Hooker Revamps Showroom, Unifies Brands

March 28, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on March 29, 2012 Hooker Furniture and its Bradington-Young and Sam Moore subsidiaries will open a redesigned, consolidated and relocated showroom at High Point Furniture Market.

Hooker's casegoods showroom has moved from the International Home Furnishings Center Wrenn wing location it occupied for more than 30 years to a high-traffic location on the same floor at IHFC Commerce 1058, where the wood and upholstery divisions will share an 80,000-square-foot renovated showroom. The showroom will feature compelling displays, open sight lines, a dealer and designer resource center, a glass-walled entrance hub, company history display and a welcoming lobby, lounge and cafe.

"The new showroom is a unified presentation to the marketplace that better reflects who we are as a company," said Alan Cole, president. "The showroom makes the impactful statement, 'This is Hooker Furniture today.' It reflects our revitalized product direction and the energy and excitement about our future. It positions upholstery as an integral part of the company and Hooker as a unified resource. It signals a fresh new era at Hooker Furniture built on a wonderful legacy."

The glass walls in the lobby and entrance hub area "reflect an openness and excitement about who we are and our future," Cole added. The lobby, with large columns and a water feature, flows into a circular hub entrance where "we can tell the story of what is happening now." From the circular hub, there are entrances to the Hooker, Sam Moore and Bradington-Young sections of the showroom, as well as the cafe.

Hooker has made a substantial capital investment in the redesign and renovation, Cole said. Barbour Spangle Design in High Point has directed the renovation. Everything about the design and the layout of the showroom has a common theme of hospitality and making visitors feel welcome, said Christi Spangle, principal of the firm.

A lounge off the lobby will have comfortable seating, a large screen TV, wireless Internet access and a beverage bar. Neutral color tones throughout the showroom are meant to be warm and welcoming. A centrally located resource room will feature large work  tables, finish and fabric samples and computer monitors with web access to help dealers and designers put product programs together. Moveable walls will allow the company to be flexible and update its displays from market to market.

The new showroom uses eco-friendly lighting. During non-market times, the showroom will use energy-efficient T5 lighting that will consume 85 percent to 90 percent less power than traditional 75 watt halogen lighting. The lights also burn cooler, meaning lower costs and energy consumption for climate control as well.