Pierre Frey has welcomed an outside vendor to its NYC showroom for the first time in its history.
Hutton Home, a furniture company based in Miami, is a symbiotic fit for the French fabric house, as both are family-owned businesses. Patrick Frey, Chairman and Creative Director of Pierre Frey, was introduced to Douglas Hutton through his friendship with Frey's son, Vincent. He wanted to add a richness to the showroom, but noted that "American showrooms all look alike. I thought, let's do it like an apartment, because after all, we are not a huge space." Lamps, magazines, a small fireplace and new window treatments all enhance the residential mood. Frey describes the look as "anti-showroom, a more personal, salon-like environment." All of the Hutton pieces are upholstered in a neutral palette of creams and taupes, even though the fabric house is known for their color. As Douglas Hutton says, "It's hard to have a cohesive design when you are showing lots of different companies and their brands."
Shown above is the Space Odyssey chair, named after the Kubrick film.
In fact, the collaboration came about in an astonishingly short time frame, especially considering the 12-14 week lead-time on the French-made furniture. The decision was finalized in November, Frey selected his fabric choices (narrowed down naturally by upholstery weight options and then by the neutral palette they envisioned) and sent those off to Douglas who grouped the fabrics with the finishes. They both credit having just one decision maker in each family as leading to the quick results, although
Kim Huebner, marketing director of Pierre Frey, says "it's also an advantage to having the creative people as the president of the company."
Stop by and see their new "rooms" -- here's a peek at the living room:
