In the late 19th century, Dublin was a city of contrasts — grand in architecture yet marked by poverty in its backstreets. It was in this world that James Hicks, founder of James Hicks & Sons, became one of Ireland’s most respected cabinet makers and interior craftsmen. His name became synonymous with elegance, artistry, and quiet excellence. But beyond his remarkable skill, James was remembered for something rarer still, his compassion.
A Master of Both Craft and Character
James Hicks built furniture that graced royal homes, embassies, and the estates of the wealthy. His workshop on Pembroke Street became a symbol of Dublin craftsmanship, where every curve, joint, and veneer carried his signature restraint and refinement. His pieces were never loud or ostentatious. They reflected what he valued most: elegance through understatement, beauty through integrity.
Yet, despite his growing reputation among Ireland’s elite and even royal patrons across Europe, James never lost touch with the people he lived among. Success did not isolate him; it deepened his sense of duty.
A Christmas Tradition of Kindness
Each year, as his wife prepared Christmas Day in their family home, James and his sons would set out through Dublin’s streets delivering turkeys to families who had none. While many of his clients celebrated amid opulence, James was out in the cold, making sure others could celebrate in warmth and dignity. To him, craftsmanship was never just about what the hands created it was about the spirit behind the work.
This quiet generosity mirrored the care he poured into his furniture. Every piece that left his workshop carried the same thoughtfulness, precision, and perseverance that guided his life. He believed beauty should serve people, not divide them.
The Legacy of a Gentle Craftsman
More than a century later, his legacy endures through Hicks Furniture, where the same principles remain at the heart of everything created: integrity, care, and timeless design. The attention James gave to the poor of Dublin is the same attention now given to each detail of design and joinery an unbroken tradition of compassion meeting craftsmanship.
James Hicks’s story reminds us that true artistry doesn’t just shape wood it shapes lives. His life’s work wasn’t only furniture for the wealthy, but dignity and kindness for all. In his hands, elegance met empathy, and both became the foundation of a family legacy that continues today.
