Retail store and showroom design

Spaces We Design

• Boutique and flagship store - fashion, jewelry, cosmetics and design objects, where the interior carries the brand.
• Showroom - furniture, kitchens, lighting, bathroom fixtures or vehicles, shown the way they will be used.
• Shop-in-shop and pop-up - compact, often demountable installations inside a larger store or mall.
• Retail inside a service business - product walls in clinics, salons, cafes and offices.
• Multi-use space - a store that also hosts events, presentations and tastings.

Storefront and Entrance

The window has a few seconds to make someone stop. We design the facade and the window display together: what is seen from across the street, what is seen from the sidewalk, how the window is lit by day and by night and how often it can be restyled. Inside the door we leave a short transition zone without products, so people slow down before they start looking. At the Trichology Institute the facade, glazing, entrance steps and interior use one material language, so the entrance feels like part of the building rather than an object attached to it.

The Customer Path

Most people turn right after they enter and walk the store counterclockwise, so we plan the first wall, the main path and the sightlines to the back of the store accordingly. Bestsellers and new collections are placed where the path leads, aisles are wide enough for a stroller and a wheelchair, the fitting rooms and the cash wrap are easy to find, and the stockroom is close to the floor.

Fixtures That Change With the Assortment

Assortments change every season; walls and fixtures should not need a remodel every time. We design modular wall systems, movable tables and plinths and shelves with adjustable heights, and draw custom fixtures for the furniture maker when the brand needs something of its own. At the Trichology Clinic the lower part of the display cabinet is clad in artificial stone, with copper details and natural veneer on the rack.

Light That Sells

General light lets people find their way; accent light makes the product the brightest thing in its zone. We specify high color rendering light for clothing, cosmetics and food, adjustable track lights for displays that change, and stronger light in the window so it competes with daylight. Lighting is designed within the limits of the Seattle Energy Code.

Showrooms and Flexible Halls

A showroom works best when the product is shown in context and the space can change. The hall of Copper Hall converts from a classic car showroom into a dining room, a bar, a catering area or a table tennis space, with Schuco panoramic glazing and generous ceiling heights. That means power and data in the floor, lighting on tracks, finishes that survive moving heavy objects and storage for everything that is not on show.

Permits and Accessibility

In Seattle a tenant improvement that changes walls, plumbing, mechanical or electrical systems needs a permit from SDCI, and signs need their own approval. Stores are public spaces, so entrances, aisles, counters and fitting rooms follow accessibility rules. In a mall the landlord's design criteria also apply. Our architects prepare the drawings to local code, and they are signed by licensed professionals we work with.

How We Work

We start with the brand, the assortment and the sales data you have, survey the space and its storefront, then develop the customer path and layout, a concept with renderings and the drawings: plans, reflected ceiling and lighting plans, fixture drawings and finishes. We can also design the building's architecture and facade, help with material selection and stay with the fit-out through project support. For restaurants and cafes see HoReCa interior design.