McGuire Furniture & Designer Nicole Hollis Join Forces to Create a Timeless Collection Infused With a Bold California Soul
A dream come true, the bold NICOLEHOLLIS for McGuire collection represents the designer’s first major dive into product—a deep dive, at that. The collection includes 27 pieces (comprising chairs, tables, benches, ottomans, stools, and accessories) and epitomizes the sophisticated California lifestyle.
The collaboration between these two titans of design seemed destined for success.
“I had been wanting to get into product design,” confesses Nicole Hollis.
“I have had an established relationship with McGuire over the years by using their products in my projects.” This, she adds, was the beginning of the collaboration.
“We are proud and excited to collaborate with a like-minded brand to develop our first furniture collection,” says Hollis.
“We sought to create pieces that pay homage to McGuire’s timeless sense of everyday luxury and seamlessly offer a lively perspective on modern furnishings. Reminiscent of the holistic NICOLEHOLLIS approach to the art of living, the collection works to conceive interiors that elevate the human spirit. It’s fresh and unexpected, without compromising classic design elements.”
“The brand and its history resonated with me.”
Nicole Hollis
Taking cues from different disciplines, the collection imagines materials in new ways through handcrafted pieces that mix both classic and innovative techniques. “I was heavily inspired by fashion and the intricacies of materials used in haute couture,” says Nicole Hollis.
“I really wanted to focus on texture versus textile patterns for all the collection pieces.”
Consider McGuire’s signature rattan and woven frames paired with decadent rawhide patterns in the Exalt series, which encompasses a counter stool, barstool, dining chair, host chair, and rocking chair; leather for the Tresser lounge chair and sofa (named for the French word meaning “to braid”) and woven Danish cord for the Rollick series, which includes a rocking chair, counter stool, and barstool. These are just some of the other materials used in the collection, which is characterized by dark finishes, soft whites, and bold combinations.
For McGuire, the partnership supports a dynamic direction.
“McGuire’s latest collection is bolder than ever before, and we are thrilled to debut such a style-forward, dramatic interpretation of our naturally luxurious furniture in collaboration with the astute vision and talent of Nicole Hollis,” says Ron Fiore, global chief creative officer for McGuire, which for the past few years has developed other collaborations with other renowned designers such as Marmol Radziner, Barbara Barry and Bill Sofield.
Of the color palette, which is aesthetically bold, “I decided to use dark hues and more muted tones for the collection because I felt this color scheme translated my aesthetic while upholding the modern and timelessness of McGuire,” Nicole Hollis explains.
“The biggest challenge was marrying the two brands and finding commonalities to celebrate. McGuire’s McGuire’s collections tend to encapsulate a relaxed coastal feeling, while NICOLEHOLLIS gravitates toward clean modern forms. We both have a strong appreciation for interesting, natural, and handcrafted materials. [With my team], we utilized the materials McGuire is known for, creating a collection representative of both brands.”
A major inspiration throughout the collection is travel and culture from all around the world. This is reflected through the Melek ottoman, accent chair, and cocktail table that refer to the Arabic figure Melek Taus, a peacock angel with divine power. The Querini dining tables, coffee table, entry table, bench and console pay tribute to the architectural lines of Venice’s Palazzo Querini Stampalia, while the Moledro and Haylan spot tables, made from marble with layered geometric shapes, were inspired by piles of stones used in ancient European cultures as landmarks or burial monuments, and by the ceremonial cairns unearthed in Haylan, Somalia, respectively.
The imperfectly oval mirror Hoku—meaning “night of the full moon” in Hawaiian—and the side table Hokulele—meaning “shooting star”—were designed with lampakanay (woven, fringed or wrapped). Science was the starting point for some of the other pieces in the collection, including the Lorentz console and end tables, created with reference to the geometric discoveries of Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz; and the artful Euclid daybed tables, shaped with the work of the eponymous Greek mathematician, who studied the nature of three-dimensional space, in mind.
Authentic and daring at the same time, every piece of the NICOLEHOLLIS for McGuire Collection can be used individually or as part of a whole to adorn and give life to interiors with a “both modern and timeless atmosphere of sophisticated and tailored California lifestyle,” says Nicole Hollis.