Tom Dixon is the latest brand to move into the Coal Drop's Yard redevelopment. Here, we check out its new space.
The brand has relocated its head office, showroom and retail space from Ladbroke Grove to a new 17,500 sqft complex with the vision that it will become a creative hub for the broader design community. Key to this will be The Factory (opening late summer), which will showcase the Tom Dixon design and manufacturing process visible from the store, but also host collaborators and partner brands.
The retail space is situated beneath brick arches, where coal was originally stored, feels like a mini department store rather than a standard showroom, with each arch showcasing a different category. The industrial architecture perfectly contrasts against the iconic metallic accessories, curved furniture and soft fabrics, injecting the space with a hit of glamour and glitz. You get the sense that Tom Dixon’s retail offer has matured as its range has grown. Large-scale touchscreen order points and walls of swatches make the space feel more shoppable and less exhibit like, and found objects positioned throughout help to put the product in more of a lifestyle context.
Tom Dixon said he didn’t want the space “to be all about him”, so the gift shop is called “The Coal Shop” not “The Tom Dixon Shop” and there are a mix of big and small collaborations with other brands – you can grab a bouquet from florist Nikki Tibbles or pick up a rug from The Rug Company.
Still to come upstairs will be the café and restaurant, the offer informed by Tom’s travels and fascination with the interaction between food and design.