PALETTE & PARLOR is a tale of entrepreneurship, reinvention, and a growing love of great design.
Living in Copenhagen on an international assignment years ago, my husband and I were struck by the heritage, quality, craftsmanship, and elegant simplicity of Danish Design. We loved to walk around the city at night and see all the Danes having dinner on beautiful furniture by candlelight. Joining them at the table was even better. Hygge (pronounced "hue-gah"), the Danish term for coziness and conviviality with friends and family, lived on for us as a daily aspiration long after returning to the US. For me it was also inextricably linked with Danish Design.
I jumped at every subsequent opportunity to return to Denmark for work, always admiring the sleek beauty of Thomas Kastholm's benches in the Copenhagen airport, comfortably working on my laptop in Arne Jacobsen's classic Swan and Egg chairs in the lobby of the Royal SAS Copenhagen hotel, visiting Verner Panton exhibits at the Danish Design museum, and relaxing on Hans Wegner's chairs in the homes of Danish friends.
Back in the United States, as we became parents and moved and traveled for various jobs, starting our own business became a top priority. We both come from entrepreneurial families, and like the entrepreneurs that have come before us, we are driven to take pride in our work, create value and connection with our customers and community, and build a sustainable business that will inspire our children.
In seeking the right opportunity, we realized two things. First, most of the Scandinavian and modern furniture we admired was simply unavailable in our local market. Second, many consumers increasingly prefer to limit short-term disposable home goods purchases in favor of investing in quality pieces that endure over time. We got to work learning about our future customers, seeking the advice of designers and mentors, assessing the market, establishing relationships with suppliers, and building our business from the ground up.
We are committed to honoring the original architects, artists, and designers, and the makers that produce their designs with passion and purpose. We do not sell any unauthorized reproductions, and we share the values of our supplier partners who have collaborated with the world's top designers and honed their craft for decades, and some for more than a century.
Along with the iconic designs we offer that are made in other parts of North America, Europe, and around the world, we actively seek to support growth in local industry. We are fortunate that North Carolina also has a long tradition of craftsmanship and quality in furniture manufacturing, and a rich talent base of artists and designers. We enjoy telling the stories behind the products we offer, and take pride in learning the provenance of each piece.
Ultimately, we are building PALETTE & PARLOR to bring a little more hygge into your life, as well as our own.
We look forward to getting to know you.
Ivy & John Simon
Founders
PALETTE & PARLOR
2160 Environ Way
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
studio@paletteandparlor.com
919-960-1781
