Furniture Lab: colorful customization

Join us on the 10th floor of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago at the Furniture Lab showroom. This client came to Kuchar wanting to show off their products in a more experiential layout rather than the typical product layout. We hit the ground running thinking through a café that we would want to work from as well!

Bursting with color this showroom welcomes you in with a dramatic blue portal. The existing space had a lower ceiling at the entry and our team wanted to highlight that to make it an architectural feature and give the client a "stage" to show off any product that they would like to showcase throughout the year.

All of the finishes within that portal are the same shade of blue except for the pops of pink in the furniture at the custom, scalloped velvet banquette.

Walking further into the space there is a central wall that was existing. This allowed for not only some additional vignettes beyond, but an opportunity for branding. We cladded this wall in a textured yellow tile and installed custom, dimensional signage within the tile. Below the branding you can take a seat on the banquette, or floral pouf, and pull up a table for a quick touch down spot.

Throughout the showroom you will see paint used to create separation and give the illusion of architectural details. This tactic was used at the booths to show how their product can be seamlessly integrated into architectural details. Continuing with a monochromatic theme we designed these booths all in shades of purple while showing off one of Furniture Lab's wood laminate options. The sconces above each table highlight the arches and we used mirror dipped blubs to keep the light soft.

In the back corner we wanted to create a nook that would pull you further into the showroom. This custom, square tufted banquette is upholstered in a rust colored velvet and is paired with solid wood table to bring in further warmth. Above the banquette the client provided an eclectic gallery wall to show off some of their past projects and highlight the geometric themes throughout the showroom.

At the end of our tour is our hospitality area. This section features a custom bar with plenty of storage for any party that is hosted. We utilized paint again to create some visual interest at the walls and brought in a new color for an additional monochromatic moment. At the face of the bar there are fluted panels painted in a splashy color. The pendants above not only provide some visual interest, but connect the dots between the various vignettes. By integrating 3 shapes into one, these fixtures symbolize all of the separate areas feeling like one cohesive showroom.

Design: Kuchar

Contractor: Bear Construction