Why this high-end North Carolina furniture maker is expanding into the kitchen and bath market

BOONE, N.C. – North Carolina-based high-end furniture manufacturer Charleston Forge is venturing into the kitchen and bath market with a new line of luxury vanities.

The move is a natural extension the company said, as its luxury glass division – which was launched a few years back – is earning it a reputation in the kitchen and bath sector.

“These vanities feature elements we have long been known for: hand-built steel frames and wood and glass components,” Director of Marketing Philip Holman told Furniture Today. “As our luxury glass division has worked on more and more kitchen counter installations, we have gotten feedback from designers that there’s a dearth of easily orderable, high-end vanities on the market right now. That, and our reputation among designers for how easy it is to customize our pieces, adds to the appeal.”

Production of the new line, which features four vanity designs in a range of sizes and wood options, was led by Kelly Gwaltney, vice president of Luxury Glass.

“The design of our vanities stays true to our expertise by blending elements of steel, glass and wood to create unique and beautiful products,” she said. Gwaltney also worked with the National Kitchen & Bath Assn. to find the optimal place for the company in the market. “The four vanity designs are inspired by our top-selling furniture collections.”

Just like all of the company’s products, the new vanities are made at its factory in Boone, N.C.

“The steel frames and the cabinets are built by us, and our specialty glass tops come from a long-time collaborator of ours, Andrew Pearson Glass in Mt. Airy, N.C.,” Holman said. “We have been using them for our very distinctive specialty glass tabletops for many years, and for the past few years we’ve been working with them on custom glass countertops for both kitchens and bathrooms.”

Vanities are available in three sizes (25 inches, 35 inches and 70 inches), with bases made of solid steel. Cabinets are crafted from wood veneers and feature a urethane finish to repel moisture. Glass tops are ¾-inch thick. Steel bases and cabinets are both available in a range of finishes.

As with the company’s furniture, Holman said buyers at the high end are the target market.

Holman said the company’s production times are back down to pre-pandemic levels, about six weeks for standard items and eight to 10 weeks on custom.

Charleston Forge will show the vanities for the first time at the upcoming High Point Market in its showroom at 310 N. Hamilton St.

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