By David Cohen
Photos courtesy of Phillips Collection
The Phillips Collection has long been a name synonymous with unique, sustainable design that blends artistry with function. But what makes this High Point, North Carolina-based company such a distinctive force in the world of interior design and artisan furnishings? I sat down with Jessica Phillips, Vice President of Business Development and one of the second-generation leaders of the Phillips family business, to explore how this legacy brand is shaping the future of sustainable furniture and design, while holding tight to its roots.
A Legacy Rooted in Discovery: The Origins and Evolution of the Phillips Collection
Founded officially in 1983 by Mark and Julie Phillips, the Phillips Collection is a family-run business that traces back to a shared love of travel and Southeast Asian art and collectibles with Mark’s parents. What began as sourcing and bonding trips in search of antiquities, such as chafas from Thai temples, gradually developed into deeper relationships with both local artisans and the Thai government. These early travels eventually laid the foundation for what would become the Phillips Collection. As their relationships with artisans and communities across the world grew, the company’s business model took shape as well, gradually evolving into curating collections of modern furnishings defined by artisan craftsmanship, character and global influence.
“It really began with my grandparents traveling throughout Southeast Asia. That curiosity turned into a business when my parents founded the company,” Jessica Phillips explains. “Now we’re known not just for sourcing beautiful materials, but for designing one-of-a-kind pieces that become emotional centerpieces in a space.”
Jessica Phillips
High Point: All About Location
After 20 years in New York, the Phillips family made the strategic decision to relocate the business to High Point, North Carolina in 2001. While the move offered a lower cost of doing business, it most importantly brought them to the heart of the interior design and home furnishings industry. There, they planted roots for what would become their flagship showroom, warehouse facilities, and company headquarters, firmly establishing them as a staple of High Point Market and the local community.
“High Point Market is like New York Fashion Week for the home furnishings and interior design industry, except we get to wear sneakers because people are on their feet the entire show” Jessica Phillips said. “It made sense to be in the center of it all.” With a warehouse located less than ten minutes away, Phillips Collection developed a system to shuttle designers over to view and select from hundreds of one-of-a-kind pieces. The experience is both intentional and immersive. “My father insisted it be fun,” Jessica said. “We have a fleet of Segways for designers and visitors to ride through our expansive warehouses, it’s a big Instagram moment.”
The family’s connection to High Point extends beyond their showroom. Phillips Collection has partnered with the city on cleanup efforts, worked with the mayor on community initiatives, and collaborated closely with the High Point Market Authority and its president, Tammy Covington. “People don’t always realize it,” Jessica said, “but these two weeks each year really help fund and fuel the design industry nationwide and the regional economy of North Carolina.”
Every Piece a Conversation
The company’s tagline, “Every Piece a Conversation,” is more than marketing, it’s a mantra that underlines every product they create.
“It’s about telling a story. These aren’t just chairs or tables; they have history, craftsmanship and soul,” Jessica says. “We want people to stop, engage and feel something. We think of our products as the ‘jewelry of the room’.”
One of the company’s most iconic designs is one of their first design collaborations. The seatbelt chair, conceived by award-winning Thai designer Nuttapong Charoenkitivarakorn, showcases the company’s focus to unique design and it’s out of the box modern organic style.
Storytelling is central to their product collections, how each piece was sourced and discovered is integral to its identity. Their distinctive offerings include signature large-scale live-edge wood tables, sculptural accessories, the Origins collection featuring reclaimed root pieces, striking amethyst centerpieces, life-sized metal and wood horse sculptures and more. At its core, Phillips Collection celebrates the beauty and spirit of nature.
Jessica’s Journey: Growing with the Brand
For Jessica Phillips, the path to becoming Vice President of Business Development at Phillips Collection wasn’t a straight line, it was layered with discovery, a corporate detour, and a return to her roots in a family-run business that celebrates creativity and connection.
Jessica’s brother, Jason, now CEO, stepped into the business straight out of school. Jessica, too, started young, filing orders during summers through high school, before digital systems existed. But after college, she veered toward her own path, landing a job in advertising in New York before a role in inclusive education. That experience helped her better understand the environment she wanted and didn’t want, as well as hone the skills she brings into her role today.
After a brief stint back at Phillips, she returned to New York and joined a marketing agency that focused solely on the home furnishings industry, an experience that gave her a new perspective. Instead of just being in their showroom, she walked market shows from the other side, watched major brands go through rebrands including Phillips Collection, and realized how much she loved the design industry.
“I realized I really loved this industry,” Jessica said, “and I have this amazing advantage of a family company that I could then take all this life experience into.” That realization brought her back to Phillips, where she now works closely with the sales staff and customers, drawing on those skills constantly. “People take in information in different ways. Some need visuals, others need repetition. Everyone wants to feel heard.” That understanding has helped her shape how Phillips communicates its story to designers across the country.
A Practical Approach to Sustainability
At Phillips Collection, sustainability isn’t new, it’s a long-standing part of their ethos, approached with transparency and practicality rather than as a passing trend.
In fact, they’ve been prioritizing it for more than two decades. From installing solar panels at both their headquarters and the Phillips family home, to offering electric vehicle charging stations at their High Point facility, their commitment goes far beyond greenwashing.
“We’re very honest that we choose the green option when it’s available to us,” said Jessica Phillips. “For example, the factory we work with for resin casting doesn’t use a plant-based resin, which is unfortunate, and something we hope they explore. But there’s a trade-off. Resin allows us to recreate designs without consuming natural materials, and the carbon footprint of shipping a 200-pound item versus something that weighs two tons is significantly lower.”
Their sustainability practices extend deeply into how they use wood. Phillips Collection is committed to getting the most material out of every tree they work with, starting from the roots. “If something has to be removed, we work closely with our team overseas to make sure we are maximizing what we can get out of it into functional product,” Jessica explained. “Where should we cut to get the most slabs? How many consoles can we get out of this? Can we make any debris from cuts into wall décor?”
Only reclaimed teak roots are used, never live trees. “I can’t tell you what happened to the tree before,” Jessica said, “but I can tell you that we do our part in making sure that material doesn’t go to waste. Even offcuts are turned into beautiful products.”
They also focus on using fast-growing wood species like chamcha wood, what the Thai call golden acacia. “We think of sustainability as a full-circle responsibility,” Jessica noted. “It’s not just about what we make, but how we support the people and environments where our materials come from.”
This balance between creative vision, business needs, and environmental responsibility is a defining part of the Phillips Collection identity.
Philanthropy and Artisan Empowerment
Phillips Collection’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond responsible sourcing. It extends to meaningful investment in the overseas communities they work with. The company partnered with a village near one of its sourcing regions to plant 6,000 saplings. What began as an environmental effort quickly grew into a full community initiative, involving students, families, government officials, and villagers. In return, Phillips Collection rebuilt the local school’s playground, replacing an unsafe structure with a secure and welcoming space for children.
When travel resumed after COVID, they expanded the initiative by planting 10,000 saplings. This time, the focus included education. “We wanted the students to understand the importance of what was growing around them,” Jessica explained. In exchange for participating in the tree-planting effort, students were enrolled in a botany course. By the time Mark Phillips arrived, they were able to identify local tree species, a meaningful step in connecting younger generations with their environment and cultural roots.
“We see our makers as partners, not just vendors,” Jessica said. “We’re invested in their communities. We want to leave these places better than we found them.” This balance of environmental stewardship and human connection reflects a company belief that sustainability must extend to people, not just products.
Who Buys Phillips Collection: Serving the Trade
“Our primary business is working with the design trade, whether that’s interior designers or architects, that’s the core of what we do,” Jessica explained. “We’re exclusively to the trade, and after those, our next largest segment is retailers.”
A growing portion of Phillips Collection’s business now comes from major e-commerce platforms, which has introduced both opportunity and complexity. “E-commerce has been interesting. There’s a significant amount of backend technology involved. We’ve done a lot of business through it, but it’s been a learning curve,” she said. “Handling returns, for example, or coordinating white-glove delivery for large items when we’re not directly involved, those things are very different from our traditional channels.”
Within retail, the company works with everything from independent shops to large chains. Some retailers even carry proprietary, white-labeled Phillips products that don’t bear the brand’s name.
One area of current focus is ensuring showroom partners are protected through fair pricing. “Right now, we operate on a single price model, but Jason and I have been discussing how to build a program where to-the-trade showrooms receive preferred pricing. We want designers to work through those showrooms, not around them, and we want to remain a valuable and equal resource to all.”
In addition, Phillips Collection continues to expand its footprint in the hospitality world. Their sculptural, statement-making pieces are increasingly specified for hotels, resorts and commercial spaces, bringing design elements that create an elevated guest experience.
The Role of Technology in Design and Distribution
Technology is becoming more embedded in the brand’s DNA. Under Jason Phillips’ direction, the company now uses CAD and 3D printing to develop new concepts. Their visual merchandising relies on high-quality product photography and digital staging to bring their catalog to life online.
“We’re also exploring AI for things like showroom layout and customer personalization,” Jessica adds. “The future of design is digital as much as it is tactile.” This includes collecting social data to improve outreach and potentially developing augmented reality tools to help customers visualize products in their spaces.
Phillips Collection is also investing in infrastructure to support interactive tools like data analytics that personalize the customer experience. As Jason continues to lead product development, this intersection of design and technology is helping shape the brand’s next chapter.
“Ultimately, we want people to know that we’re playful, but we’re also serious about what we do,” Jessica said. “We want to bring joy and unexpected design to the world, and we’re constantly exploring new technologies to help us do that. We’re founding members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, which really helped pave the way for our industry.
At the heart of it, we want people to feel like they’re part of the Phillips family when they buy from us. There’s a reason people come to us, we create an experience where your hand is held, you’re in familiar territory. There are hugs and laughter, but we’re always here to do the work.”
