Grabiner/Hall Creates Original Art For Douglas Furniture's New Corporate Headquarters

Furniture World Magazine

Thinking outside of the box is all in a day’s work at Los Angeles based marketing design and PR firm Grabiner/Hall (http://www.grabinerhall.com). When their client Douglas Furniture of California recently moved their corporate offices from Redondo Beach to El Segundo, they called in the agency to help stylize their interiors and give it a designer look. Lenn Grabiner, GH principal and creative director says, “Typically, one would buy framed artwork to dress-up a corporate headquarters”. Kande Hall, GH president and agency partner for 20 years, however, had a different idea. She suggested creating original art. Lenn quickly took the idea one step farther. Why not turn the company’s product, which is furniture, into art? Once the client was sold on the idea, the creative concept was born. “We didn’t have a lot of time as Douglas Furniture wanted the corporate office art finished in two weeks for an upcoming important meeting. Hiring a photographer would take more logistical time and cost more than the client’s budget. The timing was a concern, but we felt this could be a really fun project that offered a lot of creativity,” said Lenn. To pull off the project, Grabiner/Hall’s design team used existing product photos from the client. They isolated images, cropped shapes, added textures and vibrant colors, literally taking furniture and turning it into unique works of art. They selected shots based purely on aesthetic value that would transcend easily into pop-influenced art, similar to a Warhol-esque look. The result was striking original art that integrated sofas, chairs, and tables, in creative angles, arcs, and vibrant colors. The art project consisted of ten individual pieces. One piece began with a red chair, which was duplicated several times into the shape of a cross. Another piece consists of a recliner chair in a staged, freeze-frame arc and colorized in hues of blue and green. A series of four pieces transformed a pedestal table into a study of crisp graphic forms and bright colors. Another series interpreted one chair in three different textures. To finish off the office décor, Grabiner/Hall used the Douglas Furniture logo in large blue letters to frame the lobby reception room. “We wanted to reinforce Douglas Furniture’s position as a quality resource to the furniture industry and that it’s evident in how they “dress themselves,” said Kande Hall. “We wanted to make a statement – that Douglas is a highly professional organization and takes pride in its company…in the way the office is perceived by customers and prospects, the way the employees feel when they enter the corporate headquarters.” According to Sales & Marketing Management magazine, the look and feel of a company’s physical office space can improve sales and a company’s bottom line. An impressive office space works to build its brand, motivate employees and attract and retain customers. About Grabiner/Hall: Grabiner/Hall, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is a marketing design and public relations firm whose diverse client base is comprised of B2B organizations in the home furnishing, manufacturing, technology, and healthcare industries. Since 1985, Grabiner/Hall has provided a host of creative solutions including web development, print collateral, advertising, lead generation, and public relations strategies that have transformed growing companies into powerhouse brands. In 2004, GH was selected as one of the top agencies in the country by BtoB magazine. About Douglas Furniture: Douglas Furniture is headquartered in El Segundo, California and manufactures in a 600,000 square foot facility in Baja California. A pioneer and longtime industry leader in the casual dining category, Douglas has been crafting quality home furnishings for more than a century. Douglas also manufactures a full line of home theater seating, leather and fabric motion upholstery, stationary upholstery and an assortment of correlating game tables, occasional tables, and parson’s chairs. For more information, visit Douglas online at http://www.douglasfurniture.com.