Showroom design

What really brings a showroom to life is the people who work there – particularly the designers who engage and assist customers.

Empowered by having a literal world of information available in the palms of their hands, today’s consumers see convenience as paramount.

Visiting kitchen and bath showrooms has always been a passion of mine. Like many consumers, I love the visceral elements of our industry; I can’t seem to keep myself from running my hand down that zebra wood cabinet, stroking the cool quartz of a glossy countertop or rubbing my finger across the textured hardware pieces.

Armed with more knowledge than ever before, showroom customers now require more opportunity for personal engagement, and that requires physical space where they can connect with designers. Along with impressive and inspiring displays, your showroom needs some dedicated space where customers can sit down comfortably to review options and plan projects together with your staff.

One effect of today’s spontaneity of information is constant change. That means the traditional static showroom of yesterday needs to give way to a versatile, flexible showroom that plays to the expectations of today’s shopper.

Today’s consumers may be on a tighter budget, but they’re armed with unprecedented access to knowledge – and they aren’t shy about using it to fulfill their dreams. With their access to information “on the fly” and in the palm of their hands, they’re increasingly more active and involved in the design and purchasing process.

There’s been plenty written about the pain of the recession – how to survive it, how to recover from it, how to rebuild in the wake of it. But one thing we haven’t seen a lot of is big success stories during the recession. After all, a recession is a time to cut back, play it cautious, take no risks, right? Well, not for four showrooms profiled in this month’s KBDN.