A wrap-around bar surrounded by stools sits under pendant lights in a kitchen area with tall cabinets and open shelving with dishes.

Awarded Best Small Showroom and Best in COMPETITION NeoCon 2021

After winning Best Small Showroom by IIDA and Best in Show at Neocon 2019, Hightower enlisted Casework to help transform their Chicago Merchandise Mart showroom a second time. The design team wanted to retain the creativity and balance of the 2019 showroom, while creating a more energized space that exemplified the post-pandemic future of office design.

A high-back chair with a plush seat and lumbar cushion sits on a shag rug near a round coffee table with a wood top holding a ceramic bowl.

Keywords

unexpected

Warm welcome

lingering

A BALANCED PALETTE THAT cultivates OPTIMISM

While the original showroom design was decidedly neutral, the second iteration is dramatic, infused with warm, rich colors and patterned walls. Casey describes the space as having “a maximalist mentality…cultivating optimism for Hightower’s more minimal style of furniture.” The showroom also spotlights its women collaborators, including artist Kristina Kotlier who created an installation of ceramic rings for the main entry. (above)

A wall opening shaped like an inverted arch frames a view into a room with pampas grass in vases of different shapes and sizes, and a sectional sofa.

A continuous line of planters with an accordion shape line a wall filled with decorative pampas grasses, beneath signage that reads ‘Hightower.’

A conference table lined with modern chairs integrates with a glass and metal shelving unit with ceramic art which functions as a room partition.

the RETURN TO WORK

With more people returning to the office after the pandemic, we wanted to highlight the beautiful flexibility of Hightower’s furniture lines. The pieces are designed to allow people to work collaboratively or maintain some space while in a public place. “We’re taking back shared spaces where socialization and collaboration are optimized; recognizing where we’ve been but igniting optimism and challenging people to look at new ways of coming together”, says Jessica Ahlering, Hightower’s Marketing Director.

A u-shaped sectional is wedged between two booths, with textured pillows, a coffee table holding a vase of pampas grass, and framed modern wall art.

A scaled floor plan drawing of the Hightower showroom, including the atrium, Ross Gardam room, break area, product display, and Kona Lounge.

Adjacent to a wide archway leading to another room sits a modern, padded booth with bench seating, a table, and wallpaper with a geometric pattern.

A modern cushioned chair sits on a shag area rug next to a wood-topped coffee table holding a ceramic bowl and a cone-shaped ceramic artwork.

creating unexpected moments

Each room of the 4,000 sf space is unique, though linked by threads of burgundy, blush, and rust tones. One of the more unexpected and visually stunning moments occurs in the atrium. We applied a Flat Vernacular wallpaper which has a trompe l’oeil effect that almost vibrates as you move through the space.

An ottoman seat with a tall wall of cushion for a backrest sits in the corner of a room near the hanging curtains and a circular end table.

a place to linger

As with the original showroom design, we wanted visitors to linger in experience, and the lounge area allows people to do just that. Casey wanted to create the feel of a 70s sunken living room “where everybody hangs out until the wee hours of the morning.” The lounge features two u-shaped Kona Modular Sofas as well as custom textile hangings by artist Trudy Perry. (above)