When you think design, you think Leolux. This high-end furniture brand has a long heritage of craftsmanship, beautiful materials, and innovative designs. The new Leolux Experience Center, with its custom-made interior realized by Gielissen, is the living proof.
The challenge
How do you create the ultimate Leolux experience? The Dutch furniture group had the wish to build a world of experience and inspiration from scratch. With the exterior as a design statement: sporting a distinctive silhouette along one of the busiest stretches of highway in the Netherlands. The interior had to radiate just as much style. A high-end show case with, as eye-catchers, an imposing oak stair landscape, the reception desk and sample presentations with advice desks.
Leolux is a regular Gielissen client. Account manager Dagmar Bloeming has been working with Leolux for years on sleek presentations at furniture exhibitions. ‘They too are perfectionists, just like us. That creates a bond,’ says Dagmar. ‘When Leolux was looking for an interior contractor for their new Experience Center, that immediately felt like an awesome new chapter in our years of cooperation.’
The concept
For a high-end brand like Leolux, nothing short of perfection is enough. ‘We did an incredible amount of sampling with the interior architect i29, to arrive at a result that everyone is proud of,’ explains Richard Posthouwer, calculator and assistant project manager. ‘An intensive process, where the building shell and interior fitting meet with millimeter accuracy.’
Colleagues Richard, Dagmar and Stijn (f.l.t.r.).
‘It was an interesting case, because we weren’t working directly for the contractor, but actually for Leolux,’ relates Stijn Holdrinet, project manager. Leolux also took care of the project management for the new build. ‘At points where things were difficult, we were able to support them. For example, through resolving little issues and ensuring that the distance between the parties was bridged, avoiding disruption in the communication.’
The result
You can completely immerse yourself in the Leolux collection in the new Experience Center and try out your favorite models to your heart’s content. The project has not just resulted in an awesome showroom – intimate and spacious at the same time – but it has also strengthened our bond with Leolux. ‘There are challenges to deal with in every construction process. What is most important for us is that we always resolve them together,’ says Dagmar.
‘For example, when there was an unexpected constructional challenge of the large internal staircase. Not all interior contractors would have stood up to this, but at moments like these we have the expertise to work with the client and ensure that deadlines are met, and results achieved.’ It is all about being able to change tack quickly, thinking ahead, and streamlining the communication between the parties. ‘Going that extra mile too sometimes.’
