Pinnacle Awards.

JUDGES OF THE 1999 PINNACLE Awards for furniture design set out to recognize designs that benefit the consumer and that combine function with appearance to create value at a variety of price points.

They ultimately chose 15 winners in 13 categories in the contest sponsored annually by the American Society of Furniture Designers. Winners were announced during the October International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, N.C.

Winning entries range in style from basic, super-simple dining pieces by John Kelly Furniture Design, winner of the Formal Dining category, to Thomasville Furniture Industries' large, eclectic collection of bedroom, dining and living room furniture inspired by author Ernest Hemingway's adventurous life.

The Ernest Hemingway Collection was one of two winners of the Major Collections award, the other being Ethan Allen Co.'s sleekly contemporary Avenue Collection.

The Overall Achievement in Design Award went to Jack Lewis's recliner Trenton, for La-Z-Boy, entered in the Motion Upholstery category.

The winners were judged on how well they serve their intended market. Only products currently in production and generally available to the public in retail stores were considered.

The Pinnacle Design Achievement Awards were created in 1995 by the ASFD board to promote better design quality and to encourage the recognition of furniture designers within the retail home furnishings industry.

                       1999 Pinnacle Awards Winners
Category                      Designer
Major Collections             Charles Cain, Joe Greene,
                              Dan Wistehuff
Major Collections             Paul Rosebrock
Overall Achievement in Design Jack Lewis, ASFD
for Motion Upholstery
Entertainment Centers         O.B.Solie, ASFD
Entertainment Centers         Jeffrey Jensen, ASFD
Juvenile                      Drew Maple, ASFD and
                              Jeffrey Jensen, ASFD
Bedroom                       Steven Hodges, ASFD
Home Office                   Jack Kelley, ASFD
                              and Mike Warren, ASFD
Formal Dining                 John N. Kelly
Occasional                    Debra Halsey-Strother
Summer/Casual                 John W. Caldwell, ASFD
Casual Dining                 Richard Frinier, ASFD
Architectural Table Lamp      Sandy Chapman
Stationary Upholstery         Bruce Ward
Accessories                   Rick Berry, ASFD
Category                      Manufacturer
Major Collections             Thomasville Furniture
                              Industries
Major Collections             Ethan Allen Inc.
Overall Achievement in Design La-Z-Boy
for Motion Upholstery
Entertainment Centers         Ello Furniture
Entertainment Centers         O'Sullivan Industries
Juvenile                      O'Sullivan Industries
Bedroom                       Durham Furniture
Home Office                   Sligh Furniture
Formal Dining                 John Kelly Furniture Design
Occasional                    Alexvale Furniture
Summer/Casual                 Veneman Collection
Casual Dining                 Brown Jordan
Architectural Table Lamp      Ethan Allen, Inc.
Stationary Upholstery         Pearson Furniture
Accessories                   Design Institute of America
Category                      Product
Major Collections             The Ernest
                              Hemingway Collection
Major Collections             Avenue Collection
Overall Achievement in Design Trenton
for Motion Upholstery
Entertainment Centers         Belair
Entertainment Centers         Uptown Collection
Juvenile                      Xpressions Youth Bedroom
Bedroom                       990 Glengarry County
Home Office                   Computer Cabinet
Formal Dining                 J1 Series Furnishings
Occasional                    South Sea
Summer/Casual                 Silver Collection
Casual Dining                 Aero
Architectural Table Lamp      Lighting
Stationary Upholstery         Thebes Chair & Bench
Accessories                   Feng Shui Medallion

Winner: Bedroom -- English furniture imported by Canada's early settlers and then adapted in the 19th Century by local craftspeople was a combination of classical and country. It was the inspiration for this sleigh bed and the rest of the 990 Glengarry County Collection of bedroom furniture by Steve Hodges of Steve Hodges Assoc. The manufacturer is Durham Furniture Co. of Durham, ONT. The collection is solid maple, finished in a warm brown mahogany finish. The English sleigh bed features stepped mouldings, architectural profile and solid maple tongue-and-grooved panels in the head and foot.

Winner: Major Collections -- Kilimanjaro, a bed from the Kenya Collection within the Ernest Hemingway Collection, is primarily rattan. The rattan bed posts are topped with finials of cast metal, and the padded covering of foot and headboards is woven rattan twill. The Hemingway Collection is a large, umbrella collection from Thomasville Furniture Industries that was co-winner of the Major Collections Award. Materials used by designers Charles Cain, Don Wistehuff and Joe Greene in the collection include maple and other hardwood solids, ash burl, cherry, eucalyptus and lokinai veneers, and leather.

Winner: Entertainment Center --Belair, co-winner of the Entertainment Center award, represents 'spectacular glamour,' an Ello design prerequisite, says designer O. B. Solie. Solie's design for Ello is shown here in a combination of metals but is available in maple veneers with brushed silver overlays. The full-height pocket doors are finished here in titanium under glass. The four sculptured overlays have a bronze metal surface. Top and sides are of black metal, with a brushed-bronze perimeter surround border. Shelves are of clear glass.

Winner: Home Office -- Computer Cabinet by Jack Kelley and Mike Warren for Sligh Furniture Co. is intended to fit in anywhere in the house. It's a fully-enclosed computer work station made of pine, with a light pine finish. Fluted columns are topped by square post caps with carved rosettes. Described as American country style with a sophisticated flair it won the Home Office award. The designers note the special lighting; an overhead pullout light tray gives light where it's needed, then turns off when placed back in closed position.

Winner: Formal Dining -- Designer John Kelly was trained in architecture and values simplicity. Judges called his J1 Series Furnishings, winner of the Formal Dining award, "a design that is clean and honest." The series reduces furniture to three elements, frame, container and surfaces. Eliminating arms exposes the chair frame; drawers can pull open to two sides. Mortise and tenon joinery is used, with wood-on-wood drawer slide designs. Made of cherry with walnut trim, it is handcrafted and finished with three coats of hand-rubbed tung oil and one coat of finishing wax.

Winner: Occasional -- "South Sea," by Debra Halsey-Strother for Alexvale Furniture, incorporates Asian-inspired design elements in tables and chests made from Indonesian hardwoods and trimmed in rattan and wicker. The 20-piece collection, which won the award for Occasional Furniture, makes use of tiny drawers, secret compartments, and a fold-up secretary reminiscent of Japanese style. Removable storage boxes accompany tables, and the Japanese Tansu, or stepped storage unit, is inspiration for the entertainment center.

Winner: Major Collections -- Part of Ethan Alien's Avenue Collection, this dining table has distinctive rounded ends. The diamond-matched cherry veneer top is supported by a reeded apron and tapered legs. Designer Paul Rosebrock created dining chairs with a neoclassical silhouette, either fully upholstered or slipseated in fabric. A splatback side chair is also shown. The sideboard features a five-way sunburst cherry pattern, embellished with an ebony inlay and quartered cherry border veneers.

Winner: Juvenile Furniture -- O'Sullivan Industries' "Xpressions Youth Bedroom" is meant to fit young people's lives as they are actually lived, Director of Marketing Services Michael Franks says. That means lots of storage and display space for electronics, from TVs and VCRs to computers and game stations. For youth ages six to 18, the furniture was designed by the company's Drew Maple and Jeffrey Jensen and won the Juvenile award. In engineered wood, it's finished in black and alder. Judges praised the "good use of color, integrated style and functionality."

Winner: Motion Upholstery -- Flowing, compound-curved bentwood arms with maple veneers are complemented by the split back in the recliner Trenton. Jack Lewis's design for Motion Upholstery was winner of the Overall Achievement in Design Award. Manufacturer La-Z-Boy was cited by the judges for its "continuing commitment to design, value and responsiveness to their customers." Trenton seeks to bring the sophistication usually seen in high-end contract furniture into the residential realm at popular price points.

Winner: Summer/Casual -- "The Silver Collection" by John W. Caldwell for Veneman Collection mixes cast and extruded aluminum and fine-grade teak in a casual dining arrangement. The teak is meant to enhance the diner's tactile experience and is carved to maintain the sculptural flow of the metal profile. The collection, which won the Casual Dining award, illustrates the Veneman Collection's move toward more complex and varied design, the company says.

Winner: Entertainment Center -- An industrial look inspired by urban architecture and its "loft living" characterizes "Uptown Collection." Co-winner of the Entertainment Center award, it was designed by Jeffrey Jensen for O'Sullivan Industries. The functional parts, like the large wheels, are made part of the design. It will accommodate up to a 32-inch TV screen. A light maple finish and simple, straight lines contribute to the functional feel.