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New Home, Same Resolve: Davis Furniture Unveils New Headquarters

by Mark McMenamin

For nearly 80 years, Davis Furniture has staunchly defended two loyalties: the aesthetics of modern design, and the community of High Point, North Carolina. The manufacturer reinforced its commitment to both this summer with the debut of its new state-ofthe art headquarters, a hybrid office-showroom-plant where Davis can make, show, and market in a space-efficient footprint.

“In the wake of unprecedented times, our focus on a modern and evolved corporate headquarters proves itself a manifestation of the Davis brand,” says president and chief executive officer Danny Davis. Together with his son Brian Davis and daughter Ashley Davis Williams, Mr. Davis enlisted the expertise of frequent collaborator Bob Bazemore to partner with Davis vice president of development and design Rob Easton in the Mercer Architecture-helmed project.

The team began by quizzing employees about privacy and ownership of space. This prompted an investigation of the proper balance between focus areas, community places and in-between zones. “The workplace experience is shaped through the support of three distinct action clusters: doing, seeing, feeling,” says Bazemore. “An outstanding workplace experience delivers on all three.”

The “seeing” aspect is immediately satisfied by the gleaming façade’s 12-foot-high windows that draw natural light into the complex. A 20-foot-high entrance hall leads to the main corridor’s common areas, which casts the spotlight on furnishings from longtime Davis collaborators such as jehs+laub and Jonathan Prestwich, as well as other international designers like Mario Ferrarini and Dante Bonuccelli.

Casual gathering spaces are populated with current Davis lounge seating and punctuated with colorful selections from the Davis Elements series. Solid-wood desks in private offices are matched with Davis executive seating and guest chairs. The main office floor features custom desking, privacy screens and sideboards.

Naturally, Davis gives southern hospitality its due. The manufacturer’s all-weather collections support socialization on the expansive outdoor terrace, while the atrium-like café is anchored by a 24-foot-long Tix community table. Constructed from a single oak tree, it’s a simultaneous nod to the company’s sustainable solid-wood heritage and partnerships with European suppliers. As Danny Davis puts it, “This new facility brings together top-tier manufacturing and an unwavering focus on design.”