Stikwood, a manufacturer of peel-and-stick reclaimed wood paneling, questioned how best to show off its easy-to-adhere product at the 2017 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. The answer was what Exhibit Design Awards judges called obvious but ingenious: cover its entire booth with the sticky-backed salvaged slats.

The beauty of this award-winning design was more than Stikwood-deep, however. The company intended to convey its heart and soul, which happens to be equal parts manufacturing and woodworking – a balance of factory and forest. And so, using early era Ford facilities and pristine California forests as inspiration, ProExhibits dreamed up a factory-like workshop situated in a serene, woodsy setting. "Everything about the design had to feel authentic because that's what Stikwood is – an authentic, sustainable, reclaimed wood product," said Paul Miller, vice president of marketing at ProExhibits.

Each of the exhibit's walls featured frosted acrylic windows, which generated intrigue as passersby caught just a glimpse of what was happening inside. Tufts of real grass sprouted at the edges of the booth, and a 22-foot-tall version of the Stikwood tree logo, clad in reclaimed sierra silver wood paneling, commanded attention along with a mix of vintage Edison bulbs and barn lights.

Upon entry, attendees tipped their heads back as if in the Sistine Chapel to gawk at a backlit 36-by-18-foot pillowcase canvas ceiling printed with towering trees. The space below the leafy canopy fused the quaint ambiance of a woodshop with two giant hardwood tables where attendees could talk shop with staffers.

Given the creative way that Stikwood blended form and function – while simultaneously offering eye-catching design that told a brand-appropriate story – it's no wonder judges deemed the exhibit "spot on." E