For the launch of our new capsule collection at Vanguard Furniture, we designed our space in the Vanguard showroom in High Point, NC. The space is a former garage, so the floor is concrete that has been polished. Old oil spots give it lots of character and depth. The building has a barrel vaulted ceiling, and walls have been constructed at 12-feet high.
The mission: Create a gracious floor plan that includes 40 pieces of furniture, while ensuring an easy flow of circulation throughout the space. And do it all in 400 square feet.
The solution: Start with a plan.
We are featuring fifteen new martini tables that are between 16 to 18 inches in diameter. The best solution was to “colonize” some of the vertical space. The concept was to build two “3-story” shelving installations that could each accommodate six different tables (see right-hand center and left-hand center of above plan for placement; see sketch below for design). Getting the tables off the floor made them easier to see and they created a statement, otherwise they would be a jumble of small objects mixed in with the larger items. The shelves were angled to create a sense of dynamism – a signature BG architectural detail. Since a lot of the pieces feature metal details, brass supports at the corners of the installations helped tie it all together.
The Blended Modern collection is transitional, so we added new crown moulding that wraps the shelving units, as well as the walls. A 12″-high baseboard provided the proper scale for such tall ceilings. Two 2-D niches were created by wrapping picture moulding above each sofa on opposing walls.
This plan and architecture create the perfect space for the collection. It has traditional details, but the floor and walls are a modern and relaxed style.
Next we chose color. A lively color palette is memorable and adds to the spirit of the collection. Our signature color is orange, and it was paired with a neutral cream and a light blue/green.
Two rugs from the Barry Goralnick Collection for Stark Carpet define the seating groups. They are both featured in the new coffee table book for Stark’s 75th Anniversary, Decorating with Carpets.
To create a sense of fun (and to highlight the BG brand) we designed wallpaper using our BG logo as the starting point. We looked for inspiration from brands such as Louis Vuitton (see below) and Gucci, who morph their existing iconic logos in clever ways.
The end result is a rectangular checkerboard with the BG icon flipped in different positions. We had the wallpaper custom printed by Spoonflower.
We explored paint colors by photo-shopping different options and chose cream trim as a subtle accent for the patterned paper.
Two paint color schemes we were considering.
Vanguard suggested including signage that communicated the BG brand name to easily identify the collection within their vast space. We flanked this sign with a pair of Choros sconces from our Barry Goralnick collection for Visual Comfort. In fact, all lighting featured in our area was chosen from this collection.
While we were in Hickory to final-approve prototypes, we stopped by the showroom in High Point to check on progress of the construction.
With a plan and color scheme in place, it was time to accessorize. On a recent trip to Palm Springs I bought several accessories at great stores, such as Hedge, Spaces, Bon Vivant, and Galleria Antiques. We sourced a vintage typewriter from eBay.
All the new furniture, carpets, accessories, and lighting arrived in High Point, and we installed the space days before the start of the Spring Market.
The result: a unique space with a distinctively BG point of view that garnered a terrific reception. Stay tuned for more images of our new collection.