Alex Bernhardt, Jr. featured in Furniture Today article discussing how design awareness is shaping the furniture industry.
Bernhardt Furniture is more than 130 years old, but despite the century-old success story, leadership at the legacy manufacturer isn’t interested in maintaining status quo.
As many in the furniture industry are trying to develop a business strategy in the midst of a unpredictable economy and shifting consumer demographic, Alex Bernhardt, Jr., CEO, is drawing on generations of family knowledge as well as a philosophy that the furniture consumer has forever changed.
“Because of social media, the Internet, the consumer is just aware of design in a way that they never really were before,” Bernhardt said. “So when we were really modernizing the look of our line, the consumer’s taste level got a lot better, and we found that we could create pieces that we personally loved and that would do volume."
For the second High Point Market, the Bernhardt team is welcoming buyers to its new standalone showroom in the Hamilton-Wrenn design district. Against a backdrop of distinctive architecture — some existing and some enhanced during the remodel — the North Carolina-based company is showcasing its latest mix of introductions, all with an aesthetic that Bernhardt himself refers to as “rustic modern.”
“Everything we do is very organic,” said Bernhardt. “There’s a lot of mixed media to it. We never just build in one material. It’s always metal with woven materials, with different stone. And it’s that combination of looks pulled together in an environment that I think is very much signature for what we do.”
The signature aesthetic evolved as Bernhardt’s dual role of CEO and creative director evolved. He credits his grandfather, father and mother with creating a strong company from the ground up and says he is committed to building on the family legacy.
Credit: Cindy W. Hodnett