They walked the streets of New York, Hong Kong, Dallas and Atlanta, shopping boutiques, store windows, antique shops, art galleries and jewelry stores. They scoured the pages of magazines and catalogs, with a trail of sticky notes marking pages of inspiration. They sat side by side for hours in the product development room at the Hooker Furniture headquarters in Martinsville, Va., glued to the computer screen one minute and bouncing ideas off of each other the next.
Cindy Hall, a Generation X mother of two, and Erica Wingo, a Generation Y single and 2007 college graduate, were the co-developers of the Mélange Accents Collection, a group of one-of-a-kind artistic accents meant to inspire its owners.
As they created Mélange, they were determined to make the collection unlike any other in the marketplace. They intentionally looked not to the expected source of furniture design for direction, but instead incorporated elements from apparel, art, textiles, jewelry and housewares. For instance, one chest has a painted motif inspired by an antique candle sconce. Another features a two tone gray and citrine color palette with a shimmering finish inspired by a decorative pillow. Drawers are lined with patterns or colors taken from textiles or wallpaper.
The L’Inspiration Script Chest is covered with French script, describing the essence of the collection in words such as “witty, romantic, edgy, pretty and bold.”
While Mélange is a collection of artistic pieces, each has its own story. “We hope that Mélange will provide that spark needed to begin the transformation of a room and a renaissance in your life,” said Cindy. Adds Erica, “We hope you make an emotional connection with each piece.”
The creation of Mélange was a labor of love for Cindy and Erica. As they worked together, chemistry, creativity and their determined character combined to create something we hope will touch the lives and homes of others in a special way.
One of the many personality filled pieces of Mélange, the Flowered Drum Table is now part of a contest honoring Mother’s Day month in May. Visit here to find out how you can win!
And let us know with your comments what you think of Cindy and Erica’s creation!
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