Last year, after a year-long search for a new home, the Washington Design Center (WDC) relocated to Franklin Court at 1099 14th Street NW. Now, it's poised to christen its more than 20 new design showrooms with a ribbon cutting and Fall Market on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Franklin Court
Washington Design Center pre-construction
“The fact that these 20 showrooms worked together to bring a day of programming is extraordinary,” said Beth Greene, executive vice president, marketing and strategic branding for Kravet and a member of the Marketing Steering Committee for WDC. “With a team of marketing professionals leading this very first design center event we managed to create a day of extraordinary programming, a printed Design Center Directory and a celebration of what is to come for the D.C. design community.”
The new WDC boasts fabric and furniture showrooms—all of which came over from the old building—from Duralee to Holly Hunt, Cowtan & Tout to Century Furniture.
Dara Caponigro and Thomas Pheasant
For Fall Market, showrooms have organized book signings, panel discussions and open houses. Read on for a few highlights.
Schumacher will kick off the festivities at noon with a conversation between Creative Director Dara Caponigro and interior designer Todd Alexander Romano, followed by a discussion in the Robert Allen showroom with Houzz.com, entitled “Make Social Media Work for You with Houzz,” at 1 p.m.
At 2 p.m. Kravet will host artist Hunt Slonem for a book signing, followed by a book signing at 3 p.m. with Thomas Pheasant, author of Simply Serene, at the Stark showroom, with a reception at Hines & Co. afterwards.
At 4 p.m. J Lambeth will host “The Art of Collaboration,” a discussion between design-duo Barry and Peyton Avrett, who will focus on how their visions becomes reality.
To close out the day, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony in the Franklin Court Lobby at 5 p.m. and showrooms including American Eye, Arc-Com Fabrics, Century, Cowtan & Tout, Duralee, Doris Leslie Blau, Fabricut, J Lambeth, Hines & Co, Holly Hunt, Kravet, Michael-Cleary, Pindler, Robert Allen and Scalamandre will host open house parties from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
For additional information on market and the new design center, visit the website.