Showroom
Source Four, Denver, Colorado
PAST FEATURES:
Kimberly MacArthur Graham
Located in a handsome renovated building in a hip art-and-design district of Denver, Source Four's combination of a stellar showroom, "can do" customer service and a powerful Web site allows designers to power-shop. A regional furniture rep for more than 15 prominent lines including Maxon Furniture, Arcadia, Surface Works, izzydesign and Carolina Business Furniture, as well as fabric lines Unika Vaev and CF Stinson, Source Four has been in business for nearly 25 years. Its name derives from its mission of helping architects, interior designers, furniture sellers and end users to create environments that support people as they live, work, learn and heal.
Founder Jeff Riley stresses that these four sectors are mingling. "They are colliding on a fast track; the walls are coming down fast. Things are changing and there are a lot more choices. We're here to serve that." The younger set, especially, he finds "has a little more European design expectation. It's always moving." (And as the father of two young adults, he should know.) The creativity and high-tech capabilities of Source Four keep them ahead of this ever-changing curve, while the staff's exceptional combination of expertise and friendliness ensures that no client will be left behind.
Though a high-touch business, Source Four embraces technology as a way to better serve its customers. As a complement to the showroom, Riley explains, their easy-to-use Web site is a tool that "allows designers to quickly search categories, add product ideas to an Excel file, save projects or favorites, send and print high-resolution images, view retail pricing, get a quote, ask for CAD support and view environmental supporting documents. This saves designers hours of research time while viewing new product introductions."
After previewing available selections online, a visit to the showroom is in order. There, salesperson and interior designer Meredith Gershberg will point out some of the floor-display highlights: a vast selection of seating unified by its quality and good looks, gleaming case goods made from lavish cherry wood or black metal punctuated by white perforated modesty panels, smart-looking lateral files in a range of hues, and desks and chairs that easily adjust up and down to give users a break from sitting. Then there are endless configurations of chic conference tables and chairs, office wall systems, and more specialized items such as reclining chairs for the healthcare industry.
These vignettes are, of course, mere beginnings. Though Gershberg says they do occasionally sell off the floor, the showroom really is designed to spark ideas and conversation that will lead to optimal solutions. (And pretty much anything selected can be quickly shipped within a couple of weeks.)
This splendid selection is aided by the unfailingly helpful salespeople at Source Four. Gershberg says they work with clients "on projects of all sizes, from specs onward," advising as much as designers wish to ensure that the furnishings chosen will serve and delight.
Riley underscores this. "Part of our service is to provide early-on ideas, to bring them together with fabrics and finishes that meet the end-result expectation." To achieve this, he is picky about selecting staff. As he says, "we hire only people passionate about design."
ike their approach, Source Four's physical space is noteworthy. Comprising a main showroom plus a large warehouse at the back of the lot, with convenient parking in between, it is the product of a four-year renovation Riley describes as a "process to make things perfect." A trained eye (an education in architecture preceded Riley's switch to design), careful craft, and a bit of risk-taking repurposed a fading residential property into an eye-catching oasis.
As a rep, and not a sales outlet, Source Four believes it is in a unique position to guide clients in their design decisions and match them with the best lines and pieces. "Our goal," says Riley, "is to make great designed products accessible and affordable. We assist designers by providing interior elements that match their design vision and environmental expectations and meet customer values."
* This case study is from www.sourcesanddesign.com.