Step Inside Kimball International’s Chicago Showroom by Eastlake Studio

Kimball International relocated their showroom from their long-term home adjacent to Chicago’s Merchandise Mart to Fulton Market. The new showroom immerses Kimball International in Chicago’s newest design district while creating one unified space to exhibit their broad portfolio of brands.

The site is located on the 7th floor of 318 North Carpenter, a new construction concrete loft. With a clear, open floorplate, glazing on three sides, and a wraparound roof deck, the space steeps the occupant in the surrounding urban texture and blends interior and exterior.

The driving principle behind the design is a shift from seeing the “showroom” as a place of exhibition to being a series of experiences. The showroom is reframed as a design consultancy, rather than a sales floor.

A two-sided volume defines the center of the plan; hospitality bar on one side, design studio on the other. Visitors circulate around this central mass exploring different vignettes – lounge, collaboration, heads-down, wellness – while in constant dialogue with the outside. Bold, saturated colors and texture-rich materials create the feeling of a social space, rather than a museum of furniture.

Project Details

Kimball International’s Chicago showroom was conceived with WELL standards in mind from the beginning. All of the major social and work spaces have direct access to natural light, while electric lighting is precisely zoned and controllable by the occupant for maximum comfort. Abundant plantings give freshness and delight to the air, while connecting the interior with the exterior. The roof deck is programmed with both active spaces for gaming as well as quiet, contemplative spaces to relax and experience the outside. A robust food service and prep kitchen area encourage mindful eating and food preparation and give ample space and facilities for the storage and preparation of healthy, home-prepared meals.

Continuing the theme of the showroom as an extension of and connection point to the city, a bold, faceted portal with integrated lighting and plants frames the threshold condition between the public elevators and the showroom, creating a mental border between “inside” and “outside” in the interior of the space.

Kimball International has a long history of partnering and foregrounding local artists in the cities where they have showrooms. In the Chicago showroom, Kimball International partnered with fiber artist Windy Chien to create a whimsical swagged light fixture (see below) over the serving bar. The delicate macrame and spontaneous draping act as a counterpoint to the structured geometries of the surrounding architecture.

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