Heartfelt Designs Furniture

    By Art Nadler

    The problem with some furniture today is that it's cheaply made in foreign countries from pressed particleboard and haphazardly nailed together. After a couple years of use, what was originally hoped would become a family heirloom usually ends up stashed in a corner of the garage behind a couple pairs of old tires and the kids' orphaned toys.

     

    Quality, handmade furniture is hard to come by. And that's why Dale and Becky Brittingham of Mesquite, NV., began making furniture 20 years ago.

    The couple, who originally came from Los Angeles via Utah - where they lived for 12 years - settled in Mesquite three years ago. They opened Heartfelt Designs, a 14,000-square foot cutting, sanding, painting and assembly facility and began manufacturing several lines of furniture and home accessories.

    Using solid oak, pine, bass, cedar, popular and walnut, Heartfelt Designs manufactures benches, children's furniture, cupboards, shelving, display cabinets, doll furniture and accessories for a den or lodge.

    The company's most popular line is its picket-fence furniture. The sides and backs of the pieces are constructed of real white picket-fence wood and are highlighted with bass wood surfaces. The line includes everything from bed headboards to kitchen hutches, benches, end tables, coffee tables and various cupboards and corner units.

    "We are the only ones who do picket fences as a finished line," Becky says. "It's almost a French country look. We make 30 items in this line."

    All of Heartfelt Designs furniture is assembled with screws, Dale says. And wooden plugs are placed over the screw tops to conceal them.

    "Even our doll furniture is screwed together," Becky says. "We don't use any particleboard. We only use plywood for the backs of cupboards, and it is top quality."

    In contrast, many manufacturers use particleboard or cardboard for the backs of cupboards and display cases.

    Most of the furniture at Heartfelt Designs goes through 11 steps before being deemed finished, the Brittinghams proudly boast. A birdhouse table, for example, takes a week to be completed.

    Currently, Heartfelt Designs furniture and accessories are sold in about 400 furniture stores nationwide, Dale says. The average retailer is a one-owner establishment, where the owner operates the business. One large chain, the R.C. Willey company in Utah and Idaho, also carries the Heartfelt Designs' line.

    Dale says stores specializing in unfinished furniture especially like Heartfelt Designs. The couple says their unfinished line is also a popular seller.

    Heartfelt Designs is a family-owned and operated business. Becky is in charge of shipping and accounting. Dale builds furniture and supervises 10 employees, while Becky's parents, father Wayne repairs the machinery, and mother Annamae Anderson does the cooking.

    "We are here 12 hours a day, six days a week," Dale says of the demanding work schedule. "Right now, we are eight weeks behind in production. We can't make the furniture fast enough."

    Becky credits Heartfelt Designs' success to their willingness to listen to what consumers want. Employees also hand sand all the pieces, which are solid wood. No veneers are used.

    "If you like a design, it will last forever," Dale says. "You can sand down the wood (if it gets scratched) and it won't come through (like with veneers)."

    Currently, Heartfelt Designs furniture is sold in selected furniture and gift stores in: Reno; Lake Tahoe, NV. Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City, NV.

    The Brittingham's goal is to produce larger unfinished furniture such as hutches, entertainment centers and bedroom headboards.

    For more information or the location of a store that sells Heartfelt Designs, contact the company at: 660 Hardy Way, Mesquite, NV. 89027. Phone: (702) 346-1700. Fax (702) 346-8804. Web site address: www.heartfelt-designs.com