Our manufacturer spotlight this week is on Rice & Rice Fine Furniture. They are a new company whose products can be found on DesignerInc’s website. We look forward to introducing them to you! Enjoy reading more about the company and their head designer Miles Jason Rice!
What makes Rice & Rice Fine Furniture unique?
Rice & Rice Fine Furniture stands for a unique fusion of craftsmanship, the beauty of the material, and creativity. We had the idea to create a dream team of master craftspeople (Meisterhandwerker) from all over Germany to create pieces crafted by hand by true masters showcasing the uniqueness of their trade. With this comes a pride for the raw materials they are working with, which became an important feature of the end product.Our artistic vision is to continuously push the boundaries of functionality and design. This also means not conforming to rules and trends. Our designs are uncommon and at the same time allow us to work with the special characteristics of the wood and other natural materials, where one piece is unlike the other.
Sachsen Walnut Dining Table
What is a favorite piece in your collection that designers might not know about?
The Sachsen, a more minimalist, yet architectural dining table which will be available shortly.
What makes this design so special to me is that it marks the start of our company being able to offer a range of tables at the highest level of craftsmanship without the gallery range price tag.
As with everything we are doing, with this range, we don’t make compromises. The quality and the design clearly show it is a piece of Rice & Rice Fine Furniture.
Sculptura Cherry Apartment Dining Table
Who or what inspires you most when coming up with designs?
As I truly believe in making unique pieces of furniture, I try not to be inspired by new styles of furniture or trends. I do, however, like to be inspired by nature and modern art sculptures. I design sculptural pieces with great respect to the natural material, such as high-quality hardwood. This is also the reason why I do not use pre-fabricated pieces or laminated wood for my designs but rather create all pieces by hand and in cooperation with master craftspeople. The material and the craft become an integral part of the design.
Sculptura Ash Setting Dining Table
What is the process behind coming up with new designs/products?
The design process is truly handmade, as is the final product. I usually sketchdown ideas, creating several versions of the same theme. Once I have a design and think that it could work, I build a model to see the lines and the overall impression in 3D.
Chester Dining Table
What is your favorite part about the furniture manufacturing industry?
I don’t see Rice & Rice Fine Furniture as a manufacturing business. We appreciate the skills and tradition of specialist craftspeople. When I first traveled to Germany, I realized that besides being a country of high-quality manufacturing, Germany still has a strong tradition of the crafts, carrying the knowledge and techniques from generation to generation. We personally select the specialist master craftspeople we work with to ensure the highest level of quality. Working with these specialists allows us to create unique pieces, pushing not just our boundaries when it comes to the design but also discovering new ways of using these traditional crafts.