Lawson-Fenning’s new NoHo showroom.
Photo: Tim Lenz
10 Must-Visit Showrooms Elevating New York City’s Design Scene
From a beloved California furniture purveyor’s East Coast homecoming to a gilded emporium for artisan-made Brazilian homewares
New Yorkers have access to some of the world’s most rarefied design showrooms, from the heritage Italian brands transforming Madison Avenue into one of the world’s most sought-after design destinations to one-stop hotspots like the New York Design Center and the Decoration & Design Building. Keeping up with so many new openings can overwhelm even the most in-the-know design enthusiast, so we rounded up a list of the city’s most exciting showroom openings that should be on any creative professional’s radar.
Knoll’s new showroom on Park Avenue South. Photo: Courtesy of Knoll
Knoll’s new showroom on Park Avenue South. Photo: Courtesy of Knoll
1. Knoll
Florence Knoll often experimented with clever space dividers when envisioning her eponymous furniture brand Knoll’s showrooms, especially in San Francisco, where she employed panels in a striking palette of primary colors and a multitude of textures and materials in lieu of walls. Her legacy lives on in the commercial furniture stalwart’s newly christened Gramercy location, designed by creative director Jonathan Olivares, London-based architect Pernilla Ohrstedt, and material and color expert Salem van Der Swaagh. The multi-floor emporium mixes intersecting planes of metal curtains with solid primary color fabrics to deliver drama and elegance while creating a flexible sequence of spaces backdropped by monumental arched windows. Showcasing both residential and workplace environments, the showroom introduces such reimagined classics as the Morrison Hannah Chair and archival Florence Knoll Model 31 and 33, which look perfectly at home next to contemporary gems like the Perron Pillo Sofa.
Ochre’s new showroom in SoHo. Photo: Courtesy of Ochre
2. Ochre
Thanks to raw wooden floors, muted plaster walls, and soaring 16-foot-high ceilings, walking into Ochre’s cavernous new SoHo flagship feels akin to entering one of the neighborhood’s famed light-filled lofts. It’s also furnished as such. A collective effort by founders Harriet Maxwell Macdonald, Joanna Bibby, and Solenne de la Fouchardière, the serene 3,500-square-foot showroom is elegantly outfitted with stylish groupings of furniture, lighting, and rugs arranged in three shades of the brand’s nuanced palette; they intermingle with hand-picked ceramics and glassware by modern makers sourced from around the world. There’s also an abundance of new products, particularly the Marea collection of hand-blown Murano glass fixtures immediately greeting guests at the entryway. Defined by watery hues and an internal spiral brass inset, each one-of-a-kind pendant refracts light with hypnotic aplomb.
Lawson-Fenning’s new NoHo showroom. Photo: Tim Lenz
Lawson-Fenning’s new NoHo showroom. Photo: Tim Lenz
3. Lawson-Fenning
Lawson-Fenning has long enthralled Angeleno aesthetes owing to a unique offering of locally crafted furniture and accessories imbued with California warmth and the rigor of midcentury modernism. But the East Coast was beckoning co-founder Glenn Lawson, who spent his formative years in New York City. Fate intervened with previous plans to expand the thriving business back out East, but he and business partner Grant Fenning finally realized their dream with a sprawling 4,500-square-foot showroom within a quintessential loft in the heart of NoHo. The duo entrusted interior designer Josh Greene, a longtime friend and collaborator, for the job—he modernized the century-old interior while deftly preserving its character, keeping original windows, steel columns, and cement beams. Complemented by a walnut datum wrapping the entire showroom, the period features gracefully backdrop curated vintage selections and exclusive pieces by the likes of Devin Wilde, Canoa, O&G, and James Cherry.
The new Boffi/DePadova showroom on Madison Avenue. Photo: Courtesy of Boffi/DePadova
The new Boffi/DePadova showroom on Madison Avenue. Photo: Courtesy of Boffi/DePadova
4. Boffi/DePadova
In 2000, when Boffi/DePadova was under the creative direction of Piero Lissoni, it became one of the first Italian brands to christen SoHo’s then-emerging design district. More square footage soon beckoned, and the Milan-based design house eventually joined its Italian peers uptown on Madison Avenue inside a breathtaking three-level showroom that represents yet another milestone moment for the company. Occupying one of the bustling corridor’s largest retail footprints, the 20,000-square-foot location stocks a dazzling array of architecturally designed kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, lighting, and partitioning systems, all in an impeccably tailored interior envisioned by the brand’s EVP and chief creative officer Chiara Tombari.
The new Tania Bulhões showroom at the A&D Building. Photo: Courtesy of Tania Bulhões
5. Tania Bulhões
Tania Bulhões has grown considerably since her humble beginnings in Uberaba, a small town in the Brazilian countryside where she sold everything from small plates to paintings before opening first official home accessories store in São Paulo. After quadrupling her company’s footprint from 10 stores to an eye-watering 40 in Brazil alone over the past four years and acquiring the Royal Limoges porcelain factory, the entrepreneur recently pulled back the curtain on a glinting showroom at the Architecture & Design Building in Midtown Manhattan. Designed by the award-winning Brazilian studio MNMA, the ninth-floor space is a rarefied location for the brand’s equally rarefied homewares. Making their Stateside debut at the showroom are two Brazilian bestsellers: the lustrous artisan-painted Portrait collection of plates, bowls, trays, and vases; and Casa das Orquídeas Rouge de Fer, a series of porcelain pieces that pay homage to the vibrant orchids near her family’s countryside home.
The facade of Artefacto’s new Madison Avenue showroom. Photo: Ton Gomes
Artefacto’s new Madison Avenue showroom. Photo: Ton Gomes
6. Artefacto
Artefacto’s footprint and influence is expanding—from São Paulo to Miami back in 2002, and now to Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Under the leadership of third-generation brothers Pietro and Bruno Bacchi, the Italian-Brazilian furniture powerhouse recently inaugurated a sprawling two-story flagship designed by Patricia Anastassiadis that puts the brand’s influences on vivid display. A wealth of discoveries await across the showroom’s 15,000 square feet, but don’t miss Anastassiadis’s Vér collection that gracefully channels organic inspirations like delicate curves and natural materials into an ergonomic range of sofas, chairs, tables, and beds.
The new Hästens showroom on Madison Avenue. Photo: Courtesy of Hästens
7. Hästens
Don’t take it the wrong way if we describe Hästens’ newly unveiled Madison Avenue flagship as the sleepiest place in town. Home to the Swedish legacy brand’s largest trove of beds in New York City, the dreamy two-level showroom blends high-contrast elements—blue accent walls, floor-to-ceiling windows wrapping the perimeter, and artfully arranged sleep accessories like bed linens, quilts, and pillows—with an exclusive Sleep Spa sanctuary downstairs. Guests can book private sessions to test out the beds firsthand—napping is encouraged—including the exclusive Grand Vividus and the next evolution of the signature 2000T model, which sports a refined spring system and enhanced airflow.
Royal Botania’s new showroom at the New York Design Center. Photo: Courtesy of Royal Botania
Royal Botania’s new showroom at the New York Design Center. Photo: Courtesy of Royal Botania
8. Royal Botania
Royal Botania was created to recast outdoor spaces into chic extensions of outdoor living with its meticulously crafted teak furniture. But if the pioneering Belgian brand’s recently unveiled New York Design Center showroom is any indication, its refined furnishings look just as stylish indoors, too. An extensive trove of outdoor furniture, umbrellas, lighting, and planters are artfully arrayed among lush greenery and bamboo elements, making it easy for interior designers, dealers, and other professionals to envision each piece in situ. The offerings include the nature-inspired Organix Collection, the sumptuous Mosaix Lounge, and the Renson line of pergolas and other outdoor shading solutions.
The new Hunter Douglas showroom at the Decoration & Design Building. Photo: Genevieve Garruppo
The new Hunter Douglas showroom at the Decoration & Design Building. Photo: Genevieve Garruppo
9. Hunter Douglas
Hunter Douglas, the leading manufacturer of custom window coverings, recently settled into a convenient ground-floor storefront in Midtown’s Decoration & Design Building. The robust breadth of its best-in-class décor offerings awaits inside, spanning blinds, shades, shutters, drapery, and notably the brand’s latest innovation, Aura Illuminated Shades, which replicates sunlight and allows users to adjust the light levels from dim to bright and warm to cool. There’s even a dedicated “design room”—an ideal setting for interior designers to experience product viewings and test fabric options.
Porro’s new showroom on Madison Avenue. Photo: Dylan Chandler
10. Porro
To celebrate its centenary, Porro, one of Italy’s most celebrated furniture brands, finally lands Stateside with an immersive Madison Avenue showroom that highlights the breadth of longtime creative director Piero Lissoni’s vision. Its array of versatile modular systems and iconic furniture pieces look ideally suited for the home-like interior devised by West Chin Architects & Interior Designers—they include seating, casegoods, and panel systems by the likes of GamFratesi, Wolfgang Tolk, Nao Tamura, Carlo Tamborini, and Lissoni himself.
Cover: Lawson-Fenning’s new NoHo showroom.
Photo: Tim Lenz
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