A Savannah-based luxury furnishings and countertop manufacturer, La Bastille, has opened its first showroom in New York City.
The new showroom is located in the New York Design Center in Manhattan and features the company’s high-end zinc and pewter tabletops, as well as art installations and custom furniture.
All pieces were designed and manufactured in Savannah at the company’s 37,000 square-foot shop in Garden City before being shipped to Manhattan.
Principal Katiana Plummer said whereas before they were mostly web-based, the new showroom gives them a storefront for potential clients to come in and look at different concepts.
“This elevates our brand, gives us more room to explore and it allows us to be in the place we want to be in the design world,” said Plummer. “It immediately puts you at a whole other level.”
Katiana and Chris Plummer started their business in 2010 and have since doubled in size. La Bastille now includes five different brands and employs about 18 people.
The showroom marks the launch of La Bastille’s furniture line, handcrafted and designed by an in-house team lead by Jason Wech, a former Savannah College of Art and Design professor.
Plummer said it’s not so much a retail store as a place to showcase the company’s capabilities. The company does custom designs for each client and has installed several bars across the country, including a serpentine wine bar in nearby West Village.
“It’s meant to be more of an idea factory than a sales floor,” said Plummer. “Everything is one-off.”
The showroom contains a wide selection of materials, surfaces, patinas and edge profiles. Plummer said her two favorite pieces were in the window, including a pewter tabletop with red-leather wrapped base.
“They’re modern but use a traditional material,” she said. “It may look simple, but it’s very complicated to make.”
Chris Plummer, originally a painter, also has started an art installation on three 4x4 tabletops in the new space to add visual punch.
Although their business is expanding, Katiana Plummer said, they plan to stay in Savannah.
“Our roots are here, and this is where we manufacture and design,” she said.