At High Point Market, Designers Celebrate a Major Theodore Alexander Milestone With AD

If you were at High Point Market this year, you definitely saw The Chair. The Chippendale-style seat, a towering 15-feet tall, standing sentinel outside Theodore Alexander, the 30-year-old furniture manufacturer known for its craftsmanship and artisan techniques. Naturally, as Market attendees gathered for the Theodore Alexander anniversary party on October 16, the mammoth Pentreath chair served as the entrance’s red-carpet beacon.After the requisite photo ops with the chair, party co-hosts AD PRO Senior Editor Mel Studach, AD100 Hall of Fame talent Alexa Hampton (Mark Hampton), and AD PRO Directory designers Rasheeda Gray (Gray Space Interiors) and Lisa Shaffer (Lisa & Leroy) welcomed guests into the celebration, which flowed across the showroom’s four floors and rooftop patio. “Since its founding in 1996, Theodore Alexander has built a legacy rooted in craftsmanship, creativity, and a deep respect for the art of furniture making,” said Studach in her opening remarks, which paid homage to company founder Paul Maitland Smith, who passed away earlier this fall at the age of 90. “He proved that exceptional design is as much about the hands that make it as the vision that inspires it. It’s that championing of artisan techniques that has always made this showroom a highlight on my High Point Market agenda.”Designer Lisa Shaffer, AD PRO Senior Editor Mel Studach, designer Alexa Hampton, Theodore Alexander President Ed Taplitz, designer Rasheeda Gray, and Theodore Alexander VP of Marketing Sydney Wells Martin. Photo: Alberto GonzalezGuests including Richard Anuszkiewicz (Raith Design), Amber Guyton (Blessed Little Bungalow), Lisa Mende (Lisa Mende Design), and Francis Toumbakaris (Francis Interiors) mingled on the showroom’s amber-lit patio, while others wandered to the lower-level floors where they were invited to view the season’s new collections—Voyager, Greenwich, and Heritage. (The latter is Theodore Alexander’s re-introduction of Maitland Smith’s archival designs in refreshed proportions and finishes.)The Theodore Alexander Manhasset Design Center Photography courtesy of Theodore AlexanderThe furniture manufacturer has been undergoing something of a renaissance. Earlier this summer Theodore Alexander unveiled its first showroom open to the public and trade professionals, a 40,000-square-foot flagship in Manhasset, New York. Their workshop’s artisan know-how is delivered in subtle, humble brags throughout the showroom: an ombre pedestal table handpainted in singular, delicate streaks; a collection of rhythmic wood marquetry handlaid with craftsman precision; gilded armchairs with hand-embroidered silk cushions. Featuring more than 6,000 SKUs, the design center showcases Theodore Alexander’s breadth of design vernaculars, including collaborations with Hampton, Judith Leiber Couture, and Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer—with thousands of styles available in-stock. The Manhasset flagship also offers Theodore Alexander’s made-to-order customization capabilities across every collection.Over cocktails, wood-fired pizzas, and live music, guests hobnobbed, swapped notes on Market, and celebrated the brand’s remarkable legacy. As they departed, they were gifted that signature Pentreath chair—a miniature keychain version, cast in polished brass—a charming symbol of the decades to come.Party co-hosts AD PRO Senior Editor Mel Studach, AD100 Hall of Famer Alexa Hampton (Mark Hampton), and AD PRO Directory designers Rasheeda Gray (Gray Space Interiors) and Lisa Shaffer (Lisa & Leroy). Photo: Alberto GonzalezPhoto: Alberto GonzalezPhoto: Alberto GonzalezPhoto: Alberto GonzalezPhoto: Alberto GonzalezPhoto: Alberto GonzalezPhoto: Alberto GonzalezPhoto: Alberto GonzalezPhoto: Alberto GonzalezGet AD-ApprovedJoin the AD PRO Directory, AD’s professional network that gives you access to exclusive events and exposure to the future clients. Learn moreArrow