“Happy Furniture” in Rocky Point – Sandra O’Hare
Article appears courtesy of
the Rocky Point Times.
Please Visit their site at www.RPTimes.comArtist by nature, Allen Nysse spent the first half of his life farming in Wisconsin, and contributing much of his time in constructing over nine hundred one-of-a-kind executive homes and land development. The second half of his life he moved to the artist town of Taos, New Mexico, where he lived in the mountains, gave up TV forever and researched books on world politics, history, philosophy, economics and religions.After becoming passionately and almost obsessedly absorbed in these subjects he began writing a large novel 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 6 consecutive years.
After publishing his novel, he became so poor he started to pick up unwanted materials, and using paint with happy, vibrant colors, he incorporated them in furniture that he labeled “poor man’s art”. Eventually, it became clear to him that much of the world’s finest art and architecture came about when poverty ruled. Applying this, Allen produced a unique line of furniture and folk art. Combining his innate color sense with materials of nature; and using his experience from the last job he had 40 years ago, as a color matcher for printing food wrappers, he establish a reputation for enhancing nature’s beauty.While most furniture makers look for select lumber to make their products, Allen looks for those gnarled trees that sustained for a while the winds and drought of the Chihuahuan desert. Or the aspen that lost their fight for oxygen in the thin air at Timberline in the New Mexico Mountains. A tree swept to the ground by wind a cruel rain and gored by elk and deer, trees scarred by bear, chewed by beaver, struck by lightening and burned by fire. Then transformed into nature’s art by a half century of blowing wind. The list is as endless as the imagination of a man.While attending the Santa Fe flea market where Allen was selling his first pieces of “poor man’s art”. He quickly realized that the wealthy art loving people were the only ones buying his new product. Over the weeks that followed gallery owners from across Texas, were buying them. He began to work 80 hours a week to keep up with the demand.He recalls one Sunday, having on his truck load, ten night stands. The galleries from Houston and Dallas fought over nine of them. Within minutes they were gone! Except one that was plain and normal. When he left the flea market, he went back to the Northern New Mexico mountain village, to produce more inventory.He now wondered how to make the “plain and normal” more desirable, so, with an idea on his mind, he took his 357 and shot three holes through it . Then added 90 dollars to the sale price. The gallery owners fought over that piece in minutes. Soon the entire load was sold. This reassured Allen there was a greater demand for unusual art orientated products than the production-in-series ones.Within a few months he was supplying all the high dollar galleries in Texas. His popularity spread to New Mexico, all across Colorado and Park City, Utah. Even a lady from Salt Lake City, Utah contracted to sell his furniture nationally! Soon, he was furnishing furniture for all display windows at the Nordstrom stores on the West Coast. This led to establishing 112 galleries in 39 states. In addition, by selling accent pieces through Robert Redford´s catalog “Sundance”, Allen became nationally known.
In fact, a Sundance’s article written years ago about Allen’s work, quotes: “So individual is each piece of furniture Allen Nysse makes, that it can truly be considered folk art. Using only the simplest hand tools and wood screws, with no nails and nothing that results from any technology developed in the last 50 years. From there, he creates unique furnishings of such warmth and character that his clients have dubbed them “Happy Furniture”.Ruth Waterhouse from the Variant Gallery, describes Nysse´s furniture : “ Whether you try one piece or start a collection, it’s like having a bit of nature around you”, she said.
Overwhelmed with the furniture’s popularity and the workload Allen maintained a shop in the mountains were he was able to purchase an abundant supply of materials which he began transporting to a production enterprise established in Northern Chihuahua.Nevertheless, not everyone wants to collect Allen’s unique pieces. Understandably, many people are content with having their home furnished with production furniture, and many of these still choose to bring warmth and happiness to their home by purchasing one accent piece. Allen recalls meeting a couple from Quebec, Canada, who owned the furniture factory that has the exclusive to supplying all the Wal-Mart Stores. They purchased some of his art at a gallery in Taos, New Mexico, and over the years they ordered numerous pieces more for their home in Canada. They said “Allen, we make lots of furniture, but in our home we like yours”. At present time, Allen has made over ten thousand “one-of-a-kind pieces”, plus many duplicates including night stands, jelly cupboards, side tables, entertaining centers, night stands, dining sets, benches and headboards.He decided to come to Rocky Point because a friend from Chihuahua who has several businesses in Phoenix, told him how beautiful and prosperous this place was and how he projected the business growth. After months of conversations he took Allen to Rocky Point in 1997.On arrival, Allen was intrigued with the growth and the beauty of the ocean. So he decided to establish a corporation, purchase some land and build a castle. Overwhelmed with furniture orders in the U.S,. he was unable to spend as much time as he would like, so eight years later decided to open a show room, this way he could spent more time here. Nysse expects he’ll have the first 5 thousand squared foot of the 14 thousand squared foot. castle completed by early spring of next year, where he plans to display furniture and art in a very unique castle motif.Allen opened a 1000 square foot show room on Benito Juarez Blvd. N. 66 were he has numerous pieces to select from. He says he invites ideas and will build anything you wish if the materials are available and it isn’t “normal or average”. Store hours are from 9 am to 6 pm. You can visit Wednesday through Monday. or call for information at 383-1861, from the U.S. 011-52 (638) 383-1861, Az. Number: (928) 595-1170.
April 28th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Allens furniture is a must see. He did our kitchen cabinets, etc. and outdoors furniture in a New Mexico mountain cabin and it is georgeous. It never fails to bring favorable comment and desire to own similar pieces.
We’re listing our place for sale to build new next door, and my wife wants to take the painted ’salt willow reed’ cabinet faces to the new house.
Allen is extremely clever and enjoyable. A unique characture in times of universal sameness.
January 22nd, 2011 at 10:56 pm
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