High Point Market

Hi friends, High Point furniture Market in North Carolina has ended. One of the great things about being at market is being able to see and hear the reaction to our new designs by friends who know us and are familiar with our work as well as to meet new designers and retailers who have never seen us before. It's always refreshing to share the ways the Lord has influenced our work and to have the privilege to be present in moments with people when they are discovering who we really are and who is at the core of our work. Sometimes tears actually fall when the connection is made and we have given, as well as received, prayer right in our booth. With the visual overload we create, its fun to see which piece of furniture emerges as the star of the show. This show, as with all shows, there wasn’t one piece that was the attention grabber there were many. So hmm.... which one was it??? Which piece received the most notable comments? One piece may have a story of how God sent us an instant message concerning how to solve a problem; another has a story of how the inspiration came from an alter in a cathedral. Honestly, almost every piece has a God story surrounding it so it's hard to choose. What we do know is that as artists, in what is termed as the ‘secular world,’ there is a place for us who openly choose to put our faith in God in our designs. So, is it art, furniture or both? Of all the over the top pieces the we presented, I have to say the most talked about piece in this show goes to........The Scripture Dining Table. People seemed to have a moment when they realized what the table is literally saying. Keep in mind that it's a regular dining table but it's what we did to it that causes people to stop and think. Now, here comes the symbolism. I feel like this is technical jargon but this is what takes it from ordinary to extraordinary. First, the ordinary table itself has meaning being equated with the human heart. The basis of this meaning comes from what scripture teaches us. It says the Holy Spirit inscribes the word of the Lord upon it, our heart tablet. In this case the table is functioning as the heart tablet. The bible also calls the heart the alter where matters are resolved. Figuratively speaking, the table functions as the heart in the owner's life. The finish on the table is our espresso finish; black plaint that is sanded down in various places. Black is the color you get when you mix all the colors together. This represents all the people of the world. God delights in diversity. The sanding down and distressing process of the wood represents God’s use of trial in our lives to show us amazing things that we wouldn’t see without them. As Christians we are simply called to follow Christ and love the people in this world. But how we do that in real life completely depends on our individuality. The circle inlay on the table is 4” wide. Four is the number for world impact by way of the four corners of the earth. Prophetically, the number represents something with world impact primarily signifying the four compass points: north, south, east, and west. In its intent or effect, Divine intervention acts spiritually involving the four winds of creation running the course of the four quarters of the earth; a Divine command that encompasses humanity and its planet. While seven is the number of global impact focusing on continents of the earth, the number four emphasizes the planet within the orb. The circle is representative of the cycle of life that we start and end in the same place, with God. We carved the words from one of the ‘Be Attitudes’ Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled,” in the center of the circle inlay. Incidentally, the inlay represents us being grafted into the family of God through Christ. Finally, the design is complete with a five inch border around the table that is overlaid with pages of distressed scripture. This finish says many different things. In some ways I'm reluctant to give a specific meaning because, as with the bible itself, God talks individually to the person. Suffice it to say that the very idea of the scraping aspect speaks volumes concerning how biblical truths sometimes have a scraping effect on us. If you could design your table to express anything you wanted about your life, or your family’s life, what would you incorporate in it? What would it look like? If you had the opportunity to create a table that would be passed down through your family what would you choose to be your legacy design? Think about it and when you’re ready, we’ll be here to help bring your creation to life. The great part is, with Emmanuel you can really make that happen. Blessings, Nelson J. Nelson

Real Estate Remodel

Once upon a time in 1979, a quaint farmhouse was built in the northern reaches outside of the Dallas metropolitan area in Frisco Texas. It was in a pastoral, semi-rural community known as Stonebriar Creek Estates. Houses and farms dotted the wide open fields along with a few majestic Live Oak trees. Many of Dallas's movers and shakers settled there, away from the bustle of the city. Residents were likely to keep horses, chickens and to plant huge gardens on their substantial plots of land. Now, 31 years later, Stonebriar Creek Estates is a close-in community filled with trees, the plots are smaller, though still at least 2 acre each, and newer “mini mansions” neighbor the small farmhouses. Many of those old houses have been remolded into larger, more modern suburban homes sometimes with the original character intact and sometimes not. The house in our story is one of the latter. Even with the most extensive remodels, there is usually some inherited, recognizable element; a facade, shape, window or some such detail that reminds one of what was there before. But we dare anyone, except perhaps a bird that might notice a similar footprint from high above, to spot any similarities between the original Stonebriar Creek Estates house and it's remodeled successor. The ugly duckling from the 1970's has become a swan. A structure that could have easily been dismissed as a shack years ago, has become a sprawling contemporary Old world Tuscan home of stone where the sight of it often stops passing traffic. We were hired on just after the wrecking ball took out part of the original house and new framework towered over the partial existing structure. The house went from 3000 square feet to just over 12,000 square feet. Our clients favored an “Old World” relaxed Tuscan style so the plans began. Passion and desire is what comes to mind when I think of the Tuscan style home while creating a wonderful environment for celebrations with family and friends. Isn't that what the Italians are well known for family, feasts and celebrations? The key to Tuscan style decorating is remembering that Italian decor is inspired by the unique elements of nature. Wrought iron, the appearance of crumbling stone walls, rustic farmhouse decor, stone flooring, heavy distressed wood beams and furniture all come together giving a taste of Italy. Tuscan design provides a space with a warm, peaceful feeling. This is achieved by using warm colors such as reds, yellows, golds, browns and greens; earth tones. In today's homes, Tuscan decor is desirable because it is simple, yet gives off a comfortable and inviting feeling. It also provides the ability to show off pieces that have been loved in your family for many years. Our participation in design for this project included assisting our clients in stone selections, tile design, texture, paint colors and iron design. Our work in manufacturing included designing and building doors, hand wrought iron chandeliers, designing and making cabinetry hardware as well as scrolled iron window screens. In the main family gathering area we built and installed a custom cabinetry piece out of our Strong Tower Collection as a fireplace surround that houses a flat screen above. The front entry doors are another creation that came from the doors off a grand armoire that we manufacture. Our work in custom finishing can be seen on the kitchen island and the built in vanities in the bathrooms. Our clients also had us build, distress and finish several counter tops for the kitchen island and for the curved bar top in the game room kitchen. After 12 months, the finished home was featured as the 2010 TLC Home of Distinction. However, the greater honor is that our clients are very happy in their new home. It has been a wonderful experience working with Chip and Nikki. I want to thank them for the opportunity and new friendship. Blessings, Nelson J. Nelson

Building More Than Furniture

Think about this, Jesus chose 12 disciples. He hand-picked these men and none of them were perfect people. Each had their faults, short comings and weaknesses. Peter was hot tempered, loud and he liked to fight. Thomas was a doubter which means he was skeptical, cynical and negative. Mathew was a tax collector. They were known for being dishonest, crooked and manipulative. Yet Jesus looked these men in the eyes and said, “You are the light of the world, you are the salt of the earth.” He spoke the blessing. He was saying in effect, ‘I'm proud of you men. You are something special. You are going to do great things. You’re even going to impact the whole world.’ He was speaking it by faith. He was calling forth their potential. The fact is in the natural they weren’t anything special. They were fisherman, carpenters, tax people and just ordinary folks. But here’s what happens when you speak the blessing. Those 12 men rose to the level of what Jesus prophesied. They became what he declared. They not only impacted their generation, but what they did is even impacting us today. When you speak the blessing, when you call forth the potential,when you look at somebody and say I don't see just what you are but what you can become, you speak words of life, faith and victory and those words can help shape their destiny. That person will rise to the level of what you are prophesying. Your faith filled words release God’s favor, ability, confidence, and creativity. You can help set them down a whole new course. Don’t ever use the excuse that you’re not going to say it until you see it. No! You’ve got to say it and then you will see it. You've got to call it forth and your words have created a power. This soap box sermon comes from life experience. My former boss Mary Ann spoke blessing words over me. I in turn speak them over my staff. As I have said before, I am blessed most of all watching and helping my staff grow. This week I’d like to introduce you to Daniel Cruz . This young man is one that God is calling forth. He is named after the famous Daniel of the Bible. You know the guy with all that integrity and wisdom, who was thrown in with the hungry lions and lived to tell about it. Our Daniel is like him in many ways. His name literally means, “God is my judge” and he strives to live a life in his relationship with God as lovingly, seriously and respectfully as he can; a man after God’s heart. Daniel has come a long way from his beginning days here. He too started off with no experience in this industry like the rest of us. Daniel was hired as a sander in the finishing department in the beginning, and later, he advanced as the assistant to the department manager. One day, after months of conversations I was having with the Lord about a person to oversee the manufacturing and production, I was talking to Daniel and all of a sudden I saw him. Meaning, I saw him, an illumination that God gives you. I blurted out “It’s you! You’re the one! You’re supposed be the one overseeing manufacturing! Do you want to do it?” He looked me in the eyes and said, “Yes.” During this season many things changed for the better under Daniel’s direction. A year later, Daniel had to take a leave of absence due to a knee injury which required a surgery that took him several months to heal from. I wish he would let me tell you the miracle God blessed him with, but I understand that it was such an intensely personal moment with just him and God that I too would cherish it so much that I would want to keep that between me and God. During that time, one of the carpenters took the lead in Daniel’s absence and brought yet more positive changes to the production process. Another one of God's moves. Another thing that was happening at this time was the collapse of the economy that affected us all. Due to this, I had to ask Daniel to wait until January to come back to work. It wasn't a good time for him coming through a difficult, painful surgery and recovery. The position he was in before his surgery now looked as though it was filled by someone else. However it was a “looked like” situation. I had the download from God to let the man standing in Daniel’s position finish what He, God, had going. Honestly friends that was so hard for me to do, but I trusted that God had a plan and I too would have to wait until he revealed it. When Daniel came back, he humbly went back to being a sander. Now, I want to state that he didn’t perform any less than 100% and when asked to hang tight until God showed us what to do next, he didn’t have any problem with that. As his journey continued on, about half a year later, he again assumed the role of production manager until this past April. He now has accepted the new position of what I’m calling The Banker. He is overseeing the daily finances, purchasing and payroll. All of which he’s doing a great job at. I would really like to express my gratitude to God for blessing me with a very unique and dedicated staff. I am so proud of Daniel and I truly believe in and trust him. He adds so much to our organization with his hard work and humor. I am honored to have him as my co-worker and friend. Blessings, Nelson J. Nelson

The Evolution of Ava

This is the “Ava” Accent Chair. The name Ava is a variant of Eve, and by now, if you've been reading these blogs, you can understand the spiritual correlation. The Ava chair is kind of like the traveling gnome: you see her in some various and exotic places. The only difference between Ava and the traveling gnome is dress and style. Ava has many looks, the gnome only has one. From her beginning days, Ava has been seen in many places. Currently, she is dripping in crystals with her Hollywood look. One of my favorite stories about Ava is the time when Jewels, our fabric coordinator, chose her new “look.” At the time one of our favorite shows on television was “Project Runway”. In that season there was a designer who used human hair in his runway collection. As a joke I told Jewels that I wanted hair. What she came back with was these beautiful feathers that were rich in color and iridescence. Her statement to me was, “This is as close to hair as I'm choosing to get, if you want hair, you’re on your own.” Jewels put together a combination of fabrics with textures and colors. Then she designed a pleated fold that layered across the entire back of the chair using an iridescence fabric that gave the viewer a vision of multiple colors from various angles. This selection of fabrics, feathers, and design launched Ava internationally. She was chosen to be used in a million dollar add campaign for the World Market Las Vegas. This was all because of our beautiful Jewels. I can’t tell you how proud I was of Jewels for her accomplishment and how incredibly honoring it is to see one of the pieces Emmanuel designed plastered almost life sized on promotional columns in Las Vegas, at the World Market, and to know that that same ad was being used as one of the Market’s international marketing pieces As a side note Jewels name is actually Julie Stearman, however the day she interviewed and hired it was decided that she was officially Jules. Later when she gave her heart and life to the Lord the spelling was changed to Jewels, as in the “Jewel” of the Lord. Ava has been designed by many designers and placed in homes, night clubs, and offices, since her birth in 2004. She has the ability, like a seasoned muse or model, to be transformed into whatever is desired for the project. She has been dressed in silk and leather, pink pleats and white feathers for a little girls room, to deep richly saturated velvets and dangling crystals. She can be “a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll.” She has one of those classic shapes that allows one to curl up in and read a good book, or just quietly stand on her own and create “Red Carpet” attention. Currently we’re deciding on her new fall look, it hasn’t been decided yet so you will have to keep an eye out. What we and designers have discovered is that the Ave Chair is a perfect accent piece for almost any interior. She only has to be dressed for the occasion. So think about it, how can she be dressed for your project? And if you have an idea for her fall 2010 look let us know. She has classic beauty that only needs your touch. Blessings, Nelson J. Nelson

Strong Tower Collection

I love to brag on the amazing talent that is here in our furniture manufacturing shop. My greatest delight over the past seven years has been to witness the growth of everyone here and watch them take on more and more responsibilities. Being teachable, they have developed departments and then taught others their job and moved on to developing another department. Along the way, each person has taken an ownership mentality of their department, which is exactly what I hoped for. It began with our now Production Manager and resident Color and Finish Artist, Eddie Hernandez. Eddie’s starting position was that of a sander in the finishing department seven years ago. Unfortunately, the lead finishers at the time saw no promise in him so they purposely withheld information and teaching. When I asked why, they laughed and told me that he wouldn’t ever amount to anything significant. At the time they were all that I had in the finishing department, but that laugh and that statement rubbed me the wrong way. So, I fired them. That turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. The talent that has emerged out of Eddie since then is amazing. I placed Eddie in charge of the finishing department, which has had more than 10 workers at times and he was so successful that he has moved on to Production Manager over all manufacturing. That includes the carpentry build shop, finishing shop, all the way to delivery. While Eddie has a creative talent in all arts, creating finishes is still his first love. His trademark techniques include hand-mixed paints and stains, custom made textures and distresses, which bring out a 3D effect. He works with a collection of tools, some mundane, and some quite unexpected, which results in varying levels of “erosion,” and an air of timeless beauty. Eddie experiments constantly and it was one of these experiments that resulted in an entirely new collection. Eddie created this weathered naturally aged finish, and when we saw it we immediately knew we needed to create a piece of furniture for this finish he named Harvest. We began designing a piece that would depict one of the great old castles of Europe. What developed is the Strong Tower collection. The first piece that was designed was a console after the Caldecott Castle in England. The piece features a flat screen rising up out of a 3” heavy distressed top. Since then it has taken on many functional designs from a Billiard table and cue rack to entertainment centers with special iron grated openings for sub woofers, to the current project as a massive fireplace surround and mantel that will house a flat screen behind a pair of Old World pocket doors with hand forged wrought iron strap hinges. One of the designs on the piece is the cross cut outs on the towers. It appears as a decorative design, but actually was a military defense. The arrow slits allowed archers to shoot out easy but it was difficult for arrows to come back through. Suggestive in symbolism, those behind the Cross of Christ are safe. The name of the collection comes from Proverbs 18:10. “The name of the LORD is strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” It’s a reminder that we have a place of safety and refuge in our Lord. Blessings, Nelson J. Nelson

Home on the Range

A new kitchen is one of the most rewarding gifts you can give yourself and your family. As the heart of your home, your kitchen is where late-night talks, homework sessions and casual celebrations (the best kind!) happen naturally. It’s where memories are made. Your kitchen is where you nurture your loved ones’ souls as well as their bodies. So you want it to be efficient, comfortable and just plain beautiful. Other kitchens may have an exotic flair but few can be said to transport homeowners and guests to a time of legend, romance and fantasy. This one does. It started off as an entertainment armoire. After it was created, the idea came to me to take the design farther and create an entire kitchen. Back to the sketch pad we went. I have to say there was some resistance by the carpentry team to have to deconstruct a piece that they already finished. After it was completed the second time, as the French Chateaux kitchen, everyone was happy with the final outcome and seemingly had forgotten about all the hard work. For someone who can’t forget a visit to France’s lovely cathedral towns or for anyone who just wants to recreate the ambiance, this kitchen is captivating. The range hood, ornately carved and shingled, is the perfect frame for the beautiful medieval inspired stained glass artwork backsplash. Furthering the theme, we incorporated four additional shingled roof tops to give it a French countryside feel. To further echo centuries past, we used paint and stain finishes that are ragged and distressed, seeded glass, wrought iron drawer and door pulls as well as natural stone for counter tops and tiles. The oversized strap hinges on the refrigerator and cabinet doors actually came from a pair of antique doors off a church in New Orleans that we had recast. Combined, these materials evoke the feeling of traveling thru a small hillside town in France and approaching the doors of an abbey. What’s your dream Kitchen? With courage and clever planning, your kitchen can be as individualistic as you are. That’s where Emmanuel Design Group comes in. Love the sleek sophistication of contemporary style? Admire the look of updated country, with distressed finishes and unexpected colors? Maybe it’s the simplicity of old world decorating that sooths you with the echoes of centuries past. Whether you live in a New York condo, a Colorado lodge or a Florida ‘50s ranch, Emmanuel Design Group can help you translate the looks you love into ideas for your kitchen. So, start planning. Dream big. And, when you’re ready to start the journey, either by building an ambitious new design from the ground up or you just want refresh and update your existing space, we would love to be a part of creating the new or improved kitchen you’ve always wanted. Blessings, Nelson J. Nelson

Get a 'Cue'

Family and friendship is most celebrated at the dining table, but that’s not the only table that can be gathered around for friendship and conversation. This pool table, for more traditional clients’ billiard table, is another table that we can create exclusively for you and your family. We have been commissioned to custom design and manufacture several pool or billiard tables for some very wonderful clients. Each wanted a table that celebrated a specific time in their lives. One of our clients told us a story about how her husband who is a Big Game hunter was on safari in Africa and was charged by a Cape buffalo bringing him close to death. Apparently it was a big adrenaline rush and made for a thrilling adventure. She asked us to design and create a pool table that celebrated his successful “take downs” in the wild, if you get what I mean, by incorporating the animals that he overtook as the theme for the table. This billiard table featured alligator leather insets, hand carved Cape buffalo horns and Cheetah pockets. These, along with other details, commemorated his “big game” hunting trips to Africa. Another was commissioned by a client who after years of success in ranching wanted a billiard table fitting for a Cattle Barron’s game room. This one featured inset panels of brindle hide and close to 2000 individually hand hammered nail heads adorning the table. The billiard table featured here is of Gothic design that we created with Old World homes in mind. To its credit this table was recently chosen as the cover for the game section in the upcoming publication, for Coldwell Banker called Portfolio, which features spectacular homes across the country. The table features traditional European iron designs taken from abbey gates and cathedral fences inspired by renowned English architect Augustus Welby Pugin. Augustus was a leader in the mid-19th century Gothic Revival movement. Constructed here in America from solid North American maple, it is built to the exact standards that combine dramatic creativity while using only superior materials. This billiard table, just like the custom ones that were commissioned, has symbolic meaning. The pointed arch points towards heaven lifting our eyes to the Father. The quatrefoil seen in the ironwork unites four different entities; one in each of its leaves. The top leaf symbolizes God as creator, and the two side leaves represent Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The bottom leaf is believed to symbolize the church of Christian followers. We chose the finish to be Espresso (black paint that is sanded down in various places). The reason is that black is the color you get when you mix all colors together which represents all the people of the world. God delights in diversity. Sanding down represents Gods use of trial in our lives to show us amazing things that we wouldn’t see without them. The color gold, hand painted on the iron work, represents Divinity, majesty, righteousness, Divine Light, and mercy. So whether you’ve fallen in love with this one, fallen for the idea that you can make a personal statement with your own design or coordinate it with the décor and style of your game room, our design team would love to be a part of creating it. By having a billiard table in your home you will discover something. It is simply enjoying a true family activity that will bring you and your friends closer together in a game that grows with you while providing laughter, entertainment and great memories. Blessings, Nelson J. Nelson