Over the past year in San Francisco, there has been much talk about what the “two Brian’s” were up to. Conversations at industry events always came around to the question: “Have you heard about the “two Brian’s?” Rumors hinted at a disruption of the office furniture business.
Then, a few months ago, a press release announced the creation of TWO – a new division of the longtime Bay Area Steelcase dealer One Workplace.
To understand more about TWO, I recently visited its offices, located in a beautiful brick building on San Francisco’s historic gold coast district. What was it that drove TWO partners Brian Wilson and Brian Buhl to create what they see as an entirely new model for a dealership?
Background of TWO
Mr. Wilson is a Pratt graduate with a degree in industrial design. He was hired straight out of college by Kenji Ito to work at Knoll Japan. Kenji designed Knoll showrooms across the United States and was intent on helping Knoll Japan have an authentic American look and feel. He wanted Mr. Wilson to be part of that, and so Brian stayed in Japan for 10 years. He eventually moved from Knoll to a Steelcase dealer in Japan, and thence to Steelcase. While at Steelcase, he came to the San Francisco Bay Area and held a variety of positions, most recently executive director of sales by One Workplace. He helped double sales ($30M to $66M) during his tenure there. And, it was at One Workplace that he met Brian Buhl seven years ago.
Mr. Buhl was hired by One Workplace during the last economic downturn. He sought business and created relationships with a new breed of real estate executives in San Francisco. They worked and socialized together, and focused on emerging tech companies, taking nothing for granted. Because Mr. Buhl was new to the furniture industry, he held no pre-conceived ideas for client solutions. He didn’t consider the classic dealer model where sales people tend to lead with the dealer’s main manufacturer’s line of products. Understanding the sweeping changes in workers and management, Mr. Buhl’s success was built by delivering out of the box solutions to designers and clients craving it.
Authentic Deconstruction
“The hunger for authenticity, while it goes dormant from time to time, in this place or that, does not die” – Mandy Aftel, “Fragrant”
TWO was created by the two Brians to be “hyper responsive” to today’s clients’ needs.
The name TWO makes sense. It is a partnership, a pair, a team. There are two Brians, and of course TWO sprang from One Workplace. The TWO dealer model varies from the old norm; while it is a Steelcase dealer, it takes a very creative team-centric approach from the outset of each project.
TWO‘s goal is to team with the architectural and design community by providing them with “personal shoppers.” Messrs. Wilson and Buhl are taking creativity to new levels. They’ll often bring clients and their designers to the flea market to find unique furniture, then re-upholster and re-finish the pieces, upcycling them to add charm and whimsy to workspaces.
Recognizing the domestication trend of the workplace, they never hesitate to create entirely custom options for clients. They employ many local San Francisco manufacturers, including HPL, Pfeiffer Labs and Ohio Design, and they help clients make purchases from residential manufacturers when appropriate. They constantly investigate ways to customize and radicalize existing systems solutions. Adding more residential components to meet client needs, they often work with local industrial designers.
Designers and Users
How does this feel to designers and end users? Again, here the goal of TWO is to work with designers in a thoroughly co-creative manner. Mr. Wilson uses terms like “work shop” and taking “art direction” to describe the experience, referencing the similarity between furniture and fashion, “couture vs. custom.” Mixing manufacturers’ products is akin to wearing an Armani jacket with GAP jeans, and TWO’s clients in San Francisco relate to this.
The design process is an iterative one, and TWO’s approach to working with end users and clients celebrates this in imaginative and timely ways. The key variables TWO focuses on are price, quality and lead times. Most projects include product from three-to-four manufacturers, and these trusted manufacturers understand that providing quick responses is critical to working with the constricted timelines of TWO and their client partners.
A deep respect for the power of good design is at the core of each project the partners take on. Delivering a consistent approach to each new project, with care to allow the client’s individual personality to shine, is key.
Branding and Process
From the beginning of TWO’s existence, RAPT Studio has been actively involved in developing the branding message. Louis Schump, principal, led the team at RAPT studio and worked closely with TWO’s Brians to develop a clear message. They went through many exercises to develop the brand persona, as well the characteristics for what a TWO member would look like. Having fun and prompting innovation with those they engage with is crucial.
TWO retained Jennifer McDonald, designer/industry consultant, to put structure and clarity into the new organization. Mr. Wilson credits Ms. McDonald with making their ideas market relevant. She researched what information was truly meaningful and necessary to A&D firms, and then she sought validation through market testing.
“Part of TWO’s process is to do a kickoff meeting as the first step,” said Ms. McDonald. “This is a critical meeting that design studios have been doing as well. It’s essential as it sets the tone for the whole process – to introduce the team, set expectations, discuss the main goals/design concepts, discuss deliverables, etc. Essentially this is the key to the custom process and curated results.
“They develop a holistic furniture solution that enhances the unique goals, design functionality and business initiatives of each customer,” said Ms. McDonald, of the internal process. “With a focus on the client experience and connection to their brand, no project has the same answer.”
She notes that finding unique, individualized solutions, drawing on local resources, and introducing awesome new products are going to be a trademark of TWO’s brand to come, and the two Brians couldn’t agree more.
“In some ways TWO is really a fusion of best practices of all dealers, with some spice added,” said Mr. Wilson.
The Future of TWO
So what do TWO’s Brians see in their future? Growth and movement. The team has already doubled in size and are planning a move down the street in the next few months.
They also have events planned over the next few months. In June, they‘ll launch the Danish company MUUTO in conjunction with the independent rep firm Jak W, with a pop up store and VIP dinner for the A&D community at a 1000 square foot space they are creating here in San Francisco.
This fall, they’ll partner with local upholstery firm Kay Chesterfield to send distressed seating to design firms to paint and upholster in creative ways. The beneficiary of this project, called Chairity, and the recipient of the creations will be Project Color Corps. Project Color Corps is a non-profit organization started by Laura Guido-Clark that believes in the “power of color as a change agent to infuse a sense of wellbeing and energy into urban neighborhoods nationwide.”
Is TWO disrupting the office furniture landscape? Is it possible to “future-proof” the model they’ve created? Only time will tell. And, as we all know, change is not only possible; it’s inevitable.
