The amazing High Point Market – Century Furniture

My first stop at the High Point Market was Century Furniture.  I will admit to having a very fond spot in my heart for Century; their furniture truly resonates with me, and I have purchased many pieces of Century furniture over the years.  The tour of the beautiful Century showroom was guided by the granddaughter of the founder of Century, Comer Wear; Century is a family business now in its third generation.  Founded in 1947, Century Furniture prides itself on being an American brand primarily made in the USA.  Century offers over 50 finishes, and thousands of customization options, and the dazzling number of items in their line were on full display in their showroom at High Point.  Their showroom was truly amazing!

I particularly liked a new line of furniture introduced by Century at this market, called Monarch.  The light tones and relaxed elegance had great appeal to me.  I particularly liked this dining table, which has the aged oak look that I love but in a more refined finish that protects the surface and eliminates the raw edges often found in furniture of this style.

 

Also a favorite from this collection was a center table with beautifully turned legs, and a detailed top that reminded me of a rose window.

Century has everything from traditional to contemporary in their line.  I have admired this Kelly Hoppen screen for years, and it was great to see it in real life! Click here to see more of the Kelly Hoppen collection.

Some of the rooms featured Century’s more traditional lines, and there is a large market for furnishings that are rooted in traditional design.  However, what Century is seeing is a desire to have ‘traditional with a twist’ – classic lines and forms, but mixed up with vintage inspired pieces, or contempory art, or even bright and vibrant wood finishes and hardware to make the design more 21st century.

 

The Bob Timberlake Home Collection by Century, which spread out over at least five large rooms, truly made me feel as if I had been transported to either the mountains or a lake house.  Bob himself is very involved in the styling of the rooms, and many of the accessories and wall hangings are from his personal collection.  Here is a great YouTube video of the new Bob Timberlake collection, featuring an interview with Bob himself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCFYwar2gHM

One way that Century keeps their lines fresh and updated is with a vast array of finishes.  This is a Greek Key chest is from the Oscar de la Renta collection (click here to see more from this collection); on the left is a green finish in the showroom (my picture), on the right it is shown in a darker finish (picture from the Century website).  Century has a list of recommended finishes for each of their items, but the sky is the limit with Century’s customized approach to furniture making.

The blue finish are one of my favorites! Both of these pieces are from Century’s New Traditional collection (a style that really resonates with me). Click here to see more from the New Traditional collection. (Picture on the left taken in the showroom, picture on the right from the Century website).

The silver captured my eye too…

A peek at the outdoor furniture area of the showroom.  The new hot pink Sunbrella fabric took almost five years to develop (as I understand it, a tricky color to capture in outdoor fabric).  I am loving the huge variety in color dinishes on the outdoor furniture, as seen on the chairs perched on the shelves!

As a way to encourage and mentor new design talent, Century sponsored Project UDesign, and SCAD student Ryland Quillen’s wing chair was the winner.  It is now in production and here it is!

I hope you enjoyed getting a view into the Century showroom – I found it to be so inspirational and very interesting.  This just reflects a small, small glimpse into the vast array of furnishings that Century offers.  Much more can be found on the comprehensive, newly redesigned web site that can be found here: http://www.centuryfurniture.com.

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