For its new Kravet Workspace, designed with an on-the-move clientele in mind, the fabric company delivers a fresh twist on an old-school model.

Close your eyes and picture the typical fabric showroom: long wings, memo pads for jotting down requests, a seating area to wait while samples are pulled. Now imagine a showroom that has replaced those elements with counter-height worktables, self-service technology, and a grab-and-go wall with more than 12,000 samples that are yours for the taking.

Showroom innovation often moves at a glacial pace, but Kravet’s new 4,000-square-foot outpost in the New York Design Center delivers a refreshing leap forward. The space’s functionality-first approach demonstrates a willingness to shed the vestiges of the past and embrace new ways of working, collaborating and shopping. “It’s always a worthwhile exercise to rethink what you do and why,” says Cary Kravet, the fourth-generation president of family-owned Kravet Inc. “Shifting user tastes, habits and preferences—along with exciting new ways to incorporate technology—led us to this showroom design.”