Meet Gabrielle Davis | Director of Creative Operations for Sherrill Furniture, Hickory White & Showroom Design

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabrielle Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabrielle, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I was heavily influenced by my grandfather, James Stanton, a notable furniture designer and businessman, and my incredibly talented mother and designer, India Stanton Miller. As a third-generation legacy in the furniture industry, I grew up surrounded by design and fully immersed in the High Point Furniture Market – I think a creative career was just the natural path for me. I remember constantly rearranging furniture as a child, exploring all the possible layouts of my bedroom, siblings bedrooms, and even a few friends rooms, learning some key lessons in space planning at a very young age. Throughout middle and high school, I would spend a lot of weekends and weekday afternoons helping my mother with various tasks around her showroom. Even while obtaining my design degree in Charleston, SC, I would return home for a long weekend right before markets just to assist mom and her team with final set-up. Not only is design and the ability to create natural for me, but it is also personal. I have met so many individuals that have known or even worked with my mother or grandfather. They share stories and express high admiration for both, making it an honor to continue my family’s legacy.

As the saying goes, “do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Design is what I love, and the furniture industry is home.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started my design career at Caracole Furniture. Joining Caracole at the height of their expansion into a new showroom space, I was able to assist with the design and development of what is now the Markor Arts Center in High Point, NC. I spent my earlier years with the company creating and implementing brand standards, often traveling with the sales team to present design proposals for over 30 domestic and international retail stores. I eventually absorbed the responsibilities held by former Director of Design, focusing full time on the space planning, merchandising, and complete market presentation for the High Point and Atlanta showrooms. In addition, I was given the opportunity to collaborate with product development on case and upholstery design and coordinate with the marketing department on set displays and styling for product photography and overall brand experience. From there I moved to a high-end lighting and drapery hardware company, M2C Studio. Similar to my previous position, I found myself quickly acquiring many different responsibilities, some familiar and some becoming a learning experience. Although a design-based company, most of my efforts were spent establishing and maintaining day-to-day sales and logistic procedures. Through development of standards, forms, and processes for customer service, sales, order entry, and operations, I was able to expand customer relationships and establish a reputable name for a fairly new company. While at M2C, I was able to explore the marketing side of the industry as well. I took over all product photography, revitalized the website, and supplied content calendars for all social media platforms. While many of those tasks were new to me, I was also able to apply my design knowledge, helping with technical drawings for product development, as well as space planning for renovations within the historic Pickett Cotton Mill, where M2C Studio housed their operations.

I learned so much in both roles that ultimately prepared me for my current position. I was hired with Sherrill Furniture this past June, a company I have always sort of felt a part of. My mother, India Miller, has been designing with the Sherrill companies for over 20 years, just recently being named VP Creative for Sherrill Furniture, Hickory White & Showroom Design. And although there were reservations about me reporting directly to my mother, I was able to show my familiarity with the company and the almost “twin telepathy” relationship I share with my mom would be a great asset to the design team.
Sherrill is at the forefront of some really exciting technological advances, and my role acts as a bridge between the design and IT team. The rare ability to be an “analytical creative” allows me to easily flip from right brain to left brain, and vice versa. Thus, bringing order and organization to the creative, and vision and imagination to the technical. Using the breadth of my skills, I am able to visualize an outcome, and work backwards to identify the overall process needed to execute any project, while problem solving along the way. By implementing set procedures and maintaining thorough organization, projects become more efficient and outcomes, more desirable with minimal error. As a natural born visionary, educated in a tech generation, I have been able to master skills on both ends of the spectrum, making me an asset as we try to keep up with the evolution of design and technological advancements.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Although I grew up in furniture, I have only been a professional in the industry for 7 years. Hard work and natural creativity got my foot in the door, but the support, encouragement, and mentorship from 3 individuals played instrumental roles in my early success. As previously mentioned, I was hired into a substantial position with Caracole Furniture right out of college, reporting to Lisa Harris my first year and a half with the company. Lisa was and probably still is my biggest advocate both professionally and personally. She was always encouraging the executives to include me in their meetings and discussions, for learning purposes, and because she believed I offered valid input and fresh perspective to the team. Lisa recognized my abilities long before I did, and her mentorship guided my first few steps in the professional world towards success.
Lenwood Rich, former VP of Sales at Caracole, was quick to pull me under his wing, and had me traveling with him to present design proposals to major dealers within my first 2 months at the company. I quickly learned that Lenwood’s bark was far worse than his bite, but that a good poker face would get you pretty far in life. Although his rank far surpassed mine, I was always treated as an equal, and his support and encouragement cannot be measured. It was his trust in me from the very start that helped give me the confidence to not only belong but excel in this industry. By the time he retired, he was introducing me as his “bonus daughter” and I lovingly called him “dad”.
My last two years at Caracole, I had been shifted to the marketing department, working under Charley Holt, former VP of Marketing. Charley helped me to really discover who I was as a designer… and in general. He was always pushing me outside of my comfort zone but supported me every step of the way. His compassion, leadership, and genuine investment in his colleagues and friends is not only admirable, but it’s what I strive for in my professional and personal life.
I owe a lot of my success to these three people, and I am beyond grateful for the time they invested to help me learn, grow, and excel as a designer.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/india__elle/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indiagabrielledavis/