Geek About Town: Geek Chic Factory Tour
From the desktop of Adrienne, GeekGirlCon copywriter:
The other week, I was fortunate enough to get a tour of Geek Chic Headquarters in Everett, Washington. If you hit the comic conventions on the West Coast, you may have seen Geek Chic showing their heirloom-quality furniture tailored to the geek and gaming crowd. For anyone not familiar with Geek Chic, you can check out their wares at the website (http://www.geekchichq.com/). This company takes the idea of your basic table—dining, coffee, or casual—and turns it into the gamer’s best friend. Outfitted with specially sized drawers, shelves, and a rails system for accessories (also known as the table’s utility belt), the Geek Chic folks seem to have thought of everything. The essential feature for any table top gamer is the recessed playing surface hidden beneath a removable top or leaves.
This hidden space serves as a holding area for unfinished games, puzzles, or even a place to hide piles of unfiled personal papers! So, if your crew falls asleep at 2 a.m. around an unfinished game of Arkham Horror , it’s no problem, you can easily save the game for later.
The rail system allows you to insert cup holders, wine glass holders, extra shelves, and bins of all sizes into the slots on all sides of the table. Possibly the best feature of all is the customizable quality of all the Geek Chic furniture.
A view from the Geek Chic factory floor. Photo by Adrienne Fox
I had ordered some extra bins and cup holders for my Hoplite table, and Ruth Boehler, my Geek Chic customer service valet, suggested I pick them up at the office and get a tour of the facility. Ruth gave me the complete tour of the office, the shop, and shipping center. We started on the second floor of the office for an aerial view of the shop and all the work areas: sorting, planning, sawing, sanding, and piecing. Once on the shop floor, Ruth showed me three Emissary tables recently assembled and clamped together. I also got a peak the wood supply and learned about sap wood and other imperfections they look for to insure quality of their products.
An Emissary table under construction. Apparently, it takes about a million clamps! Photo: Adrienne Fox
We wandered through the laser-cutting room and some unfinished space that will soon be a killer showroom. Next, we visited the shipping center where my rail accessories were neatly packaged and waiting for me. But before I departed with my goods, Ruth showed me some completed 8-Hour Seating chairs and stools. I give these chairs and stools give +20 to back health for comfort and support! Each piece of the chair is carved and not steam-molded. After a short test run, I think The Geek Chic “butt hugging technology” really works and could be worth the high price tag. I shall be saving up the coin of the realm to acquire a pair.
hese chairs might look like something you’ve seen before. But, trust me, you could game for days on these seats. Photo: Adrienne Fox
Also in the shipping area is the inspection area, where all pieces are inspected before they are wrapped up for delivery. Pieces large and small all get the same eagle-eye treatment. Geek Chic has a line of “Game Aides” that are smaller, handcrafted extras like deck flasks and boxes, wooden weapon art, and other curiosities. Some of the game aides can be imprinted with a design of your choosing. It is nice to see the range of gaming supplies offered, because not everyone needs or can afford the big high-end pieces.
A super stylish way to secure your deck. Now, these desk flasks and boxes are customizable with images of your choice. Photo: Adrienne Fox
Now for the philosophical part of shopping Geek Chic. This company embodies the ethic that I look for, or feel I should be looking for, when shopping: using domestic, sustainable wood; employing people in my local geography; and creating high-quality, long-lasting heirloom furniture. And, doing all this with great customer service. I am a fan. I love my Alexandria Codex and Hoplite table, plus all the accessories. If you are planning on investing in Geek Chic products, do it. You won’t be disappointed.
A candid pic of my own Geek Chic pieces—the Alexandria Codex and the Hoplite table with a few rail accessories--complete with a little GeekGirlCon branding! Photos: Adrienne Fox
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Adrienne Fox
Copywriter
copywriter@geekgirlcon.com
