About The Owners Of Switch Modern

Doug Henderson and Roy Otwell are the design-obsessed proprietors of Switch Modern and its deep and churning, web-based companion, switchmodern.com. Switch Modern represents the best in modern home accessories, lighting, and furniture - including residential, contract, and outdoor furniture.

In the Beginning There Was a Need...

Over a decade ago, Roy sought a sleek and modern, as well as functional, kitchen for his own home. The Italian company Poliform met his exacting criteria, but he soon discovered that no one in the Southeast represented the manufacturer. Year-long story short: A cold call to Poliform led to Roy and Doug opening Poliform Atlanta in October 2002 to serve the region's like-minded desire for high-end kitchen products accompanied by equally high-end customer service.

One Need Leads to Another...

Within the first year of operation, Roy and Doug recognized that their Poliform clients' quest for quality applied to all their home-furnishing acquisitions - furniture and upholstery, lighting, rugs, and tabletop accessories. It's simple. Material quality, original design, responsibly produced products, and superb customer service are what design-minded people want. This realization motivated the owners to bring additional product lines into their showroom. They were right, and Switch Modern was born in late 2003. After two showroom expansions, Switch Modern is now located in a 25,000 square foot warehouse in the Midtown West district of Atlanta.

Someone once said, "Luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity."  Roy and Doug acknowledged that they've been quite lucky.  With the additional showroom space, their tenacity, aided by preparation and opportunity, they have secured some of the world's most creative manufacturers and their designers - Flexform (Antonio Citterio), Wittmann (Josef Hoffmann, Freidrich Kiesler, Jaime Hayon), Edra (Campana Brothers), Bocci (Omer Arbel), Alessi (Ettore Sottsass, Ron Arad, Michael Graves, Philippe Starck, Zaha Hadid), and many more.

No Need Goes Unanswered...

Everyone with a pulse has a presence on the Internet. A company can no longer survive without one. Roy and Doug are no different in their e-commerce goals. They are, however, very different in how they do business. Every product from every manufacturer they represent is on switchmodern.com. And, Switch Modern sells everything but paint and lumber. In addition, switchmodern.com offers access to specification and pricing information and you can even print high-resolution tear sheets for presentations!