Coverings Etc has transformed its Miami facilities into a creative community space and material library. The company's large, open warehouse features bright skylights and minimal furniture to allow for flexible use. It regularly hosts events and neighboring businesses now occupy most of the space. Coverings Etc plans to open the first comprehensive material library in Miami later this year, serving local and international designers with inspiration and resources.

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on tour: Coverings Etc
It is rare that we have the opportunity to travel to Florida, so when we were there late last
month, we took advantage of our short time in Miami and reached out to Jennifer Ryan at
Coverings Etc for a tour of the company’s facilities and showroom. We have long known
about and used their products (we wrote about them here), so we were excited to visit their
offices.
We loved their space immediately. It is a long, open warehouse that, perhaps due to its
enormous size, and definitely aided by large glass walls and an array of skylights, is bright
and feels very open to the outside. A massive reception desk greets you as you walk in,
and it is a showpiece: the countertop is made from Bio-Glass in Oriental Jade.
As we moved further into the space, we noticed that the walls are lined with their own Eco-
Cem product in Windsor Grey, further enhancing the sleekness that the bare concrete floor
already brings to the building. The showroom part of the space is constrained to a relatively
small area, and it is clean and sparse. Each color in their collection is shown only once,
with one large sample affixed to a wall. At the very back of the long room sits another large
sample of Bio-Glass surfaces enclosing a sizable bar.
The bar hints to the thought process behind the space. It has been envisioned as
completely flexible and multi-purpose; there is very little furniture on the floor, and most of
what is there is on wheels. Along the walls, the product samples are affixed using a cleat
system that makes it relatively easy for them to be taken down and moved around the
space. This functionality works not only for the needs of the company itself, but for outside,
community needs as well. We found out that the space gets rented out for events regularly,
and a wedding reception was scheduled for just a few days after our visit.
A cool glass staircase leads to the staff office spaces on a mezzanine level that is
completely open and overlooks the ground floor. Walking out the back of the building, we
found an entire community of designers, artisans, and retail venues. There are several
buildings that share the back courtyard. Until recently, all of those buildings were occupied
with Coverings Etc inventory. Now, inventory is housed primarily in their New Jersey
logistics center, and the company began a redevelopment program of their Miami facilities
to open it up to other businesses. The move is not fully complete, so we did still see some
www.threadcollaborative.com
➜ threadcollaborative
11250 morrison street no. 201, north hollywood ca 91601

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product stock, but it was small compared to the enormous spaces that are already
occupied by other businesses.
The owner of the company, an avid soccer fan, converted one of the large warehouses into
an indoor soccer field. Next door is the studio of a fashion designer. A couple of doors
down they will soon have a coffee shop and eatery. Further into the community we peeked
into the studio of a painter, admired patterns by an interior designer, and walked into the
very cool space of yet another designer. And those were just a few of the tenants that have
recently moved in.
One of the most exciting developments at Coverings Etc is their plan for a comprehensive
material library. The first of its kind in the city, it is currently under construction and will be
located in one of their now empty warehouses. “Our goal is for the library to serve not only
the Miami design community, but also anyone visiting the city, such as Caribbean and
South American designers and architects, as well as those from other cities in the United
States,” Jennifer told us. “We hope for it to be a destination so that when someone – from
anywhere – really wants to get inspired or see all design options under one roof, they come
to us.” This desire to bring knowledge and inspiration to practitioners beyond the borders
of the United States is reminiscent of the effort being undertaken by the organizers of the
MiaGreen Expo & Conference. It’s wonderful to know these two Miami-based businesses
are thinking strategically about their geographic location and reaching out to their
neighbors across the waters. They, and businesses who share a similar philosophy,
demonstrate why Miami is considered the gateway to the Americas. Anyone visiting
Coverings Etc’s material library will be able to interact with all types of products, whether or
not they promote sustainability. The company’s goal is to open the doors to the library later
this year. We’re eager to see how this venture evolves and will be writing about it as more
information becomes available.
Thank you, Jennifer, for the great tour!
Click the icon below for more tour photos:
www.threadcollaborative.com
➜ threadcollaborative
11250 morrison street no. 201, north hollywood ca 91601