A new design showroom has opened in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood, featuring six leading brands. Karen John, founder and CEO of Heartwork, a producer of commercial storage solutions, and Natalie Hartkopf, CEO and co-owner of contract furniture manufacturer Hightower, joined forces to launch NoMad Collab.
With extra room at Heartwork and the lease set to end, John had to figure out what was next. “Like everyone else, we have more of a hybrid culture now, and we don’t need as much area for dedicated desks” she noted. “We had to rethink the space and how we were going to use it.”
She called fellow leader Hartkopf for advice, and they began to brainstorm, noting challenges for independent brands, particularly how to best highlight products in an ever-crowded market. The pair realized that there is strength in numbers and that if they could harness this collective power, and create a destination, it would be beneficial to all.
They made some calls to gauge interest, staying focused on complementary brands while considering each organization’s sales model. Framery, Camira-Luna, Unika Vaev, and Clarus soon joined Heartwork, bringing in the synergy that Hartkopf and John had hoped for.
Solutions include furnishings, fabrics, and acoustic treatments, but rather than keep each separated into delegated areas within the showroom, there’s an integration which is not typical. “It’s a seamless experience, different from a shop-in-shop concept,” John noted. “We really thought about the companies and the pieces that could sit alongside one another to complete the space.”
It’s a style of presentation that the Hightower team excels at, and it made sense to have a similar emphasis in NoMad Collab. “We’re used to doing spaces that tell a story across all of our brands, and through collaborations with artists and other companies,” explained Hartkopf. “It’s more interesting for designers to see multiple brands at one time, in an active, lively showroom.”
For specifiers who don’t have time to make six stops in a single day, it’s also an efficient, streamlined process. They are welcome to sit and work or just take a break in the showroom, a perfect opportunity to try a chair or pod themselves. Clients can visit and envision how certain options might fit in their interiors, which are familiar and comfortable. “We know what is happening in these spaces,” Hartkopf added. “Our furniture goes into corporate offices or higher education settings. There are phone booths, lockers, and fabrics, a combination of products that work together, so to have them displayed this way just makes sense.”
The partner companies were excited to have a presence in New York, and the showroom reflects the location, with an elevated feel. Yet the CEOs, who were responsible for the overall styling, made sure there was an appropriate balance between casual and sophistication. They also wanted to ensure that each line did not clash with the others. Elements were thoughtfully curated, with no detail overlooked. The two even reviewed the color palettes to ensure alignment.
With a tight timeline, they still managed to pull everything together in just nine months. Once they were finished with the design aspects, they turned their attention to coming up with a name and then formulating the branding and website. NoMad Collab was the unanimous favorite, by simply referencing the place and the group.
At last week’s open house to mark the official opening of the showroom, friends and colleagues were there to celebrate, and plans are underway for more events next year. There’s already interest in a design conversation series, as well as trend programs with American and European manufacturers. Hartkopf noted that there are endless possibilities, and it is one reason why she and John selected the moniker. It is a designation that will still be relevant over time. “There’s a lot of fluidity, and we want to have that as the NoMad Collab evolves, and it makes it more dynamic to have some changes,” she explained.