This experience centre for a veneer brand creates impressions through retail storytelling
Every experience centre's design vocabulary reflects the nature of work that happens within. Designing commercial spaces to display construction materials requires an indirect design approach that can capture the essence of the brand. The brand office and experience centre for Coast-to-Coast, India’s leading brand that caters to the architectural millwork and wood veneer needs of the architecture and design industry, conveys a unique brand narrative through its interior design.
Located in Gurugram’s Grand Mall, this space is the first flagship experience centre of Coast-To-Coast. The design brief to LTDF for the experience centre and design studio (collectively comprising 3600 SQ FT) was to create tactfully planned spaces to accommodate the range and possibilities of architectural millwork and display doors while also designing the collection. The front-end experience was required to be seamlessly merged into the supporting design studio with workstations and meeting rooms, among others. The brand works with high-quality wood veneers, and consists of an in-house team of experts that handpicks select grains and textures. To bring out the experience of this process, LTDF conceptualised the experience centre to provide the perfect setting for clients to plug in, play and make choices from the range of custom-made veneers for all applications. This process of assisting decision-making is seamlessly integrated with the design of the space, simultaneously representing the brand’s production skills.
As clients walk through the experience centre, elements are gradually revealed, creating unique experiential journeys. The space unfolds progressively to facilitate the selection of materials. This idea is put into motion by the doors that are employed to showcase the versatility of veneers. The entire experience centre is void of walls, with veneer-clad doors placed at angles, forming crisscross patterns—creating visibility of both the door faces to customers as they walk through the space. The doors are fitted in metal structures and finished in metallic paint, the metal creating a complementary contrast to the warmth and vibrancy of the veneer grain. Similarly, epoxy cementitious flooring is used throughout the project to lend it a calming wash of grey. The interior colour scheme is themed around grey to provide a soft lift to the warmth of the wood.
The display doors, designed by LTDF, add life and pizzazz to the space with their striking designs and intricately cut jaali patterns. As doors are one of the few interior elements that one rarely replaces over the course of years, they often feature luxurious, evergreen designs. A bespoke modern chandelier was custom-designed by LTDF to float along the central walkway and draw the eye upward while focus lights illuminate the signages. Despite the doors in the showroom all having strong personalities, the lighting and visuals build a cohesive story that captures the bold and true spirit of Coast-To-Coast.
Designed as an extension to the veneer experience centre, the Coast-to-Coast studio makes selections easier for clients visiting the showroom. As one enters, a display wall with veneer samples comes into view. The wooden swatches against a calming pastel blue background set the tone of the workspace: light colours and modest furniture. Conceptualised by LTDF and manufactured by SPIN, the bespoke furniture is designed to suit the brand image. Similarly, the ergonomic chairs adhere to the narrative and build a cohesive visual. Doors and wall panelings by Dru-Casa, Coast-To-Coast's in-house brand, adorn the walls and offer a sense of the brand's finishes and aesthetic sensibilities.
The flow between the showroom and office encourages one to experience veneers thoroughly before finalising the selection. The studio accommodates workspaces for 15+ people and observes measures to control sound while ensuring both public and private spaces. For example, the cafe wall creates a buffer zone using light hues in blue and green with natural plantations. Absorbent materials such as vinyl carpet cover the flooring to absorb sound. Moreover, less reflective surfaces throughout the interiors, including the cubicle dividers, ensure that work proceeds uninterrupted despite animated conversations in the conference room.
The well-planned space creates memorable and enjoyable experiences, while the cohesive workspace reflects the brand's ideology and design sensibilities. It focuses on an interior design approach that facilitates the retail of world-class products B2B and B2C while educating the customer and creating intrigue simultaneously. Appropriate interventions, therefore, become the guiding force behind both these spaces, leaving a lasting impression and enabling the customer to make an informed decision.