more information,  visit hickorychair.com, or contact social@hickorychair.com with special requests. Hickory Chair, LLC along with Pearson Upholstery, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Rock House Farm Family of Brands.