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    Gary Card redesigns London’s LN-CC store with orange tunnel and LED-lit club

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    Designer Gary Card has given London’s LN-CC boutique a redesign that includes a sci-fi-looking wooden tunnel and a room “shaped like the inside of a foot”.

    Card, who designed the original interior of the east London store in 2011, said the challenge for him was using the knowledge he has accumulated since then to create something new.
    The LN-CC store in east London has a red facade”The question for myself this time was – can I use everything I’ve learned over the last decade to reimagine one of my most recognized projects,” he told Dezeen.
    “Each room has a very different concept,” he added. “It’s become part of the tradition now to change the temperature and colour palette with each room and encourage a journey of identity and discovery.”
    An octagonal wooden tunnel welcomes visitorsThe store is the only physical shop for LN-CC, which is mainly an online business, and is spread across the ground and lower-ground floor of a former tie factory.

    Visitors enter via an orange wooden tunnel with an octagonal shape reminiscent of the architecture in director Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
    Each room in the store has different colours and materialsIt is the third tunnel that Card has designed for the store, following its original orange tunnel and a later white version.
    “The tunnel is LN-CC’s icon,” Card explained. “It’s been with us for over a decade now, so it had to be a significant feature.”
    “We decided early on to bring it to street level and make the entrance something that had never been seen before as part of the store space,” he added.
    “It’s a brand-new design and construction. We’ve brought back the orange from the first tunnel; the white is a nod to the second version from 2014.”
    A cobalt-blue room sits on the lower-ground floorEach of the six rooms in the store has a different feel and different colours, which Card chose together with LN-CC’s buying and creative director Reece Crisp.
    “The colours we settled on really amplify what we’re showcasing, the brand’s unique edit,” the designer said.
    The store is LN-CC’s only physical spaceAmong them is the Callisto room, which has a cave-like feel and a design that was influenced by the building’s existing structures.
    “In the Callisto room, there was a circular part of a helter-skelter that used to be in the building – this used to be a tie factory and it was in the corner,” Crisp told Dezeen. “When we stripped the space back, we saw this sort of circle and that fed into how we wanted that space to be.”
    In the Atrium, Card used tile adhesive to create the structures and patterns on the room’s wide lime-green pillars, which provide shelving for the store’s accessories.
    The Atrium room has green pillars decorated with tile adhesiveFor LN-CC’s shoe room, known as the Midtarsal, Card drew on the anatomy of the human body to create an undulating, flesh-coloured interior.
    “The shoe space, the Midtarsal room, that’s engineering to an incredible degree,” Crisp said. “We love the shape – like the inside of the foot – and how that warps the room.”

    Mooradian Studio sprays London boutique interior with recycled newspaper pulp

    Throughout LN-CC, Card used a variety of different materials to bring the rooms to life.
    “The space is a juxtaposition of lots of different materials,” he said. “So MDF, perspex, wood and concrete – I sought to take small cues from the original while innovating with a refreshed lens exploring the interplay between texture, colour and materials within the newly imagined rooms.”
    The Midtarsal room has undulating shapes in a beige colourThe last room of the store is a club space, which features LED walls that can be used to turn the room into different colours or display messages.
    “The club has always been a huge part of LN-CC’s identity, ” Card said. “It was never about selling clothes – the brand was an online business after all – it was about delivering experiences. So we wanted to do something really special with the new club.”
    The LN-CC club space is lit by an LED wall”It was a bit dark and gritty before, which was cool, but we knew we needed to raise the stakes for the latest store design without it losing its edge,” Card added.
    “My right-hand man, Richard Wilkins, was the tech wizard for the space who created the lighting and amazing LED wall. The lighting totally transforms the space.”
    Other recent London store interiors include a boutique sprayed with recycled newspaper pulp and a colourful Marylebone store with handpainted murals.

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      Al-Jawad Pike creates marble “immersive experience” for APL’s Soho flagship store

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      British architecture studio Al-Jawad Pike has used colourful marble for the interiors of trainer brand Athletic Propulsion Labs’ second flagship store in Soho, New York City.

      The interior of the 3,900-square-foot space (1,188 square metre) was laid out in a curving amphitheatre design, which the studio designed to be “simple yet severe” while creating a “completely immersive experience,” Al-Jawad Pike studio co-founder Jessam Al-Jawad told Dezeen.
      The centrepiece of the Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) store is five “vanity rooms” in a radial design, each clad in different-coloured onyx or marble stone with matching stone stools and back-lit mirrors.
      The rainbow-colour array of stone, chosen by the client from different quarries, was “intended to represent the five boroughs of New York,” Al-Jawad said.
      Five vanity rooms are each clad in distinctive coloured onyx or marbleA teardrop-shaped column is located in the centre of the store, while boulder-like plinths positioned around the space are used for product displays.

      The textured display plinths were developed with a bespoke fabricator based in New York, who CNC-carved the forms.
      The studio incorporated various other materials into the scheme such as textured sprayed plaster on the walls, Romano travertine for the floor, and champagne-coloured anodised aluminium for the display boxes.
      Al Jawad Pike completed the interiors for Athletic Propulsion Lab’s flagship store in New YorkThe aim of the store layout was to allow customers to see all the products from all parts of the store.
      “We approached this by creating an architectural form that displays the product in a pan-optical array to provide visibility in completeness from almost any part of the store; whilst maintaining a seamless link between staff back-of-house functions at the basement level with the main retail space,” the studio explained.
      The space features a layout designed in a curvilinear amphitheatre styleThe shoes are displayed in simple box frames, which are raised and lit up like artwork in a gallery. Ensuring that the trainers on display were the focal point was a main objective for the architects.
      “The goal was to make sure the products were the main attraction in the store, while also making everything work smoothly for both customers and staff,” Al-Jawad Pike said.
      The studio devised a store layout enabling customers to view all products from any part of the storeThe store’s semi-circular layout has street-facing windows that let in the light, and the studio also added adjustable warm lighting from the back-lit, semi-circular ceiling to provide additional illumination.
      “We wanted to create a wash of light from above to bath the space in a warm and comfortable ambience,” said Al-Jawad.
      “At its top, the perimeter wall banks into a semi-circular, back-lit stretch ceiling with adjustable warmth to dramatically alter the atmosphere in the space.”
      Sculpted boulders are dotted around the store spaceAl-Jawad Pike was founded in 2014 by Al-Jawad and Dean Pike and aims to create spaces that “engender a sense of well-being and intrigue, as well as fun”.
      Other retail interiors recently featured on Dezeen include Bottega Veneta’s Avenue Montaigne flagship store in Paris and Cúpla’s design for a boutique in central London.
      The photography is by Ståle Eriksen.

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      Mooradian Studio sprays London boutique interior with recycled newspaper pulp

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      Architecture office Mooradian Studio used spray-on paper pulp to create a bumpy texture across the walls and ceilings of north London menswear store Natalino.

      Taking over a former art gallery in Fitzrovia, Natalino’s first physical store was designed by architect Aram Mooradian in collaboration with design studio Mitre & Mondays to reflect the properties of the brand’s garments.
      Natalino has opened its first physical store”Nathan’s clothes use a lot of natural textures and you can often see how they’re constructed, so we wanted to capture those qualities in the interior,” Mooradian told Dezeen.
      Mooradian, who had recently travelled to Italy with a group of his students from the Architectural Association, was influenced by the contrast of rough and smooth stone surfaces at Carlo Scarpa’s famous Olivetti showroom in Venice.
      The store’s interior was designed by Mooradian StudioAfter initially looking at using a sprayed plaster finish to achieve the desired effect, he came across a spray-on acoustic material from Dutch firm Acosorb that is made from recycled newspaper.

      The material is more commonly used for sound absorption in music studios and restaurants as it helps to reduce reverberation and improves acoustics.
      Spray-on paper pulp covers the walls and ceilingsMooradian used the paper pulp to cover the store’s walls and ceilings alongside utilities such as pipes and ducting. This lends the space a feeling of cohesion in addition to providing the desired tactility.
      “I think retail spaces are often about creating a sensory experience,” the architect said. “Spraying the entire store meant that we could create this atmosphere that wraps around and immerses you.”
      The textured finish is created by blowing the compressed flaked-paper material onto the surfaces together with a non-toxic binding agent.

      Cúpla decorates Rixo Marylebone store with hand-painted murals

      When the interior eventually needs to be refurbished, the material can be easily removed by soaking it with water so it can once again be recycled.
      The use of recyclable materials also extends to the shop fittings, which were developed in collaboration with Mitre & Mondays and custom made in their Islington workshop from standard aluminium strips.
      “We used a range of techniques including bending, folding, clamping and notching to create various metal display structures that can be adapted to fit differently-sized garments,” said the studio’s co-founder Finn Thomson.
      Custom-made aluminium rails are used to display clothingThe components are attached using simple mechanical bolts, allowing them to be easily taken apart and reconfigured or recycled at the end of their lifespan.
      The display structures incorporate hanging rails and table surfaces, while angled aluminium shelves recessed into the wall are used to display shirts, knitwear and jeans.
      A fitting area in one corner of the space features a curtain made from UK-sourced waxed cotton that is suspended from a curved track.
      The aluminium was bent, folded and clamped into shapeThe graphic identity for Natalino was created by design agency Polytechnic, which also owns Bodney Road Studios in east London where Mooradian has his office.
      Aram Mooradian established his studio in 2018 after completing his studies at the Architectural Association. The studio focuses on reusing materials as part of a “gentle building philosophy” that also engages with contemporary craft practices.
      Other reversible shop interiors that have recently been featured on Dezeen include On-Off in Milan, which features a flexible gridded shelving system, and London’s Present & Correct store with its demountable wooden joinery.
      The photography is by Thomas Adank.

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      Cúpla decorates Rixo Marylebone store with hand-painted murals

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      Interior design studio Cúpla has completed a boutique for fashion brand Rixo in central London that features hand-painted illustrations and colourful zellige tiles.

      The clothing store on Marylebone High Street was revamped by Cúpla, whose creative director Gemma McCloskey is the twin sister of Rixo co-founder Orlagh McCloskey.
      The interior designer had previously designed the brand’s flagship store on the King’s Road and wanted the refurbished Marylebone location to have a similar feel.
      Rixo’s Marylebone store is covered in hand-painted murals”We wanted the store to embody everything we had previously created for Rixo’s flagship store but within its own right,” Gemma McCloskey told Dezeen.
      “A sense of escapism paired with a welcoming warmth within a boutique setting were the key emotions we wanted the customer to feel.”

      As the brand sells hand-painted prints, the designer wanted the store’s interior to feature illustrations to reflect the style of the clothes.
      It features modified vintage furniture”Understanding Rixo’s roots and the fact their USP is hand-painted prints, it felt tangible to represent the brand’s values and beginnings with the illustrations,” Gemma McCloskey said.
      “Given the space is quite small, we treated it almost like a living room space within a home and felt we could make it all-encompassing and personal.”
      Artist Sam Wood created colourful illustrations for the storeArtist Sam Wood hand-painted murals and illustrations throughout the store, which has a bright and playful colour palette and also features traditional glazed Moroccan zellige tiles.
      “We wanted the colour palette to feel really fresh and bright,” the designer explained.
      “Although there is an abundance of colours used, every line of the mural or the ‘random’ coloured zellige tile layout was methodically composed to ensure a right balance between the colours was struck.”

      James Shaw installs jumbo foot in London Camper store

      The studio added decorative arches and classical mouldings to the store in a nod to the architecture and heritage of its Marylebone neighbourhood.
      The store also features bespoke fitting room curtains with pickle-green and flora-pink stripes by fabric brand Colours of Arley.
      Moroccan zellige tiles add to the playful interiorCúpla used vintage furniture pieces throughout the store, which sells Rixo’s full collection including ready-to-wear and bridalwear.
      “We actually modified existing pieces of vintage furniture, which had been previously sourced by [Rixo founders] Orlagh and Henrietta years ago in the early days of Rixo,” Gemma McCloskey said.
      “They were the perfect fit for the space but didn’t have the functionality we required, so we decided to alter these instead or replace them.”
      The store is located on Marylebone High Street”It was much more sustainable and because the pieces were from the early years of Rixo, they had sentimental value so we didn’t want to replace them,” she added.
      Other recent London stores featured on Dezeen include a Camper store with a giant foot sculpture and a stationery store with a demountable interior.
      The photography is courtesy of Rixo.

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      Vincent Van Duysen transforms Milanese palazzo into “sensual” Ferragamo store

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      Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen has completed a boutique in Milan for Italian fashion house Ferragamo, featuring red marble panels and an alcove covered in ceramic petals that offset the original Renaissance-style interiors.

      The store is located within Palazzo Carcassola Grandi, which was originally built in the 15th century and now occupies a prime spot on Milan’s Montenapoleone fashion street.
      Vincent Van Duysen has designed Ferragamo’s Montenapoleone boutiqueThe palazzo was remodelled in the 19th century when it was home to Emilio Morosini – a member of the Italian unification and independence movement known as the Risorgimento.
      Van Duysen chose to retain much of the building’s historic character while introducing some surprising contemporary details.
      Footwear is displayed in a large salon”With this project, we tried to express a timeless Italianicity that is steeped in Ferragamo’s DNA,” said Van Duysen. “A sensual theatrical setting, where the scenic screen is luxuriously elevated and used as a backdrop and space dividing element at the same time.”

      “The skilful juxtaposition of modern, essential elements and materials with existing structures such as the columns and the cross vaults creates a pleasing contrast that enhances every feature.”
      An alcove is decorated in ceramics by Andrea MancusoAt the heart of the 280-square-metre interior is a large salon for displaying Ferragamo’s footwear. A minimal material palette comprising Venetian stucco walls, stone flooring and off-white painted ceilings allows the original details to stand out.
      Large mirrors set in simple bronze frames enhance the sense of space, while slabs of mottled Napoleon Red marble provide a punchy contrast that nods to the favourite colour of the company’s founder, Salvatore Ferragamo.
      The rest of the spaces are organised and designed to evoke the rooms of a grand villa, each with a unique character tailored to reflect the collections it holds.

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      “The design originates far in the past, in the person of Salvatore Ferragamo himself, who liked to receive his customers as if in his home living room,” explained Marco Gobbetti, Ferragamo’s CEO and managing director.
      “This was precisely how he thought of his shop, as a place to come together and converse. This starting point has brought us to this contemporary expression of the intimacy of home and Italian-ness.”
      As customers move through the sequence of rooms, they come across areas dedicated to footwear, bags, accessories and clothing, before finally descending a short stone staircase to reach a space displaying silk items.
      Marble detailing features throughout the storeFerragamo worked with contemporary designers and gallerists to curate a collection of unusual objects and furniture intended to embody the store’s “contemporary Renaissance spirit”.
      An alcove visible through one of the windows is covered in sea-blue ceramics crafted by Andrea Mancuso of Milanese studio Analogia Project, using the same technique he developed for the Aquario collection for Nilufar Gallery in 2022.
      Mancuso also used the circular ceramic petals, intended to evoke fantastical aquatic flora, to form a display table placed at the boutique’s entrance.
      Side tables by Andrea Anastasio stand in the vestibule next to the changing roomsSide tables found in spaces including a lounge-like vestibule next to the changing rooms are from Andrea Anastasio’s Corallium collection for Giustini/Stagetti Gallery and consist of coloured stone pieces stitched together using leather string.
      JoAnn Tan’s Stockholm-based studio created the display tables seen in the windows, which are covered with leather fringe reclaimed from Ferragamo’s production sites.
      Van Duysen is known for his multidisciplinary work for the hospitality, fashion and furniture sectors, and has been the creative director of Italian design brand Molteni&C since 2016.
      JoAnn Tan’s fringed display tables can be seen from the outsideAs part of his role, the architect has revamped the firm’s corporate showroom in Giussano, Italy, and designed a “palazzo-like” showroom in New York.
      Salvatore Ferragamo established his first business focusing on ladies’ footwear in 1927. In addition to footwear, the firm now produces luxury goods such as bags, accessories and ready-to-wear clothing, all of which are displayed at the Via Montenapoleone showroom.
      In 2022, British graphic designer Peter Saville updated Ferragamo’s brand identity, replacing its handwritten logo with a custom serif typeface that references stone inscriptions.

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      James Shaw installs jumbo foot in London Camper store

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      British designer James Shaw has renovated a shop for fashion brand Camper on London’s Regent Street, which features a giant foot-shaped sculpture that functions as a till and a bench for trying on shoes.

      Located in a ground-level room within a building on Regent Street in central London, the store reopened last week.
      James Shaw has renovated the Camper store on Regent StreetShaw redesigned the interiors to reflect the Mallorcan heritage of Spanish footwear company Camper – a brand known for its bold and colourful creations.
      The designer constructed a 3.5-metre-tall sculpture in the shape of an oversized foot, which was covered in terracotta-hued wool and positioned on the shop floor.
      His design includes a jumbo footVisible from the street, the cartoon-like structure is multifunctional. It includes internal storage for products and a small booth that houses the till.

      Shoppers are also encouraged to perch on the jumbo toes while trying on shoes, making the foot a bench as well as a display unit.
      Shaw also created recycled plastic furniture”The foot is the key feature of our proposal. Somewhat surreal and unexpected yet fully connected to Camper’s sense of playfulness and whimsy,” said Shaw.
      “Reflected in the fully mirrored wall, it appears as a giant standing in the middle of the store.”
      Walnut was used to make display unitsThe designer, who works predominantly with recycled plastic, also created lumpy yellow shelving made from extruded slabs of the material, which – like the large foot – is reflected in the floor-to-ceiling mirror that makes up one of the walls.
      Shaw also combined his trademark gloopy plastic with walnut wood to create rounded stools, positioned underneath the yellow shelves.

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      On the opposite side of the room, the designer added smooth walnut display units mounted to the wall with twisted polished metal fixtures – also custom-made by Shaw.
      At the back of the store, shoppers can rest on geometric seating topped with textured mohair and clad in mirrored metal. The recognisable red Camper logo, positioned above the seating, was also reimagined with a Shaw-style, lumpy backdrop.
      The interiors are “a nod to mid-century modernism with a warped twist”Shaw created the store’s flooring using orange resin to match the colour of the large foot as well as the painted walls and ceiling, which are all finished in similar hues.
      The mix of materials is “a nod to mid-century modernism with a warped twist,” according to Camper.
      “Mediterranean roots are present in the colour scheme, where warm earthy tones meet shades of yellow and blue,” added the brand.
      Elsewhere, designer Jorge Penadés dressed a Málaga Camper shop with materials chosen to match the brand’s warehouse while architect Kengo Kuma created scalloped shelving out of concave ceramic tiles for a Barcelona branch.
      Shaw showcased pieces of his extruded recycled plastic furniture at the 2022 edition of London Design Festival in an installation he created with his partner, Lou Stoppard, that playfully explored tensions between couples who move in together.
      The photography is courtesy of Camper.

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      ICA Stop supermarket designed as a “culinary dream come true”

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      Swedish studio Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor and design agency Snask have revamped a supermarket in Täby, adding pastel hues and materials such as terrazzo and wood to “turn shopping into an experience”.

      The design was intended as a facelift for the store, which is part of Sweden’s ICA supermarket chain and had been given many smaller additions over the years without an overall design direction.
      Together, Snask and Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor redesigned the 2,200-square-metre store outside of Stockholm, refreshing its interior by creating multiple themed stations.
      A pink juice bar welcomes visitors inside Täby’s ICA StopThese include a pink juice and smoothie bar, a “vegan butchery” station, a seafood and champagne bar and a bar for delicacies, designed to give ICA Stop the feel of a market hall.
      “Our main goal was to create a more personal shopping experience,” Snask creative director Freddie Öst told Dezeen.

      “We did this by modernising the brand and giving it a concept as the culinary dream come true.”
      Snask and Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor used colours that would enhance the produceTo create clean sightlines inside the shop, which also has a restaurant space at the front, Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor and Snask used rounded shapes throughout the interior.
      “This wasn’t just about keeping the store from turning into a sardine can,” Öst said. “It was about giving everything and everyone room to breathe – and look fabulous doing it – even products that would otherwise be blocking one another.”
      Fruit counters have ribbed sides and perforated metal shelvingFor both practical and aesthetic reasons, the bars and counters were given a ribbed effect that adds textural interest to the store interior.
      “It’s like putting pinstripes on a curve – it adds just the right amount of flair without messing with the flow,” Öst said.
      “[It’s] a classy shout out to those fluted columns from the architectural playbook,” he added. “We made store design not just functional but fashionably sleek, with a wink and a nod to the ancients.”
      Terrazzo was used for the tabletops in the restaurantThe studios used materials not usually associated with supermarkets for the interior, including lacquered wood, stainless steel and terrazzo, which was used for the tabletops in the restaurant section.
      Counters were wrapped in thick medium-density fibreboard (MDF) and fortified with steel rods to protect them against “rogue shopping carts”, while the fruit and vegetable shelves were constructed from perforated lacquered metal.

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      “We made sure to blur the lines between a regular supermarket and the nirvana of a chef, turning shopping into an experience,” Öst said.
      As the store remained open while it was being refurbished, the studios had to plan the change of the interior in different stages.
      Stainless-steel counters “pop like a comic strip”They chose to use pastel colours throughout the stores for the shelving and bars to keep the focus on the food itself.
      “We fine-tuned the entire space against a new backdrop of soothing soft blue allowing for the fresh produce to become the leading actor with its rainbow hues,” Öst said.
      “The stainless steel counters add a pop like a comic strip,” he added. “The market hall slithers like a friendly serpent, presenting an array of cheese, meats and cold cuts, guiding you through the culinary wonderland without disturbing the colours of food and packaging.”
      Snask redesigned the logo and branding for the storeAs well as the refreshed interior, Snask also worked on the branding for ICA Stop.
      “The logo was redrawn and we also added the S symbol, making it a recognizable brand marker,” Öst explained.
      “Per usual, we threw away the old ways of doing things and dialled up both colours, typography, design, architecture and fun.”
      The colourful store is located in Täby outside of StockholmThe unusual interior of the store, which is now open to customers, has divided opinions.
      “Most customers adored the change, while others… not so much. But hey, that’s the result of flipping the supermarket game on its head,” Öst concluded, adding a quote by graphic designer Tibor Kalman: “When you create something no one hates, no one loves it either”.
      Other creative grocery store designs include Wine and Egg in Los Angeles, which was designed to have a “European feel”, and the stripped-back and simple interior of supermarket Consum’s Benicàssim store.
      The photography is by Mikael Lundblad och Jesper Westblom.

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      Chai Guys Portobello cafe interior evokes “the colour of spices”

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      Local studio SODA has used warm colours and natural materials to create the first store for tea brand Chai Guys on Portobello Road in London’s Notting Hill neighbourhood.

      The studio drew on the “informal nature” of drinking masala chai tea when designing the interior for the cafe – the first one for the Chai Guys brand, which has previously operated from market stalls.
      The Chai Guys cafe is located on Portobello Road in London”We wanted to keep true to the informal nature of drinking chai by creating a grounded space with low-level seating where there is always room for one more by pulling up a stool,” SODA interior designer Matilde Menezes told Dezeen.
      “The counter was kept quite low, too, to showcase the act of serving chai, which is quite theatrical.”
      The interior has plaster walls and boucle seatsThe Chai Guys Portobello cafe comprises a seating area and a front-of-house desk where the tea is prepared, as well as a bakery at the back that sells pastries.

      As many of the visitors will be getting takeaway drinks, Menezes says she wanted to provide “an impactful impression that was simple and subtle at the same time”.
      Timber panelling clads part of the wallsThe studio also aimed for the 55-square-metre space to be a peaceful refuge from hectic Portobello Road and to reference the Chai Guys branding.
      “The brand is a modern take on chai with its black dynamic typography layered over clean and minimal design,” Menezes explained.

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      “We wanted the colour palette to sit back and let the branding and product be the main event in moments such as the counter, the shopfront, and the retail shelving,” she added.
      “In areas where the branding wasn’t present, we wanted the palette to evoke the colours of the spices and standalone as a direct but understated reference to chai.”
      SODA used natural materials like leather and wood for the cafeThe studio chose to work mainly with natural materials for the interior, which features walls in Clayworks plaster.
      “Clayworks is non-toxic, has low embodied energy and carbon, is breathable, passively regulates humidity and is produced in the UK,” Menezes said.
      “On top of this, the handmade quality of each stroke and lived-in quality complemented the aesthetic we were trying to achieve.”
      A counter serves Chai tea and pastriesSODA also clad the walls in timber panelling and chose boucle and leather for the seating, adding to the store’s tactile feel.
      “Timber has its innate grain and richness, leather ages and provides sheen and the boucle appeals to the touch and is quite striking in the Masala tone,”  Menezes said.
      “All these tactile touchpoints were selected to be resilient in a high-traffic commercial space.”
      Other recent projects by SODA, which was founded by Laura Sanjuan and Russell Potter in 2012, include a colourful interior for The Office Group and a theatre with a revolving auditorium.

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      Kith Women Flagship in Soho combines walnut and pink marble

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      American fashion brand Kith has returned to the location of its first Manhattan flagship to open a women-dedicated store, in which olive trees grow up through display podiums.

      The inaugural Kith Women Flagship in Soho opened last December at 644 Broadway, the same historic landmark building where the brand debuted its Manhattan retail offering in 2011.
      Custom-built podiums run through the middle of the Kith Women flagship store in SohoPreviously the Manhattan Savings Institute Bank, the red sandstone and brick structure’s exterior features wrought iron gates at the entrance and set the tone for the materials palette inside.
      Kith founder and creative director Ronnie Fieg designed the interiors to include signature elements of the brand’s retail concepts, but with adjustments to acknowledge its context.
      The main room displays apparel and accessories in walnut and brass-trimmed niches”The ambiance exudes modern elegance with its warm and calming aura, constructed with materials like Venetian plaster, travertine, and rosa aurora [marble],” said the Kith team.

      The spacious main room benefits from tall ceilings and an open floor plan, and presents Kith Women in-house and multi-brand ready-to-wear apparel against Venetian plaster and Kith monogrammed suede wallpaper.
      In a room dedicated to footwear, shoes are presented on travertine shelvesClothing is displayed on rails installed in walnut and brass-trimmed niches around the perimeter, with accessories like hats and bags placed on shelves above.
      A row of square walnut podiums runs through the middle of the room, each with an olive tree growing up through the centre of its pink marble surface.
      A cafe and flower shop is run in partnership with PlantShed, and features mosaic floors and a fluted marble service counterCustom-built by Brooklyn-based woodworker Mark Jupiter, these units contain drawers for product storage, and alternating ones are topped with glass vitrines for showcasing jewellery and other small accessories.
      Oak flooring is laid in a grid pattern transversed by walnut strips, and the darker wood also lines the fitting rooms.

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      Footwear has a dedicated room, in which shoes are displayed on shelves with integrated lighting that run from one end to the other.
      “Entering the footwear space, you will find a grand arched plaster ceiling, travertine shelves, and a custom chandelier from Italy by Viabizzuno,” the team said.
      The cafe leads out to a courtyard behind the historic building’s wrought iron gatesIn the final room is a cafe run in partnership with New York-based flower and plant shop PlantShed, which serves light bites and drinks and offers custom floral arrangements.
      The space features a mosaic tiled floor, walnut wall panelling, a service counter with a fluted pink marble front and floral displays on stepped stone plinths.
      The cafe leads out to a courtyard area behind the building’s impressive iron gates, which furnished with cafe tables and chairs in between topiary plants shaped into spirals.
      Kith Women is located at 644 Broadway, the same building where the brand opened its original flagship retail space in 2011Feig also designed Kith’s recently opened Williamsburg store, located in the 25 Kent Plaza office building where the brand also has its corporate offices.
      The company had previously worked with design studio Snarkitecture on its retail spaces around the world, including outposts in Miami, Los Angeles and Paris.
      The photography is courtesy of Kith.

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