My surname, Blache, has never been correctly pronounced or spelled by anyone outside of my family. Most commonly people want to sneak an “n” into the middle, likening me to the fun-loving member of The Golden Girls. But the mistakes range widely from “Bla-SHAY” to “Blatche” and everything in between. (For your satisfaction, the correct pronunciation is “Bl-osh”, as in “Oh My Gosh”.)

Since company names tend to work better when they can be properly said aloud, the surname as a brand name custom was out for me and I needed to get creative. So I reached down deep and pulled out… my middle name. Thus, Pierre Fine Furniture was born. I think it sounds quite snappy and hope you agree.

In short, I am Pierre. But when we talk you can call me Simon.

As you have probably noticed, wood is the primary material of my furniture. However, I love to incorporate metals, glass, leather, and other materials when the opportunity is presented.

In the woodworking world, I am what is commonly referred to as a “hybrid woodworker”; a craftsperson who takes advantage of both modern power tools and traditional hand tools.

Power tools offer undeniable value to furniture making (rip cutting an 8ft board with a handsaw would be no fun), but these modern luxuries often fall short on the ability to execute the finesse tasks that hand tools excel at. With a formal education and years of professional experience in Mechanical Engineering, selecting the “right tool for the job” is part of my core philosophy in life. As a result, I unblushingly employ power tools for the jobs they are good at, but almost nothing I create goes untouched by traditional hand tools.

Discussing inspirations without sounding pretentious can be tough. But all things considered, you probably don’t want your fine furniture made by someone who isn’t at least slightly snobby; so here goes.

My inspirations are numerous. I am driven to create by everything from the cultural vibrance surrounding me in the city of New Orleans to the mundane objects of everyday life. I have made a display cabinet with details inspired by the elegant exteriors of Uptown New Orleans homes and a kitchen island inspired by a job-site tool cart.

Speaking more narrowly, the furniture styles/periods that chiefly influence my designs are:

— Mid-century modern

— Contemporary Japanese

— French Louis XVI

— Mission/Craftsman

The characteristic clean lines and relative absence of excessive ornamentation shared amongst these styles complement the sensibilities of contemporary interiors.

When creating my pieces I attempt to harmonize the elements of my inspirations to achieve visual cohesion without stumbling into stale predictability.

(Yeah that was a bit pretentious, oh well.)

As stated above, my goal is to is provide furnishings that you enjoy owning as much as I enjoy creating. Obviously, this means delivering products with exquisite form and robust function.

But in addition to high-grade products, I also aim to provide high-grade service by:

—Achieving and maintaining clear communication about your wants

—Providing transparent pricing

—Keeping you connected to the creation process with progress pictures and updates

By pairing high-grade products with high-grade service, I am confident I can achieve my goal and we can both share in the joy.