HIGH POINT — Not only is Norwalk Furniture showcasing new products at this week’s High Point Market, it also is showing off a new look.
Visitors to Norwalk will step into a showroom reimagined by acclaimed designer Kim Salmela. Featuring vignettes that tell captivating, contemporary storylines, the new design offers a new perspective on the Ohio-based manufacturer’s latest collections.
Salmela — an L.A.-based manufacturer, furniture and textile designer — is a long-time collaborator with the Norwalk brand. She has been developing furnishings for the company since 2017, but this market is the first time she’s had carte blanche over the entire showroom.
“Kim’s eye for color, texture, pattern and form, along with her ability to integrate those into livable scenarios, provides us with a merchandising strategy that makes sense to our retailers,” said Norwalk CEO Tim Newlin.
“At previous markets, we kept my frames and Norwalk frames in different areas of the showroom,” said Salmela. “Now they are integrated, and you can’t tell which is which. It has been fun to re-envision the existing Norwalk frames, so it’s one cohesive line with different lifestyles.”
Salmela’s showroom takeover is organized into five styles:
- Organic Modern – Natural while remaining on the pulse of modern living, this lifestyle features curved shapes.
- Modern Country – Incorporates a modern aesthetic with a relaxed frame and scale. Includes slipcovers, with nature-inspired patterns and colors.
- Traditional – Classic pieces and shapes, skirted forms and patterns such as toiles, florals and brocades.
- New Victorian – Enrobed in English references such as menswear, plaids, roll arms, layers of pattern and vintage touches.
- Coastal – Classic coastal but with palettes that go beyond blue and white, incorporating neutrals and even blacks.
Norwalk also will add 80 to 100 new fabrics this market to its in-stock fabric program, as well as expanding Salmela’s line of textiles for Crypton Home Fabrics with the addition of new colors.
Norwalk’s showroom is located in the International Home Furnishings Center, space M-108. During the market, it will host two events for marketgoers: showroom tours with Samela, 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26; and a happy hour (please RSVP here) from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27.
See also: Listening in: Norwalk president taps into real-time consumer insights