Furniture Library Seeks New Identity

March 19, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on March 20, 2012

The Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library in High Point has unveiled  a new corporate identity reflecting its position as a world-class resource for research, design and collaboration.

The holder of the world's largest collection of books and publications on the history and design of furniture has a new logo which will appear across all corporate publications, the Web site and social media platforms; and graphics to accompany significant building renovations well underway.

"We are bringing the library into the 21st Century," said Charles Sutton who was recently elected president of the Board of Directors. "The board has been infused with new energy and talent. To that end we have redesigned the logo to reflect our new mission as a world-class research facility for information on furniture, interiors, architecture, textiles, and finishes and construction."

The library opened 1970 and operates under an endowment from the Bienenstock family, which began this collection in 1922. Ninety years later, it is the preeminent resource for information, illustration and inspiration.

New board member Stephanie Lowder, a marketing and public relations expert at Rare Bird Creative, designed the logo.

"The three iconic chairs represent the past, present, and future of home furnishings," Lowder said. "The clean type and incorporation of the mission into every branded element keeps focus on our vision of 'Research, Design & Collaboration.'"
 
The logo is one of many initiatives underway, which include a new Web site to be unveiled in April.

Significant among the Library's 5000-plus holdings are contemporary acquisitions and a rare books collection of international volumes published since 1640, including a complete collection of original works by 18th century furniture masters Chippendale, Sheraton, Hepplewhite, and a complete set of Diderot€™s Encyclopedia.

It is open to the public and devoted to the advancement of knowledge of furniture and design for members of the furniture industry, design professionals, scholars and students. Since 1984, the library has awarded more than $350,000 in scholarships to students at 17 colleges throughout the United States. It houses a specialty bookstore selling the latest books on design as well as out of print and hard to find texts; and is a venue for professional meetings, seminars, conferences, lectures and art events.