Tjep. was commissioned to create a shop environment for a new furniture brand called VilaSofa in Amsterdam. The result is a large playful warehouse.
VilaSofa is positioned between a conventional furniture shop and IKEA in terms of delivery speed. It offers mid-range prices for a wide public and a 48 hour delivery guarantee for all displayed models. The 48 hour claim became the main theme for the shop. They used the idea of a warehouse as metaphor for speed: a place were goods are stored for the transition from the producer to the very personal environment of your home.
The conceptual solution was surprisingly simple and logic: a combination of warehouse aesthetics and home aesthetics. This resulted for example into materials such as plywood usually used for crates combined with high-end glossy finishes. The symbols used in transportation and packaging have been metamorphosed into decorative elements that form room dividers, arranged to organize the space and routing.
Finally there is a big wall suggesting the idea of a magical villa. Is the customer looking at a giant styrofoam packaging element, or is the construction itself the actual villa? They see cavities for a big chandelier, a diversity of playfully arranged windows, romantic balconies, paintings etc... In this space they placed big 'picnic' tables where clients can take their time to inform about the product, talk to the VilaSofa staff.
Design team:
Frank Tjepkema, Janneke Hooymans, Leonie Janssen, Tina Stieger, Bertrand Gravier, Camille Cortet
Production:
Kloosterboer
VilaSofa's site
Tjep site
