Italian furniture brand De Padova has opened its first US showroom in New York City, where products are presented alongside items from its parent company Boffi and sister label MA/U Studio.
The De Padova store spans 4,000 square feet (371 square metres) across the third floor of a historic building, which boasts high ceilings and large windows, on a corner plot on Greene Street in Soho.
The brand is expanding into the US, after it was acquired by Italian kitchen and bath company Boffi in 2015.
De Padova products were previously showcased in the Boffi store down the street, but the new flagship offers the opportunity to display the furniture in a space that better represents the wider company.
Boffi designs – as well as items by Copenhagen-based MA/U Studio, which the group bought last year – are also shown in the new De Padova store.
"The opening marks the establishment of the brand's very own headquarters, as its products were previously integrated in the Boffi Soho showroom just a few blocks away," said a statement from De Padova.
Italian architect and designer Piero Lissoni – who serves as art director for the brands – worked with Boffi's design team on the interior of the store, which opened May 2018.
Brick walls, old pillars, and exposed pipes – all of which are painted white – create a bright backdrop and spacious atmosphere for the showroom.
In keeping with this minimal shell, original light wood floors also allow the furniture pieces to pop.
The showroom is designed to resemble a renovated apartment, where contemporary and more traditional pieces in pale tones and natural colours are combined.
"DePadova's sleek style reflects the rise of Nordic design in luxury residences in New York," said the brand's statement.
Throughout the showroom, a variety of dining and seating nooks help to make the space feel similar to a home. In each, statement furniture by De Padova and Boffi is integrated with the modular and versatile designs by MA/U Studio.
In one corner, an oatmeal-coloured sectional sofa overlooks windows and sits on an oversized navy rug. Adjacent, a kitchen with white cabinetry conceals a stainless steel counter and sink.
Various see-through bookshelves divide the open-plan showroom, creating more intimate spaces. One unit is lined with books and forms a backdrop for a long dining-cum-work table accompanied by caramel leather chairs.
"We look forward to introducing the DePadova collection to the dynamic design community in New York and feel that DePadova's products offer broad appeal to design-minded homeowners in the area," said Boffi Group CEO, Roberto Gavazzi.
De Padova was founded in 1956 by Fernando and Maddalena de Padova in Milan, where they opened a small store to sell imported Scandinavian furniture.
Over the decades, De Padova began producing its own collections, as the brand has grown to encompass a large portfolio. It has collaborated with several well-known designers, including Nendo, Patricia Urquiola and Monica Forster.
Soho is full of stores opened by European furniture brands including Tom Dixon, Menu and Arper, which are all hoping to capitalise on the booming US design market.