Inside Kichler Boutique

Last week’s High Point Market was the debut of a separate, designated Kichler showroom building under the name Kichler Boutique.

As an expansion from its initial appearance in the Design Hub at last fall’s High Point Market, where several of its lighting fixtures highlighted vignettes, Kichler just debuted a showroom of its own roughly one block away at 201 West High Avenue. Although Kichler still has a presence in Design Hub, occupying a separate space allows the lighting manufacturer to have a larger presentation.  

Kichler’s designated showroom – referred to as Kichler Boutique – came about by happenstance. While Kristina Christopher, chief marketing officer for Coleto Brands (which owns Kichler and Progress), was walking down the street with her daughter earlier this year while visiting Design Hub, her daughter noticed the quaint space on the next corner. At the time, the building was being used as warehouse space for a rug importer and did not have any curb appeal or any discernible interior design. However, Christopher and her daughter saw the potential.

After Christopher negotiated with the building’s owner to lease the approximately 3,000-sq.-ft. space, the next step was to completely overhaul the interior of the building with a floor to ceiling deep cleaning, new flooring, new interior walls, refreshing the windows, and other renovations.   

The vision was to present a traditional showroom that was “reimagined as a residentially inspired destination” … with “layered vignettes, curated product stories and hospitality come together in a space built specifically for interior designers.”

Christopher explained, “Lighting is such an important part of how a space looks and feels, yet there is no substitute for experiencing a fixture in person. Designers want to see its scale, materials, finish and the quality of light it creates. As Kichler continues to elevate its product portfolio and deepen its relationship with the design community, we wanted to create a place that feels less like a traditional showroom and more like a destination designers will want to visit. The Kichler Boutique gives us an opportunity to welcome them into the brand in a much more personal and immersive way.”

Christopher and the Kichler team worked in partnership with High Point-based Barbour Spangle Design to make the boutique space feel more like a residential interior than a traditional trade showroom. With a lounge equipped with a large-screen TV and comfortable seating as well as a working kitchen and coffee/bar area, the environment inside the boutique is intended to encourage designers to linger and explore.

The boutique featured an assortment of Kichler’s best-selling designs alongside collections introduced in 2026, as well as a preview of select products for 2027. Overall, the primary goal was for people to experience lighting in a way the Kichler team describes as feeling “natural and lived-in.”

According to the company, the location also reflects Kichler’s growing focus on the professional design community. The boutique provides Kichler with a dedicated environment in which to engage designers and other specifiers during market and beyond.

“For designers, lighting is both functional and emotional,” Christopher said. “The details matter. Whether it’s the way a material catches the light, how a finish interacts with other elements in a room or how a fixture changes the atmosphere of a space — those qualities can be difficult to fully communicate through a screen. We want the Kichler Boutique to give designers the opportunity to experience those details for themselves and leave inspired by what lighting can bring to a project.”

Kichler Boutique opened its doors for the first time at the start of market; however, Christopher isn’t ruling out having the showroom open during Premarket, which is a separate home furnishings event that runs one month prior to each main High Point Market.  

A grand opening party that included hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and professional aura energy readings drew a steady crowd to the showroom.

Among the companies that contributed to Kichler Boutique are: Fabuwood (custom cabinetry), Newport Brass (plumbing fixtures) and James Martin Vanities, which outfitted the bathroom vignettes and working powder rooms. Those partners are also fellow collaborators in Design Hub, where Kichler’s decorative and integrated lighting systems were featured in two new vignettes that demonstrated how layered lighting can enhance spaces in the home.

“I’m incredibly proud of the creativity, collaboration and hard work that went into bringing the Kichler brand to life in High Point,” Christopher noted, adding, “A heartfelt thank you to the brand marketing, product management and design teams from Coleto Brands, along with our talented partners at Barbour Spangle Design and RPM Partners for creating an experience that beautifully reflects the future of Kichler.”