By Mawazo Marketing
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12 Mar, 2019
Shinola is a luxury design brand that produces timepieces, leather goods, stationary and accessories, and custom bicycles. Shinola was founded in 2011 in Detroit, a location chosen to leverage Detroit's reputation as a worldwide manufacturing hub in the brand’s marketing and to weave into its emerging history. In 2017, The Shinola Hotel, self proclaimed as ‘Detroit’s new living room,’ opened as a brand extension, to further entrench the watchmaker into the Detroit manufacturing fabric and enhance their own history. The Shinola Hotel used two historical Detroit buildings, the 1914 TB Rayl Co. department store and a former sewing machine factory, to create the hotel, successfully integrating the new multidimensional structure into Detroit’s historic architecture. Led by the Shinola Creative Team and partnered with Gachot Design, a contemporary boutique hotel emerged that was recognized by Conde Nast Traveler, 2019 hotlist - Best New Hotels in the US. IFC collaborated with the design teams to manufacture the uniquely custom and quality crafted furniture that served as the foundation for the 129 luxury rooms. The organization was tasked with providing furniture that was representative of the style and detail associated with the Shinola brand. The challenge of the project was to value engineer the top tier pallet, while maintaining each piece’s integrity from the design intent to realization. Partnering on this project, it was evident that Shinola and IFC shared synergies in design details, luxury though handcrafted furniture-making, comfort, and family values.