Bassett Furniture launching licensed collection with Heather Chadduck Hillegas
BASSETT, Va. — Bassett Furniture will launch a major furniture collection in partnership with decorator, textile designer and photo stylist Heather Chadduck Hillegas at High Point Market in October.
The collection will feature 30 furniture pieces with five finishes and 70 in-line fabrics chosen by Chadduck, who said the collection is designed to become the “new staples of American decorating.”
Rob Spilman Jr., chairman and CEO of Bassett, said the whole home collection speaks to the new expression of the Bassett brand and the company’s commitment to helping retailers “make doors swing” while also leaning further into serving the interior design community.
“Heather’s reputation in the design world speaks for itself,” Spilman said. “Her aesthetic is a perfect fit for Bassett.”
Chadduck’s background includes editorial work for several magazines including Cottage Living, Coastal Living and Southern Living. Known for interiors rooted in tradition, she took on the role of Williamsburg’s second Designer in Residence three years ago, reimagining the interior of the historic Nelson-Galt House, the oldest residential dwelling in Colonial Williamsburg.
According to officials, her love of fine arts, antiques and textiles led her to start her own design business and launch a botanical-inspired fabric collection, now sold in trade showrooms across the globe. Based in Birmingham, Ala., Chadduck was raised in Martinsville, Va., near the Bassett family and was contacted by her long-time friend Anne Spilman Souter, creative director and vice president of product development for Bassett, about a collaboration.
“Anne and I have such a mutual respect for one another, and we both saw a need in the industry for attainable, high-quality pieces that you can make your own,” Chadduck said. “In imagining this collection for Bassett, we created something that feels timeless. Years from now, I want people to see these pieces as the new classics, the antiques of future generations.”
The pieces in the collection were inspired by traditional silhouettes that Chadduck consistently searches out for her own clients, from a classic English roll arm sofa with a waterfall skirt to antique bamboo beds, officials noted.
“We spent a lot of time perfecting the five finishes for the collection as it was important to highlight the reeding of the knuckles for dimension. The blue, green and white paint finishes are spot on and are the most common colors used in our practice for painted furniture. We also did a honey and dark walnut stain found in old English pieces. The entire collection is traditional, but it feels very organic and fresh,” said Chadduck, adding that working with Bassett “is a designer’s dream in terms of speed and quality and the fact that their upholstered furniture is still being made in North Carolina, goes a long way.”
The Heather Chadduck for Bassett collection will debut in Bassett’s new showroom in the International Home Furnishings Center, space M-101 at October High Point Market.
