When the House of Rohl decided to establish its first U.S. showroom, the provider of luxury decorative plumbing and hardware brands for kitchens and baths chose space in Chicago's historic theMart and asked Valerio Dewalt Train to tell the story behind the handcrafted process of each brand. Valerio Dewalt Train created a boutique jewel box that puts the spotlight on craft.
To attract passersby into the space, a curvilinear chassis of power-coated aluminum supports a grid of boxes that house the plumbing fixtures and also the lighting fixtures that illuminate them. Each sub-brand has its own area within this framework, with finishes creating a designated color zone for each. Panels tell the story behind each brand with text and artistic photography, offering a museum-like experience to shoppers.
Within the chassis, each sub-brand in the House of Rohl collection has its own allocated area where finishes create a designated color zone. Warm lighting accentuates these zones, creating an inviting glow that greets visitors beyond the stone exterior. Panels housed within the framework use artistic photography and descriptive narratives to tell each unique brand's story, providing visitors with a museum-like experience.
The pantry and office space in back of house is meant to provide a centralized location for their representatives to host both internal and external meetings, and to work remotely.
Photography: Tom Harris