Martin Roberts Opens MRobertsDesign.com

January 13, 2010  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in on January 14, 2010 Retail design veteran Martin Roberts, founder of New York City-based GRID2, has opened a virtual office at MRobertsDesign.com, providing retail design and creative services to the home furnishings industry. GRID2 has closed its office.

Roberts opened GRID2 in 1991, employing an award-winning staff of brand strategists, retail planners, art directors, graphics and Web designers. The firm was last located in the Union Square area of Manhattan. With partners Aka Ma and Betty Chow, GRID2 serviced multiple retail channels, including fashion apparel, drug and convenience stores, and insurance services. High-profile clients included Barnes & Noble, Borders, Cartier and TUMI.

Roberts, who has specialized in the home furnishings segment and completed retail, showroom and branding projects with industry leaders such as Havertys, Thomasville, American Leather and Weekends Only, will apply his expertise in this latest venture with a virtual staff of former GRID2 employees.

"The home industries have always been a focus in my work and reflect a true interest of mine, along with many years of experience," said Roberts, who began his career with British based Conran Shop and whose own furniture designs are sold nationwide and through niche retailer Design Within Reach. "With many of our staff already working from alternate locations, the decision to work virtually makes sense for the times."

Offline, a 1,300 square foot office featuring multiple work stations can accommodate on-site collaboration with staff.

Roberts' current projects include a second retail location for Discovery Furniture, headquartered in Topeka, Kan., featuring a 35,000-square-foot three-store format. Designs for two mixed-use retail concepts on the island of Barbados are underway, a result of Roberts' work with the lifestyle retailer Dwellings, also located there. Additionally, a two-level, 75,000-square-foot warehouse-style furniture store in Denver, Col., will require renovation of a former Home Depot Home Expo, the building's former occupant. The new WOW! store will feature a do-it-yourself resource center for consumers and is expected to compete with a neighboring Ikea store when it opens later this year.

For additional information, on MRobertsDesign.com, click here.