SimcoLifestyles boldly going where no one has come back from before.
The Midtown Mile is getting other attempt at an upscale furniture showroom.
SimcoLifestyles is opening in space previously occupied by the now relocated Kai Lin Art Gallery, Space Modern before that.
Space later relocated across the street only to close a second time. And remember Yes Home just a few blocks down at the Metroplis building? Well, it’s closed also.
But this showroom is different, according to Daniel Wilcox-Strickland, general contractor for the project.
The 3,800-square-foot space will showcase nine or ten “rooms,” each of which can be installed in a customer’s house as displayed.
Here’s how Wilcox-Strickland described the concept to What Now Atlanta on a trip to the location Wednesday:
- A potential customer signs on to play with the Atlanta Hawks.
- He needs a house in Atlanta but is busy with other houses around the world.
- He heads to SimcoLifestyles and picks out the rooms he wants in his Atlanta home.
- SimcoLifestyles installs the rooms (paint, trim, carpeting, flooring, etc. included) within two weeks.
“By the time you get back to Atlanta, everything’s been done,” Wilcox-Strickland said.
Isn’t one of the perks of being wealthy affording a team of designers to be at your beck and call? And what about the Atlanta Hawks’ player’s wife or girlfriend? Wouldn’t she want any say in the design of her new home?
Will SimcoLifestyles break the curse? Share your thoughts in the comments.
15 Responses
Great, another one. How about a Sephora? Or a clothing retailer not found at Atlantic Station (Zara, J.Crew, etc).
Really is weird how many high end furniture stores end up on Peachtree in Midtown. The demographics must hit just the perfect sweet spot for that type of business.
@ Pinthia – I agree. Actually, what would be best is an Apple store. Perfect fit – near Ga. Tech, in Midtown (young, hip). And then we wouldn’t have to go to the mall.
That’s kind of dumb.
So the customer is an athlete, or other individual who doesn’t have time to furnish his own home, who wants someone to furnish a room for him. Seems like a sustainable business plan. Any chance we could find out who’s going to be replacing SimCo after their 3 months in business?
So rich people can pick out a predesigned room and have it installed? It’s like the rich man’s version of Ikea.
Sounds like a high end Rooms To Go. I took a look at their website, and the offerings are decent enough, but the idea of prepackaged design never really appealed to me. Sounds more suited to Buckhead, but we’ll see…
The negativity around here really doesn’t make things better… but it would be nice to see some retail stores open up. I read in “Intown Magazine” that new tenants for the “Midtown Mile” would be announced soon… let’s cross our fingers for some retail…
Yup rooms to go. Based off of Tui life styles in Miami ( http://local.yahoo.com/info-64152943-tui-lifestyle-miami ). Why they changed the name I am not sure, maybe reputation. At least with Ikea it’s not a blatant rip off of know design. I am sure they do not advertise the “high end” rooms they sell coming out of China. Maybe sue tech kids want to re-do their dorms, because I am sure it won’t last beyond a semester.
I wonder what kind of numbers CB2’s seeing? Anybody here a regular shopper there?
It wont last long, but at least its not another yogurt shop.
WooHoo – A store going into the Midtown Mile I likekly won’t step foot in! That is quite a limited target market.
Sara – I’d rather have a yogurt shop. Unless I’m missing something, there isn’t one in walkable distance in the neighborhood (I don’t count the Yoforia on Monroe as close to Midtown Mile).
There is currently not near enough foot traffic for retail on the Midtown Mile. The demographics are there, but the fundamentals are not, i.e. shopping habits, foot traffic, and that little quandary called free parking ratio (I know it’s “urban” and should be exempt, but retailers don’t yet view Atlanta as “urban” and for good reason).
I never see anyone in Pedini or Ligne Roset, and I have heard CB2’s business is picking up, but is nowhere near booming. I imagine that CB2 does between $200-$300/SF, which is probably barely sufficient to justify that space. This is just a hunch.
Johnny,
Do you really think that foot traffic is what will drive business to a prefab, high dollar rooms-to-go clone?? Somehow, I dont think that people walking on the sidewalk to grab a burger will all of a sudden walk by the window and say “hey, I like this room design, please come to my condo and redo my carpet/paint/molding/furniture to look exactly like it.”
The reason businesses don’t last in that section of Peachtree is that George Rohrig owns the abominable parking lot across the street (adjacent to 805 Peachtree) and refuses to do anything with it. Its a giant eyesore on Peachtree, looks like the surface of the moon. Who would want a business near there? Someone needs to get him to at least resurface the thing…