A new showroom was needed in the east village nghborhood of downtown San Diego. The site chosen was a storefront space with three sides of glass. The program called for a ground floor showroom to display high end European furniture and a mezzanine level for the owner’s design studio space. Dealing with very strict building codes for the state of California, the project was a design-build starting with a raw commercial space. Lighting, HVAC, core drilling for waste and vent lines, power, finishes and life safety all had to be addressed. The design approach was a balance between the clean modern lines of the European furniture products and the functional minimalism that defines the architectural process in the work of studio nb3. Materials and color palette created a neutral space that invites customers into the design studio while giving equal exposure to the European architectural product line. In addition, the design space serves as an art gallery, lecture venue, intimate cooking events as well as high-end corporate gatherings.