SPRINGVILLE -- Using techniques that are hundreds of years old, Krieger-Ricks is creating home furnishings fit for a palace.
But while the items are expensive, they are not unattainable -- and new technology gives them more durability than their older counterparts."We're shooting for the real European aesthetic with a process that really makes it work," said Marty Ricks, chairman and chief designer at Krieger-Ricks.
Furniture and home decor items are a fairly new pursuit at Krieger-Ricks, which has found success for 20 years creating elaborate gilded custom frames for museums, galleries and artists around the world. The business utilizes a water-gilding process using real gold leaf and various methods of antiquing to create its high quality frames.
About four years ago, the company began making a line of mirrors surrounded by its gilded frames. The mirrors sold well, and the company placed them in showrooms around the country. Since then, Krieger-Ricks' focus has changed, with about 70 percent of its business now related to home furnishings and the other 30 percent to its custom frames. The company currently operates its own showroom in New York in addition to its Springville location at 775 N. Main.
Using the same techniques Krieger-Ricks uses to create its frames, the business is making items such as tables, beds and armoires, all with an antique replica, Old World style. In addition to the gilding work, the business uses a casting process through which detailed decorative elements are cast in resin around a wood base.
A similar casting process was used in the 17th century using plaster and "composition," a mixture of materials similar to plaster. Ricks said Krieger-Ricks' items are more durable. "I think they'll last 500 years or more," he said. The company is taking a 17th-century process and updating it with new materials, making it better than it ever was, Ricks said.
Frank Nackos, a full-time sculptor for Krieger-Ricks, carves elaborate patterns out of wax, Styrofoam, wood or whatever material works best. A mold is then created using the pattern. Workers fashion a wooden base and, using the mold, cast a layer of resin around the wood.
Ricks emphasized that the items are mostly wood, with the wooden base carefully crafted to the size and shape of the finished piece. The resin is used to provide fine detail.
After the casting, the items are sanded and cleaned up and sent on for gilding. The surface is prepared with various colors of paint that will affect the overall color of the piece.
The water-gilding process starts with a base coat of clay combined with water and a light glue mixture that is painted onto the piece. Thin sheets of gold are applied. After the item dries, it is rubbed or "burnished" to flatten the underlying material and give the gold a shine.
Items are then distressed and made to look old by beating them with items such as rocks, screws and chains and applying various washes and glazes.
Krieger-Ricks currently offers about 20 different furniture pieces and 90 mirrors. It still offers about 250 custom frame designs and does other custom work.
Ricks said his company can replicate items that in the past were had only by royalty. "Our process is the only way I know of doing that in a reasonably cost-efficient way," he said. "Products that I'm doing are expensive but attainable by the upper middle class."
Krieger-Ricks mirrors retail from $800 to $15,000. Its tables range from $2,100 with a distressed paint finish to $20,000 with 22-karat gold gilding and a marble top. The company's custom frames range from $22 to $300 per linear foot.
Ricks knew what he wanted to do for a career at an early age, having run his father's frame business while in his teens. He researched old techniques and eventually found a man to teach him the water-gilding process.
This process was used by the ancient Egyptians and later perfected by the Italians and taken to its highest levels by the French. Ricks said there are currently only a few companies in the country using the process for frames in a manner similar to Krieger-Ricks.
However, the company's work with furniture is unique. "Nobody in the furniture industry does what we do," Ricks said.
For more information about Krieger-Ricks, call 489-9415.