Armadillo Head Office and Showroom by Studio Goss

Framed by a lush landscape of agaves, yuccas and native grasses, floorcovering specialist Armadillo’s new American flagship and head office harnesses the visual poetry of its quintessential Californian context while establishing a line of continuity with its existing showrooms in Australia, New Zealand, New York City and San Francisco.

Created by long-standing collaborator Studio Goss, the retail mecca highlights the charms of a former warehouse in the La Cienega Design Quarter in West Hollywood. The expansive space introduces a sense of covert femininity through clean, curved architectural and interior design gestures.

“In our showroom environments, we believe the material choices can subconsciously affect the customer experience for better or worse.”

“We were very much guided by what we could preserve,” explains Jodie Fried, Armadillo’s co-founder. “While we were able to highlight the airy, double-barrelled ceiling and the original perimeter walls and windows, the interior partitions had to be replaced. This sparked the idea of introducing a duo of curved walls to break up the large footprint and create a gallery-like layout with a gentle flow. The result is a beautiful juxtaposition between a rustic shell and a curated interior.”

While the showroom has a tangible air of sophistication and elegance, it is leavened by a design scheme that marks a welcoming ambience and an understated calm. Materials harness subtle sensorial qualities, inviting touch – just as Armadillo’s renowned, sustainably conscious rugs do. A soft luminosity is gracefully cast across concrete floors, white oak, brass and blackened steel, washing over the arcs of walls to gently guide navigation. “We feel strongly about using quality natural materials wherever possible,” says Armadillo’s co-founder, Sally Pottharst. “It’s why we only work with fibres like silk, wool, jute and linen in our rugs. Likewise, in our showroom environments, we believe the material choices can subconsciously affect the customer experience for better or worse.”

“As a heritage building, there is a sense of history from floor to ceiling, layered with graceful and tactile surfaces that imbue the interior with a contemporary refinement.”

As the first Certified B Corp rug brand in Australia and the United States, sustainability was also a key design pillar. “We upcycled a lot of the furniture and fixtures from our previous space,” explains Sally. “Light fittings were relocated and old tables were cut down for reuse. It is important for us to integrate sustainable elements into our spaces as much as possible.”

Serendipitously, this creative adaptation and reuse finds accord with the storied qualities of the warehouse, which binds new and old iterations of the building. “It feels like a world within itself,” says Jodie. “As a heritage building, there is a sense of history from floor to ceiling, layered with graceful and tactile surfaces that imbue the interior with a contemporary refinement.” And, as Sally notes, “you feel inclined to linger, to congregate or take a moment for yourself.”

Architecture by Studio Goss. Build GCX. Landscape Good Panda.