What is the ultimate luxury nowadays? With almost anything attainable at the click of a button or the swipe of a finger, we ask what is not? Retailers such as Amazon, Ebay, Target and Walmart have raised the expectation that you can get things in quick time, almost real time. But, does quickly done mean well done? It depends. If it’s electronics, mass production can mean precision and efficiency. But, when something takes painstakingly long to make, like up to six months for a hand-knotted silk/wool high/low pile rug from Nepal, the ultimate luxury is just that – to wait.
Custom furniture falls into this concept that the most beautiful things of the highest quality take time to make. Here at Nathan Anthony, each and every piece is made to the order. Our pieces are delicately crafted by hand, taking extra time to sew straight lines, fold diamond tufting precisely or line up nail heads. Each order is executed with the specific buyer’s expectation in mind, from start to finish. Furniture making is approached like an art piece, made with a personal connection and great pride.
Sabine sofa, artisan creates the diamond tufting by hand around a curved grid. |
Sabine sofa, artisan has to gather the fabric just so to create the diamond tufting around a curved grid. |
Tina Nicole, our designer, examines Sabine to make sure the design is executed to her expectation and specifications. |
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Making special shapes requires attention to detail… which takes time to perfect. Each sofa, for example, is assigned to one artisan. That artisan makes the entire frame. Making a Nathan Anthony sofa is like carving a sculpture. Would you rush a Leonardo? Would you hurry a Picasso? In a similar vein, we approach our craft of furniture making much like an artist approaches his painting. Using time-honored furniture-making techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation, we begin tailoring and crafting the unique seating shapes our designer Tina Nicole creates. When furniture making is rushed, the outcome can be quite different – poor sewing quality, patterns do not line-up, poor joinery or inconsistent padding.
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Elan collection geometric tiling application details
Elan bench with waterfall design and geometric sewn panels, painted metallic wood feetSo as a buyer, ask yourself, does your item go from the drawing board, to the execution stage, to a finely finished, incredibly crafted piece made just for you by the hands of a highly-skilled artisan? Then waiting is almost a bragging right. You can see from so many custom choices we offer on our furniture, getting the details and intricacies right is something one cannot do fast.
Boxx ottomans show patterns line up and pinched seam detail |
Valmont bed shows nailheads are straight and diamond tufts are consistently tailored |
Leslie dining chair has Swarovski crystal pearls delicately placed with the diamond tufting detail |
Boxx sofa is upholstered carefully with layered padding and not pulling the fabric too tight to achieve a relaxed lived-in luxurious look. We tailor the piece just so… |
To give a better idea of our manufacturing timeline, some of our products take about six weeks to be made. For our more uniquely beautiful styles, it takes between six to eight weeks. This is because of the sophistication of the design and the time it takes to perfect stitching, padding, fabric application, legs staining, etc. When you wait for something to be made for you, this creates a sense that these things are special and you too are special because you are waiting for them. So then, the ultimate luxury nowadays is to wait. Like each Nathan Anthony product, beautiful things of the highest quality take time to make.
Perle sofa tufting and pillow back treatment, steel tubular angled base |
Minx sofa with diagonal stitching detail on inside back |
Minx chaise with diagonal stitching detail and unique curved shape |
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