Southern comfort: Reico Kitchen and Bath brings the comforts of home into its Richmond, Va., showroom

Prosales, Dec, 2004 by Julie Y. Weber

When Springfield, Va.-based Reico Kitchen and Bath redesigned its Richmond, Va., showroom in June 2003, comfort was top of mind--both that of its consumer customers and its pro clients.

While the aroma of fresh-baked cookies, free gourmet coffee, and a children's area create a pleasing atmosphere for homeowners, it's the 5,000-square-foot showroom's easy-to-navigate layout and inspiring real-room displays that truly make the product selection process effortless. Designed to help customers envision products in their homes, the 52 full-room displays showcase an array of cabinetry, countertop, sink, interior door, and appliance products in various designs and applications. "If you show [the products] without the customer being able to see them in a homelike setting, they might not know how to place it in their own home," says director of marketing Andy Armstrong of the decision to use realistic vignettes. To extend beyond traditional settings, one-third of the displays utilize kitchen and bath products in other-room designs, such as a laundry room and sewing room.

For pros, the showroom and its designers take some of the product selection burden away by educating homeowners about options, clarifying product specifications, and assisting with design. The selection center provides product samples and a space for designers and homeowners to go over blueprints. In addition, an on-site training facility holds DIY seminars and ongoing training for Reico employees, and can be used by pros and associations for meetings.

From the cookies to the real-world displays to the design services, Reico's Richmond showroom is as a building supply caterer, serving up a broad menu of product options while making all of its customers feel at home.