Photo: Hall of Fame Foundation board members Larry Rogers, Janet Guy and David Gebhart visit the former Flair Enterprises building during the April furniture market in High Point.
The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation has completed the purchase of the former Flair Enterprises building in High Point and hired a local architectural firm to redesign the structure. It will house Hall of Fame exhibits, a library, foundation offices and event space. Other industry organizations also have expressed interest in locating their offices in the 17,500-square-foot building, the foundation said in a July 1 press release.
The two-story structure, located at 311 S. Hamilton Street just a block from the International Home Furnishings Center in High Point’s market district, was built in 1996. It features 14-foot ceilings, a two-story atrium constructed of natural stone and a grand double staircase to the upper floor.
‘World-class gathering space’
“The Home Furnishings Hall of Fame will be a world-class gathering space and symbol of innovation, excellence and leadership,” David Gebhart, president of the foundation’s board of directors, said in the release. “This will be our home away from home where we can tell our story, map our future and honor our leaders.”
The foundation hired the High Point firm Freeman Kennett Architects to craft “a showplace worthy of the industry,” the release said. One of Freeman Kennett’s recent projects was designing the Christopher Guy showroom building in High Point.
Ultimately, the purpose is to tell the story of the furniture industry in the United States.
Building allows new exhibits
“The Hall of Fame has been instrumental in preserving the organization’s current memorabilia and extensively researching and visiting other museums to lay the groundwork for our new home furnishings exhibits,” the foundation news release said. “The new space will allow the foundation to expand its collections and to preserve materials for future generations.”
The foundation did not offer a timeline for the project. Leaders were planning a meeting with the architects in early July. The foundation currently has office space at 202 Neal Place in High Point, about a mile north of the market district.
Doug Clark is content manager, government relations liaison and author of the Policy Matters blog for the Home Furnishings Association.
