Tangram Interiors

Tangram Interiors is a women-owned interior design company primarily focusing on contract furniture and architectural walls. When it entered the Dallas marketplace, after several locations in California, the company wanted to come in strong. It needed to create a working showroom space to entice its clients and designers to visit and bring their own clients. But it also needed to be functional for its workforce.

The company found a new building construction in downtown Dallas in the East Quarter, taking over the entire second floor. It then sought out a local design consultant, Brad Robichaux, to develop the interior design vision, including lighting and focusing on incorporating Tangram's furniture lines and architectural walls.

While the building was new, the East Quarter has a rich history in the automotive industry. Back in the 1920s and 30s, when cars were starting to be mass-produced, many of the businesses in the neighborhood were tied to the industry, including one of the first Cadillac dealerships. Robichaux took cues from that as he created the design concept.

Electricity was just starting to come into building interiors during this time. According to Robichaux, lighting was really “chunky”, and marquee signage was also popular. But he didn’t want to be particularly obvious by using this lighting style specifically.

"I was flipping through a Eureka Lighting catalog one day and literally had a 'Eureka moment,'" Robichaux said. “Its Berri luminaire looks like marquee signage, with a subtle nod to those chunky globes, and I loved their scale."

A combination of Berri-3D and Berri-Angular luminaires were arranged to illuminate the main entrance of Tangram, which also serves as a client reception space and hospitality area. The unique combination of tubes and luminous spheres winds its way across the open industrial ceiling, serving as a focal point over the space. Because the showroom is on the second floor and features large windows facing the street, the Berri configuration is visible from the sidewalk and nearby park. It adds visual interest and curiosity for passersby.

“Berri stands alone almost as an art piece in that reception area,” said Robichaux. “It really ties the space together, reducing the scale of the ceiling and creating a more intimate conversation pit.”

Eureka’s Stella luminaire also features prominently across the office space. Robichaux utilized 42 Stella pendants as general lighting down the main corridor and over the open-concept workstations. The 16” diameter luminaire, in a black finish, provides an aesthetically pleasing contrast against the pale concrete ceiling. A large diffusion dome hidden inside the shade creates a uniform direct illumination.

"Stella is a great luminaire," Robichaux said. “With its regressed lens, it looks like it is glowing from within.”

One of the project's challenges was a third-floor parking garage; its layout juts into the second-floor space in some spots, creating significantly lower ceilings. One such area is a multi-purpose room, used primarily for training, lectures, and lunch and learns. So, the ceiling was painted black, and 32 Eureka Area circular luminaires were installed in rows across the rectangular room. The 24” diameter ceiling-mounted fixtures are trimmed in black to blend with the ceiling, putting the focus on the circle of illumination.

“Area provides great, even illumination throughout the space,” said Robichaux. “And the round shapes denote a feeling of the 1920s car headlights.”

Tangram Interiors loves its new space, and the Eureka luminaires have performed well. Robichaux says that everyone talked about the lighting during the open house reception because it adds so much drama to the space.

“When clients come into Tangram for the first time, the Berri luminaire is usually one of the first things they talk about,” Robichaux said. “They notice -  and appreciate - the subtle homage to the 20s.”

Project Name: Tangram Interiors

Location: Dallas, Texas, USA

Project completion: September 2023

Design Consultant/Interior Design: Brad Robichaux

Eureka Agent: Architectural Lighting Alliance

Photographer: Benny Chan Photography