Walking into the Bernhardt Design Chicago showroom, there is a feeling of leaving the Merchandise Mart and entering a space odyssey or the afterlife. Conjuring visions of another world, the combination of white-on-white mixed with the play of light provides an ethereal haven from the chaos of the city streets outside.

Using architecture to extend the perception of space, award-winning architect Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio detailed the walls and ceilings with knife-edges to create visual movement. Solid planes hover over glowing bands of light to give the illusion the walls are floating.

The space was created to emulate a museum setting so the furniture could be displayed as art. Providing a backdrop for the vast array of furniture, an accent wall with perforated screens surrounds the perimeter of the showroom, allowing natural light to filter through. Colorful textile panels add visual impact to the Bernhardt Textiles space integrated within the showroom.

go chair

aro bar stool