Tjep. was commissioned to create a shop environment for a new furniture brand called VilaSofa. 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. We 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 esthetics and home esthetics. 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 that are arranged to organize the space and routing. Finally there is a big wall suggesting the idea of a magical vila, this is the only place where the graphic references are more literal, but still very graphic, as if the elements escaped from packaging symbols: a big chandelier, a diversity of playfully arranged windows, romantic balconies. In this space we placed big 'picnic' tables where clients can take their time to inform about the product, talk to the VilaSofa staff. Finally we designed mobile cashing systems so that clients can actually pay from their newly adopted sofa. VilaSofa offers a combination of existing sofa models and specially designed sofas by designers such as Monica Mulder and Khodi Feiz.

Design team
Frank Tjepkema, Janneke Hooymans, Leonie Janssen, Tina Stieger, Bertrand Gravier, Camille Cortet

Production
Kloosterboer

photos & text by Tjep.

VilaSofa / Woonboulevard Reijerwaard / Van ’t Hoffstraat 32 / 2991 XP Barendrecht /  ROTTERDAM, Netherlands