Introducing Parnell’s newest centre for excellence

Parnell - Auckland’s unofficial design district - has welcomed a new showroom, the home of Archant, a brand dedicated to bringing the best in sinks, taps, handles and surfaces to the New Zealand consumer.

But calling Archant’s new space a showroom isn’t really fair when in fact, it’s much more than that. As Jason Ranston puts it, “What we really want to do here is inspire design conversations.”

And the space does this very effectively, offering a first-class experience for interior designers, kitchen designers and architects; a place they can bring clients to collaborate and develop customised kitchen solutions.  

“The Archant showroom is driven by design,” says Jason. “We’ve included break out areas and offices with full displays - places designers can come to educate their clients and match amazing products with great ideas. There’s a full kitchen and coffee service, all of which are available to our clients.”

Archant stands for architectural merchant and everything about the space is built to enable the very best interior spaces to come to fruition. That includes large-scale displays customers can touch, experience and interact with meaningfully.

“You can’t judge anything or drive a real decision based on some small 100mm  x 100mm sample, but that’s what you get in many other showrooms. We wanted to enable the right conversations and we’re doing so by allowing customers to experience the full range of colours, shapes and forms available at a scale that is real.”

Plus, the showroom is just plain incredible to be in. Last week, Archant had their grand opening, a fabulous night packed with wine, nibbles, big names, bigger announcements and exactly the kind of inventive, creative discussions Jason and his team intended for the space.

“Our goal with Archant has been to bring the kinds of brands that offer quality assurance, design and world leading style into New Zealand and then give them the platform and promotion they deserve. We’ve worked really hard to source and curate the best products and become an inspired house of design, and we’ve received a lot of great feedback on the synergy we’ve created so far.”

Synergy between brands like Franke sinks, Florim surfaces and Furnipart handles. Everything in the Archant showroom seems to speak the same language - one characterised by craftsmanship and excellence.

Announced on the night was Archant’s exclusive partnership with Florim, the Italian porcelain stoneware company with fifty years experience in kitchen and bath surfaces.

“We’ve been working closely with Florim to bring 20 different porcelain surfaces into the showroom, all of which meet the tastes and preferences of the New Zealand market. Plus, we’ll have exclusive access to the rest of Florim’s range, which includes unique large size options and 200+ decors.”

Archant’s supply ability is a key point of difference for the marque, as is their ability to showcase products in a true centre of excellence.

“With Franke sinks, for example, we’ll not only be able to supply a powerful brand at scale, but we can display it in a way that’s helpful for consumers to deepen their understanding. Something like a sink, for example, is really a kitchen preparation center and we have the customisation options here that allow customers to see that."

Want to experience the space for yourself? Be sure to visit the showroom in Parnell and follow Archant’s latest projects on ArchiPro.