Thursday, March 10, 2011

The New Traditionalists


I was in New York last week and was drawn by the siren song of other bloggers to check out the New Traditionalists.


This up-and-coming furniture line was started by a couple of guys who liked good, traditional design, but were ready to turn it on its ear.


Architect and designer Brady Wilcox, formerly of John Varvatos and Donna Karen, is responsible for the furniture design.  The company does not exhibit at Market, so they can roll out pieces as they are ready instead introducing an entire collection.  Wilcox plans about twenty more new pieces this year.


But the pieces themselves are not the whole story.


The finishes are really remarkable.


Remarkable and many.  Flat, lacquer, layered, lined, it's all your choice and by "you," I mean any darned body.  The New Traditionalists sell to both the trade and individuals.


And, an added bonus, if you care about this kind of thing and I do, the furniture is made in New England.  Not China.  New England.


Just what made Wilcox want to collaborate on a high-end furniture company with a downtown soul in the midst of a (please almost over) recession?  Philip Erdoes, fellow native Oklahoman, hit brick wall after brick wall (and not the desirable urban loft kind) while hunting for furniture for his nearly-newborn a few years ago.


Erdoes and Wilcox had been friends since junior high and together these guys created duc duc, a jazzy line of furniture for the nursery and kids rooms.  Erdoes knows more about Big 12 standings than design (and I wonder if he trips when he says "12" instead of "8") but perhaps because of that he can look at the business in a new way.


No High Point, manufacture in New England, market through social media.  You know, new.
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13 comments:

  1. A House in the CountryMarch 9, 2011 at 10:39 PM

    Beautiful pieces! As a retired furniture designer I've seen the vast majority of our industry move to other countries and the quality suffer greatly for it. Hurrah for these guys! We need more of their kind.

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  2. DavidMarch 9, 2011 at 10:52 PM

    Great lines and any finish(es) I want? I hope they make a killing.

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  3. pve designMarch 10, 2011 at 4:42 AM

    Love it all.
    pve

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  4. Greet LefèvreMarch 10, 2011 at 5:23 AM

    Thank you for introducing us to The New Traditionalists!!
    Nice to hear that the furniture is manufactured in New England!

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  5. quintessenceMarch 10, 2011 at 5:40 AM

    I love both their products and back story. I am really excited to see them next week at the AD Home Show! I'm hoping to get downtown to see their showroom soon as it's in my old stomping grounds and I hear it's fabulous.

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  6. Jocelyn HuttMarch 10, 2011 at 6:20 AM

    I too just looked at their website and products and have fallen deeply in love. Excellent lines and detail. Reading your post, I see you mention duc duc - a line of children's furniture I saw a few years ago and also loved - it was sleek and clever. These gentlemen will succeed - no question!
    Jocelyn Hutt

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  7. UnknownMarch 10, 2011 at 7:59 AM

    Very beautiful and overall I would fit right in with this line....
    PS: Come and see my painting!

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  8. maryMarch 10, 2011 at 8:40 AM

    MADE IN NEW ENGLAND!!!!MADE IN US OF A!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. WE (USA) have a long-standing tradition of great furniture makers and our quality has always been of the highest. I love these designs. Mary

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  9. UnknownMarch 10, 2011 at 10:20 AM

    Maybe people slowly realize that cheapos are much more expensive than quality. And maybe this adds to a change in mind!
    Patricia - I would also like to point out that your readers can win a 60$ giveaway from CSN stores on my blog:
    http://artandinterior.blogspot.com/2011/03/giveaway-60-giveaway-from-csn-stores.html

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  10. KarenaMarch 10, 2011 at 10:34 AM

    Very good to see this kind of quality , and the choice of finishes makes it truly unique!!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  11. Ali DuffyMarch 11, 2011 at 12:59 PM

    Thank you for sharing, we need so much more of this these days. I want the bunk beds yesterday.

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  12. Magento CustomizationsApril 30, 2011 at 1:47 AM

    I really appreciate the person who has written such a wonderful blog. Your simple use of language and no frills makes the post a great read.

    ReplyDelete
  13. substance abuse counselorSeptember 3, 2011 at 4:36 PM

    Realy liked it! Thank you for sharing this!

    ReplyDelete

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