Kvadrat Enters U.S. Independently in 2021

No longer dependent solely on Maharam

January 6, 2021

Anders Byriel, CEO
Anders Byriel, CEO

EBELTOFT, DENMARK—Kvadrat has opened its first US office and showroom in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is set to open showrooms in Los Angeles and New York later this year.
In 2021, the Danish editeur brand, the third largest contract specialist sales in the world according to F&FI with sales in the $120 million range, independently brings its design textiles and breadth of color to North America.
Working with designers Jonathan Olivares and Erwan Bouroullec, the new showrooms will act as strategic local hubs to serve the American market and its global clientele locally, according to a Kvadrat spokesman in New York.
Anders Byriel, CEO Kvadrat comments: “Through Maharam, Kvadrat collections have been available in the US for 18 years already, but now with the opening of three showrooms and with a dedicated sales force, we are excited to build our own service and distribution structure across the US. We can offer our American clients our complete product and services portfolio. The US architecture and design community, and large American enterprises have been choosing Kvadrat increasingly in the last decade and we have established a number of global collaborations with US based companies. We look forward to increasing the collaboration and dialogue with the American community and our amazing clients.”
Established in Denmark in 1968 and with deep roots in Scandinavia’s world-famous design tradition, Kvadrat has evolved into a global industry leader by pushing the aesthetic, technical and functional boundaries in commercial and residential textile design. One of the core ways that Kvadrat achieves this goal is through constant creative collaboration with artists, designers and architects across many disciplines, according to Byriel. Kvadrat says it specializes in the use and reuse of materials to minimize its impact on the environment, resulting in many textiles and products made out of recycled materials, either textile waste, post-consumer plastic or recycled aluminum.
The company produces the following brands: Kvadrat, Kvadrat Soft Cells, Kvadrat/Raf Simons, Kvadrat Febrik and Sahco.
The flagship showroom in Los Angeles, designed by Paris based Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec Studio is set to open in April 2021. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have previously designed products for Kvadrat such as Clouds, Ready Made Curtain, several textiles, as well as flagship showrooms in Stockholm and Copenhagen. For the showroom in Los Angeles, Erwan Bouroullec created a two-story house within the structure, made from Douglas fir wood, textile and glass, reminiscent of pioneer homes. Shelves and hanging elements, specifically designed by Bouroullec Studio for Kvadrat have been reimagined and carefully crafted from aluminum. To celebrate this milestone, Erwan Bouroullec has developed a custom-made textile using knitting techniques and advanced computer software to dictate the pattern and depth of the design.
This summer, the flagship showroom New York, designed by California- based industrial designer Jonathan Olivares will open. An ongoing Kvadrat collaborator, who designed the Twill Weave upholstery textile, the opening will coincide with the launch of a new textile designed by Olivares called Broken Twill. For the New York showroom, the designer has imagined the space as a workshop and gallery to discover and experience Kvadrat textiles. Set across two floors, the space is designed to curate Kvadrat’s product portfolios, cultural engagements, and collaborators. Filled with light, it will feature a second-floor catwalk that wraps around its perimeter.
Grand Rapids, Michigan is home to the core of Kvadrat’s operation in North America. A full-service hub, with warehousing, sample fulfillment, customer service and finance. A salesforce for contract, industry and residential clients will be based throughout the United States.

About Kvadrat
Kvadrat was established in Denmark in 1968 and has deep roots in Scandinavia’s world-famous design tradition. A leader in design innovation, Kvadrat produces high-performance, design upholstery and curtain textiles, rugs and acoustic solutions for both commercial and residential interiors.
Kvadrat says it collaborates with leading designers, architects and artists. These include Miriam Bäckström, Raf Simons, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Jonathan Olivares, Marc Thorpe, Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Alfredo Häberli, Akira Minagawa, Peter Saville, Roman Signer, Doshi Levien and Patricia Urquiola.


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