Here Now is a new boutique contract furniture brand designed and manufactured in North Carolina—by creatives for creatives. Here Now was born out of the desire of partners Justin Champaign and Derrick Hurst to elevate domestic craftsmanship and creative collaboration.
Champaign, creative partner at Here Now, sold his successful lifestyle and functional accessory business Most Modest, and moved back to Charlotte, where he teamed up with Hurst and founded Ground State Studio, focusing on furniture design and development. At the height of the pandemic, the pair received calls inquiring about help for stalled projects. “We started getting a lot of requests for solutions that other companies couldn’t provide, either due to supply chain issues or costs. We actually began working with distributors and dealers, and even end-users in some cases,” Champaign said.
Image courtesy of Here Now
The two soon realized they were ready for a new challenge, and formally launched Here Now in June 2021. Continuing the furniture design and manufacturing tradition of North Carolina, Here Now sources and produces most designs within a 70-mile radius of Charlotte. This almost-next-door footprint offers clients an agility that’s crucial today. Both designers previously worked for big-name furniture and lighting manufacturers, armed with the knowledge of typical pitfalls and just how long it can take to get a product to market. “I always had access to great research,” Champaign noted. “But the speed at which we were able to create pieces that responded to those insights was so slow that they weren’t always relevant.”
Hurst’s experience brings a fresh sensibility to how he looks at Here Now’s output, and complements Champaign’s own, both embodying an aesthetically-minded and function-focused vision. “By bringing the industrial design and the engineering together, I am able to streamline our process while making sure we stay true to the original design,” he said.
Image by @seencgi
Indeed, the Here Now offerings showcase the total product, and highlight finishes, parts, and fabrics, with intuitive engagement at the forefront—furnishings are playful, never precious. “For us, everything is a prototype. Why not celebrate the architectural details? And that’s something you can see in all of our products. We find these opportunities to provide delight as a user interacts with a table or an ottoman,” Champaign explained.
Because Here Now is not tied to a business formula, Champaign said that they have a better understanding of regional trends, and can blend a macro and micro perspective to create furniture that has resonance. “When you produce a one-size-fits-all line, ultimately you are just packaging your products in order to sell them, rather than truly understanding what is happening regionally. We are not a bottom-line-driven company that relies on sales analysis to inform our decision-making. We’re doing things with people that we like to do.”
Image by @seencgi
Champaign and Hurst readily embrace color, which goes against the grain, especially in the contract office furniture arena. Other companies continue to bring more elevated styling to their collections, yet Champaign noted disparate teams are drawing from the same pool of inspiration—leading to a production-line sameness each season. “Brands have become so sophisticated from a design perspective, but they are all using the same elements and palettes. And it has become harder to distinguish mid-market from high design.”
The duo looks to their interest in fashion for inspiration, particularly hues and fabrics that appear more couture than corporate. Even the company’s marketing collateral features computer-generated imagery instead of photographs via an analog camera. Visually stimulating environments, whether they are on paper or in a building, are a signature of Here Now.
Image by @seencgi
Their appreciation of the work of artisans includes adherence to a Craft-to-Career philosophy that uplifts behind-the-scenes makers, who earn far below a living wage. “The craftspeople are the last ones to touch a product before a customer experiences it. They are literally the front line,” Champaign said. ”We are trying to create opportunities for a viable financial future with growth potential. The American craftsperson has been left behind, and we are trying to shift that dynamic.”
As Champaign and Hurst continue to grow the company, they want to retain their creative DNA, and the synergy between the two, with the right combination of commonality and contrast. “We come at design from two different directions, but we speak the same language. And so we’re able to make things happen quickly and efficiently,” Hurst noted.
They are also looking forward to branching out from furniture and offering artwor made by local talent, but they don’t want to overextend to the point where the brand loses what makes it unique. “We don’t want to work any other way, or to outgrow what makes us special,” Champaign added.
