NEWH - Summer 2015 - 52

Clockwise from top: The Omega curved sofa, part
of the Delta collection designed by Roger Thomas
for WALTERS; the Aperture lounge chair; the Gambir
chair; and the Hopkins Rope loveseat

Schindler's own decision to join the
family business was inevitable-and his
son Adam followed suit several years ago,
ushering in a devoted fourth generation
at WALTERS. "You always have in the
back of your head that you're going to do
it, and then when I went to Asia in 1981,
I knew it was right for me," Schindler
remembers. However, working with his
father, Walter, in the high-end residential
sphere didn't excite him nearly as much as
the burgeoning hospitality field.
Collaborating with upscale brands such
as Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons Hotels
and Resorts early on was key to developing
WALTERS' impressive hospitality network.
Since then, partnerships with the likes of
JW Marriott, Hyatt, One&Only Resorts,
Hard Rock Hotels, and many more have
blossomed, as have relationships (and
collections) with acclaimed designers from
Roger Thomas to Therese Virserius and
Zeke Fernandez. "We're only as good as the
designers we work with," Schindler says.
WALTERS also highlights a number of
other materials, such as rattan, bamboo,
seagrass, water hyacinth, shell, and teak.
Known for its custom designs, the company
does its own woodworking and finishing,
while a state-of-the-art powdercoating
facility is found in its outdoor furniture
plant in Indonesia, where Schindler
communicates with staff regularly via
Skype. In addition, high-end residential line
the Wicker Works is under the WALTERS
umbrella, and the company's portfolio

54 www.newh.org

further expanded as the exclusive U.S.
distributor for global brands B&B Italia
Outdoor, Manutti, Box Furniture, and
Drucker.
Of course, for the more than 34 years
Schindler has been immersed in the
industry, he's noticed shifting furniture
predilections. "We went from being 95
percent indoor to 70 percent outdoor.
But this is great for hospitality because
almost every property has a pool or spa
where outdoor furniture is needed."
And they want this furniture to be as
comfortable as if it were indoors. "There's
also a big push for pieces that are fully
upholstered," he explains.
Schindler also notes the rise of woven
resin, a material WALTERS helped pioneer
in the outdoor furniture realm. "It's so
practical and strong. Woven resin over an
aluminum frame can give you many years
of use. It's a no-brainer for hotels," he says.
Illuminating this is the Delta collection,
launched with Roger Thomas last year,
which is inspired by the designer's love
of modernist furniture. The outdoor
pieces, from a sofa to a chaise lounge,
flaunt a powdercoated combo of extruded
aluminum and woven resin.
"Friends always say to me, 'why do you
have to travel so much, being that you're in
the furniture business?' And I always say, 'I
have to be out there every day,'" Schindler
says. "Really, it's a relationship business." ❙❘❚
www.walterswicker.com
http://www.newh.org
NEWH - Summer 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - Summer 2015
