Resource Furniture, the North American leader in multifunctional furnishings, recently opened its renovated flagship showroom in New York City. The company’s largest showroom to date features vignettes with everything from tables to sofas and wall beds.
With more than 3,000-square-feet in the original showroom, the refresh brings the total to 4,366-square-feet of space in which to highlight the latest collections, including lines imported from Europe. “The renovation was really about expansion. We wanted to be able to display more multipurpose furniture and give our customers an unparalleled shopping experience,” said Adam Hare, director of showroom design, Resource Furniture.
Hare’s background in both residential interior design and visual merchandising informs how he shapes environments, and it is decidedly creator-centric. “I hone in on what interior designers are looking for and what appeals to them.” Artfully arranged groupings were something that the team wanted to carry over from the first iteration, because they allow clients to see how pieces can be incorporated in a range of rooms. “It allows them to visualize the furniture in different types of settings, whether it is a home office or a guest suite. It gives them firsthand experience of what the possibilities are,” he noted.
The vignettes are not only a representation of certain themes, Hare explained that they also emphasize the utility of each piece on view. “We’re showcasing how a room can start off a certain way and then completely change. That’s especially important today when people are working from home in smaller spaces like apartments,” he said. “The furniture needs to serve a dual purpose, and ours really gives you two rooms in one footprint.”
While some showrooms are open to the trade only, Resource Furniture now welcomes the public to explore and find inspiration. Everyone is encouraged to use chairs or work at desks to test comfort, which Hare envisioned from the start of the project. “When I was designing, I was thinking about how a table or a chair was going to be used by a customer, so comfort was absolutely a key factor,” he noted.
Hare also explained that the seamless flow from area to area will continue as workers adopt hybrid schedules and still spend a significant amount of time at home. “One of the trademarks of our furniture is the crossover between living and working. It is also about how something will function anytime you need it—an office during the day and a bedroom at night.”
Always useful, the furniture can be tucked away until needed again, including space-saving tables that double as workstations. Wall beds and sectional sofas are combined in complete units. Remote-controlled LED lighting, internal USB ports and outlets, and wire management add to the ease of use.
For Hare, they are all uncomplicated and efficient.“To be able to pull down a bed or close up a desk streamlines everything. And there’s storage and shelving options, so that when you change a room you don’t have to worry about where you are going to put everything. These offerings are a nice balance of functional and aesthetic solutions.”
When professionals visit, they can meet with clients in a conference room that is set back from the main section of the showroom. “There’s an oval walnut table that they can spread their materials on, and they can show presentations on the large-screen TV,” Hare said. “We wanted to give customers and designers a comfortable and private area to work in—and another opportunity to use the solution-focused furniture.”
Hare noted that providing a total hands-on experience keeps existing and new clients returning. “The interaction with the furniture is essential because customers are in awe when they see what it can do in a space. Being able to watch it transform is the key to our success.”
