Surya Regional Designer Showroom-Chicago Style

I'm so excited to work with Surya again, designing and installing their new Regional Designer Showroom in Boston. One of my favorite projects in 2018 was designing, curating and installing their Regional Designer Showroom at theMart in downtown Chicago. Satya Tiwari, president of Surya, had a very distinct idea of what he wanted... A place where interior designers could shop all of Surya’s luxury rugs, lighting, textiles, wall décor, accents, bedding, and more. And be able to collaborate with their clients in designated workspaces outfitted with state-of-the-art technology. Check out the behind-the-scene photos and learn more about the process below.

The first thing was to dig deep into the Surya brand and understand the product, the lifestyle and the interior designers that utilize the brand. After studying the top selling products that the designers were buying in each category, the next step was to look at what categories were the best selling and began to create the showroom layout based on this info. Once the first draft of the showroom layout was completed, I was off to Chicago! The day was spent meeting with the contractor, the team at TheMart and taking photos and measurements of the space.

Front, Right-Facing, of the Showroom

Right Wall Moving Towards the Back

Back Left Corner

Before Images Above

Little Cat approving every step of the way!

Back in Minneapolis, after reviewing all the info gathered in Chicago, the exciting process of floor planning began. (Yes, my personal assistant, Little Cat, was with me every step of the way!) Once the layout was determined and approved by Surya, the next phase of designing custom millwork began. From floating walls, to cabinets and lighting cubes, every single piece of case was specifically designed and custom built. When you have such beautiful product as Surya, you definitely want to showcase it in the best way possible.

Once construction was underway, the focus turned back to products and product layout. The goal was to create dynamic windows that would reflect the current Surya Spaces and still align as close as possible, with the Chicago market. The three spaces in the front window would highlight these viewpoints and bring to life the hottest, freshest, fashion trends. And deep dive into the product selection helped me curate stunning palettes that would truly reflect the Surya brand.

As the day of installation approached, and the brunt of the construction was completed, a temp team was pulled together to assist with installation. Unfortunately, the company that committed to providing a temporary team, left a VM at 4pm the day before the project was to begin, informing me that they had decided to forgo our project, as the 10 days was too short of a window. Instead of panicking, I pulled over on the side of the highway, (yes, I was driving at the time) and began the new search. Ten people were needed for nine days, starting in less than 12 hours. And unlike other temp positions, this team needed to be able to lift, stand and basically work hard! No problem, right? After many calls and referrals, I found a woman that was thrilled to take on this challenge! She was amazing! She found the most incredible team that really helped make this project a success.

And the pallets of product! 35+! Thank goodness for the Surya team that packed the pallets according to the showroom layout! Before my team and I began, we labeled every area, unpacked every pallet and placed the boxes in the proper location. Then placed all the glass shelves, cleaned them and started unpacking!

Progress...In three stages below. The stunning mirror gallery, complete with hide rugs and Surya chandeliers. Bright. Gorgeous and show stopping.

Finals? Check them out below!

The showroom was designed specifically with designers in mind. What a pleasure to host seminars in this bright, sunny showroom, showcasing the beautiful Surya product. See what's been popped up on Insta!

Whether you have new construction, a market redesign or an existing store that needs a new viewpoint, let me create a showroom that is dynamic, yet thoughtfully planned to sell product, based on your company's brand. Email hello@michellehavens.org