The ground floor served as the main studio. Niermann conducted all of the sales from the mansion’s butler’s pantry and McKay contributed historical and technical research.

In 1984, six years after its founding, Niermann Weeks moved to Annapolis, Maryland. Currently, the Company operates in its own large, modern manufacturing facility in nearby Millersville.

As CEO of Niermann Weeks, Eleanor McKay is the public face of one of the nation’s best-known to-the-trade home furnishings companies. She speaks at design centers and industry events nationwide and she is regularly interviewed by the media on diverse subjects including lighting design, shopping for antiques and business issues affecting the design industry.

In addition to her work with Niermann Weeks, Eleanor serves the design community in a number of high-profile volunteer roles. As current Chairman and two time President of the Foundation for Design Integrity, Eleanor contributes to campaigns that helps protect original design through advocacy, education and information. In this capacity she also helps lead the design industry’s fight to protect the architecture and design communities from knock-offs. Eleanor serves on several boards of directors, including Historic Annapolis Foundation, which is building the Annapolis History Center to introduce visitors to the city’s architectural heritage; Unity Gardens, a foundation that funds the creation of small public garden spaces; and the Foundation for the Preservation of Government House, which is creating an endowment to furnish and maintain the Maryland Governor’s mansion.

Today, as Chairman, Joe Niermann oversees the design team which creates all furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories, keeping designs fresh by consulting with other designers such as Charlotte Moss, Frank Babb Randolph and others. Joe Niermann has been included among the 100 most influential designers of home furnishings in America by Avenue magazine and the Company’s lighting designs were named to House Beautiful’s “Best of the Best” and House & Garden’s survey of “The Best.” Now freed from day-to-day operating responsibility of the company he helped found, Joe has turned his attention to painting, collecting Asian art and antiques and world travel.

Niermann and McKay’s daughters, Eleanor Niermann and Claire Niermann, represent the company’s second generation as Vice President of Merchandising and Vice President of Production, respectively.

More than 25 years after its founding, Niermann Weeks has a library of more than 600 standard designs with 500 faux and clear finishes, available through more than 15 to the-trade designer showrooms in the United States, Canada and England. Although it has grown considerably since its early days, the Company is still known for its careful attention to detail, evident in both the wonderful texture of its finishes and the pure economy of its design line and scale.

“Our passion for good design and dedication to classic workmanship led us to start Niermann Weeks almost three decades ago,” said Niermann. “It was our intention that our designs would convey a feeling of authenticity and timelessness that would set them apart. The ideas that guided us then still apply to everything we do. Just as when we started, Niermann Weeks designs will always be inspired by the past and created to be the heirlooms of the future.”