Thomas Pheasant and Baker Did it Right

I have had a busy week. Beginning last Saturday, I spent five days in High Point for the semi-annual furniture market. I love this market and really look forward to being in North Carolina. I always feel excited to see new introductions, I look forward to visiting with old friends I see only at this show, and I enjoy the energy of connecting with talented people who create the collections that keep me coming back year after year.

That was still the cast this spring, even though the mood was up and down. I spoke with some vendors who had a great market (one in particular revealed that they had the best single-day-at-a-trade-show sales in the history of their company on Tuesday. On the other hand were those whose showrooms were quiet.

Furniture development happens so far in advance of the markets that it can be quite difficult to stop it or even slow it down. So there really were a lot of introductions this market in spite of the weak economy some people are experiencing, which might suggest it should have been otherwise.

One of the collections I admired came from Thomas Pheasant, whose designs are already a successful part of Baker Furniture’s line. Pheasant’s approach begins with tradition but he edits the details so pieces look clean, classic and glamorous. His newest designs followed that formula exactly, and the result was a fabulous range that is drop-dead gorgeous.

A particular favorite was a table inspired by a Greek key that looked traditional and modern all at once (see image at left Another was a chair designed like a graceful scoop that cradles your back. Once I sat in that chair I didn’t want to get up. Pheasant explained that he wanted to design a chair that works for women as well as men. In so many chairs, women’s feet do not touch the ground. They will in this one because it is “sculpted down.” At the same time, the design will also feel generous for men. 

Coloring this range in Ivory, Sand, Smoke Gray and Taupe (returning after many years away from the market) created a restful palette of neutrals that allowed each form to quietly stand out, and stand out they did. I think Thomas Pheasant (above with me at the Baker showroom) and Baker have really done it right. I hope they have a hit on their hands with this entire collection of beautiful forms, wonderful style and comfortable pieces.