The Atlanta NEXT initiative – which transforms AmericasMart Atlanta through capital investments and strategic remerchandising of resources – has made its first impact on the campus with the repositioning and expansion of Open Year Round home decor resources to five contiguous floors (11-15) in Building 1. The newly remerchandised floors, set to debut at The Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market (Jan. 14-21, 2020), present a cohesive buying experience both during and between markets.
“A major focus of Atlanta NEXT is to create a more compelling and thoughtful experience for the retailers and designers who use AmericasMart as a resource year-round,” said Bob Maricich, International Market Centers (IMC) CEO. “Redefining the Open Year Round offerings creates an easy-to-shop design center experience. These resources, combined with those at ADAC, creates, by far, the richest offering of design resources in the Southeast.”
Remerchandised Floors and Development of Five-Floor Open Year Round Marketplace
The first phase of the remerchandising of the home decor collection features 30 new, expanded or relocated showrooms and 20 renewals. In total, AmericasMart’s Open Year Round home decor offerings encompass 130 showrooms presenting nearly 350 lines across all home accent categories.
On the Open Year Round floors, major expansions and relocations include Antique Curiosities, Caracole, ELK Lighting, Forty West Designs, Inc., Jeffan International, Leftbank Art and Mainly Baskets. New showrooms are Adaste Home Inc. (decor and accessories), Laura Park Designs (accessories, decor, bedding and wallcoverings), Lily's Living (decor and accessories) and Sweet Gumball Inc. (wall art, decor and accessories). The floors also feature amenities that augment the daily shopping experience including the Designer Workspace with a resource library and concierge service, and a seminar space where educational and networking events are presented throughout the year.
"We are really looking forward to the relocation of ELK Home to Floor 12,” said Robin Gordon, Vice President of Marketing for ELK Group International. “It's the right location for ELK Home and it puts us in a great position among our competitive set. The move gives us the opportunity to redesign our space and upgrade our showroom experience. Come January market, you will see a whole new look for ELK Home!"
On the Atlanta NEXT updates, Cameron Ward, Caracole Director of Trade Sales & Customer Service, said “Given the tremendous response from the design community, we are thrilled to expand our trade showroom at AmericasMart. This expansion provides us with a strong platform to both service and present the breadth and depth of our brand with the trade community at large.”
In addition to updates on the Open Year Round floors, the Commercial Design category on Floor 5 is 75 percent occupied and includes new showroom Sherwin-Williams (commercial paint) plus a relocated and expanded location for C+H Interiors. Additional updates of note throughout the building are expansions and relocations for John Robshaw Inc. & John Matouk & Co., Montes Doggett and SmithHonig / Boho Luxe Home. New showrooms are Balta US Inc. (rugs), Duke Imports, Inc. (softgoods and bedding) and Monahan Papers (accessories, stationery items, fabric and wallcoverings). New meeting space for market buying groups also opens on Floor 3 and Floor 8.
Additionally, 20 home decor exhibitors found across Building 1 have renewed their commitment to the Atlanta market: Antiques & Interiors, Ashore, Inc., Bobo Intriguing Objects, Bojay, CODARUS, David Allen Accessories, Farmhouse Pottery, Gold Leaf Design Group, Hester & Cook Design Group, Hillhouse Naturals Farm, India's Heritage, Intrepid International Trading Co., Kassatex, Orchids Lux Home & CMA Home – Allegria, Pasha Furniture, Saddleman's of Santa Fe, SDH ENTERPRISES, Taylor Linens and Yves Delorme, Inc.
“The reorganization of the merchandise in Building 1 makes it easier for designers and retailers to plan their visits to AmericasMart,” added Julie Messner, Senior Vice President of Furniture and Home Decor Leasing. “Better identifying and grouping the product mix helps buyers better decide where and how to spend their time whenever they visit.”
Creating the Southeast’s Premier Dual-Venue Design Destination
The official launch of the partnership between AmericasMart and the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC) began in September with the successful staging of the first-ever dual-venue design market combining Fall Design Week and DISCOVER ADAC. Together, the sister centers showcased 500+ resources and presented 33 seminars, tours, gatherings and celebrations to thousands of designers, retailers and design enthusiasts.
“We are spoiled here in Atlanta – I feel we have the best design resources of any city in the United States,” said designer Steve McKenzie. “While the resources offered at each location are vastly different, I find they complement each other and I’m able to use both resources to find the perfect item for each project.”
To demonstrate how designers and retailers can incorporate product from both centers, McKenzie created the “Directions in Design Vignette Exhibition” with coordinated vignettes on each campus featuring merchandise sourced from both. McKenzie showcased top trends from both AmericasMart and ADAC including the use of bold color, the return of wallpaper and the juxtaposition of old and new with brown furniture and antiques.
