Warehouse chic: A mid-market furniture brand pares down

Barendrecht, the Netherlands – The New Sobriety, which sees a trend towards the consumption of more mid-priced, higher-quality products, is driving the store design of a new furniture company in the Netherlands.

With its fun and no-frills approach to retailing, VilaSofa places itself in the market between a conventional furniture shop and a large supermarket model such as that of Swedish brand Ikea. Its new retail space, designed by Amsterdam-based firm Tjep., effectively captures the New Sobriety aesthetic.

The store adopts the warehouse environment as a design theme, underlining the brand’s dedication to speed and efficiency – an idea stemming from the 48-hour purchase-to-delivery turnaround that VilaSofa offers its customers. Conversely, large picnic tables offer consumers the chance to slow down and talk to staff about the products, hence creating a much less frantic customer service experience that avoids the awkwardness of standing around waiting for assistance.