Since it opened inside Chicago’s Merchandise Mart in 2003, LuxeHome has been a tremendous resource to retail consumers and the trade alike, and quite literally so. Located on the ground floor of the Merchandise Mart, LuxeHome currently features 37 residential building and renovation brands stretching 125,000 square feet, making it the world’s largest collection of premier boutiques for home building and renovation — and it’s getting even larger in scope.
Historically a destination for kitchen systems, bath furnishings, tile, lighting, cabinetry, appliances, and countertops, in August LuxeHome expanded into exterior construction when news broke that Pella would open a 7,000-square-foot showroom this winter. Pella Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer, and installer of made-to-order and custom windows, doors, blinds, and shades for new home construction and remodeling; the 90-year-old Iowa company also comprises EFCO Corporation, which manufactures curtain walls, entry systems, and other commercial-grade solutions as well as the ultra-high-end custom maker Grabill Windows and Doors. While the additional showroom further solidifies LuxeHome as a one-stop shop, Pella’s inclusion at LuxeHome importantly reflects retail consumers’ increasing savvy about home design, and their active involvement in every aspect of projects.
© Heather Ahrens
Lefroy Brooks
Also in August, the premier plumbing brand Lefroy Brooks opened its 2,000-square-foot showroom inside LuxeHome. This overall collection of fittings is known for meticulousness in both fabrication and research: company namesake Christo Lefroy Brooks scoured museums and other historical sources to determine the most classic faucets of modern history. The resulting product lines range from late Victorian to 1950s aerodynamic.
With the Lefroy Brooks opening, company president Warren Pearl also established a permanent Chicago foothold for the year-old luxury bath brand Cooper and Graham. Named after Pearl’s two grandsons, Cooper and Graham catapults Lefroy Brooks into the 21st century with enduring contemporary fittings created by the likes of Yabu Pushelberg and others.
Devon&Devon (also shown at top)
As the addition of these two new showrooms suggests, LuxeHome’s growth continues to focus on its original markets. Another instance of core competency is Devon&Devon, the Italian designer bath brand that will be opening its first U.S. flagship store in LuxeHome. Devon&Devon dates to the establishment of building supplier Giulio Tanini in 1945; the manufacturer began specializing in tile and bath furnishings in the 1960s, which culminated in the 1989 birth of Devon&Devon as a source of complete, coordinated bathroom design. Designed by in-house art director Paola Tanini, the 1,500-square-foot showroom has the air of an upscale, transitional-style residence — much like the products themselves.
© KZPHOTO
Wood-Mode Lifestyle Design Center
These events build on the momentum of other recent openings, the most notable among them being Wood-Mode’s cutting the ribbon of a first-ever Wood-Mode Lifestyle Design Center to showcase cabinetry products and lifestyle themes. LuxeHome’s loyal supporters are contributing to the energy, too, as in September when Ann Sacks announced the redesign of its 4,000-square-foot showroom there. This industry leader in tile, stone, and plumbing products is transforming the space according to its Next Generation retail design strategy, which is characterized by minimalist styling, easily accessible technology interfaces, and visual merchandising that inspires whole-home tile applications. The renovated showroom will also include products from the Kallista and Robern brands because, like LuxeHome itself, bigger is indeed better.
With all of these changes and new residents in the already massive design showplace, one might say that “home is where the Mart is.”
Ann Sacks