Gentle waves nudge a seashell ashore, a beautiful young woman with almond-shaped eyes balancing on its fluted interior. To her right, Zephyrus carryies the nymph Chloris as he blows the wind to guide her to the shoreline where the goddess of Spring awaits her with a luxurious mantle in hand. This captivating scene in Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus is one of the works of art that will greet each of you who visit our High Point showroom as Fall Market unfolds, the dramatic installation by New York designer Sasha Bikoff creating a dazzling altered universe filled with an array of colors as varied as the morning sunrise in the Mediterranean Sea and a midnight enchanted forest.
The idea for the transformation crystalized when Sasha visited the Currey showroom in High Point where she found an abundance of Currey products with design elements from nature—leaves, branches, shells, and traditional faux bois garden furniture to name a few. Setting the tone for the backdrop that would envelope the products, which have been painted in vibrant shades of green, pink and coral, and upholstered in vintage couture silk fabric, The Birth of Venus is joined by Botticelli’s other famous painting Primavera to create a romantic and magical mood.
Currey’s Creative Director Cecil Adams and his team worked closely with Ms. Bikoff over many months to bring this beautiful experience to life. “Working with Sasha has been a lovely experience,” Cecil says. “I really appreciate her sense of color, fearlessness with her design vision, and her sense of spectacle. She really knows how to see her inspiration all the way through a project and make the decisions required to complete her vision. Sasha is also just a fun person to work with.” Stop by the showroom (at IHFC M110 on Main Street, Street Level) on Saturday, October 19, from 1 to 5 p.m. to meet this design star, who became internationally recognized when she created the multi-layered stairway at the 2018 Kips Bay Decorator Show House and an installation at Palazzo Versace during Milan Design Week earlier this year.
High Point Highlights
Aside from the gastronomic and musical diversions we always offer during Market, we will also be hosting a book signing with Timothy Corrigan on Sunday, October 20, from 3 to 5 p.m. Stop by to land a copy of his newest book, The New Elegance: Stylish, Comfortable Rooms for Today, which is filled with the beauty you would expect from this renowned designer. Join us as we welcome a new member to the Currey & Company family this market, as well, someone we know you will want to meet. If you’ve been in the home furnishings industry as long as we have, you might even recognize his name, particularly if you’ve attended Maison & Objet in Paris.
Illustrating his flair for visual merchandising at the show over many years, Jean-Charles Chappuis, the founder of Aisatides, wowed attendees with his beautiful collection of exotic accessories from around the world. This included Robert & Suzy Currey, who shared with Jean-Charles a love of art, crafts and antiques, which cemented their friendship. When he sold Asiatides after thirty years at the helm and moved to Thailand, Jean-Charles realized he missed working with artisans, visiting factories, and creating stories for beautiful, hand-crafted objects.
By this list of pursuits, you can see why he would be such a great fit for the Currey & Company team as the Consultant to the President, a newly created position for this rich intellectual resource who understands how to put historical techniques to use today. Brownlee says of bringing him on board, “I’m thrilled to welcome Jean-Charles to the Currey family. He brings a strong sense of style, a wealth of experience, and more than a little charm to our team. On a personal note, I’ve wanted to work with him for years and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to do so.”
Jean-Charles, who will be in the High Point showroom from October 18 to 21, says of his new position, “Accepting to work for Currey & Company is the perfect conjunction of a great love and respect for the founders, Robert and Suzy Currey, and the pleasure to work for a high-end company that is so generous to their suppliers, customers and employee.”New Product Releases
New Products and Upholstery Program
We’re super excited about our new product releases debuting this Market, which include a new upholstery program aimed at decreasing the wait-time for our customers who have asked us for reduced lead-times. With the start of this new program, we are showcasing eighty-eight new upholstered pieces in muslin, each of which will also be offered in a carefully selected fabric that will be in stock and ready to ship.
Twenty-two of the pieces are exclusive frames designed by our award-winning Director of Furniture, Aimee Kurzner. All frames are hand-crafted and feature a range of distinctive finishes. The collection consists of settees, chairs, ottomans and benches made of hardwood and of wrought iron; and includes the Janelle Chair, which Aimee was inspired to create when she spotted an Art Deco shell chair during her travels. The wood frame is made of Beech, which is shown in a Caviar Black finish, and the chair is upholstered in Velluto Viridian fabric.
The High Point Designer’s Show House
Also look for our products in the High Point Designer’s Show House sponsored by Aspire Design and Home magazine and the Junior League of High Point, Inc. (JLHP). The effort will resuscitate a richly storied landmark residence, the Dalton-Bell-Cameron House, and will raise funds for JLHP charitable initiatives. Be sure to visit the spaces designed by Chad James, Scot Meacham Wood, Lauren Clement, Courtney McCloud, and Tamara Matthews-Stephenson and Susan Young to see the products they’ve incorporated into their remarkable rooms.
Tamara and Susan decorated the China Closet in the dining room to serve as the Writer’s Nook, a respite where the fictitious lady of the house can go for inspiration and to write her prose. They channeled Virginia Woolf by filling the space with textiles and wallpaper from their root cellar designs’ fall collection. Our Ibiza chandelier was chosen for its organic shape and the fact it is wrapped in raffia. “It’s quite grand for a traditional closet and we normally would have chosen a smaller light,” says Tamara, “but we wanted it to be visible when someone is looking into the space and to create a dramatic effect.” Also included in the space on the glossy fern green shelves is our Briallen Black Box and the Mairin Table Lamp to set against the jewel-box colorful design; and the Pari, Nallan and Sanae vases. As usual, there is so much to see and do during Market, and we can’t wait to share our altered universe with you, as we know you’ll be electrified by the difference you’ll see in our showroom.