This is a project that I completed several years ago which has since went away and been through several incarnations in the past several years. The space was inside the Hart Schaffner Marx factory in Chicago (Des Plaines), IL. It was being used as an employee lunch room with vending machines, refrigerators, sinks, cupboards, etc. - a mish-mosh of stuff. And dirty. I wish I had retained my original 'before" pics but they were lost in a pc crash last year. Suffice it to say, that this was a daunting task on a shoestring budget.
The project was a collaborative effort with my client at the corporation that owned HSM at that time. He would busy be on other projects and traveling. Once we devised the concept / design together, I was on my own.
The factory was built around 1971 and is actually two facilities - manufacturing and distribution. Each with their own employees, facilities and entrances. The store would have to function within a situation where distribution employees would need to pass through the store to enter the distribution / loading dock area and offices by 7:00 AM. The store, however would not open until 10:00 AM. A movable fence for the merchandise area of the store was the solution for the distribution employees. They would enter from the main outside entrance, then a vestibule, then pass by the cash / wrap area to an inner door. The offices, which previously were behind a mullion surround glass wall / door would be back painted the HSM blue color with a logo for privacy and store aesthetic purposes.
A contracting company was hired and the inevitable process of acquiring the proper village permits was begun. This was not in the city of Chicago, but the near suburb of Des Plaines. Anything involving exterior signage - in this case two - was a whole separate process.
ADA requirements was another prevalent matter. Parking was a concern, there was only space for four to five cars in front (employees parked in a lot behind the facility) there would need to be two handicap spaces as well as a partial curb cut. As well, the distribution employees needed a place to go outside for a cigarette break - notice the cigarette disposal device to the left of the entrance.
A floor plan was created and a fixture purchase list put in place - very simple, affordable, utilitarian and sourced locally.
The contracting / construction company was the same as used by the parent corporation for their exhibit designs at trade shows who were also experienced in retail construction. This made for a good fit as we were already very well acquainted. A simple retro inspired vinyl floor tile was chosen to "punch" the store up a bit. We were also in luck with an existing design element. The wall of "portholes" was an interesting feature as well as letting in natural light without losing precious wall space for hang rail.
In the end, it took five months to navigate the village of Des Plaines code requirements as well as corporation conflicts, concerns, union intervention and territorial issues from within the factory / distribution staff before the store opened - under budget by $11K.
The store was open for a little over a year. The parent corporation went into bankruptcy in the beginning months of the financial crisis, lost their downtown Chicago headquarters, moved some offices to a facility nearby and others to this facility. The store then became the company's Custom Shop and more recently turned into office cubicles.
This is a story board for a store "face lift" in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale. It's a small convenience store just down the road from a very big country club. The owner sells the typical convenience store items: soda, various junk food items etc., but as well sells expensive imported cigars, has a huge inventory of wines - some very pricey and - live bait! There is a local lake that's stocked with fish as well as a pond in the confines of the country club.
The owner is also adding a deli counter and is currently waiting for the Village of Hinsdale approval on that as well as the back prep area. More to follow! I will have before and after pics at some point. Wish me luck!
This is a Bed Bath & Beyond in the River North area of downtown Chicago. It's situated on the ground level of a residential high rise on a very busy pedestrian street. The architect had given them an awkward, very large (18' high !) display window that was right in front of an escalator - which made for a partial back wall. It also made for visual distraction in the background. This is not a very good pic - a scan of a not great print from a digital image - I lost the original pic in a computer crash several years ago. You can actually look down into the display window as you go up the escalator.
The store staff had been putting a fully made bed in the window with a nightstand, a mock up of a shower etc. There was no "Visual" person per say - just some staff people. Vendors rotated usage of the window. The store needed a versatile display set up that could be used for multiple categories of merchandise.
I project managed the design and installation of this set up with local display manufacturer Opto International. The posts can hold shelves or graphic holders and is very adaptable to different products. I've seen them in the past few years with the Dyson vacuum cleaners and I also used Simple Human waste containers in a later installation.
For the past several years I have project managed the installation of the Chicago Cartier boutique's exterior Christmas decor. It is a two day install with many weeks of advance work to coordinate shipping, electrical outlets, pricing etc. As an outdoor project, it can be difficult to install in regard to the weather. In 2011 we had several rain delays.The garland and ornaments are designed in Paris. The last two years the ornaments have been variations on the iconic Cartier gift box. The gold metal box of 2010 had lights inside each box. The red box of 2011 was so realistic that passersby were trying to open it - which caused parts of the garland to become unattached. A creative solution was found to keep the garland intact.
In 2009 I sub-contracted with a California company to install the "Holiday Lane" shops in the 18 Macy's North stores which included the State Street flagship store and stores in Wisconsin & Indiana. The job was to be fast paced and the look was to be lush and full. The themed Christmas trees were to be used as store fixtures to allow the customer to shop right from the tree.
Some close ups of individual themed trees - the first one is "Martha's Garden" by Martha Stewart.
