The Secrets of Kansas City

Kansas City has its secrets. A walk in the park, a day at the zoo, an out of the way place to eat, a place far from the madding crowds where one can enjoy the moment.

Wild Blue Indigo

One of our favorites is Shawnee Mission Park with its miles of bike trails that take you along Mill Creek  through wooded hills and fields filled with wildflowers. Don't be fooled. I am not talking about the two lane road that circles the massive park and beautiful lake. This is the trail-way that is found hidden east of the lake, down the hill.

In June look for the stately Wild Blue Indigo. Biking or walking the trails is a joy for the entire family. And if you are adventuresome, go off road on the five miles of mountain bike trails, but beware, the going can get rough.

And wear your helmet!

Well now, the secret at Traditions Furniture is out. We are in SPACES Kansas City magazine for June/July 2013. Sure we are in good company. Traditions Furniture  features Stickley, the oldest name in Mission furniture. Our interior designers also work with Stressless recliners, Sherrill, Highland House, Hancock and Moore, and more, more, more.

Come to Traditions Furniture in the historic Strang Carbarn, Downtown Overland Park and discover our little secret.

Santiago de Compostela

Summertime, which means it is time to travel, get away, relax, and reflect on the good times in life. Here is a Traditions travel story from a trip taken two years ago in Spain on the Camino de Santiago.

West Face of the Cathedral of St. James

On the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, St. James Way, travelers say, "Buen camino!" I replied, "Vaya con Dios," which always got a smile.

The route from the French-Spanish border to Santiago in the province of Galicia in northwest Spain was designated the first European Cultural itinerary by the Council of Europe in 1987. This route was taken by pilgrims since the time of Charlemagne - and still is - to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

The tradition begins with the Jesus' apostle St. James, who preached the Gospel in Spain, and dates from the 7th century. St. Jerome held that apostles were buried where they preached, so it was assumed that the body of St. James was moved from Jerusalem, where according to Acts of the Apostles he was martyred on the order of Herod Agrippa. Not until the 9th century was the apostle's tomb identified as being at Compostela.

The 8th century saw the consolidation of the Christian kingdoms of Galicia and Asturias in northern Spain and St. James was adopted as the patron saint by the small Christian kingdom struggling against the mighty Moorish kingdom of Cordoba. By the 10th century, pilgrims were coming from Tours, Limoges, and Le Puy in France to Santiago to honor St. James. The present Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela was begun in 1075. It was consecrated in 1128 before King Alfonso IX of Leon.

In 1139 the first "guidebook" to the holy route was published as Book V of the Calixtine Codex, attributed to Pope Calixtus II but likely the work of the pilgrim Ayrneric Picaud, described a route from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela, listing the inns and taverns along the way. Thousands of pilgrims and tourist still walk or bike the camino each year, hoping to arrive by July 25th, the holy day for St. James.

A statue of a weary traveler greets you before you climb the stairs to the cathedral.

The heavy wooden doors guard a beautiful interior.

A seated St. James is there to welcome you when you enter.

The Gothic style nave is barrel-vaulted, consisting of eleven bays. The transept, which crosses the nave and creates the impression of a cross from above, consists of six bays.

Now imagine what you would want to do if you just completed the Camino de Santiago de Compostela - rest, pray, and relax!

Windsor Chairs

With more than 150 years of history, Nichols & Stone is the oldest furniture company in the United States. Indeed, a member of the Nichols family has been making Windsor chairs since 1762, pushing the date back over 250 years. The business passed down from father to son over the generations, and in 1894 Charles Nichols began a partnership with Reuben S. Stone. The company became Nichols & Stone.

Using hard northern birch and maple, Nichols & Stone continues to create great furniture, in styles from traditional to contemporary — including its trademark dining furniture, the beloved Windsor chair.

Nichols & Stone Windsor chairs and rectangular table

Shakespeare Garden

A Shakespeare garden cultivates plants mentioned by William Shakespeare. Certainly, we all know Juliet's line in Romeo and Shakespeare, "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The line symbolizes the thought that the experience matters more than the word. Juliet loves Romeo. Does it matter that she is a Capulet to Romeo's Montague?

But what of the other flowers mentioned by Shakespeare?

Ophelia: There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love,

remember. And there is pansies, that's for thoughts.

Laertes: A document in madness! Thoughts and remembrance fitted.

Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 5.

Let us celebrate the symbolism of Shakespeare's word, but enjoy the comfort that a chair by Stressless can bring. Oh, what's in a name? Well, Stressless has been making the world's most comfortable recliner since 1971. That is both something to think about, and to remember.

Of the daffodil, that blooms in May, Shakespeare had this to say:

When daffodils begin to peer, With heigh! the doxy over the dale, Why, then comes in the sweet o' the year; For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale.

Winter's Tale, Act 4, Scene 3.

Of the red poppy, that blooms in early summer:

Not poppy, nor mandragora,
Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world,
Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep
Which thou owedst yesterday.

Othello,  Act 3, Scene 3.


More flowers by Shakespeare.

Home at Last

For more than a century, Stickley Furniture has followed a simple approach to its design and construction. That approach is to build furniture to last, furniture that stands the test of time. Because of this philosophy, Stickley is one of the few American manufacturers of furniture whose pieces still sell for tens of thousands of dollars year after year at auction houses. Today's Stickley may not be ready for auction, but it is ready for your home.

A Night at Stickley with Sarah Lanigan

***Don't forget to RSVP for the first ever visit by Sarah Lanigan, curator of the Stickley Museum in New York at Traditions in Overland Park the evening of April 12th, and in Wichita the afternoon of April 13th.


Visit the Stickley Museum.

While known for its Mission style, Stickley is also one of the leading American manufacturers of traditional furniture. The traditional collection features 18th century styling fit for a colonial mansion. Stylish, not pretentious, formal, but enjoyable, that is the Stickley Traditional collection.

If traditional styling is not your cup of tea, then consider the Stickley's casual modern upholstery styles. Light, open, and airy, Stickley casual upholstery fits today's simpler life style.

Cover your upholstery in either fabric or leather. Select from the many Stickley styles. Choose a color that best fits your life style and enjoy.

Stickley has something for every room of the house. Consider the family room where, at the end of the day, family and friends gather to talk or watch TV.

Finally, when the day is done, one is ready to repose, to sleep, perhaps to dream of your next Stickley selection. One is home at last.

Visit your Stickley dealer in Kansas in either Overland Park or Wichita.

Salt Lake City

The Mormon Tabernacle

Forgive me for straying, leaving the store, and getting out and seeing the world, but, now and then, one needs to get away. The getaway for the Traditions gang, Robin, Diane, and myself was a trip to Salt Lake City to watch the Wichita State University Shocker Basketball team play in the opening round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The Shockers beat first, Pittsburg, then number one ranked Gonzaga, and so they are on to the round of Sweet Sixteen in Los Angeles. The victories in Salt Lake were a big boost to Wichita, the team, and coach Gregg Marshall.

"How about them Shox!"

It is always fun to get away, more so, when it is a trip to somewhere one has never been to. Everything one sees is new and different. Salt Lake is situated in the Great Basin, surrounded on all sides by the towering Wasatch Mountains. On a clear day, the snow covered mountains shine in their spectacular beauty.

The weather for this time of year was a bit out of the ordinary. Even though Punxsutawney Phil promised us an early spring, it is snowing. There snowflakes float down like soft feathers on the city streets and those brave enough to be out in the cold. The local weatherman describes the resulting snowfall as lake-effect snow, a term familiar to those from Chicago, but not so familiar to Wichita. Lake-effect snow is produced when cooler winds cross warmer waters such as the Great Salt Lake, picking up water vapor and then shedding it as snow. Judging by the large number of umbrellas, the warm winter coats, and the long skirts and dresses on the women, the citizens of Salt Lake are used to this condition.

The city itself is surprisingly new and modern. There is plenty of downtown shopping, including a new indoor mall called City Creek Center. Then, there are dozens of great restaurants to choose from to eat at. Our breakfast favorite was Lamb's Grill. For an afternoon coffee and snack there is the nearby Eva's Bakery, a French style boulangerie.

Eva's Bakery at 155 S. Main Street

Free public transportation and wi-fi at the mall makes getting around Salt Lake or staying connected with friends easy. And, the Shockers played at the downtown EnergySolutions arena, a short 10 minute walk from the Hotel Monaco, where we stayed, or a hop on the clean and efficient city streetcars. When not rooting for our favorite basketball team, we found much to do in and around Salt Lake. There is the nearby Sugar Loaf neighborhood, and to ski one drives 15 minutes to the Park City Ski Resort.

One could go on and on, but shouldn't we get back to planning the next trip and rooting for the Shockers in LA?

Sarah Lanigan, Stickley Museum

This April, Sarah Lanigan, curator and executive director of the Stickley Museum in Fayetteville, New York is coming to Traditions Furniture in Overland Park and Wichita for a special event. We would like to picture the event as thrilling, exciting, and fascinating. And it will be, but not like this.

Instead, Sarah will charm us with a presentation on the history and style of Stickley, America's foremost name in furniture. Since 1900, when Gustav Stickey first created his iconic New Furniture, Stickley has represented the best in design and craftsmanship. It all began with the Mission style. This furniture reflected Gustav Stickley's ideals of simplicity, quality construction, and truth to materials. The grain of the quarter-sawn oak wood was emphasized and the mortise and tenon joinery exposed because Stickley believed this is what nature intended. The design innovations of Gustav Stickley' brother Leopold, and designer Harvey Ellis have both contributed to the rich legacy of Stickley Mission. Over the years, many of the Stickey pieces, including the Gustav Stickley Morris chair, have entered the lexicon of furniture styles. Auction values for early pieces have soared, but Stickley is furniture to be enjoyed now and forever.

Today the Stickley Furniture story includes other styles such as Pasadena Bungalow, based on the styles of the Greene and Greene brothers of Pasadena, California, as well as Traditional, Modern, and 21st Century.

Chairs

There will be refreshments, gifts, and plenty of chairs to sit in, but we recommend that you make a reservation, for these events are always popular. This will be a daytime event in both stores. We will post the times as soon as possible.

Sideboard

And if you are a fan of the Antiques Roadshow, but haven't been able to get there to find a value for your ancient piece of Stickley, here is an opportunity to ask what your piece of Stickley is worth.

Stickley, you buy it because you like it, and find that over time it is a decision to enjoy. Are you wondering how to get your favorite piece of Stickley?