April 2021
Issue 14
SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL REMAINS By Brad Cates The lyrics to Tina Turner’s song “Something Beautiful Remains,” written long before the pandemic, feels somehow Monthly Newsletter prescient and right for our times now given its hook: “For every light that fades, something beautiful remains.” Pandemic exhaustion (some call it pandemic fatigue) is among the dominant themes in the media, and most of the stories I’ve read focus on how to persevere, with the writers usually suggesting more sleep, eating a more balanced diet and so on. Here’s my suggestion: Seek out beauty and surround yourself with it. We humans are naturally attracted to beauty. Numerous studies have found that even infants just a few hours old show they prefer attractive faces. I don’t know whether babies have an inherent sense of aesthetic, but I know I do. My friends know that while I am a math geek, I started out as a Fine Arts major and continue to paint in my free time. Indeed, the majority of the paintings on the walls in our showroom are usually mine. That’s because I have a very clear vision for all things Sarreid, from a potential product’s first sketches to how it will eventually be displayed in our showroom and how that showroom will be perceived. Throughout the last year, I have found that beauty sustains and energizes me. In fact, when the pressures of the job leave me feeling exhausted, I typically head out to the warehouse where I take in the new arrivals and remind myself what we are all about here. I have to say that I have never been more excited to show you all that’s new and coming than I am right now. We are in the midst of a quantum change, taking our “baby” steps toward becoming a whole-home solution. The new upholstered goods and classic, European-design chairs we’ve brought in are both beautiful and appropriately scaled for the American market. While we have always made it our business to present objects of desire, we’re expanding beyond singular looks with line extensions that give consumers, and your clients, more reasons to say “yes.” As example, our new cane pieces combine old-school texture and the architecturally graphic elements of caning with Midcentury influenced designs in open pore finishes with a lot of hang. Continued on Page 2
IN THIS ISSUE Trend Spotting Team Spotlight Sustainability
NEW Introductions Continued from Page 1 Right now, I am looking at a tall chest with self-closing doors, and multiple occasional chairs that swivel, looks that while spectacularly beautiful are also very, very livable. Each of the new pieces arriving here on a daily basis are meant to visually delight while creating highly functional spaces that wrap you in comfort. Built by partners around the globe, all of whom are true artisans using the best metals, leathers, and woods, the new Sarreid design ethos is taking shape, day by day, hour by hour and minute by minute. I can tell you we are fast moving from being a company that was all about items to a company that’s about well-designed collections at approachable price points, with products largely in-stock and available right now. Yet, with all the changes and improvements, one thing is absolutely certain: As we emerge exhausted from the past year, you’ll find something beautiful remains. Swivel
1
New Finishes
2
Brass
3
TREND SPOTTING @ HIGH POINT PREMARKET APRIL 25-27 4
View our 2021 New Product Portfolio
6 5
Texture Scalloped
1 Baker Swivel Chair
2 Vineyards Two Drawer Chest
3 Remington Leather Box on Stand
53468 Vintage Cigar Leather31"w x 38"d x 38"h
53347 Flaky Pine Finish 44"w x 18"d x 32"h
53537 Wood, Leather, Brass 24"w x 12"d x 24"h
4 Bauhaus Chest of Drawers
5 The Dutch Sideboard
6 Stacked Bench
53448 Antique Grey 79"w x 16"d x 38"h
53528-1 Stone Grey 61"w x 19"d x 30"h
53372 Stormy Grey 40"w x 19"d x 35"h
TEAM SPOTLIGHT Spotlight on: April Davis Sarreid is unique among the majority of corporations today in that our executive team members have been with the company in excess of twenty years each. Their combined experience and expertise in all things Sarreid are simply invaluable to our success. April Davis, showroom manager, is a prime example. April joined the company 25 years ago as a Market assistant, a position she ably handled while raising two young boys. Charles Hoffman named her showroom manager eight years later. About her job she says with a laugh, “It’s a lot like being a Mom to a much bigger family.” That’s because as showroom manager, she is charged with keeping everyone safe, fed and generally playing well together from the time she swings open the doors in the morning until lights out at night. Comparing planning Market to planning a wedding every six months, April’s responsibilities encompass everything from ordering food and shopping to coordinating speakers and training Market assistants to do the job she once did. When the pandemic began, she went to work researching safety protocols, developing signage and a master calendar for appointments that would allow everyone to spread out as they worked. And she took on the unenviable task of mask enforcement. Whenever the showroom is jumping, rather than keep customers waiting, it’s not unusual to see Davis sharing her extensive product knowledge and showing off the season’s introductions. As it happens, the showroom manager is intimately familiar with the product line, given that her own home is full of it, from a leather Chesterfield she adores, to a mirror in her foyer. “I’ve had that piece for 25 years and it’s still beautiful,” she relates. “We built our house around the time I started with the company, so over the years I’ve been able to fill it with things from Sarreid. These days, however, I do try to stick to one rule: Just one piece per Market!” A true people person, April describes her role as “planning, planning, planning, and then the party. I love seeing the final product, the showroom all set up and hearing the customers exclaim when they come in, and being able to interact with everyone, from our team to all the reps and our customers. Over the years, I’ve stepped in and worked territories by phone when we were interviewing to fill a position. Being involved on the sales end, I got to see how customer service operated and it was amazing to me. I would listen and think, ‘This business is handled like a high-end retail store, a place where I would want to shop, because they really take care of their customers.’ People wonder why our core group has stayed together for so long; it’s because they take care of their employees in the same way.” Noting that the position of showroom manager is ideal because she thrives on organization, April adds, “It’s been fun to watch how the company’s product line has changed over the years. People will still say, ‘Oh, you’re that traditional company that sells accessories,’ and I say, ‘No, we’re not. Come in and let me show you around.’ I live just ten minutes away and my cell phone number is on every piece of information that goes out because whenever someone is coming through town, I am happy to get them into the showroom. I love swinging open the doors because I’m so proud to work here."
Celebrating Sarreid's 50th Anniversary
I love swinging open the doors because i am so proud to work here."
April and her two beautiful granddaughters
TREND WATCH: SUSTAINIBILITY Today's consumers are increasingly interested in sustainably designed furnishings and spaces. In fact, many people say they are willing to pay more for home furnishings that are both stylish and environmentally safe. We hear you! At Sarreid, we have always made it a point to reduce environmental impact. To do this we make much of our furniture with recycled materials and more sustainable woods such as acacia and reclaimed pine. Celebrate this Earth Day and check out all of our reclaimed wood designs!
Earth Day April 22, 2021
#30083 Classic Chinese Coffee Table made from reclaimed Pine
Karen, Brad and Mickey carefully inspecting a truckload of new samples, 100% of which were made from reclaimed wood.
#53270 Chantal Console Table Reclaimed Pine in Sage Finish
#25684 Old Barnwood Cocktail Table Upcycled and reused Acacia Wood