Kitchen & Bath Business March/April 2023 - 49

PLANNING THE SHOWROOM
Once committed to the new location, Lovato
began the design process. " Initially, I wanted a
'lobby' space so clients could come in, have a glass
of wine and chill before going into the conference
room, but in reality, we're always ready for
them and we end up bringing them beverages or
snacks as we make our presentations. We ended
up making that lobby into a small retail space and
situated our office manager's desk there, so she
can greet clients as they enter the showroom. "
Creating the kitchen vignettes was naturally
a core concern for the Honeycomb team. While
the designer had hoped to put a working kitchen
into the showroom, running gas and water lines
into the space wasn't feasible. The display appliances
may be non-functional, but they contribute
significantly to helping clients visualize their
own kitchen.
" We really strategized on the styles and sizes
of cabinets to show, " said Lovato. " We opted for
a transitional kitchen and a modern kitchen to
appeal to our clients' design preferences. "
The designer topped them off with two counter
materials - marble and quartz - that lets she
and her team demonstrate the cosmetic and
performance differences to the clients. The final
floor plan included a work area for the design
team, a conference room, two bathrooms, a break
room and Lovato's office. The conference room is
demarcated with a glass panel instead of a solid
wall to capitalize on the daylight.
CLIENT EXPERIENCE & CONVEYING BRAND
IDENTITY
It's important that the design of any showroom
be conducive to a positive client experience. Lovato
does not underestimate the impact that has
on potential customers, particularly in a time
when virtual sales environments are widespread.
" I think that having an actual brick-and-mortar
showroom for people to walk through is super
important in today's online world, " she said.
At the street-level showroom, guests enter
through the lobby, are greeted and offered refreshments
and then walk through the cabinABOVE
Visual merchandising
is key to showroom design.
To reinforce the connection
between customer and
kitchen, vignettes are styled
in an attainable, aspirational
look.
etry displays before reaching the conference room. This route immerses
them in the Honeycomb aesthetic: lots of black, modern lines, mixed
metals and materials.
Two cabinet lines are represented on the floor, a higher-end one and
a middle-of-the-road collection. Visitors to the showroom first tour the
latter line and then are escorted through the custom line. Honeycomb team
members can explain - and physically point out - the differences between
the semi-custom and custom cabinets.
The islands are placed 42 inches and 48 inches away from the perimeter
to illustrate the different egress options the designers prefer. The installations
also enable a comparative demonstration of accessibility between
drawers and door-fronted cabinets. The cabinet interiors are fitted with the
most popular insert options, including spice racks, blind-corner storage
units, pantry and utensil pullouts, docking drawers and other accessories.
The cabinets are fully staged with plates, glassware and kitchen equipment
to further enhance the realistic depiction provided by the displays and
encourage customers' empathy with the aspirational settings.
While Lovato was surprised that designing her showroom was much
more challenging than designing a client's kitchen, the result has benefited
both the Honeycomb staff and its clientele by presenting complicated
design concepts in a welcoming fashion.
More photos & info next page 
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