Abode Home, Launches in Wichata With New Retail Concept

Furniture World Magazine

The first totally new retail concept in downtown Wichita in more than thirty years – Abode Home – officially opens on August 27 following a VIP reception the night before.  A grand opening is planned for October 7, 8 and 9. “We invite everyone to experience Abode Home firsthand,” says owner Bill Jackson, who has been developing the store for several years. “Residents of Wichita no longer have to travel to Kansas City or Dallas for the kind of shopping they enjoy.” Jackson’s goal was to create a lifestyle, home furnishings showroom that would offer an array of distinctive product at discernable price points.  When deciding which upholstery brands to carry, Jackson was approached with the idea of selecting styles from all three of Rowe Furniture’s brands – Rowe, Robin Bruce and Earth & Elements.  Individually, each brand offers the consumer unique style and product features.  Together, these brands represent a way to select from over 600 fabrics to custom order an upholstered piece of furniture and receive delivery in about thirty days. Rowe is recognized for tailored upholstered sofas, chairs, ottomans and sectionals in traditional to contemporary silhouettes including the recently launched Mini Mod collection of smaller-scale, full sized styles; as well as a popular collection of pre-washed cotton slip covered sofas and chairs. Robin Bruce is recognized for an imaginative use of fabrics on traditional and contemporary silhouettes and down and feather-blend filled cushions in all seat and back pillows. Earth & Elements is inspired by the casual clothes we all love to wear – cotton twills and denims and cotton-blend corduroys – to create sofas and sectionals that embody the idea of comfort in the most advance way.  Seat and back cushions include the world’s first natural fiberfill, known as Ingeo Fiber, which is blended with feather and down to match the breathability of the natural fabrics and to provide premium seating support. Jackson recognized the advantage of working with one upholstery furniture manufacturer so as to centralize the custom ordering process, the delivery of product, his need for display and design assistance and the ability to easily address customer service questions.  The opening of Abode Home marks the first time that a home furnishings retailer has showcased all three Rowe Furniture brands under one roof in an extensive product selection. The Abode Experience: Father and son Bill and Josh Jackson worked closely with Wichita-based architects Wilson Darnell Mann to develop a building that would be true to the spirit of Old Town.  “The scale of the place surprises you,” says Dan Wilson of WDM. “The volume is large, but fun and comfortable. Bill and Josh were a huge part of the design process, setting criteria that the building had to work within the Old Town area while conveying an urban sophistication. Abode does both beautifully.” The main showroom of the $2 million, 10,000-square-foot retail store has 25-foot ceilings, archways and interior columns. Floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights flood the space with natural light. Five circular displays with 8’x10’ rotating panels offer a means to feature ever-changing merchandise. A light cloud is suspended over each display, adding interest and focus. Stained, sealed concrete floors are punctuated by islands of walnut flooring. A wall of solid walnut cases provides a dramatic, dark backdrop for pillows, vases and other accessories that are grouped to create large blocks of color: orange, green, pale blues. One large gallery features pressed-bamboo flooring offset by rich cranberry walls and the building’s original tin ceiling. A coffee bar occupies one alcove – offering complimentary fresh-brewed java from the neighboring Spice Merchant. Adjacent to the bar, is the Earth & Elements gallery, with the original brick-and-plaster walls of the building exposed. Nearby, one of the region’s largest Oriental galleries has a Shoji-screened wall of windows, infusing the collection with filtered light. Curved walls set the design area apart while adding a dynamic, organic feeling. A skylight helps you can see true colors of material samples. A large worktable lets you lay out swatches, while a flat-screen TV monitor enables you to view how the finished product or space might look. “You can play out your room and upholstery ideas virtually,” says Brent Dorrah, store manager. “Working on a computer with your room dimensions and space parameters makes the process fun plus saves money. You can try out different looks without investing anything but your time. Of course, if you just want to come in and browse the treasures we have throughout the store, we encourage that. We plan to always have something new and unexpected.” Customers are able to browse a comprehensive selection of over 600 fabrics to facilitate their special order of upholstered furniture.  In addition, customers interact with Rowe’s PreVue® computer system which quickly illustrates any Rowe Furniture sofa, chair, sectional or ottoman in any selection of fabric. PreVue is an integral part of the shopping experience taking the “guess work” out of custom orders and reassuring homeowners of the look of their new sofa.  The brick-and-limestone store was built to become a downtown destination and icon. Even if you could miss the massive, new building, its signage ensures you will not. An 8,000-pound limestone monument sign and 17-feet-long exterior wall signage instantly communicate the store’s uniqueness.  They were designed by Greteman Group, who also assisted with the identity development and branded marketing materials, and constructed by Trimark Signworks. Abode Home is located at 1330 E. Douglas between Washington and Hydraulic, just east of Old Town in Wichita, Kansas.