THE NEW YEAR: RECAPPING 2019!
Each year is new and unique in its own way. Some years have brought more trials, while others, additional growth. Because of this, we thought writing a blog reviewing each year would be a fun way to reminisce and track what the years have brought us. It’s crazy to think this whole enterprise began in a garage, ten years back! What a difference time can make. Every single year we strive to improve our product, production time, and keep with the ever-changing world of design. All of these can bring challenges, but, from a glass half full perspective, also forces us to adapt and progress. If you’re curious what 2019 has brought to us in terms of new designs, new shop features, and product additions, you’ve come to the right place!
KEEPING UP WITH DESIGN
The Rogers pedestal is a design that has been a long time coming. Our base designs offer a wide range of styles. Despite the flexibility in our pedestal styles, there was still a cry for a rounded base. Our shop equipment gives us the ability to accomplish many different techniques, but when it comes to wood turning, it is an art in itself. We found a company that specializes and solely focuses on wood turning. Through sending them our sketches, they turned what we had on paper into a reality. In our opinion, our showroom Rogers is a heaven-sent combination of a seamless, smooth base mixed with a rich and illustrious walnut top. Take a peek at the pictures to prove it. An extra little tidbit – this was the first table is our showroom to roll out with a high-gloss finish.
Our Edison pedestal, also introduced this year, combines the roundness of the Belly, but with a lightness and sophistication. When comparing the Edison to the Anchor and Belly pedestals, it offers much softer edges than the Anchor and a tighter, sleeker, and rounder sphere than the Belly. Fun fact: All of our pedestal names are inspired by either the customer whom we designed the base for or an object or shape the pedestal reminds us of. In the case of the Edison pedestal, we were reminded of one of Thomas Edison’s first light bulbs.
We’re no strangers to metal base designs as they have long been a staple. This style offers a lighter, minimalistic, industrial feel, however, this year the demand for metal bases increased due to the use of powder coating. As a baked-on finish, powder coating allows you to change the color from black to gold, silver to white, and even texturize metal with unique effects, overall transforming the look and feel of a traditional base.
Thick tops are all the rage. For some reference, our standard top thickness is 1 ¼”, but as this year proves, the demand for thick tops grows. As a result, a top thickness of 1 ¾” has essentially become our norm. This thickness increases the visual weight of the table without making it look too hefty. On top of that, having a thicker top allows us more room for edge detailing. If you’re looking to go even thicker, our extra thick top comes in at 2 ¼”. Our thickest, and a definite first for this year, is our monstrous extra extra thick top totaling 2 ¾”. For both our 2 ¼” and 2 ¾” there is limited availability. Not all wood species are milled, cut, and dried to those thicknesses. Wood that thick is also uncommon as it can take months to dry. When we do find it, we’re sure to snag it.
Other trends we’ve noticed, though true-gray is still popular, are an increasing demand for natural woods and grays with some variation. The term “gray” seems to be evolving to include more variations.
This could be anything from gray with a sandy-earth tone to a very strong, dark color. Others prefer light-weight almost pale, dusty gray tones. We’ve also seen an increase in refined, formal designs that lend themselves to solid blacks, espresso grays, and dark browns with crisp, clean tops and edges. As these trends are influenced by the public and designers, each year brings us more designers to work with – meaning one-of-a-kind designs and new challenges! Collaborating on projects gives us the satisfaction of seeing our hard work come to life in a fabulously designed home that will be lived and loved.
KEEPING UP IN THE SHOP
We can proudly and confidently say we use some of the best finish on the market. Our current supplier has released their BCA (Block Chain Addition) finish. Taking it up another notch, this BCA finish has increased abrasion resistance, is made to be even more eco-friendly, and contains lower VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) while still having some of the best water and chemical resistance. We’re excited to continue further testing and experimenting with their new technology. It looks promising.
Our biggest new addition is our 8,000 lb. sander, with faster more precise sanding, this new machine allows us to plane and sand tops quickly and efficiently – meaning less legwork for our guys and minimal cleanup after the tops go through. Something else this upgrade has allowed us to do is help out DIY’ers with efficiently processing their slabs and table tops. What would take the average Joe many hours, we are able to do quickly with professional results.
Humidity and humidifiers, if you can’t tell by our email strings, are diligently looked after. Why? Because with our recent shop rebuild, we took every advantage to improve the efficiency and environment of our shop. Now it is much easier for us to control and maintain precise humidity levels. Our goal in maintaining our humidity, amongst several other reasons, is to keep our wood at the same humidity level as most homes. This helps in a smooth adjustment from one environment to the next.
Out-of-state shipping is a service we’ve always offered, but this past year, we’ve seen a higher demand. It’s still to be decided whether it’s word of mouth from previous out-of-state deliveries, or as simple as we’re beginning to reach further.
Using ma and pa shipping companies gives us the peace of mind that our furniture will be delivered with care.
Each year brings us further than the last. With it being our first full year back after the fire in 2017, we’ve been more than able to regroup and settle back in. Our upstairs is now filled with more tables and furniture, doubling our showroom size. Overall, none of these are profound changes, but small adjustments and improvements seem to make all the difference. This newly revamped place now feels like home, and we so look forward to what the new year brings!
Happy New Year!