Unique Discoveries With Howard Wiggins

Howard Wiggins.pdf

As an interior designer, I’m always looking for diverse and unique items for my clients. The creative process of discovering these unique items to apply to a specific project is fun and exciting. Today, I’m visiting Jeff and Mia Fleetwood of Northgate Gallery located at 1690 Mallory Lane in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Howard: How many years have you been in business?

Jeff : Northgate Gallery has been part of a family business which has been in existence for about seventy years. The business was started by Mia’s grandfather who passed it down to her mother and then to Mia in 1996.

Howard: Why did you decide to locate the business in Brentwood?

Jeff: We originally considered three locations which were Charlotte, North Carolina, Orlando, Florida and Brentwood, Tennessee, all due to their strong economies. We eventually decided to locate the business in Brentwood, because of close family ties and because both Mia and I were born and raised in Tennessee and loved the area.

Howard: Do you have any one-of-a-kind items?

Jeff: One of the most striking pieces in the showroom is a trestle table acquired from a villa in the Veneto Region in Italy. The table, from the Arts and Crafts Period, was custom built in 1900 for a prominent family who were tobacco farmers. Recently, the family was forced by circumstance to divest of some of the furnishings and I was able to purchase this particular piece from their villa. The table, being of monumental scale, measures 16 feet, 3 ½ feet long, 44 ½ inches wide and, 30 inches in height. The table is comprised of a two- solid board top, each 4 inches in thickness, with a hand-carved solid wood trestle base and two-sided hand-carved center crest. The table, which is walnut and inlaid with pewter detail, was made from a single tree. The price for this rare find is listed at $75,000.00.

Howard: How often do you receive new items?

Jeff: Of course, shipments may be dependent on the economy, but, we like to receive a container every six weeks.

Howard: Are there any other unique items that you have?

Jeff: Another really special piece is a Venetian cassone-on-stand made in the 18 century and carved of solid walnut. This particular piece was placed in hallways to store swords and special items and was usually flanked by suit-of –armor chairs used by servants to guard the contents of the cassone. The drawers on this inverted breakfront form are carved with lions, the symbol of Venice, and carved griffins grace the detailed plinth. The chairs shown with this piece in our showroom are confessional wing chairs with carved lion masks, signifying their Venetian origin. They are upholstered in their original needlepoint tapestry and are dated circa 1870 to 1880. The price of the cassone is listed at $25,000.00. The pair of confessional chairs is priced at $6,800.00.