East Carolina University interior design students are competing to create a new showroom design in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart.
The showroom design contest is sponsored by furniture manufacturer Knoll, where alumna Scarlett Salter is an account manager in Raleigh. She recently visited the student teams in ECU’s design studio to provide feedback on their work before the contest ends April 12.
Salter came up with the idea to give ECU students the opportunity to redesign a Knoll showroom at NeoCon, a 50-year-old show that connects 500 companies with an estimated 50,000 design professionals each June in Chicago.
“I really wanted to bring Knoll to ECU,” Salter said. “I wanted something really interactive. I’m so excited to see the phenomenal ideas that have come out of this contest.”
Once all student work is submitted, Salter and colleagues will pick the top two or three teams to present final designs. While the winning team will not actually have its design at NeoCon, the work will be shared with Knoll, which is celebrating its 80th year in the business.
Orginally published March 29, 2018. Written by Crystal Baity. Photos by Cliff Hollis.