Geek Chic Furniture: Heirlooms for Gamers

Geek Chic Furniture is something of an inspiration. The company shows what you can do by serving a niche market with a superior product and excellent service. As we spoke to them at a time when Nicole was beginning to start her own business, the chat was not only interesting to us as gamers, but encouraging as a baby entrepreneur.

We approached Geek Chic’s booth at Gen Con with the intention of taking some pictures and literature, but we ended up talking with the company’s founder and owner, Robert Gifford, for over half an hour. Most impressive about that was: Robert was not trying to sell us anything in that time. In fact, when Nicole jokingly encouraged Gary toward a table for his tenth No-Smokiversary (a big deal, to be sure!), Robert told us it was his job to step in and tell us to think about it before making a huge commitment.

That’s because Geek Chic’s products are something of a commitment, made to be ‘heirloom quality’ furniture for geeks, handed down from one gamer generation to the next. While they are an expensive, the pricing is not significantly higher than a comparable quality dining table, particularly considering it’s made for your home, your lifestyle, and your family. Robert was inspired to create beautiful gaming tables when he was at a regular D&D game and realized his group was in a gorgeous house… playing on sad furniture. He spent several months essentially living in his friend’s woodshop to perfect the first table he made, and that kind of dedication shows in all their products.

All Geek Chic tables offer a dropped surface called the Game Vault, where games and maps are kept safe, flat, and spill-resistant. There’s wet/dry marker grid layers available to overlay maps, and a dual surface that allows the use of the table as an everyday coffee or dining table, not to mention tons of drawer options. Geek Chic also provides an interesting range of cabinets and caddies for gaming books and game master materials. With unlimited money, we’d definitely have an Emissary or an Envoy, and a GM’s Valet for Gary.

Thanks to Robert for his time and great stories. We loved talking to you and hearing about Geek Chic’s genesis. If you’ve dreamed of having a perfect game room with a perfect table, Geek Chic will make it happen for you.