DDi - June 2010 - (Page 42)

42 | Right Light Luxe for less An eco-responsible lighting plan highlights sleek, modern products in a gallery setting By Janet Groeber O pened in February, Davis & Warshow’s newly redesigned and expanded kitchen and bath showroom combines four different and originally separate showrooms in the Architects & Designers building on East 58th Street in New York. Now measuring some 7,500 sq. ft., the space is the flagship location of one of New York’s oldest supply houses—founded in 1925—and the largest luxury kitchen, bath and home products center in the city. Davis & Warshow now boasts eight showrooms in the New York metro area, and handles more than 150 kitchen and bath manufacturers to serve contractors, designers and consumers. For this high-traffic branch, New York-based architectural firm EFM Design created not only one of Davis & Warshow’s most gallery-like locations, but also one of its greenest spaces by specifying FSC-certified woods, as well as locally sourced materials and fabrication. Low-VOC Photos: Courtesy of Kohler Co. paints and coatings in a palette of off-whites were selected to evoke cleanliness. (The project was designed in two phases, with EFM handling the first phase. EFM worked with a Kohler design team to create “Phase Two,” which features coordinated and accessorized product “suites.”) The resulting gallery aesthetic also has an energy-efficient lighting plan, designed by New York-based Focus Lighting Inc., to round out the eco-responsible space. The scheme is long on ambient and accent illumination, but low on energy consumption thanks to a combination of high-efficiency metal halide, fluorescent and other low-voltage sources. At 2 watts per sq. ft., the figure is a response to Davis & Warshow’s company-wide sustainability initiative. “The standard for a showroom project like this could go up to 5, 6 or even 7 watts per sq. ft. in the old days,” says Focus Lighting’s Paul Gregory, the project’s principal designer. “There was even an allowance for 5 watts per sq. ft. for lighting in normal leases.” Compared with 5 watts per sq. ft., Focus Lighting’s plan saves 50,000 kilowatts per year based on a 10-hour day, 50-week year. Despite its low energy draw, the space is bright, dramatic and dynamic. After stepping off the elevator, customers enter a tunnel-like corridor with deep blue walls that suggest water. The long walls are edge-lit with indirect, color-changing LEDs and terminate at a Davis & Warshow sign backlit with a video of flowing water. At the reception area, the white reception desk and white wall are highlighted with 20-watt metal halide MR16s to balance the changing blue lights. Inside the showroom, product has been grouped by type, and general lighting located in wall coves helps balance the strong daylight contribution from windows. Ceiling-mounted accent lights—energy-efficient 20-watt ceramic metal halide sources—draw attention to the mostly white and sculptural qualities of the various basins, tubs and toilets on display. Adding both color and light, a series of T5 fluorescent backlit photo panels of organic images hang above freestanding sinks. Combining bold hues with stark contrasts, Davis & Warshow’s lighting scheme creates a dramatic backdrop to showcase product. To e-mail this article, visit www.ddionline.com/magazine. | June 2010 http://www.ddionline.com/magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - June 2010

DDi - June 2010
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Quick Tips
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Channel Focus: Home Furnishings
Levi’s London
Berlin
Put the “StoreFirst”
Branding in 2010
Most Valuable U.S. Retail Brands 2010
POP Products
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - June 2010