Pulling Inspiration from the Outdoors

IMAGES COURTESY OF NEW LEAF PERFORMANCE VENEERS

DURABLE, HIGH-PERFORMANCE VENEERS ENHANCE A CAR DEALERSHIP’S COMMERCIAL INTERIORS

FBY AMBROSIA BRODY or many Americans, the brands Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, and Dodge are associated with the rugged outdoors, durability, luxury, and reliability. It’s that balance of nature and sophistication that led Markquart Motors to envision its Chippewa

Falls, Wisconsin, car dealership melding both identities. Ideation Studio, a multi-disciplinary design firm located in Chicago,

Illinois, with experience in auto dealerships, helped the company achieve the goal of seamlessly blending the four unique brand identities, while highlighting the great outdoors and their own long-standing presence in the automobile industry. To create that feeling of the outdoors with the indoors, and a dash of sophistication, Ideation Studio specified New Leaf Performance

Veneers Birch Quarter Sawn with a Toffee stain. Taking on the beauty of natural wood grain, these veneers are FSC certified, meet GREEN-

GUARD Gold certification for low chemical emissions, and guarantee low-emitting Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) at a value nearly half

the VOC emission exhibited by traditional wood veneers during the staining, lacquer and finishing process, according to the company.

“We wanted to create a space that would be sophisticated and timeless yet have a little twist of outdoorsy to meld with the brand aesthetic. It was about bringing the outdoors in and allowing the cars themselves to star in the environment,” said Jennifer Nemec, founder and chief creative officer of Ideation Studio.

Selecting veneers that evoke the outdoors, while combining a traditional and contemporary feel, and meet the required durability for a retail environment were all considerations when selecting the appropriate materials for the 2,000 square-foot project. Specified for its durability, New Leaf veneers also provided that additional durability, particularly on vulnerable corners.

What also made the panels ideal to choose from for this large project is that “The New Leaf panels were pre-finished, and the consistency of the finish was desired. Plus, the durability is ideal for this application,” Nemec said.

These panels also work specifically in this space because they were easy to install, and the sizing helped to work with the wall reveals, according to Nemec. She added the panels were also selected for their ability to bring the outdoors in as “the warmth of the wood tone brings the essence of nature into the space,” all while blending the four unique brand identifies. “The New Leaf panels help because of their ‘neutral

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The veneers with a MDF core were used on wall panels in the car dealership showroom as well as in the sales and administrative offices.

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element’ which works well with all the brands,” she explained.

The veneers with a MDF core were used on wall panels in the car dealership showroom as well as in the sales and administrative offices, according to Kimberly Watson, global vice president, material replacement for Wilsonart.

Nemec added, “When designing a retail dealership, it’s about flow and the customer journey with integral focal points and managing the immersion experience for guests. There is more than one type of guest, from those getting their cars serviced to those purchasing an automobile, and each will experience the same space differently.”

The result is an inviting space that incorporates elements of northern Wisconsin, as well as each individual brand. Additionally, the car dealership draws customers into an immersive experience during their time in the building.

“The store looks incredible,” said Charlee Markquart, owner of Markquart. “The design elements came together beautifully and achieved a terrific result that really fit the vision we had for the new dealership.” s p

For more information, visit newleafveneers.com or ideationstudio.com.