Bassett Furniture’s Newbury collection was developed under the direction of interior designer and creative director Anne Spilman Souter.
BASSETT, Va. — In the furniture industry, Bassett Furniture is a legacy company with a longstanding presence in both manufacturing and retail. Founded in 1902 by J.D. Bassett and his brother, C.C. Bassett, the company now operates five plants totaling 830,000 square feet of production space in the U.S., serving as an omnichannel resource for domestically produced upholstery, solid wood and outdoor furniture for residential, contract and hospitality markets.
This April, Bassett is debuting Newbury, a new 35-piece whole home collection, at High Point Market, and officials state that the launch is notable as one that represents both an expanded aesthetic focus as well as a signature introduction from Anne Spilman Souter, who as Bassett’s creative director oversaw all elements of Newbury’s development.
“Newbury represents our vision of traditional design reimagined: fresh, relevant, versatile and meticulously detailed,” said Souter. “The current times are stressful, and our research consistently told us that people want to exhale when they get home, surrounded by the things they love. We wanted to achieve a feeling of warmth in a comprehensive collection that could easily be personalized, with individual, sculptural pieces that could live within the collection or be used on their own.”
Prior to joining Bassett, Souter was at the helm of a successful New York City design firm. Newbury is “the first major Bassett collection that bears the imprimatur of Souter,” officials said, adding that the designer’s perspective on a refreshed traditional aesthetic is seen in materials, form and pieces inspired by cultural references.
Officials noted that among the collection’s many stand-out pieces are a sculptural console reminiscent of stacked Jenga blocks, a credenza, cocktail and console with reeding details, rounded cabinets with glass fronts available in either white oak or gesso finish with grasscloth detail, and a cocktail table with drawer storage that can be accessed from both sides.
White oak, grasscloth and pencil rattan figure prominently, as does a textural, gesso finish on some of the case pieces that uses a thatching technique that resembles the warp and weft of fabric.
Grasscloth is incorporated throughout the line in unique ways, including a subtle chevron pattern with a warm white finish in the backs of bookcases and on the front of credenzas. For bedroom, a blue striae-patterned grasscloth is used on nightstands and dressers, with a warmer, neutral grasscloth also available as an option. Hand-forged hardware in distinctive bee-skep shapes rendered in polished nickel with an antique patina was custom designed to complement the warmer neutrals.
With a nod to whole-home curation, merchandised accessories create cohesion with Newbury’s concept and enable the statement pieces to work in any environment, whether traditional, modern or more casual and relaxed. In this category, a bedding ensemble was developed specifically for the collection, including an Indian block print incorporating sage greens, mustard yellows and saffron spice tones with a variety of layers ranging from a striped coverlet to a quilted duvet.
“We thought a lot about how the pieces could or would be used in different rooms, and not just living, dining and bedrooms, but also entries and vestibules, the kind of common spaces that call for one fabulous piece,” Souter said.
Suggested retail pricing on the collection ranges from $349 for an occasional table to statement pieces at $2,199.
See also:
l