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Theodore Alexander
Blog • 7 mins • Monday February 1, 2021

Attention to Detail: Small Features With a Big Impact

At Green Front Furniture, we are invested in the details. We know these are the little (or big!) features on your unique home furniture that can transform an entire room. We buy from manufacturers who feel the same way.

We order Theodore Alexander and Jonathan Charles by the container load and carry a large inventory of lamps, end tables, coffee tables, chests, buffets, sideboards, pub tables, barstools, mirrors, decoupage wall hangings, dining tables and chairs, bookcases, corner cabinets, benches, home decor and beds.

Jonathan Charles and Theodore Alexander offer unique home furniture lines that are rooted in craftsmanship and detail. Commitment and attention to the smallest details is what makes these manufacturers unique. Jonathan Charles CEO Jonathan Sewter relates a story of creating an oyster secretary cabinet so ornate that the hardware from regular suppliers wasn’t sufficient. Employees ultimately handmade the hardware on-site. Ever since, all brass and metal hardware has been manufactured on-site. This minute attention to the smallest finishing is a defining feature for both Jonathan Charles and Theodore Alexander.

Additionally, both manufacturers highlight fair and ethical trade practices as well as environmentally sourced products. You can find their extensive selections of unique home furniture on the first and second floors of Building 9 and the first and third floors of Building 10.

Inlays, veneers and hardware – The magic of details

Did you know that veneer is an intricate woodworking technique? While all veneers are a type of inlay, accomplished by applying a thin layer of wood to a core, Jonathan Charles and Theodore Alexander specialize in the painstaking marquetry, stringing and banding techniques.

These methods provide incredible patterns and distinctions on the wood, and virtually all must be done by hand. Elaborate brass or other metal hardware details, such as intricate crowns, figures and animals, are also meticulously designed to pull the viewer into a closer appreciation of such unique home furniture.

A desk with details

The “Gray and Gilded Secretary Desk” puts Jonathan Charles’ commitment to detail on full display. From top to bottom, this remarkable piece is filled with amazing (and tiny) details. Starting with the three adjustable shelves within, the fall front of the lower section includes a fully lined curved interior with an inset leather writing surface.

Gray and Gilded Secretary Desk

This desk also features four graduated drawers and was designed to closely model an original piece from 1770. In the style of many Jonathan Charles items, the desk comes with a specially designed key.

Floral-inspired accents

Details are even sweeter when they are flowers. Consider a delicately floraled cabinet or Chinoiserie-style lacquer table. Painstakingly hand-painted, no two pieces are exactly the same. The cabinet comes with Jonathan Charles’ signature key. Behold! The beauty of details.

Details don’t always have to be small. Sometimes they can make a luxe, larger-than-life statement. The “Finely Carved and Gilded Rococo style mirror” from Jonathan Charles is what gilt-edged dreams are made of. What better way to bring the richness and glamour of the Rococo style to a space? Inspired by an original dating from 1700, the fine scrolls and floral ornaments, topped with a stylized fleur-de-lis, complete this breathtaking mirror.

A bureaux with secrets

From the largest to the smallest details, the Grand Staircase Fall Front Bureaux gives a whole new meaning to taking the stairs. This stunning bureau from the Althorp Living History Collection by Theodore Alexander is proof. Hidden compartments, drawers and a softly glowing veneer finish bring every intricate detail to life. Step up to something special and discover the stately beauty of these incredibly elaborate details from Theodore Alexander.

All in one amazing piece, you’ll find:

  • A fitted interior of faux books and hidden drawers and compartments
  • A staircase gallery interior
  • A short frieze drawer flanked by dummy drawers
  • Two short and two long drawers below, on bracket feet
  • Sides with hidden drawers

A grand bookcase

The “Grand Designs Bookcase/Cabinet” (from the top) features carefully etched brass urn finials to four oval inlaid cupboard doors, this multifunctional piece highlights a key detailing difference to watch for: inlay. Inlay is generally known as wood or any type of decoration applied to the surface of wood. Spotted on the cupboard doors is a mahogany veneer inlay. Theodore Alexander specializes in this centuries-old, painstaking technique known for giving a rich, dimensional feel to each piece.

A Shakespearean treasure

Shakespeare Buffet

A sonnet, anyone? The “Shakespeare Buffet,” from Theodore Alexander’s Althorp collection, is brought to life with the rich tones of flame-figured mahogany veneering. Elegant lionhead brass accents and intricate crown handles add layers of interest to this gorgeous yet functional piece. It contains four drawers, two cutlery inserts and three adjustable shelves.

Small but mighty Chinoiserie cabinet

Daguerre Chinoiserie Cabinet

If you’re still undecided about inlays and veneering, we at Green Front Furniture will make the choice easy for you. The “Daguerre Chinoiserie Cabinet” from Theodore Alexander packs a lot of punch for a relatively small piece. With two hand-painted chinoiserie scenes and a base with bound reed carved details and fluted columns, this compact but elegant cabinet is proof that you don’t have to go all out on a large piece to let details shine.

Small table with big impact

Another diminutive piece that makes a strong statement is Theodore Alexander’s “Inspiration Centre Table.” A center table perfect for entrance ways and other small areas, the incredible marquetry veneering gives depth, while the octagonal coffered ceiling design is an unexpected twist.

Satinwood console full of flair

The Jonathan Charles “Adam style satinwood console” is full of small, perfect details. From the tiny hardware swags along the curved side to the exquisite but understated floral inlaying on top, this side table features a drawer and a flame-veneered underlier.

A chest to make your own

What can you do with customization from Theodore Alexander and Jonathan Charles? Just about anything. “Lady Jersey’s Chest,” shown here with mahogany panels over the four drawers, is available in each of the Theodore Alexander’s Custom Pallet Program’s unique saturated shades and metallic leaves, ranging from warm flamenco to delicate chiffon.

A sideboard with drama

The “Hamilton Sideboard” from Theodore Alexander offers is than just a unique home furniture piece. Taking inspiration from an antique French buffet sideboard, the marble top features molded corners and concave sides. The solid brass cast hardware against the dark mahogany finish adds drama. Elegant and functional, this sideboard is another beautifully customizable piece from Theodore Alexander, available in over 40 specialty finishes.

From delicate details to jaw-dropping ones, Theodore Alexander and Jonathan Charles bring incredible design to the showroom floor at Green Front every day. Highlighting the craftsmanship of inlay with skilled veneering and marquetry techniques, these pieces bring the details into focus. These unique home furniture lines are perfect for starting a new year — come and check out the massive selection at our Farmville location today.

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