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From trash to treasure - Staatsburg business turns wood from old homes into furnishings
By Karen Maserjian Shan Normally, handrails are used to support people as they go up and down stairs. Sometimes, they're built to form a barrier around, say, a porch. But handrails that serve as seat backs for garden benches? You bet, when the benches are made by Archatrive.
Founded in the early 1990s by now-retired Lewis Krevolin of Hyde Park, Archatrive, now owned by Krevolin's son, Rudy, and his wife, Deb, produces wholesale furnishings and accessories made with designs inspired by architectural elements from 19th and 20th century homes.
The Staatsburg-based business got its start when Lewis Krevolin, having retired from his position as head of the art department at Dutchess Community College, became involved in dismantling and relocating old homes in the area. In the process, each of the homes' boards was numbered for re-assembly, but when they were put back together, there always were certain elements from the original residence that were left out.
"Nobody wants to use the old windows," said Rudy Krevolin, who was involved in the business with his father. "You wind up with leftover bits and pieces."
Inspiration struck and Lewis Krevolin began surrounding mirrors with leftover window frames.
"He made a complete piece based on what an architecturally correct window would look like," said Deb Krevolin, a former retailer and stay-at-home-mom, who joined her father-in-law in his creative venture. "He trimmed it out, like a window would be, and sold it."
At first, they drove a van full of mirrors down to home furnishings retailer ABC Carpet & Home in New York City.
"The buyer would come down and we'd set all the mirrors out and he'd say, 'I'll take this one, this one, this one and this one,' " Deb Krevolin said, purchasing 20 or so of the one-of-a-kind mirrors at a time to resell in the store.
They also participated in area antique fairs and flea markets where they sold the mirrors wholesale to retailers attending the events. One retailer, Peri Wolfman, lifestyle author and co-owner of Wolfman Gold & Good Co. in New York City's trendy SoHo shopping district, took special notice of the Krevolins' designs while attending the Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show in Brimfield, Mass. She bought the mirrors and asked the Krevolins to build other items, like beds, tables and lamps, to sell in her store.
They did, building not only furniture from what had amounted to dumpster scraps, but also a business.
A blooming business
Not long after that, a representative from Bloomingdale's noticed the Krevolins' pieces at a later Brimfield show.
Thinking the pieces would work well as accessories for the New York City store's new display of Lane Furniture, an order was placed.
"That was our first, really, true, wholesale many-piece order," said Deb Krevolin, adding the initial order filled a small truck.
Assorted one-of-a-kind deconstructionist lamps and furniture were built for the Bloomingdale's display, including built-in benches with windowed seat backs. They also began constructing urns and other items that could be reproduced to meet the retailer's demand.
Lewis Krevolin made patterns based on the corbels, brackets, columns and other odds and ends from old Victorian houses they used for the furniture, cutting the pieces from old clapboard and poplar wood.
And while Bloomingdale's no longer carries Archatrive products, the business is booming.
Show in North Carolina
Shortly after the initial Bloomingdale's order, the Krevolins began attending the High Point International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, N.C.
Their first show in 1993 resulted in orders from 20 to 30 retailers across the country.
"We came home and said, all right, now we need to figure out how to produce all this," Deb Krevolin said.
Until then the furniture and accessories were built by the three Krevolins, with intermittent help from contractors involved in the family's construction business. With their new workload, however, they hired carpenters, finishers, inventory and shipping staff. The couple's daughter, Jessica, works at the shop during breaks from her business classes at Marist College. One day she hopes to open an Archatrive retail shop.
"We realized there was a retail market for the things that we were doing," outside the flea markets and antique shows, Deb Krevolin said. They started selling products nationwide.
Jackie Hirschhaut is vice president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, which represents 250 furniture manufacturers nationwide, along with 250 suppliers. While Hirschhaut said the Alliance doesn't track small entrepreneurial furniture manufacturers, some larger companies offer decorative lines within their collections, although it's unlikely the furniture is made or finished by hand.
"For the larger manufacturers who are producing multipiece collections, there are often these unusual signature pieces that are designed as that unique accent piece of furniture to correlate with what would seem a more traditional or conventional line of wood," she said, or as a standalone design.
And, she said, less traditional accents are the market's trend.
"In the past 10 years we've seen a real fashion flare being added to the wood furniture category with the use of decorative finishes," Hirschhaut said, with such pieces not only reflecting the consumer's particular taste, but also adding sophistication and unexpected style.
"They (consumers) like the opportunity to add — depending on the size of the room — one or possibly more of these pieces, almost like a jewelry, to a room setting to add a little bit of visual interest," she said.
Handcrafted style
David LeBlanc works in operations for interior design company/retailer Simply Home in Falmouth, Maine, through which the Krevolins' standard and custom furniture is sold and used in company projects. The Krevolins, he said, have a great sense of style and proportion for their furniture, including their aged, washed and crackle finishes. The company, he said, also is accommodating and very easy to work with.
"The fact that it's handcrafted domestically is a huge selling point," LeBlanc said. "So few vendors now are still manufacturing things domestically."
Interior designer Kari Feuer, who owns Custom Interiors of Rhinebeck, orders furniture through Archatrive for clients interested in the company's distinctive furniture.
"Their stuff isn't the trite kind of country look — it's more updated and adventurous," Feuer said.
And, she said, the company is flexible enough to work with her clients' particular needs.
"When I find a resource that can tailor things in a custom way for my clients, I'm really happy and they're very good at that," Feuer said of Archatrive, whether it's a particular finish, dimension or design.
Archatrive's facility is in the former Keil Equipment Company shop in Staatsburg. The 7,000-square-foot facility is divided into areas for production and carpentry, inventory and stock, painting and finishing. There is also a small showroom and a couple of back offices.
All the furniture and accessories are handmade and finished for Archatrive's 200 accounts (which are marketed through regional sales representatives and major gift shows), including retailers and interior designers. The company has more than 100 ready-to-make standard items and also does custom work. It is developing a line of retail display furniture.
"We started very small, in the garage kind of thing," Krevolin said. "And then in bits and pieces it kind of evolved to what we have now."
Source: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060205/BUSINESS/602050330/1003
Knobs, Hinges and More is Proud to Introduce Objects by Tracy Glover Studios and Michael Healy Designs
February 27, 2006
www.KnobsHingesandMore.com is happy to offer Objects of Art by Tracy Glover Studios.The ageless art of glass blowing is being energized by artisan Tracy Glover, who breathes new life into the medium with innovative talent, studied skill and a healthy reverence for tradition.
The Rhode Island-based glass blower is the designer and creator of the Tracy Glover Collection - an elegant family of handcrafted table lamps, floor lamps and vases. A study in understatement, Ms. Glover's creations speak to any de'cor.
Ms. Glover employs Venetian glass techniques, choosing glass with vivid, ultra-rich colors like aurora, plum, celery, tourmaline and steel blue. These striking hues take on a new dimension of vibrancy when combined with neutrals. This drama of contrast is one of Ms. Glover's signatures.
Each lamp and vase ordered is individually produced at the artist's industrial studio. Mass production does not exist. The glass blowing process begins only when an order is placed, not a second sooner, promising the buyer a one-of-a-kind result.
Subtle variations in pattern and color are a natural occurrence in the process. Therefore, the artist recommends ordering pairs of lamps at the same time, to ensure a good match.
With a degree from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, Tracy Glover's path has taken her across the world. From Manhattan to Murano, Italy, this bold innovator has patiently crafted her signature elegance. It is her honor to have been selected as the first female glassblower at Val Saint Lambert Crystal factory in Belgium, a revered facility nestled in a 14th century convent.
A world away, both literally and figuratively, her creations have appeared on The White House Christmas tree, and have a permanent place at The Clinton Library in Little Rock and the Detroit Institute of Art in Michigan. Ms. Glover's lamps are sprinkled like jewels in the Spa Tower Corridor and the Baccarat Room at the famed Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
We are also happy to offer Michael Healy Designs finely sculptured door knockers and door bell ringers.Michael Healy studied metal sculpture at the University of Notre Dame where he learned century-old bronze casting techniques which became the foundation for his artistic expression. Michael's artistic style is very identifiable. He is known for his ability to skillfully combine quality materials into sculptural, yet functional forms. He is particularly noted for his talent for turning an everyday object into a unique work of art. His most recognizable works are this series of unusual Door Knockers and Doorbell Ringers. Michael Healy has prolifically sculpted over one hundred door sculptures. His door sculptures depict interests such as gardening, cooking, outdoor life, the Southwest, horse-back riding and the seashore.
To ensure consistently high quality at all stages of the metal casting process, Michael Healy works from his own foundry in Rhode Island. Michael is assisted by a select group of talented artisans who handcraft each Door Knocker or Doorbell Ringer. This personal attention to detail guarantees that every door sculpture is truly special. Michael Healy signs each of his Door Knockers confirming its authenticity and quality craftsmanship.
A New Twist . . . A Classic Look In the world of decorative hardware, small changes go a long way. Putting new pulls on kitchen cabinets or new knobs on dresser drawers is the easiest way to alter the entire look of a room. With his new line of hardware, award-winning designer Lewis Dolin brings a world of experience – and a fresh look – to the decorative hardware market. Dolin's distinct interior designs and tabletop accessories have been featured in a wide variety of national and international publications, including the New York Times, Interior Design ,Food & Wine and The Home by Susan Szenasy. His entry into the decorative hardware market is marked by the same simplicity of design and clean forms that have gained him a reputation as an original, talented designer.
Bin pulls take a dramatic new look with the Glass Bin Pull Series and complementary Mushroom Knobs. Both the Bar and Barrel Series are simple geometric forms with a great deal of versatility in their application. The Acorn Glass Series is an elegant turn on a natural form. And the Ceramic Series – King, Queen, Pawn, and Bishop – brings a clever, new twist to a classic look. A door has to have hinges and a means of opening and closing. Add some dash to the required hardware by making decisions about their look and feel. Choose the warmth of brass or the strength of a black finish. At the front door, decide to dress up the doorbell by choosing hardware that adds definitive character. Decide not to have a doorbell, but select a stylish door knocker instead. Make the front door the first statement you make for your home. Make your inner doors confirm the statement.Whether adding a ceramic knob or a gecko cabinet pull; a glass drawer pull or brass hinges to your kitchen cabinets, the warmest room in the house takes on the cozy, homey feeling that is its nature.
It’s all about the details, the personalization and ownership that comes with the details, that makes enhancing a kitchen something of an adventure … and fun.Floor registers frequently come with memories of growing up. Of home, or of grandma’s and grandpa’s house. And it’s impossible to think of those memories without warmth – literally. Recreate those memories with a register cover reminiscent of those days, and make the warmth in your house match the warmth of your childhoodWhen it comes to beautifying your home, we take nothing for granted. Knobs, Hinges & More only carries the finest quality, most unique, and most beautiful fixtures for your home--and offers them at the lowest possible prices.KnobsHingesandMore.com carries the following manufacturers: Anne at Home, Architect and Heroes, Atlas Homewares, Colombo Designs, East of Eden, Emenee Products, Bouvet Hardware, Classic Brass, Deltana,Lews' Hardware, Megna Hot Glass, Michael Aram, MNG Designer Hardware, Modern Objects, North River Mint, Premier Hardware Designs, Perrin & Rowe,Providence Artworks, Pullware, Rohl,River Ridge, Rosalie Sherman, Samuel Heath, Susan Goldstick,TE-MA,Top Knobs, Umbra, Von Morris, Waterwood, Whitehaus Collection, Wood Ventures ,Blanco,Tracy Glover Studios,Michael Healy Designs and many more.www.KnobsHingesandMore.com is a female owned and operated E-commerce business.
Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/2/prweb351550.htm
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