When we decided to expand LV Wood westward, there were a number of elements I knew we’d copy over from our flagship showroom in the Flatiron/Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Yes, Bozeman, Mont., is a different beast, but— after being a high-end wood flooring retailer for almost 20 years—there are universal features I’d apply to any retail store in any location.
Beverage options, comfortable seating, professional lighting and pops of personality are four things I’d put in any retail store.
1) Something to drink
It may seem trivial, but one of the first things the team at LV does when a client comes in is offer them a drink—coffee, water, or maybe a wine or beer. Sure, this might entice a potential client to stay in the shop longer—but the key here is warm, welcoming hospitality.
A professional-grade espresso machine isn’t a requirement—but it sure doesn’t hurt. For example, I met a person at a restaurant one night and invited them to the store for “the best espresso in Montana” the next morning. I gained a new client in doing so. It’s something simple and fun that helps us bring people in.
We also keep a stocked wine fridge in our showrooms. If it’s a later appointment and the designer doesn’t mind opening a bottle of Rosé, it makes the client feel that they’re being treated well, and it keeps the conversation going.
2) Somewhere to sit
It’s important that we have comfortable and inviting places to sit. If a trade client is reviewing samples or drawings with someone, they need to have a comfortable chair or couch, and a surface to set things on. A guest shouldn’t have to stand the whole appointment, holding their beverage while trying to flip through samples.
In our Bozeman store, we have several areas with seating: a leather couch with end tables, a comfortable bench in the gallery area and a large table with room for six people. It’s all about comfort.
Our trade clients need somewhere comfortable to sit when going over drawings and samples with their clients.
3) Good lighting
I’ve seen too many showrooms with terrible lighting. The true finish, color and quality of the product won’t shine through if the lighting isn’t doing its job.
Proper lighting was a major focus in our Bozeman showroom. It took a lot of time and effort, but it was absolutely necessary. We hired a lighting engineer to draw up a plan based on the store’s natural light and how we wanted the wood’s finishes to appear. Two of our walls are mostly windows, so it’s great for seeing how products look in natural light. But it was just as important to have the light fixtures installed in a way that best represented our products in a room without as much sunlight. This way, clients are able to move around with samples and see what they look like in different lighting.
We put a lot of time and effort into getting the lighting just right.
4) Pops of personality
When I first started looking for a location in Bozeman, I was going around to design and architecture firms, which represent the majority of our clients, just to get to know people. One of the design companies I visited was attached to a furniture store, and that’s where I found a statue of four bronze human figures carrying a piece of reclaimed river wood on their shoulders. I had to buy it, because I feel like the piece is a metaphor for the supply side of the wood flooring industry. It’s now featured prominently in our Montana location.
This and pieces of wood art we have garner a lot of questions and curiosity, and oftentimes designers actually try to buy them from us.
I had to have this sculpture of bronze human figures carrying a piece of reclaimed river wood on their shoulders. It's the perfect metaphor for our industry.
Now that our Mountain West showroom has been up and running for two-plus years, we’re preparing to renovate our flagship location. I found it quite interesting that opening up a new store revealed opportunities for improvement in the original one … 18 years later.
