I couldn’t imagine where to start when displaying all the stock that this local Wellington lighting and furniture boutique had to offer. Thankfully our task was to retrofit their existing tired interior, and create more display space in the basement downstairs, and let the talented retail staff arrange the space to suit their needs.
On our site visit we were met with a few challenges below, no natural light, low ceilings with exposed ductwork impacting head heights and aesthetics further, and the request to make a seamless connection to the main ground floor showroom. Lighting here could be managed without issue, there was no shortage of beautiful artificial options! Instead it became a wide stair with glass balustrade that brought these two spaces together, a new welcoming reception and consideration of staff spaces that became the main focus. Often with existing premises, particularly where there are landlord and tenant agreements to navigate, services become a particular consideration. Here, the rugged warehouse aesthetic could handle the exposing of ducts and cable trays in order to gain more ceiling height, and the tricks of white paint allowed it to become part of the background canvas, unobtrusively sitting between the displayed items.
