July 8, 2019

This paid piece is sponsored by Interstate Office Products.

Walk into downtown’s newest place to live, and there’s a wow factor.

A coffee shop feel replaces a typical lobby.

Multiple fireplaces, sofas and chairs invite you to plug in and work or relax and unwind.

And there’s no topping the view from the rooftop lounge.

Here’s the quandary though: Creating a space that impresses guests and still feels like a home also requires using furniture that will withstand use from hundreds, even thousands, of people.

But as The Cascade shows, it’s possible with the right eye for design, the right products and right people putting it all together.

“The concept for The Cascade started with art deco, which is a design period that’s definitely back,” said Alanna Eggers, interior designer with VanDeWalle Architects. “It’s very geometric and modern but also has a historical element.”

Working with developer and property manager Lloyd Cos., Eggers reached out to Interstate Office Products for help sourcing the products that would help bring the vision to life.

“I have a lot of passion for furniture and a background in it, so I always watch what’s on the market and what’s new, and I knew Interstate had really great products that were going to fit the feel that Lloyd wanted for this premier project,” Eggers said.

Interstate began the process by overcoming what Lloyd regional manager Drew O’Brien said had been a common struggle in developing apartment communities: trying to look at ideas for furnishings on paper while getting a sense for their size and how they will look in the space.

“We went to Interstate and they have these cool technology tables, and you sit around a monitor and you pick the pieces, and they’re able to directly place them into a rendering of your space,” he said.

“It’s so much more helpful to see the piece in the space before the space even exists. And their team was phenomenal to work with – just super helpful and nice. A lot of times, folks try to sell you something or have an idea in their head what they want it to look like, and that’s not their approach. They 100 percent listen to you. If they get a vibe it’s not what you’re looking for, they will switch course and find what you’re looking for.”

The team worked together to come up with what O’Brien calls “a very modern twist on art deco. It definitely has those inspirations, but it’s a sleek, modern, simple vibe.”

Interstate vice president of sales and design Kristi Christensen and interior designer Abby Tufvesson were able to identify furniture for the entire building in just a couple of meetings.

“You can’t utilize residential furniture store pieces and put them into a setting like this,” Christensen said. “Even the high-end residential pieces won’t hold up long term to the amount of use these will get.”

As the commercial interior market has opened up to more of a residential feel, Interstate partner Steelcase has added strategic partnerships with brands such as West Elm, Blu Dot and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams to offer commercial grade furniture that fits a residential setting. These products are being designed with a residential or hospitality sensibility while being manufactured by Steelcase to meet the demands required in commercial settings.

“Our products from the variety of Steelcase partnership vendors come on dedicated trucks to our warehouse,” Christensen said. “This ensures more savings, more timely arrivals and a more seamless process of receiving and installation. Plus, we have the benefit of fantastic warranty coverage. All this provides us and the owner with a greater comfort of knowing things will arrive as expected and be the quality needed for the application.”

The first floor of The Cascade includes a massive and multifaceted community space that serves as a hub for the building.

The design team structured it as six micro-zones, including an area centered around a fireplace and a space designed to resemble a living room where the Bloke lounge piece by Blu Dot became the statement piece.

“It’s a gold velvet with gold legs that’s very stylish,” Tufvesson said. “We designed around that.”

Other micro-zones include a space that’s designed to resemble a coffee shop with the Umami Lounge System by Steelcase to offer a live/work atmosphere to all tenants of the building.

“There’s power built in throughout, even a grouping of chairs around the fireplace, so if you want to bring your laptop down and work, you can easily do that,” Tufvesson said.

In the entry of The Cascade – dubbed The Cascade Cafe – Interstate also provided a seating area, with seating and tables from West Elm and the Big Lamp from Steelcase.

From there, prospective residents will be taken to a conference room designed to impress, with a locally created custom table and chairs provided by Interstate to complement that creation.

“The chairs have a brass base and a faux leather with a high-end look,” Tufvesson said. “The idea is that this is the first impression space as they bring people into the building.”

On the second floor, another large area for residents is made for socializing, so Interstate brought in accent tables and slope stools by West Elm, as well as the C-shaped Circa Lounge System by Coalesse that sold itself.

“The ‘C’ shape works really well for groups of different sizes, and also helps represent The Cascade itself,” Tufvesson said.

The space also includes a large patio, where Interstate provided Hot Mesh chairs by Blu Dot that easily allow the wind to pass through to minimize movement outdoors, as well as an assortment of side chairs, lounge chairs and a sectional.

 

“I’m excited for both the community rooms. They’re going to be really neat for the tenants,” Eggers said. “It’s going to be like they’re in a hotel, and I’m excited to see how the seating areas are used.”

And the design really reached new heights on the fifth-floor rooftop lounge, dubbed The Metli Lounge in honor of the late city planning director Steve Metli, who loved and lived downtown.

The goal was to achieve a higher-end, cigar bar-style feel, and the furniture that did it included a fireplace conversation area by Blu Dot and stools for socializing by West Elm.

“What a great space,” Christensen said. “The expectation was The Metli Lounge would feel a little higher end in the finishes, and the views are spectacular, so we found seating that allowed people to take full advantage of them. It almost feels like an outdoor living room, with plenty of surfaces to set your glass of wine or cocktail down anywhere.”

Throughout the spaces, materials such as velvet and leather complement brass and gold to provide a richer look than most environments but with the durability that an apartment community requires.

“That was crucial, and something we were concerned about going into it,” O’Brien said.

“To get a highly durable piece of furniture, you’re usually looking at a generic aesthetic we wanted to avoid. And if you get into something trendy but durable, it seems like the price range gets out of hand. They were able to find products that were trendy but durable and you didn’t have to spend an insane amount. We were really excited about the brands, and they were crucial for the project because you can’t just put anything into this space.”

The project delivered on the original vision, Eggers added.

“The furniture has all the needs and necessities from a functional standpoint, but it turns up the volume on glam more than typical apartment properties,” she said.

“I have to applaud Interstate for their upbeat and quick collaboration. They helped me along when I was needing certain pieces and knew exactly where to go on price points, which really helped the budget in the end, and it stayed right on schedule.”

From Lloyd’s perspective, it was “a really seamless, easy process” that brought the company’s vision to reality, O’Brien said.

“Throughout the entire building, I don’t think you walk into any room and feel like you’ve walked into it before anywhere in Sioux Falls. It’s awesome. It’s a unique throwback to art deco mixed with modern, and I think it really works, and I think people are going to really like it.”

To learn more about how Interstate Office Products can meet your commercial design and furniture needs, visit i-o-p.com or call 605-339-0300.