Future-Facing Renovation Transforms Italtile Cape Town Into Flagship Showroom

At the end of August, the official opening of the splendid new-look Italtile Cape Town took place and doors opened officially to welcome eco-chic Italtile shoppers after over a year of redesign, rebuild and refurbishment. Discover more at Italtile Retail.

Plans for the showroom transformation were initially tabled in May 2023, at which juncture the design, build, fitout and project management teams plotted a pathway where the complex transformation could happen safely and seamlessly, without affecting or upsetting customers or interfering with trade. As Italtile Marketing Manager Nicole Russell puts it “… as you can imagine, this was no easy task, but each and every member of the team was committed to the success of the project”.

The showroom has seen small design adjustments over the years, beginning with a minor alteration in 2010, but this most recent project was executed at a much larger scale. It was, in fact, an entire overhaul and reimagination of the space, to bring the showroom in line with Italtile’s other new generation stores: Gaborone, Walmer, Umhlanga and Boksburg.

VPN Building Contractors – who have assisted the Italtile Group with a number of new builds and refurbs over the years – managed the structural renovation and remodelling, as well as tiling and painting. Showroom design was conceptualised by THOR Consultants, trusted partners who have also been part of the core team involved in the redesign of various new generation showrooms. Impeccable taste, combined with an innate understanding of the contemporary luxe and biophilic Italtile aesthetic, has been central to their contribution to the upliftment of the Italtile brand over the years.

Italtile was thrilled to bring shopfitters 369Corp on board, as they were responsible for the first Cape Town showroom refurb in 2010. The shopfitting team was given a month and a half to prep, after which sleeves were well and truly rolled up from the evening of 22 April onward. Work was divided into seven phases, to minimise disruption to Italtile’s operating hours. Completion was scheduled for 10 July 2024.

Dominique du Toit of 369Corp applauded the dedication of her 18-member team who “…worked extended hours without fail to achieve the deadlines each time without fail”. As with all projects, on-site, real-time adjustments had to be handled, seamlessly, to keep the project on track, no matter what the setback. There were a good few challenges, Dominique notes, including “… the dismantling of the bulkhead and rigging above the Italtile sales team’s station during operation hours, which required the use of a cherry picker”.

Italtile management pays tribute to their team “who pulled rabbits out of hats on a daily basis, always hands on and aware of time sensitivity”. Kudos went to the Italtile Creative Team who developed all showroom signage and external communications with the support of Oscar Wessels and Jeandre Dyers of Blueprint Digital; Showroom Manager Moegamad Barssardien, who worked until the early hours of the morning, day after day, to ensure the smooth running of the showroom throughout the build; and Paul Couzis, Italtile Director, who held the reins and had total oversight of the project.

Italtile shoppers poured in over the three-day launch weekend was reward enough for the months of nail biting, extended days and sleepless nights. Three days of celebration took place with beloved Italtile shoppers, watching them enjoy the new store layout and biophilic design, the incredible New Look Promo with unrepeatable prices, and then the fabulous prizes given away by amazing partner suppliers: V&A, Franke, Global Stone, Wirquin and Kwela Tiles”.

The reopening of Italtile Cape Town’s future-facing, new-generation showroom in Northgate Estate, Brooklyn, represents another important milestone for the Italtile Group, and is proof of the company’s dynamic attitude and positive growth mindset in uncertain times.
Italtile | Storefinder.
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