Five new product manufacturers will establish showrooms on the Design Center’s 6th and 14th floors at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. The latest additions are furniture from DESIGNLUSH; textiles from KnollTextiles; lighting and furniture from Paul Ferrante; fabric and wallcoverings from Quadrille; and hand-woven carpets from Tufenkian Artisan Carpets. The newly signed leases are the latest in a series of improvements, renovations, and reconfigurations to the Design Center that will improve navigability among its tenants.

"Our recent leasing activity has been record breaking,” says John J Brennen III, executive vice president of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI), which manages the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. “In addition to resigning over 60 existing Design Center tenants who have opted to relocate, we also have five new tenants who recently signed leases who want to be part of the exciting mix. We think this high level of industry commitment speaks for itself.”  

DESIGNLUSH will be located in Suite 1450, and will show its furniture pieces made from full grain and hair-on-hide leathers, marine-grade stainless steel, and exotic hardwoods.

KnollTextiles will be located in Suite 629A. Founded by Florence Knoll in 1947 to address the fabric needs of commercial interiors, the company is currently under the creative direction of Dorothy Cosonsas, who recently collaborated with New York-based Trove design studio for the Vivid Collection, a Silver Award winner in the 2012 Best of NeoCon® competition.

Manufacturer and antiques dealer Paul Ferrante, Inc. will be located in Suite 1459. With showrooms across the U.S., from Seattle to Houston to New York, the Design Center in Chicago is the company’s 14th location.

Quadrille will take up residence in Suite 6-127A. The new showroom will house its multiple brands, including Alan Campbell and China Seas, and show a broad selection of wallpaper and fabrics for upholstery and drapery.  

Hand-made carpets will be available in Suite 14-19 from Tufenkian Artisan Carpets. This is the company’s sixth showroom in the U.S., in addition to locations in London and Hamburg, Germany.

To learn more, visit merchandisemart.com.