Bernhardt Furniture - Crafting Quality Furniture for Over One Hundred and Twenty Years

Carolina Rustica is proud to have recently become an authorized dealer for Bernhardt Furniture. You can find the new product introductions shown below on our website, as well as their entire line of Casegood and Upholstery offerings. Visit us today on the web, at www.carolinarustica.com, or call us to learn more. 800-205-7819.

The Bernhardt Furniture Company was founded in 1889 in the small town of Lenoir, located in the foothills of Western North Carolina by John Mathias Bernhardt. It is one of the largest family owned and operated marketers of fine wood and upholstered furniture in the United States. Committed to high business standards and the principles of fine craftsmanship, the Bernhardt family has led this American enterprise to its current ranking among the top U.S. furniture companies in annual sales worldwide.

John was destined for adventures and left Lenoir as a young man and landed in territory that would later become the state of Oregon. There, he found a job as a government surveyor assisting settlers in the wild frontier. After three years he returned to Lenoir and found work as a logger and timber cutter, though a hard way to make a living his diligence paid off, as he became supervisor at the Caldwell Land & Lumber Company. John’s vision was apparent then as he was able to convince his company to build the first railroad into the mountains, so that it would be easier to harvest and transport the abundant timber in the area.

His entrepreneurial spirit took hold and he began starting his own companies. First, he started his own sawmill and began buying timber. Then in 1889 he organized a company to manufacture furniture out of the native white oak. Bernhardt's vision ultimately led him to connect with distributors and merchants in large cities such as Chicago and New York City in order to supply sturdy oak bedroom furniture to people who lived as far away as the Rocky Mountains. This eager North Carolina entrepreneur began making an impression on the urban businessmen who would ultimately come to know his reliability and integrity.

Bernhardt’s grasp of possibilities outside his locality and his willingness to work hard enabled his young company to survive and grow. As Bernhardt honed the skills of its craftsmen, the company earned a reputation for making high-quality furniture that was both durable and beautiful. Known for intricate oak-grain finishes, Bernhardt sold thousands of sturdy chests and tables costing less than $4 each. Cabinets and cases were stacked like bricks and loaded into freight cars for transport to cities across America.

Bernhardt Today

The Bernhardt Furniture Company remains a strong presence in the furniture sector and still places high value on old-fashioned intangibles such as perseverance, loyalty, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship. Known for its design excellence, Bernhardt has garnered a host of prestigious design awards from industry experts and the media. Among the more notable achievements, the American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD) has recognized the excellence of Bernhard's designs with multiple Pinnacle Design Achievement Awards. Continuing in its tradition of associating itself with quality partners, Bernhardt was selected by Martha Stewart in 2001 to produce a line of licensed furniture, “Martha Stewart Furniture with Bernhardt”, a selection Martha based on Bernhardt’s sound reputation in the trade, and its long history of integrity and quality.

New Product Introductions for 2011

 

Never one to rest on its name or laurels, Bernhardt Furniture continues to design and craft new and exciting collections of beautiful quality furniture. For 2011, there are two new collections.

Artisan Estate is a sophisticated approach to classic Tuscan design. It has hand-planed and distressed plantation grown mahogany veneers in a Burnished Sage finish of warm earth tones. A timeless blend of rich, patinated iron and leather lends a refined air.

Somerset Hill captures the refined charm of 19th century design. A highly distressed French wax lends an antiqued look to the plantation grown mahogany veneers in a Clove finish. Natural rattan, leather and bronzed metal adds an air of authenticity.