DESIGN | Showroom style
Showroom of the month
Humphrey Munson, Felsted
Humphrey Munson in Felsted, Essex, is more like a house than a showroom, with a homely feel and fully working kitchens where designers cook for clients at meetings
lients who visit Humphrey Munson’s showroom are treated to a personal experience. When clients come around, they have all of the space to themselves – so it means they have the designer’s full attention and there is no one else around to distract them. Creative director Louisa Eggleston explains that people don’t want to leave and meetings go on for ages. Typically, clients eat lunch – which the team would have prepared in front of them – have a look at the showroom and the workshop, and the whole meeting usually lasts around five hours. According to Eggleston, this helps clients get more invested in the brand, as they have devoted so much of their time to the designer and the showroom. “The traditional showroom model, where you just go in and look but don’t touch, is quite outdated,” says Eggleston. “But when people come here and everything is live, it really brings the experience to life. You can’t get a true representation of products if they aren’t in working order.” The showroom has five kitchen displays, two pantries, a utility room, sitting room and an outdoor kitchen, which has a working BBQ, a kitchen space and a fire pit. The space was designed by Peter Humphrey, the
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founder of the company. His vision was to create a true experience for their customers. Clients are looking for a design-led company and Eggleston knows that the feel of the space is often more important than the aesthetics. “So often, before clients come to us, they think choosing their new kitchen is about how things look, but actually when they come here they realise it’s about how they feel,” she says. The kitchens are, of course, designed with aesthetics in mind but, how the kitchen functions is also key– so the team makes sure any special features are displayed and pointed out to clients during their visit. The washing machines are used in the
morning, which shows the practicalities of utility rooms. If a client comes in for a meeting over lunch, then they will have their food cooked for them in one of the fully working kitchens. There is an extra expense involved in doing this but, as Eggleston explains, it is critical as it helps with the customers’ experience and gives them confidence in the products. “What we wanted to create was a space
What we wanted to create was a space where people come in to see us and have an immersive experience
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where people could have an immersive experience. So often children will ask me if I live there. These are live spaces, and it is just like walking into a real home.” The showroom makes the most of natural light and is full of finishing touches such as drinks and food in the fridge and crockery in the cupboards. The company knows that its clients are looking for something different and craves this kind of shopping experience. “We wanted to create a retail space that isn’t like any other and I think that is where the hospitality side comes through, when we host clients in the showroom,” says Eggleston.
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7. 80 · April 2020
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