UDesign’s new showroom is a combination of showroom, interactive interior design space and informal meeting place for clients and design profession als. Architects, designers and project managers are on hand to offer their knowledge and creativity as needed and requested. Their task goes way beyond simply showcasing products and materials. According to UDesign, the raison d’être of this showroom is firmly based on good design and how best to make it work for the client. However, what appears to be wonderful in a showroom might not be so wonderful at home, and this is where specialist knowledge comes in. “Buying a beautiful sofa is easy but buying one that really works in the space one has available is not so easy. It may be too big or too small. It may be upholstered in a material you love, but your dog may love it too. Perhaps a more user-friendly material, which can be taken off and washed occasional ly, would suit you better, and UDesign will advise you on that.” This is the age-old compromise between function and aesthetics, notes UDesign, and it is often difficult for a client to be conscious of all the practi calities all the time. “In the new showroom, every aspect of a purchase deci sion is thought about very carefully by all concerned, the task made some
UDESIGN
STUNNING NEW SHOWROOM HELPS PEOPLE CREATE THEIR DREAM HOME
what easier by the overall layout of the products on show: a dozen or so very different zones designed to demonstrate distinctive ideas and styles. Each zone showcases how furniture placement, materials and colours can blend to create a specific mood or style.” The UDesign team first analyse the space people have in their homes to create what they call a special plan, which is something akin to a personal shopper service. “Think of it as you would when being fitted for a Saville Row suit,” explains Jason Harris, UDesign creative director and CEO. “Fitted is the key word, because you are not buying it off the rack. What you think you want and what looks good on you are not necessarily the same thing. It’s similar with a house.” Design can make the complicated look simple, and the new showroom is a space where UDesign can show people what is likely to work in real terms rather than on a computer screen. Not just to fill a space, but to suit that space. This is not just about material and style, it’s about size and scale and positioning – all fundamental to the creation of beautiful spaces. Lighting is an area that also requires professional skills to get right, because most of us do not spend hours of our time thinking about it and analysing
