Steve Worthman, the designer of this collection for Hickory White, won the 2000 Pinnacle Award in the Major Collections Category for this collection.

This bed is not trendy in the least. The lines are reminiscent of Art Deco. Better manufactures like HW do not go for real trends as they know their target consumer is buying to keep--not replace--furniture.

I saw this bed at Boyles and thought it beautiful. This bed is destine to become a classic. In 45 years, someone is going to come across this bed at an estate sale and snap it up!

Here is a link that might be useful: About the pinnacle award

Realdreamer, thanks, learned something new today. Will do a little bit more reserach based on the information you provided here.

BTW, how did you pickup this sort of knowledge? I want to accumulate more knowledge of the furnitures I plan to own and also the industry, as well as interior design. Not sure how to get started though.

There seems to be a continuum for contemporary/modern design. My perception is that, for better or worse, so much contemporary design is "stuck" on the mid-century work of people like Eames, Jensen, Panton, and Aalto. While I admire their work, appreciate how they have influenced contemporary designers, and own some of their stuff myself, I wish we would move on from these classics (almost cliches, in some cases) and create a design paradigm for today that does not keep calling back to mid-century design. There certainly are some designers capable of this level of work. But it does not seem that much of a market exists to support them yet.

As for "trendy", I would say that components like upholstery and perhaps even choices of wood or finishes will date contemporary furniture more than the actual lines -- though, of course, the stuff that's "out there" will either hit a home run or strike out. That, however, simply may be the nature of contemporary design that does not harken back to established (mid-century) designs.

Sue2004,
I am happy to hear that you learned something. Learning is not only satisfying, but it gives you the confidence to more forward!

My knowledge is from years of interest in art, coupled by a need to furnish my home. While in Europe in 1984, I was exposed to a tremendous amount of art and a tremendous number of people that knew something about art. Subsequent to my return home, I enrolled in art history classes. It happened that one of my professors was very interested in architecture and furniture, so she incorporated these elements into her classes. Many of these classes required field trips to local museums and stores to see styles.

A great deal of my knowledge comes from reading. I buy books on the subjectsor not. Sometimes I just sit at Barnes and Nobles and read parts of books that I think are interesting, but way overpriced.

Your computer is a great tool. I am the research Queen. I am not sure I explain fully how I do it, but I manage to find a tremendous amount of info on just about any subject by using google.

Try this method.
You over-hear someone mention a pair of mahogany Chippendale chairs sold at auction for $150,000. So your interest is piquedÂwhy would someone pay that much money for Chippendale chairs? And by the way, what or who is Chippendale?

To learn something about Chippendale, google: "define Chippendale" or "about Chippendale furniture." One source often leads to many other sources of information. You will find resources from art institutes, universities, auction houses, and just plain old fans of Chippendale furniture. When you see terms that you do not know, open a second Explorer window and google them.

In an hourÂs time, you can read enough about Chippendale to learn who he was; learn which three styles influenced his style; and learn what impact his style had on the furniture world. You will then understand why someone paid $150k for two Chippendale chairs. And after viewing a number of photos of Chippendale furniture, you will be able to recognize the style when you walk into a showroom.

Read magazines-good magazines: Architectural Digest, Veranda, Metropolitan Home. DonÂt just look at the pictures, read the articles. Read the little by-lines next to the photo montage of new productsÂsome of those little snippets have a lot of info. They will also pique your interest: they introduce new products, mention companies that you may never of heard of before, and cue you into design stylesÂ"Aaah, so thatÂs what Italian Deruta pottery looks like."

steve o

I guess I look at enduring style differently. I do not consider contemporary design as stuck in mid-century work. Applying definitive elements of a style keeps that style alive. The masterÂs work defines the style; those that follow keep the style alive.

Use my example of Chippendale above. Initially, he carved in the traditional styles. Over time, he blended three other styles and his blend became a style in its own right. Now, if no one came along to continue making furniture using the defining elements of Chippendale style, it may very well have died off.

Once the master defines the style, I do not think you can really take it much beyond that point. Its defining elements are established. When you move beyond the defining elements, you hybrid a style and it is no longer authentic. The new elements become style detractions that purest refuse to accept. The only logical step is to make additional changes to create a totally new style. Much like what Chippendale didÂto the delight of those of us that cannot stand Rococo anything. Okay, maybe the paintings of Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun; but her painting was strongly influenced by the Neo-Classical style.

That said, I agree, steve o, there are few designers capable of creating a new style.