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Pembrooke & Ives X Chesneys: An Exclusive Interview with Francis Nicdao

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This fall, we unveiled two unique fireplace mantels designed in collaboration with Chesneys: The Empire and The Mercury. This collection highlights our shared commitment to creating pieces that are both innovative and enduring. We interviewed Francis Nicdao, our Principal & Chief Creative Officer, to get some insight into the creative process behind the collection and how our collaboration with Chesneys continues to push the boundaries of design.

Pembrooke & Ives Leadership, Francis Nicdao

How did this collaboration come about?

We have had a long-standing relationship with Chesneys, both through our use of their archival products and their custom pieces over the years. When we started exploring designing product of our own, collaborating with Chesneys just felt like the right partnership for us. Our first collection with them was very successful, and we were excited to work with them again on this second collection.

How was it different collaborating with Chesneys this second time around?

The first time around, we designed products that we knew would be suitable for use within some of our development projects. Our design approach for our second collection was much freer, taking inspiration from our travels and projects across the country.

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The Empire, Fireplace Mantel with Chesneys

What about the Chesneys brand feels compatible with Pembrooke & Ives?

The idea of timelessness feels important. Chesneys always finds a balance between being conscious of the past and sensitive to modern aesthetics and proportions. There is also camaraderie in both of our firms having a British heritage.

 

What was the goal for the collection?

We wanted to have fun. We came up with some very marketable ideas as well as some crazy ones. We worked with Chesneys’ creative team to fine tune the ideas which could be translated into actual products. We wanted the new designs to jive with our previous collection while still feeling entirely new.

Where did your team find inspiration for the designs?

We work all around the country, so we wanted to explore shapes and forms that were inspired by, and would sit well within, the range of spaces we design. We explored many silhouettes inspired by the places we travel to for work, such as Colorado, Florida, and of course New York. Ultimately, we ended up with two options that Chesneys and our team were quite happy with, inspired by the architecture of South Florida and New York City.

Is there a common thread between the Mercury and the Empire?

The common thread is the volume and form. It requires a special technique, something that a lot of local fabricators can’t achieve with a slab. We play with volume, and sharp and soft edges.

What issues did you face in the design phase? How did you overcome them?

We had so many ideas that editing down was the real challenge. The Chesneys team was great to work with and advised us on how to best utilize their talent. Finding the right scale as we played with getting the proportion right was challenging. We had some back and forth about one of our designs; it had a lot of volume and wouldn’t work to fabricate but in the end, Chesneys figured out how to engineer it in a manageable way to ship and reproduce.

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The Mercury, Fireplace Mantel with Chesneys

Where do you imagine some of these mantels being installed?

We studied how these fireplaces looked in the different stone offerings and found that they translated well in the dark and the light coloration and in different sheen finishes. We wanted to create something that would look good in the myriad of materials Chesneys offers. We truly feel they could be in any project, from a mountain home to a city apartment.

 

What is most enjoyable for you when designing products versus interiors?

The speed at which the mantels get produced, and the idea of it being reproduced is exciting. You get a unique chance to see that piece in different spaces, reimagined in different ways.

Francis Nicdao will join Chesneys and others for an exciting panel event on October 9th to discuss the debut of the new collection at the D&D Building’s Fall Market event.


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