Taracea Owner Undertakes Radio Building Restoration

October 7, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in on October 8, 2012

The ground floor of the historic Radio Building in downtown High Point is getting a face lift.

Taracea, a supplier of case goods, is turning the first floor of the building at 164 S. Main St. into its permanent High Point showroom.

Taracea was founded in 1983 by Javier Suárez, a furniture designer whose interests include architecture and historic preservation.

 The building is operated by Candace MacAulay Lambeth Kime, president of Lambeth Enterprises, and was originally designed by architect Charles C. Hartmann in 1921 and 1922. The ground floor served as the public banking room for Commercial National Bank. It featured travertine marble walls and large, arched windows, along with its most singular feature, a solid steel, state-of-the-art vault weighing 24 tons. On the bank's opening day celebration in 1924, it was flooded with a crowd of 2,500 people.

A major aspect of the project includes restoration of the lobby's original 30-foot high ceilings. To create the effect of the original arched windows, Suárez designed 19-foot antiqued mirrored panels to reflect light and emphasize ceiling height. Also prominent in the new space, a 12-part, 24-by-44-foot painting represents one of the 1921 blueprints used for the building's construction. The art display will be installed above the vault that anchors the 5,000 square-foot furniture showroom space.

The furniture manufacturer designs and builds high-end furniture, including a special collection of reproductions for Hearst Castle, as well as custom wood furniture for celebrity designers and their clients. Taracea's current High Point showroom is located in the IHFC building, and the company will conduct business there during the fall High Point Market. A limited number of styles will be on display in the new space, beginning Saturday, Oct. 13.

A grand opening for the new showroom and 30th anniversary event is planned for the April 2013 High Point Market.