News & Resources - Customer Focus
Berkeley Mills
An East-West Love Affair
Over furniture. That's what happens when Tansu and Shoji merge seamlessly with the Arts & Crafts and Mission traditions. It's when serenity folds into function, simplicity becomes elegance, and the 18th century infuses itself into the 21st century.
Take a bow... Berkeley Mills, the sophisticated home of east-west contemporary furniture design.
Inspiration Without Borders
About furniture. From its inception, Berkeley Mills has blended the dynasties - old designs of Japanese furniture makers, with their clean, beautifully simplistic shapes, to the Arts & Crafts style with its own spare, horizontal lines, to the Prairie style of a Frank Lloyd Wright where the custom furniture looks as if it had always lived in your home.
The result? A sense of peace and comfort in the places where you rest, play, and work.
Cloudlift Beds, Floating Side Tables, Moon Chests
Furniture. Furniture, but with a Berkeley Mills difference. This is furniture that invites you in, that expresses your lifestyle, and that will still look and feel contemporary decades from now.
Arts & Crafts Armchairs, Sofas, Rockers... Armoires, Hot Tubs, Staircase and Railings... Doors, Doors and more Doors embellished with art and stained glass, handmade hardware, and woods to take your breath away. For a full line, don't hesitate to check out their website at www.berkeleymills.com.
Handcrafted Woodworking
For furniture. Every piece of their furniture is custom-made in Berkeley, California. From living rooms, to kitchens, to bedrooms, to offices, Berkeley Mills creates exquisite pieces that do more than reflect the company's design philosophy. They reflect their customer's lifestyles.
The idea of a tansu, a 17th century Japanese concept, evolves to fit contemporary environments as a dresser, closet, bookshelf, or entertainment center. The elegant Japanese shoji screen or shoji sliding door may divide a room in one area, become a cabinet door in another, and subtly open to a pantry in yet another.
New Kitchen Line
Of furniture. Blend sustainable materials, fine craftsmanship, and unique artisanal elements with European technology and what do you get? Start with Island countertops that are made of recycled glass and jarrah, a sustainably harvested wood from Australia. Move to lacquer display boxes from Japan, handmade paper and hand-forged hardware. There are drawers that never slam and ergonomic storage to reduce clutter. And there's CollinsWood certified hardwood cherry that brings the warmth of natural materials to spaces that have for so long looked cold and austere.
"We decided from the outset that we didn't want to offer modular, homogenized solutions that other cabinet companies do. We want each kitchen to truly express our clients' lives," -Cynthia Miyashita (President, Berkeley Mills)
Introducing... Berkeley Mills "Sereno and Madera Kitchens," the first in their new kitchen line-up.
What a Difference an Ear Makes
In regards to furniture. Some folks in this business create a line and say "here it is, come get it." Not Berkeley Mills. Their customers are actually their partners. For real. They design in collaboration, so they can better understand who their customer is and how they want to live and work, and yes, even play. Odd as it may sound, they do this the old-fashioned way...by listening.
A Team Approach
To furniture. Berkeley Mills is not only interested in partnering with their customers, but with their employees as well. By working as a team on each project, everyone's talents, skills, and expertise are maximized. Which, quite frankly, means a better end product for their customers. But it's really more than that, said Gene Agress, CEO. "Quality is never a thing in itself. It is a process, a compilation. Yes, it's fine craftsmen each adding their part to the whole. Yes, it's a company who believes in, trusts, and values their employees. And yes, it's a passion to continually improve, to do better, be better. When all of those factors come together, you have created 'quality.'"
A Conscience
Concerning furniture. Actually, it's a conscience concerning wood, and where wood comes from, and how it's grown, and how it's harvested. Gene Agress sums it up best. "We are stewards and not owners of the world. And when you do good things by taking care of that world, good things come back to you." Berkeley Mills was one of the earliest U.S. furniture companies to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for their responsible use of sustainably harvested wood. Their American cherry and eastern white maple comes from the forests of The Collins Companies, the first privately-owned timber company to become certified under the rigorous standards of the FSC.
Families and companies committed to stewardship.
Contact Information
Berkeley Mills
2830 Seventh Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
877.426.4557
shop@berkeleymills.com