Pleasant Living: MENDOTA COLLECTION LAUNCHES AT THE MILLERROSSOM SHOWROOM

Friday, November 2, 2012

MENDOTA COLLECTION LAUNCHES AT THE MILLERROSSOM SHOWROOM

THE LAUNCH

We left Madison around three in the afternoon not knowing if the drive to the twin cities was going to take three and a half or four and a half hours. It turned out to be closer to the later. For four and a half hours the three of us, Rick, Terry and I talked about our strategy for what we would do the following day at the launch of our collaborative new line of furniture, The Mendota Collection. Terry had been to the Minneapolis Design Center many times, I had been to Minneapolis once many years ago on a job and for Rick this was his first time to this northern jewel of a city. We were all excited and nervous about what the following day would hold. Rick and I were looking forward to seeing what the MillerRossom showroom was going to look like. We knew what our furniture pieces looked like but we had no idea of the overall aesthetic of the showroom that was going to be launching our line.

The launch was set for ten in the morning that coming Thursday with a small buffet, some informal socializing, a brief introduction to who we were and what the line was about and then a bit of Q&A. We decided Terry would begin with an introduction to Black Wolf Design. Then I would talk about how Rick and I became a part of the Black Wolf family and Rick would finish up with a description of the Mendota Collection.
Once we arrived in Minneapolis we were invited to dinner with Doug Erikson, Black Wolf Design's local representative. It was Doug who engineered the connection with MillerRossom.

At nine the following day we arrived at the Minneapolis Design Center at International Market Square. The center is a melding of several manufacturing buildings that once made underwear for Munsingwear. The outside space between the collection of buildings has been covered over with a massive ceiling creating an interior atrium with open hallways ringing the perimeter of the space. It's an astonishingly beautiful space.

We took the elevator up to the 2nd floor. MillerRossom is the brain child of Peggy Miller and Becky Rossom.

When we finally saw their showroom it was love at first sight. The showroom is a perfect combination of transitional, contemporary and traditional pieces a hard act to pull off. What I thought was Holly Hunt watch out.

The butterflies that had been building up for weeks dissipated once the event got started. Local designers and neighboring showroom managers filled the room.

Like any performer you could tell when you are getting through to your audience and our audience seemed engaged and filled with questions. There were inquiries about every aspect of the line.

We couldn't thank Peggy and Becky enough for seeing the value in the line and their efforts in promoting it. From the signage in the lobby to the placement of our furniture pieces throughout the showroom, everything was professional perfection.