Material Lab
H&R Johnson is one of the UK's largest, oldest and most well respected tile manufacturers. Their central London showroom, Material Lab, is a unique designer’s resource for exploring the potential of the tiles and discovering innovative new products. We were appointed to design a new interior and graphic communications for this space.
The natural and homogeneous materials, such as birch-faced plywood, reflect a pared-back and essential mood more fitting for the contemporary aesthetic. We removed the curved staircase wall to reveal the showroom downstairs. We opened up the space on both floors, bringing much needed natural light to the basement and more importantly, inviting visitors to explore.
The new showroom responds to the needs of the designers, with layout space and a functional table system, creating a focus for design activity. A new studio area to the rear, under the roof lights, can be used as a working space for designers to put together mood and sample boards – a useful resource to help designers interact with, understand and ultimately specify a product.
