One of these towns is not like the others: Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Denver, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle.
Still, luxury furniture maker Walter K has agreed to let Little Rock's Core iD, a "modern lifestyle store" that opened in April, serve as a showroom for its custom-designed products. Little Rock will join the above markets in offering the pricey brand, designed for the "international lifestyle of today."
So how did a showroom of $30,000 couches wind up in Little Rock?
Walter K area manager Dale Stevens said Core iD owners Nez and Valerie Erkman were convincing in pitching Little Rock as a market that could support his brand. Core iD opened last month on the first floor of the Riveria Condominium Building at 3700 Old Cantrell Road.
"I saw the space, heard their plans and what they wanted to do. It is a small market for us, but their passion for the brand was irresistible," Stevens said. "Our customers have to be, obviously, people with some resources. As we know, there are a lot of those people in Arkansas. Nez and Valerie are definitely committed and have put themselves forward on this."
The couple, who also own Segway of Arkansas, were able to convince other ultramodern and luxury brands that Little Rock was a good fit. Valerie Erkman described the town as something of a "design desert" and said Core iD will feature other furniture, lighting and accessories brands like Muuto, Polifrom, Blu Dot, Brokis and Flos.
(Yeah. Me neither.)
To get an idea of how high-end these products will be, consider what Erkman said in describing Walter K's sourcing of leather for its couches: "They're not importing leather from South America. They actually have cows being raised in Europe."
Walter K's custom-built CEOO desks -- Stevens says "every CEO with a seven-figure income wants one" -- run about $25,000. Customers typically wait 12-14 weeks for Walter K pieces to be designed and delivered.
Not all the items will be five-figures. Less pricey, but still modern options will start around $2,000.
Accessories and gifts -- like a selection of items from the Museum of Modern Art store -- will be available. Erkman said she originally intended to open a gifts and accessories store, but the more markets she visited, the more it became apparent that furniture and home decor were the way to go.
"Little Rock needs this," Erkman said. "It really does."
Stocking the store required trips to markets in Cologne and Nuremberg, Germany; Paris and New York. Everything picked for the store is something Erkman would consider putting in her own home, she said.
Commercial clients -- architects and designers -- are of particular interest to Core iD. Erkman notes that many designers and individual customers are traveling to Dallas or other markets to find more modern looks.
Outfitting a high-rise condo downtown will no longer require a trip to Dallas or New York, Erkman said. She's hopeful that customers will visit from across the state, Memphis and Nashville, plus cities in Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi.
"I really don't think we'll make it without being able to pull from those other markets," Erkman said. "A lot of brands we're getting are in demand elsewhere, but even a place like Nashville can't get them. We definitely need to have a regional pull. Nobody that I'm aware of has gone really modern like this. I believe there is demand for it."
If you have a tip, call Chris Bahn at (501) 378-3518 or email him at cbahn@arkansasonline.com
SundayMonday Business on 05/22/2016