German footwear brand Birkenstock has transformed a former Parisian apartment into a new showroom. The domestic environment maintains many of its residential features including an office, living room and fireplace. Updated by London-based design firm Vinson & Co, the space showcases both modern and vintage furniture crafted with organic materials. The soothing atmosphere is wrapped in a palette of creams and browns to further evoke its inviting qualities. READ MORE
As experiential retailing takes deeper root, Crate and Barrel is testing a concept not often found in standard stores: a full-service restaurant sporting, naturally, Crate and Barrel items.
The Table at Crate, the restaurant now open at the Crate and Barrel at the Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, Illinois, is a collaboration between the home furnishings retailer and Cornerstone Restaurant Group. Besides encouraging customers to linger in the store, the restaurant run by chef Bill Kim showcases the latest Crate and Barrel products.
H&M Home has opened the doors of its new London concept store at 208 Regent Street.
Spanning 700 square metres, the store offers the latest H&M Home collections and a curated selection of pieces from other brands, as well as an event space and in-store cafe. The store also includes a monogramming service so customers can personalise their items, a home delivery service and worldwide delivery on purchases made in store. H&M has collaborated with world-renowned auction house Christie’s for the opening, who is showcasing pieces from upcoming auctions in combination with H&M Home designs.
London-based designer Tom Dixon has announced plans to launch a dual restaurant and showroom in Milan. Dixon’s Design Research Studio will craft the concept, known as The Manzoni, for Milan design week from April 9 to 14. The 100-seat restaurant will serve as Dixon’s first permanent space in Europe and will allow the brand to showcase products during the design forum.
Tom Dixon just relocated its headquarters to Kings Cross in London, where it unveiled a new studio, showroom and eatery as well.
Swedish furniture brand IKEA has announced plans to launch its first Manhattan location in spring 2019. The forthcoming store will be located on Third Avenue between East 59th and East 60th Streets. The opening will serve as the U.S. debut of IKEA’s city-center location known as the IKEA Planning Studio. With an emphasis on product deliveries, the concept is conceived exclusively for dense urban markets where securing warehouse space is less feasible.
The arrival of the Manhattan store will coincide with a remodel of its other New York store in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, which is slated to wrap by the end of 2019.
Danish furniture manufacturer Carl Hansen & Son has launched a new San Francisco showroom as part of its ongoing expansion in the United States. A re-location of the company’s former Los Angeles showroom, the new, nearly 2,150-sq.-ft. West Coast flagship spans the ground floor of a storefront in the city’s Design District.
I had the pleasure to attend the opening party for the new Poliform showroom – which just opened at 112 Madison Avenue, New York – last Thursday night.
Poliform, a well-known luxury modern furniture brand, evolved from a small Italian artisan shop dating back to 1942 to a synonymous of luxury life style and excellence in quality with showrooms all around the world.
As soon as I walked into their new space, I immediately felt that something was different. I felt like being at home. You walk thru different rooms and areas that are perfectly decorated to create a warm, inviting but sophisticated environment. You feel like a special person just for being there.
The space can be described as an area of 10,000 sqf that aims at going above and beyond a standard showroom, proposing an innovative concept inspired by a domestic home. “A home” which opens its doors to the public, inviting them to experience new and stimulating ideas, allowing them to discover Poliform and its products by visiting a series of rooms, from the living area to the kitchen, from the bedroom to the walk-in closet. These rooms bring to mind a private atmosphere, in line with an advanced and contemporary lifestyle.
The vision of the company behind the design is definitely a game changer.
In this case the Architectural firm that collaborated with Poliform to manage and build the store is Valerio Architects, Inc, a ±40 persons architecture firm with offices in Los Angeles, New York and Buenos Aires.
“I’m very proud of being part of this successful project. We worked in symbiosis with the Poliform’s team nights and days during the 20 weeks of construction. We completed the showroom on time and within budget. I’m very happy being here tonight, not only as a guest but more important as a team member, celebrating another milestone of this amazing Italian brand.” Niccolo’ Valerio, Principal VALERIO INC.
Stefano Sanchini with Niccolo’ Valerio (right)
