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Friday Five with Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams are on a mission to make the world a more comfortable place. They started their home furnishings company 21 years ago making dining chairs, and today offer upholstery, case goods, lighting, rugs, and accessories. You can see their new Fall 2010 Collection in 17 Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Signature Stores, Bloomingdale’s, and more than 60 fine home furnishings shops across the country. A true comfort highlight of the new collection: their Super Luxe Sleeper with an extra-thick, sleep-inducing 8.5”-deep mattress. They’ve also authored a book, The Comfortable Home, to help people create rooms in their soft and modern, relaxing and welcoming style.

To us, comfort goes well beyond decorating. It’s a way of living. It’s something as simple and profound as knowing you’re accepted for who you are, which is why we’re so committed to achieving equality for all. We’re always looking for the tangibles and intangibles that make life more comfortable. Here are several that do it for us:


Photo: Jean Shop

1. Jean Shop
Bob: I went to the one in SoHo near our Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams store. The jeans are handmade in the city and fit like a dream after a few days of wearing them (I have gotten a lot of compliments on them). They have cool orange stitching and a pig for a logo…the shape of which sort of reminds me of our late beloved company mascot and late beloved company mascot and English bulldog, Lulu.


Margarita from Hell’s Kitchen (left) from their website and 44 & X (right) by Ed U. on Yelp

2. Hell’s Kitchen and 44 & X
Bob: If you’re in New York, try the Mexican-inspired restaurant called Hell’s Kitchen on 9th Ave., yes — in Hell’s Kitchen. Great margaritas in a really relaxing space. And convenient, too — it’s right near our NY apartment.

Mitchell: Or, if you’re in that neighborhood, check out 44 X on 10th Ave. for a chic-er design sense. Comfort food like mac & cheese, meatloaf, and roasted chicken in a good-looking room with good-looking wait staff. What’s not to like?

3. Outsider Art
We collect Outsider Art, folk-art-style pieces by self-taught artists outside the mainstream art world. Love the colors, shapes, subjects, and the way it can take you beyond your usual way of looking at things. Here’s a piece in Mitchell’s office. Two great shows are the Intuit Show of Folk & Outsider Art, which was held last weekend in Chicago (where Mitchell’s cousin Judy Saslow has an art gallery that features Outsider Art), and the upcoming Outside Art Fair, February 11-13, in New York.

4. Lulu’s Child Enrichment Center
Not much makes parents more comfortable and relaxed at work than safe, nurturing, and affordable child care. That’s why we started our on-site, not-for-profit, education-based daycare center at our factory in rural North Carolina. It’s wonderful to have the children there — on a challenging day, a quick visit can help you regain perspective on what’s truly important. At left in this photo is Silas Drake Robinson, son of Chef Sean, our corporate chef. We hope other companies will be inspired by our daycare to also offer this truly life-enhancing benefit.

5. My Bentley
Mitchell: What can I say…it’s simply luxurious, the ultimate in comfort, whether you’re the driver or passenger. We do a lot of traveling for work — it’s often where the inspiration for our products and fabrics comes from. With a car like this, you’re always ready for a road trip

Jaime Derringer, Founder + Executive Editor of Design Milk, is a Jersey girl living in SoCal. She dreams about funky, artistic jewelry + having enough free time to enjoy some of her favorite things—running, reading, making music, and drawing.