HBF is excited to unveil their new “home” in the heart of New York City’s Flatiron District at 155 Fifth Avenue, 6th floor. A collaboration between HBF and Alda Ly Architecture (ALA) in conjunction with T Clifton Design, this new design destination features unique planning scenarios where commercial meets hospitality. The space is a modern oasis that is both inspiring and intuitive and displays HBF’s portfolio of products showcasing a luxurious mix of materiality and finishes.
Project Name: New Showroom for HBF in Manhattan’s Flatiron District
Studio Name: Alda Ly Architecture
“It was important to partner with a design firm with a fresh perspective on commercial work space and ALA was a natural fit. We admire the way that they inject a sense of hospitality into their designs, and they bring a youthful energy with experiential delight to their projects,” said Casey Baxter, HBF’s Vice President and General Manager. “Equally important, ALA is a New York City-based, certified minority and women-owned business. We wanted to work with a firm as diverse as our own team. ALA also understands firsthand the pace of city life and can foresee the needs of our clients and designers who will be commuting to the city, visiting our space between meetings, and may be in need of a quick touchdown space for a call or virtual meeting. We designed a purposeful Mother’s Room in the showroom that I sincerely hope will get used by new mothers in need of a place to pump and work.”
ALA’s goal was to create a space that would be as inviting and unique as the products themselves. The design team contrasted two different types of spaces: the main area adorned with a skylight providing a view of Manhattan’s skyscrapers and the smaller, more intimate spaces that surround it. The main showroom was designed to be open and airy, with high ceilings and large windows maximizing the natural light. The smaller environments surrounding this space were designed with lower ceilings, darker colors, and more intimate features like nooks and niches. The ALA team intentionally contrasts adjacent spaces in this way to evoke feelings of compression and release, capturing a rhythm as natural as inhaling and exhaling.
“After getting to know the HBF brand and team during the planning process for this project, we realized that our values are quite similar—and it made our working relationship incredibly strong,” said Alda Ly, Founder and Principal, ALA. “We have common goals about designing community into everything we do. This was an opportunity for us to work with another company that really understands how important it is to create spaces that are both beautiful and inclusive.”
“We were thrilled when they approached us about partnering on this project,” added Tania Chau, Director, ALA, “because we strive towards the same design language with our shared focus on wellness and healthcare; our emphasis on creating welcoming environments for our clients; and our commitment to bringing warmth and comfort into every space we design.”
The teams worked with T Clifton Design to plan a space that was both functional and luxurious. Clifton understood the concept that ALA put in place and, based on her deep understanding of the HBF offering, she was able to showcase a variety of vignettes that highlight amenities-driven product applications in both casual and formal work settings. The flexible floorplan allows for more social interaction where guests and colleagues can collaborate productively while also enjoying healthful ergonomics, psychological well-being, and comfort.
The HBF Textiles display area is purposefully designed to be user-friendly and engaging, with tunable lighting that allows visitors to see how colors look against various finishes, textures, and color temperatures. This allows design professionals to fully comprehend how different materials work together so they can make informed choices for their projects.
Leveraging this design vocabulary and planning tactics across total contract environments, the new interpretation of HBF’s flagship showroom layers vibrant hospitality-minded product applications to deliver a space that is inspiring, functional, and inclusive.
About HBF
Part of a two-hundred-year legacy of furniture and textiles manufacturing in North Carolina, HBF is recognized for its timely design sensibility and timeless craftsmanship. By joining forces with leading industry designers, HBF is committed to creating ingenious contract furnishings with an emphasis on craft, comfort, and sustainability. HBF’s mission is to continuously inspire its core audience of A&D specifiers as design arbiters and trusted partners in the realization of ambitiously considered commercial interiors. www.hbf.com
About Alda Ly Architecture (ALA)
Alda Ly Architecture (ALA) is an API woman-owned firm that provides thoughtful, custom interior solutions for organizations looking to rethink traditional retail, healthcare, office, and cultural spaces. Founded in 2017 when the groundbreaking co-working platform The Wing tapped Ly to design its East Coast and California locations, ALA continues to serve a growing number of entrepreneurs and startups as well as established organizations looking to rethink traditional retail, healthcare, office, and cultural spaces. ALA is a recognized thought leader in biophilic design and has been featured nationally and internationally in a variety of media outlets.
About T Clifton Design
Travis Clifton is an interior designer, product designer, and artist. Before opening T Clifton Design, LTD. in 2005, she worked for several leading Chicago design firms including ISD, Carlos Martinez & Associates, and Gary Lee Partners. Over the course of her career, Clifton has directed and implemented strategic visioning for several furniture manufacturers, designed furniture, and created high quality interior spaces for corporate, retail, and residential clients. She believes a strong concept is key to the development of good design whether it is in the detail of a product or the design of a space and uses that belief to guide her work.
