Furniture is a fashion issue

Bernhardt has survived multiple world wars and economic upheavals, even producing its own currency during the Great Depression, and is still going strong today. Founded by John Mathias Bernhardt in 1889 in Lenoir, North Carolina, the company began as a manufacturer of commercial bedroom furniture and has since grown into a high-end design firm. Alex Bernhardt Jr., the founder’s great-grandson, never expected to join the family business until a crossroads in his real estate career finally brought him on board in the mid-1990s. Like all the Bernhardts who ran the company before him, he began working every production position in the factory. It was incredibly valuable for me to understand what these guys in the factory thought about life and jobs and creating furniture and how to put things together, he told host Dennis Scully on the latest episode of Home Business Podcast. Certainly, as I became more involved in furniture design, that experience of getting my hands dirty, of making things in a factory, has always stayed with me.

Since 2009, Bernhardt Jr. has served as president and CEO, leading the company away from its roots in the commercial market by embracing interior designers. [Originally]“We didn’t really welcome everyone into our showroom,” he says. To open its doors to more industry members, the brand had to add more product development capabilities, increase its customization capabilities and improve the departments that handle customer service and shipping. [Interior designers] “It allows us to showcase design much more than if we were just selling to department stores and retailers,” he says. “The interior design world is the most ambitious player we work with.”

Elsewhere in the episode, Bernhardt Jr. explains what it's like to work with RH, why he doesn't stress about dupes, and why furniture is, first and foremost, a fashion industry.

Crucial information: Since Bernhardt Jr. took over the company, he has decided to focus on creating an identifiable look for the company’s designs rather than taking a generalist approach. In observing a number of retailers, both in the home furnishings and ready-to-wear sectors, I have found that the best thing we can do to establish a brand is to be associated with a specific aesthetic. And rightly so. [or] “I started removing things we wouldn’t do and certain looks we wouldn’t have,” he says. “We’re very committed to aesthetics in all of our product categories, [which have] an organic, modern, minimalist feel, and it is through this lens that everything should be seen.

Key quote: We don't talk about our heritage much in our advertising. Every time we hired a new advertiser, [agency]They would say, Oh, you have a unique position [on] “The craftsmanship, the age, the history, you have to sell that product for all its value. And I would say to them, ‘This is a fashion industry. Yes, that kind of heritage is very important for consumer confidence, but if that’s the main thing you’re selling, it’s just not a good model to inspire people,’” he says. “They want to be inspired by what they see, and if we just talk about our heritage and our craftsmanship, I think we’re missing out on the new consumer who is much more interested in the specific aesthetic of the lifestyle that we’re moving toward.”

This episode is sponsored by Flood. Listen to the show below. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple Podcasts Or Spotify.

BOH Editor-in-Chief Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the design industry, including supply chain issues some are calling Covid Junior, out-of-control real estate prices and the future of the family decorator. Later, designer Rosemary Hallgarten and Thibaut CEO Rick Kilmer join the show to talk about the deal that will see their companies join forces.

Listen to the show below. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple Podcasts Or Spotify.