It was a busy few days for the FRCH team at the 101st NRF Annual Convention and Expo, held January 15 through 18 in New York. This year there were an estimated 24,000 attendees.

“Embracing Our Common Humanity” was the title of former president Bill Clinton’s keynote address to a capacity crowd. Held in the enormous North Hall, it was standing-room only.

Our very own Lori Kolthoff and Steve Gardner were two-thirds of a presentation entitled: Innovation in Store Design, Resource Design, and Technology. They both did an amazing job presenting their subject matter, and we are sure to see more of them in the future, elaborating on their expertise. Click here to see the NRF daily newsletter with a recap of their speech.

Monday evening brought us to the International Store Design Awards Gala sponsored by the Retail Design Institute. FRCH had two winning projects, Giraffas and Bob’s Stores. Giraffas won a design award, first place in the Franchised Restaurant category.

Bob’s Stores won two awards, an Innovation award for Visual Merchandising, and a First Place/Value Store design award. The clients for both projects were present to accept the awards, and seemed thrilled to do so.

We also had the opportunity to visit some great new retail, more to come on that in the following weeks!

Like with any design, the concept starts with a sketch and a 3-D model to work out the details and get the proportions right.  Solving design problems at this stage will make the construction process much easier.

Choosing the right materials and creating a parts list from the model saves time and money.  Some of the techniques shown here are similar to theme park and movie set applications.  Stuart Craig, production designer on the Harry Potter films, refers to himself as “an architect in plywood”.  The sets are typically simple construction and finished in a heavy coat of faux paint and texture.  Sculptural elements are usually carved in foam and, if need be, coated in fiberglass.

Careful layout and planning is key to a successful finish.  Templates for all the varying shapes can be made directly from the Sketch-Up model.

Cutting and assembly of the pieces is the next step, making sure the opposite sides of the arch line up.

Automotive filler, or Bondo, is used to add three dimensional texture, grout lines and cracks.

The Bondo and primer  process is on-going throughout the construction. Other moldings and dimensional elements are then added and matched in texture.  A router table with a panel raising bit will shape the curved cove moldings, while a lathe is great for turning the corbels on the top and bottom of the columns.

Faux painting and a bit of carving is next.  Thin washes of varying tones and colors provide the look of stone, dirt and age.  Splattering, sponging and dry brushing are techniques that add to the look.                                                 

The easy part is the door.  Simple plank construction, stain and aging.

MDF is the perfect material for the hinges and provides a great surface for a carved, or forged, texture using a Dremel tool.

Finally, sculptural details are added and painted to look like iron.  This is the same technique used in “How to Make a Pirate Cannon”,.

And there it is.  From a pile of plywood and lumber to a finished sculptural piece ready for your next Harry Potter or Murder Mystery Party.

I am a fan of the simple elegance of Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec’s work. The Centre Pompidou-Metz is hosting an exhibition, inviting visitors to wander through a gallery highlighting fifteen years of work. The collection includes pieces ranging from prototypes to mass produced work, as well as hand-crafted objects.

If you find yourself near Metz, France this winter, be sure to stop in. The exhibit runs from October 7, 2011  to July 30, 2012.

via Contemporist

While searching for some images recently, I came across a few forgotten photos that reminded me that even in it’s simplest form, all retail can appeal to the right shopper.  Above, a New York street vendor presents their wares.

A puppeteer in Cologne prepares for a street show.

Despite the dreary conditions, the lure of a unique book or artwork draws visitors to these stands along the Seine.

2011 has been a great year for us. We want to thank all of our incredible client partners, dedicated employees, friends and family who have contributed to our shared success. We raise our glasses to all of you and toast to a bubbly and bright 2012, Cheers!

Incredibly, each letter is routed out of 30mm granite, individually hand placed and embedded into concrete panels. This project takes the idea of type setting to an entirely new level. The endeavor even required developing new techniques and recipes for production, such as a blue granite that won’t fade.

An absolutely mammoth undertaking including 160,000 individual letters spread out over 320 concrete slabs, showcasing quotes from over 1,000 comedians. The website does a great job of explaining the work’s history and process, while this short clip does a better job than photos of displaying the sheer scale of the project.

Blackpool, Comedy Carpet from James Gilbert on Vimeo.

The pristine glossy finish. Now, I want to know what happened to those left over granite slabs of the letter negatives, I want to make a coffee table out of one.

There’s a sense of both old and new in the denim quilts of Julie Floersch. The artist blends her Midwest upbringing with a background in fashion design to create beautiful modern designs with an air of heritage and Americana.

I first learned about the this unique quilter when clothing retailer Madewell commissioned her to create these denim patchwork curtains for their fitting rooms.  I was immediately struck by the unique sculptural quality she’d created with the fabric.

I was surprised to learn that this was not Floersch’s first experience working with a clothing retailer.  After college she worked as a fashion designer for Ralph Lauren, which is where she was inspired to begin working with denim, a fabric she describes as both “beautiful and timeless”. (The image above is a patchwork tipi created for Madewell.)

Like generations of American quilters, she recycles used clothing for raw material. The geometry is familiar, too, although Floersch’s tessellations have a level of intricacy and texture not found in traditional quilt blocks.

The artist describes her complex pattern making process in this interview with jan & aya:

 ”I start off with a general image or feeling in my head that I want to put on paper and set very narrow guidelines for myself. Then I start making the block pattern. This usually takes about a month because I draft everything on paper. It means a lot of trips to Staples oversized copy machines – printing out the blocks, taping them together, making revisions, and doing it all over again until it’s perfect.”

Even the texture created by the seams and raw edges on the “wrong side” of the quilts is stunning.

All images courtesy of www.juliefloersch.com

Wood floors are the Chanel suit of interior design, chic and timeless. They bring richness and a soft texture to the retail and hospitality environments we design. New technology and fabrication techniques have permeated all areas of design, including the classic wood floor. Here are a few of our favorite innovations.

Marbelous Wood by Snedker Studio (above), natural wood grain is enhanced with a traditional marbling technique.

Whisky Barrel by McKay (above), reclaimed oak whisky barrels are repurposed into flooring.

Bolefloor (above), CNC machined floor planks maximize the amount of wood harvested from each tree.

This year we have seen a lot of hot pink and lovely fluorescent colors popping up in fashion, and I have to admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed it. With the holidays just around the corner, it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. In fact, it seems that hot pink has replaced some of the traditional holly red…

Like most people during the holidays, I have been shopping more than usual, and it has been interesting to watch store windows and visual merchandise transform. The Gap has not held back at all. With bright colored packages tied up with even brighter string, I couldn’t help but smile. The bright neon colors are right on brand, and it is something fresh this time of year.

Here are just a few ideas on how to incorporate those beautiful bright colors into your decor this year. I think I might implement a few myself…

What do you think of the bright neon colors intermingling with the typical festive red and green this season? Are you going to try out something new on your packages this year or stick with the traditional colors and festivities?

Images via Anthology Magazine, Pretty Stuff, & Oh So Beautiful Paper.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Designed by the same art directors who visualized the films, this new land is created from the point of view of the guest, or camera, and draws you in with striking compositions.

The Village of Hogsmeade, with its snow-covered rooftops, serves as the F&B and Retail street of the area.  At the end of the street is Hogwarts Castle, built at a scale that works masterfully with each new vista.

The Castle rooms and corridors serve as the “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Ride” que line and pre-show.   All the details and gags we’ve come to know from J.K. Rowling and the movies are recreated here.  (photo by s. rink)

The Sorting Hat prepares you for your adventure prior to boarding a state of the art robotic arm/ride vehicle that takes you seamlessly from one real environment (built set) to a projected simulation inside a small Omni Max dome.

Back in Hogsmeade Village, the attention to detail is just as impressive.  The level of Character Finish (aging, distressing and stone work) is totally believable. (photo by p. freer)

Magical (animated) Props activate the retail windows and bring another level of life to the land.

Retail interiors are right out of the movies and sell many of the familiar products from the Harry Potter world.

If you’re a fan of the books, movies, or just want to see something impressive, head to Universal Orlando and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.