Heywood-Wakefield blog
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Origins
In 1897, two prominent furniture companies, Heywood Brothers (est. 1826) and Wakefield Company (est. 1855) merged to create Heywood Brothers & Wakefield Company; the name would be shortened to Heywood-Wakefield in 1921. The new company rose to particular popularity in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s with its Art Deco-inspired Mid-Century Modern furniture. Though once one of the largest furniture manufacturers in America, the company succumbed to the pressures of changing tastes, rising costs and competition from overseas manufacturing and ceased operations in 1981.
The rebirth of Heywood-Wakefield
In 1992, a partnership between Miami Beach historic preservationists Andrew Capitman and Margaret Doyle, and furniture executive Leonard Riforgiato (left), acquired the rights to the Heywood-Wakefield name. Andrew and Margaret first encountered Heywood-Wakefield when they were restoring and running Art Deco hotels in South Beach, Florida, many of which were still furnished in original Heywood-Wakefield from the 30's through 50's. Leonard was running a refinishing business that specialized in Mid-Century Heywood-Wakefield. Together, they reintroduced pieces from the 40's and 50's streamlined Modern collection that remained true to the style, quality, and values of the original company.
Looking forward
In 2022, Leonard sold his share of the business to Tom Belletete, a 3rd generation Massachusetts furniture maker who had been building for us since 2012. A former electrical engineer, Tom introduced new techniques and materials (CNC routing, an ultra-durable finish and improved assembly systems) to the company. He has also designed new pieces in the streamlined Modern aesthetic. Tom is joined by his wife, Debra, who runs customer service and upholsters our chairs, and their son, Joe, who manages the mill room and programs our CNC routers.
In 2024, Andrew and Margaret's son, William, joined the company to lead marketing and help introduced Heywood-Wakefield to a broader audience of people who appreciate great design and construction.
Today’s Heywood-Wakefield is dedicated to preserving the legacy of our brand while incorporating new technology and designs. Our goal is to inspire new generations to fall in love with a classic look from a classic American company.
Our wood
We build with Northern Yellow Birch, a hardwood native to New England. We purchase from sustainably-harvested forests in Northern Maine, where the cold winters slow the trees' growth and yield tighter and stronger grain.
Northern Yellow Birch has properties perfect for our designs. It's harder and stronger than Cherry and Walnut, sands better and takes stain more evenly than Hard Maple, steam bends wonderfully and, when the boards are carefully selected, yields a beautiful light-colored wood that is enhanced with our Amber finish to achieve the warm glow of our look.
Our furniture is made of solid wood. We don't use veneer, and only use plywood for drawer bottoms and cabinet backs, due to its structural stability.
Read more about our wood in this interview with CEO Tom Belletete.
Our techniques
Heywood-Wakefield is difficult furniture to make. It must be smooth, curvaceous and flowing while also being tremendously strong.
We use steam bending extensively to achieve the biomorphic curves of our designs while maintaining the structural integrity of long uninterupted wood grains. We work with Sawyer Bentwood, a Vermont specialist in steam bending, that has served the furniture industry since 1801.
Our dressers and chests use floating frame construction and all our drawers use English and French dovetails. These techniques help to prevent binding and warping as the wood naturally expands and contracts.
We also use CNC routers to quickly and consistently cut complex curves.
Read this interview with Tom for more on steam-bending and the joinery techniques that make Heywood-Wakefield special.
Building furniture that lasts generations
There's a reason so much vintage Heywood-Wakefield furniture is still being used 75 years after it was built; it is some of the best-made furniture of its time.
Since relaunching the company in 1992, we've improved upon already-legendary construction in two important areas: the finish and the assembly.
Our finish is a pre-catalyzed lacquer from Milesi, which offers vastly superior hardness, water resistance and photostability compared to the nitrocellulose lacquer finishes used in the 30's - 60's.
The engineering for designs that require on-site assembly (tables and bed) has been carefully rethought. Vintage Heywood-Wakefield was often assembled by screwing directly into the wood. Over time, these attachment points loosened or stripped. New Heywood-Wakefield is built to be repeatedly assembled and disassembled over decades without stripping or loosening. Instead of screwing directly into the wood, we use bolts into threaded inserts or T-nuts, and attach our table legs using 1/4" steel plates to guarantee tight fits over the life of the furniture.
Read more about the engineering challenges and solutions in improving upon classic construction here.