Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1546312
V isual Comfort & Co. has opened its first retail showroom in Dallas in the buzzy Knox area, s h o w c a s i n g i t s celebrated portfolio of lighting and designer partnerships. The Houston- based company — known for collaborations with Kelly Wearstler, Aerin Lauder, and Suzanne Kasler, as well as Texas designers such as Lauren Rottet, J. Randall Powers, Marie Flanigan, and Paloma Contreras — designed the 4,400-square-foot space as an immersive home environment where decorative and architectural lighting, motorized shades, and a new custom Roman Shade program come together to show exactly what layered lighting can do for a room. The new showroom also marks the arrival of Pooky, the beloved British lighting brand recently acquired by Visual Comfort. Founded in 2014 by English entrepreneur Rohan The Guiding Light Blacker, Pooky built its reputation on a colorful, irreverent approach to portable lighting. "We're proud to bring our distinctive color, character, and British eccentricity to Visual Comfort," says Pooky president & CMO Regan Iglesia, who adds that the brand will be available at Visual Comfort & Co. showrooms nationwide. Look for lamp bases in solid brass, hand-turned wood, and marble, topped with handcrafted shades in silk, linen, velvet, and handmade paper — many in bold hand- painted prints — and a wide range of cordless, rechargeable options that make it easy to swap shades and bases to fit the season or the room. Also new is designer Richard June's first lighting collection for Visual Comfort, crafted with skilled artisans in his hometown of Portland, based on enduring designs and material honesty. Visual Comfort's showroom at Dallas Market Center caters strictly to the design trade, while the new showroom on McKinney is open to the public. Visual Comfort & Co., 4438 McKinney Ave., visualcomfort.com. Rebecca Sherman Pooky rechargeable Lillee lamps Rendering of the new Visual Comfort & Co. on McKinney Avenue in Dallas 108