It’s often said that you only get one chance to make a first impression. Well, that’s precisely the approach Urbanfloor is taking with the unveiling of a new, 2,000-square-foot showroom located at the company’s headquarters in Culver City, Calif. While the company participates in several hard surface product categories—including laminate and rigid core flooring—this particular space is all about highlighting the attributes of genuine hardwood.
“We created the space to be very designer-friendly,” said Yvette Shroyer, who manages the showroom at Urbanfloor’s headquarters. “We really put a lot of thought into the types of samples that we wanted to display, so we created floor-to-ceiling wall samples so viewers could see more details of the longer/wider boards. Each sample we selected was carefully thought out.”
The spacious new showroom—where lighter toned hardwood samples are contrasted against the backdrop of dark walls and ceilings—was designed to appeal to professional designers and product specifiers, as well as the general public. “It’s very customer-friendly,” Shroyer stated. “We wanted to upgrade it for designers so they would feel more comfortable bringing their clients in, while still making it accessible to the mainstream consumer who’s in the market for wood.”
The interplay of the light boards vs. the darker wall panels is no accident. The large samples on the wall serve as a statement piece against the black backdrop whose contrast brings out the floor color. In Shroyer’s words, it “doesn’t really wash out” the floor color. “With this redesign we wanted to take this space to a whole different design level.”
Another eye-catching yet functional aspect of the new showroom is the custom-made worktable situated near the center of the space. This way, according to Shroyer, designers can bring in any other samples or materials they may have in mind for their projects, whether it’s tapestry or different types of backsplashes or hardware. “They can just kind of lay it out and see how the samples look alongside their materials,” she explained. “Also, it’s just a really nice meeting spot for customers.”
The showroom makeover, which took about a week and a half to complete, naturally utilizes the entire floor space below to showcase product. It’s here where one of Urbanfloor’s signature products shines. “We redid the floor in our St. Moritz from the Timbertop Series,” Shroyer said. “We also showcase the St. Moritz collection in a herringbone pattern in the hallway.”
That’s not the only collection featured on the showroom floor, according to Shroyer. The space also features the L’Artiste collection from Urbanfloor as well as Prima Lusso, a spring 2024 launch.
To ensure visitors don’t miss out on any details of the samples or the overall space, Urbanfloor enlisted the services of a professional lighting company to put on the finishing touches. “We wanted to make sure we showcased the true colors of the flooring samples, and the lighting plays a key role in that objective,” Shroyer explained.
The new showroom, located at 3707 Capitol Avenue, City of Industry, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
