Kitchen & Bath Business - September 2018 - 42

COHESIVE INNOVATION

SHOWROOM
SECOND
PLACE

A showroom
highlights multiple
brands and budget
points equally

THIS PAGE "There's just

something about Chicago that
speaks to me and awakens
my design senses, and this
is visible in each space of the
showroom," said Laurita. "Like
Chicago, the design intent is
vibrant and alive; each space
is crafted to build lasting
memories and invite new
experiences."

LEFT, INSET Laurita was
inspired by the front windows
of the iconic department store,
Bergdorf Goodman, for the
entrance of the showroom,
which features bright neon
writing and bold colors.

SOURCES
CREATIVE DIRECTOR:

Jaime Laurita
DIRECTOR OF

SHOWROOMS: Kiki Bassoul

CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND BRAND AMBASSA-

DOR for Middleby Residential, Jaime Laurita was
tasked with designing and opening a showroom
in Chicago's Merchandise Mart within 12 weeks.
Starting with an empty space, he was challenged
to think creatively and research how best to draw
visitors in from the busy hallways of the commercial building. The new Viking Range and La
Cornue showroom, a flagship for Middleby Residential and the home of brands like Aga, Marvel
and U-Line, also needed to offer a personalized
experience to each potential customer.
"This whole project was done in house," said
Laurita. "I was asked to create a 'wow' factor
showroom that would invite prospective clients
to touch and experience the innovation of the
eight Middleby Residential brands."

CATERING TO A CROWD

Before he began designing, Laurita wanted to gain
a better understanding of the clients who visited
the iconic Merchandise Mart.
"Donning disguises like a restaurant critic, I actively observed the array of individuals there and was
inspired to design sophisticated kitchen vignettes that
would connect with them in a visceral way,"he said.

2018

42

PHOTOGRAPHER: John
Campbell Photography
and Marcin Cymmer
Photography

MIDDLEBY BRANDS
"Aga
"Grange
"Heartland
"La Cornue
"Lynx
"Marvel
"U-Line
"Viking

OTHER BRANDS
REPRESENTED

"Artistic Tile
"CAI Lighting
"Cosentino
"Maya Romanoff
"Rhode Brothers Flooring
"The Galley Sink
"Woodland Cabinetry

Each of the seven vignettes was designed with a specific client in mind.These
range from the Viking 3 series, which is geared toward the entry level, to the
Viking 7 series vignette,which boasts top technologies and innovation in larger,
stainless steel appliances with a commercial restaurant appeal.
"I combined the ingredients of texture, light, tile, flooring and colors and
paired them with the Middleby brands to create the right balance of taste that
will please the emotional and aesthetic taste of many clients," said Laurita.
"These ingredients create the perfect recipe for showroom success."
Laurita credits his design inspirations to his time spent as a designer and
professionally trained chef for different celebrities like Madonna, Sting and
Aerosmith.Because of his experience catering to these distinctive personalities,
he learned how to give people a sense of home, whether it was a memorable
accent in a design or a favorite childhood dish.
"The showroom design embodies the same concept - everything is centered
around great design that encourages people to gravitate to the kitchen,"he said.
CURATED TOUCHES

According to Laurita, innovation is important to the Middleby Residential brands. To illustrate this, the director purposely designed the space for
livestream events and social media moments.
"Technology is a key element to the design," he said, explaining that there
are cameras throughout that are wired for Facebook Live events in the test
kitchen."There is even a neon light that says 'Innovation'in the CEO's handwriting that is part of the showroom's décor."
To highlight the high-tech nature of the products themselves, Laurita
worked with product designers from Viking and asked them to build a piece
of art from one of their products.The result is an artistic oven door with working lights on the knobs, which now hangs over the window in the back office.
Potential customers and design professionals are educated frequently on
the use of these products within the showroom's test kitchen. Weekly events
- like cooking classes or parties - include everyone from influencers, chefs,
interior designers, architects, realtors, builders, dealers and consumers.
"We want guests to come in and feel like they are part of our family,"said Laurita."Our goal is to reveal the magic behind the brands and have a genuine dialogue
with them to understand their needs in a comfortable,welcoming environment."
According to one of this year's judges, Dan McFadden, the designer did a lot
of investigative work prior to building the design and went the extra mile. 

Kitchen & Bath Business / SEPTEMBER 2018 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)
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