Dacor announced multiple brand initiatives on Nov. 15 during Visionmaker, an event highlighting icons in design and celebrating their inspiration.
The event honored designers and their contributions in building beautiful spaces. Representative of the guests of the evening and the brand itself, the event transcended traditional entertainment, bringing a revolutionary eye to the world of design. As a continuous disruptor in the industry, Dacor continues to explore how the brand can support the design industry in being “visionmakers” every day.
With approximately 100 members of the architecture and design communities in attendance, the event kicked off with an introduction from Dacor President Randy Warner, who revealed three new showroom openings scheduled to launch in Chicago, New York and Irvine, California; a new Design Council; a national kitchen design contest and a new website due to launch in January 2019.
“We’re thrilled to introduce the design community to the latest developments surrounding the Dacor brand,” said Warner. “Dacor has been a leading home appliance brand for the past 50 years, and these upcoming initiatives represent an exciting next step in the evolution of the brand, further showcasing our ability to push the boundaries of the modern kitchen, improve performance and fuel creativity.”
To celebrate these exciting initiatives, the evening continued with an intimate conversation between Spencer Bailey, Phaidon editor-at-large and Town & Country contributing editor, and Sir David Adjaye OBE, principal of Adjaye Associates, who discussed how they break boundaries within their own industries, where they find their inspiration and how it is brought to life in their work. Adjaye discussed his own body of work, including his largest project to date, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened on the National Mall in Washington, DC in fall of 2016 and was named Cultural Event of the Year by The New York Times. In 2017, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people of the year by TIME magazine.
Dacor announcements included the following:
Showroom Openings
Throughout 2019, Dacor will open its first wholly owned brand showrooms in three locations – New York, Chicago and Irvine – which will operate as full-scale experience centers that directly serve the trade community and allow consumers to interact first-hand with the brand’s selection of offerings. The showroom in New York will open in the A&D Building and in Chicago within The Merchandise Mart. The brand’s flagship location in Irvine will be situated in close proximity to Dacor’s headquarters in City of Industry. Beyond a state-of-the-art design studio, each showroom will feature a demo kitchen to allow for a truly hands-on experience for designers and their clients.
Dacor Design Council
The Dacor Design Council was created to serve as an authority on current trends and advise on product and design trends. This effort highlights Dacor’s commitment to the design community, the luxury market and the luxury customer. The six designers in the council include Patricia Davis-Brown of Patricia Davis-Brown Designs, Michelle Doherty of Scavolini USA, Adam Hunter of Adam Hunter Inc., Nazgol Seyedi of Nazgol Designs, Micah Tipler of Tipler Design Group and Laurie Anastos of Interior Design Concepts.
National Kitchen Design Contest
The National Design Contest is a two-year contest kicking off in January 2019 and ending in October 2020. The contest will provide designers with the opportunity to have their work recognized and promoted within Dacor’s showrooms and on the company website. Regional winners will be rewarded with initiation into the Dacor Design Council. The top three winners will travel to Seoul to visit the Dacor house. Through the contest, Dacor will showcase new products that have been introduced in the past 18 months.
New Dacor Website
In January 2019, Dacor will launch a redesigned website that will allow for a more immersive brand education. The new site will not only have faster navigation, but it will also contain enhanced design resources to allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the brand’s offerings. An updated look, improved functionality and enhanced content will allow visitors to remain informed on a regular basis with news of product launches and general brand updates.
