Furniture World News Desk on
2/18/2025
The Bienenstock Furniture Library recently announced updates to its 2025 Board of Directors including (pictured left to right above) Brian Simpson, who assumes the role of board president;
Caroline Hipple as vice president; and two additional home furnishings industry executives, Thomas Verellen and Lisa
Kahn, as new board members.
Brian Simpson previously served as vice president and creative director for Alderman Company where he managed a team
of art directors, graphic designers, programmers, and imaging professionals. He founded the company’s digital
imaging and web development department and has been an instrumental contributor to the library’s digital
communications development.
Caroline Hipple is chief creative officer for legacy manufacturer Hooker Furnishings, where she is responsible for
developing a cohesive creative strategy for the company’s brands. Among her many accolades, she was named an
Industry Icon in 2024 by the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association (IHFRA). Hipple has earned a
reputation for her focus on company culture and the role it plays in business success.
Thomas Verellen is director of sales for furniture manufacturer Verellen, overseeing the West Coast, Rocky Mountain,
and Southwest sales territories as a second-generation member of the business. He has played a pivotal role in
increasing market share in his region, and growing a large portfolio of clients with a strong sense of
responsibility to continue his family’s legacy.
Lisa Kahn, ASID, is the founder and owner of Finding SanctuaryⓇ by Lisa Kahn Designs, having started her
eponymous interior design firm in Naples, Florida, in 2000. She is at work now to form the Finding Sanctuary
Institute, a non-profit organization and retreat center dedicated to providing research and education on how
environments can be harnessed to further the evolution of human consciousness.
The board positions are two-year terms, according to Karla Jones, the library’s executive director.
“The unique experiences of each library board member are leveraged to nurture our industry’s next
generation of design professionals,” says Jones, who helped launch the Bienenstock Future Designers Summit in
2021, attracting college-level students from across the country to the two-day intensive in High Point each
September.
“I would like to acknowledge outgoing board president Dudley Moore for his outstanding efforts, while also
encouraging our industry and High Point Market colleagues to support this fall’s fifth annual event with their
generous financial contributions,” adds Jones.
The Verellen Furniture Scholarship and the Broyhill Family Foundation Scholarship are recurring in 2025.
To establish a new student scholarship for the Future Designers Summit, or to sponsor a furniture or interior design
student’s participation in the 2025 educational event, please write to [email protected].
About the Furniture Library
Founded in 1970, The Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library located in High Point, NC, is a world-class research
facility for information on furniture, interiors, architecture, textiles, finishes and construction. Significant
among the Library’s 5,000+ holdings are contemporary acquisitions and a rare books collection of international
volumes published since 1640, including a complete collection of original works by 18th century furniture masters
Chippendale, Sheraton, Hepplewhite, and a complete set of Diderot’s Encyclopedia. It is open to the public and
devoted to the advancement of knowledge of furniture and design for members of the furniture industry, design
professionals, scholars and students. Since 1984, The Library has awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships to
students at 17 colleges throughout the US. It houses a specialty bookstore selling the latest books on design as
well as out of print and hard to find texts. It is also used as a venue for professional meetings, seminars,
conferences, lectures and art events. For more information visit www.furniturelibrary.com.
