The most recent showroom openings mainly gravitate toward the coasts. Some brands went west, some went east, and one went Far East. Some are opening their first-ever brick-and-mortar outposts, while others are expanding their national or global presence. Here’s this month’s roundup:
West Coast
Carl Hansen & Son opened a new showroom earlier this year in the San Francisco Design District. Located in the Showplace East building, the space comes in just over 2,000 square feet and showcases the brand’s Danish furniture in a loft-like setting. There are two exhibition areas: One highlights classic icons, while the second pays homage to the Carl Hansen & Son heritage. (111 Rhode Island St., San Francisco)
Midwest
Online furniture brand Floyd opened its first store, The Floyd Shop, along with its newly expanded Detroit headquarters. “Having a tangible space just steps away from our office is extremely valuable for us,” says Kyle Hoff, co-founder and CEO of Floyd. “Customer feedback is a huge part of how we improve and develop product. We’ve always had a direct line of communication with consumers via Instagram, but being able to learn from one-on-one contact can spark even more innovation.”
The shop showcases the ease with which Floyd’s products can be assembled—a large timer challenges visitors to put together a table (no tools are required) in record time (about 3 minutes). The brand also published a newspaper to show potential customers how people are already living with the products. (1948 Division St., Detroit)
East Coast
Jim Thompson and Michael Taylor have opened a joint showroom at the D&D Building in New York. The 1,800-square-foot space will carry Jim Thompson’s full range of wallcoverings, fabrics and trims, as well as its sister lines, No. 9 Thompson, Studio B and Fox Linton. It will also feature modern furnishings by Michael Taylor, which are on offer in Jim Thompson’s multiline Atlanta showroom as well. (979 Third Ave., New York)
R & Company, known for championing collectible design, is celebrating its 20th anniversary by opening a second gallery in TriBeCa. The 8,000-square-foot space is located in a renovated 1869 storefront and features an academic research center and multilevel exhibition spaces. The gallery will host rotating exhibitions, as well as permanent installations by Rogan Gregory, Jeff Zimmerman and Katie Stout. (64 White St., New York)
Following a successful pop-up run in New York City, St. Frank is opening its first permanent retail location on the East Coast. The showroom, designed with Sway Studio, will showcase the San Francisco–based company’s soft goods, art, decorative accessories, wallpaper and fabric by the yard. (373 Bleecker St., New York)
Residential and commercial flooring company Mannington is opening its first Atlanta showroom. The Mannington Commercial Design Center, an impressive 14,500 square feet, showcases the brand’s offerings of broadloom and modular carpet, LVT, rubber wall base, tile and more, and has spaces for educational programming and seminars. (934 Brady Avenue N.W., Atlanta)
The second Franke Design Boutique opened in Miami offering designers and architects an immersive experience into the brand’s offerings of stainless steel sinks and kitchen faucets through interactive kitchen vignettes. Franke plans to open three more boutiques this year in New York, San Francisco and Chicago as part of a two-year U.S. expansion initiative. (1850 NE 146th St., Miami)
Abroad
Kartell, which has showrooms in 140 countries, continued its global expansion by opening a flagship in Beijing’s furniture district last month. The brand already has a small exhibit space in the city and opened the flagship due to growing demand. The showroom is divided into sections to highlight new collections and best-sellers. (Jinyuan Building, No.1 Yuanda Road, Haidian District, Beijing)
