Currey & Company produces furniture designed in-house. The company specializes in exquisite finishes, natural materials, and diversity of style. We spoke with Jenny Heinzen York, the company’s Director of Marketing for an insight into the company’s design process and inspiration.
Let’s start out by learning a bit more about your company. What makes your brand and products unique?
Currey & Company is a 32-year-old, second-generation family-owned business based in Georgia. We proudly produce an extensive line of in-house-designed fine home furnishings, including lighting, furniture, accessories and outdoor. Our products are handcrafted by artisans all over the world and are true statement pieces. We consider ourselves to be the “designer’s best friend,” as we consistently maintain a 90%+ in-stock rate, quick shipping on our entire line, and a range of products that can start or finish any installation.
Do you have a favorite piece in your collection or a new item or collection coming that designers might not know about?
I love the new Piero chandelier. It’s a oversized white basket-style design that I can see fitting in all sorts of beautiful spaces. It’s substantial, yet airy in vibe.
Who or what inspires you most when conceiving of your designs?
Our designers are inspired by travel, fashion, nature and so much more. Identifying what consumers are looking for in their homes and finding the unique twists that make the pieces “Currey” are the driving forces behind our bountiful offerings each season.
What is the process behind coming up with new designs and products?
Our designers are all charged with creating beautiful things with few guidelines or restrictions. Their early drawings are culled through team meetings, then move through sampling, production tweaks and safety testing, then on to a larger group that selects the pieces that best represent our desired aesthetics, price points and style stories.
What is your favorite part about the manufacturing industry?
The start-to-finish nature of what we do. We see the earliest concept drawings all the way through to final installations in beautiful homes. Our artisans are incredibly skilled and use traditional techniques that transform the sketches and concepts into true works of art.
Please speak to the custom nature of your lines.
While we are not a true “custom” line, we are able to alter finishes and some other details as needed. There is, however, an upcharge to that and a lead time extension. We can customize for multi-piece hospitality projects or for single pieces.
Please give us an overview of the more personal side of your business, who’s behind it, how did it come to be, any interesting stories about the origin or the founders you can share?
Though we are known today for our lighting and furniture, we began as a purveyor of historic garden furnishings in 1988 when Robert and Suzanne Currey founded Garden Source Furnishings.
What began as a party of two is now a vibrant business that employs approximately 550 professionals spread around the globe—from our headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, to Currey International in the Philippines, India and China; and our International Sales Office in Hong Kong. Our current CEO is Robert and Suzy’s son Brownlee Currey. There is a common thread that runs through our entire history, and that is the spirit of creativity.
The use of natural materials, attention to details, time-honored craftsmanship and product designs influenced by authenticity, design history and timely trends are all part of the creative process at Currey & Company. Ours is a people business. We know our company thrives when people advance in every aspect of their lives. The essence of Currey & Company is not only the product for which we are known, but the people who help to create and carefully deliver them into the hands of our customers. The commitment to making everyone’s world a better one starts at the top and trickles down through our company’s strata. This was a purposeful intention because we know that our ability to deliver on our promises to customers—quality products, efficient shipping, effective customer service—is a byproduct of an empowered workforce
What is your “sustainability” story?
We are committed to lessening the impact our processes and products have on our environment. These efforts are undertaken in our factories, showrooms, warehouse and office, and represent a core value of Currey & Company.
We achieve this in a number of ways:
- Currey & Company is a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council since 2010;
- Currey & Company is the winner of 2020 ARTS Green Award;
- We manage a paperless warehouse;
- We use recycled and renewable resources: natural shells and stones, reclaimed wood, recycled glass, rattan, bamboo, driftwood, responsibly sourced wood, and more;
- We are a U.S. distributor of Tala LED lightbulbs
- We serve organic meals and compostable serveware in all of our showrooms;
- And we recycling and compost in the warehouse, office and showrooms;
Follow Currey and Company on Instagram at: @curreyco.