Retail Design: Yarn's End

I think I've mentioned before that I'm working on a design plan for a fabulous new yarn shop to open here in the South Shore of Boston. Yarn's End will definitely NOT be your grandma's kitting shop and I'm very excited to be a part of the process. I wanted to share where we are in the planning stage.

Owner - Alison Schirone - has a deep background in business marketing and a love of knitting and handmade goods. She's planning on offering great quality, high end yarns, classes, drop-in sessions and best of all, the shop will be a great space for conversation. This will be a great place for girls-night outs or morning "stich & bitch" sessions while kiddies are otherwise occupied.

Retail space interior design needs be tied to the marketing "vision" of the business and I have been working closely with Alison and her social media & branding consultants to design a space that will be appealing to her target demographic, while still friendly and welcoming to all. We wanted fresh, modern with a touch of rustic comfort. I originally came up with two different scenarios - Whitewashed and Industrial Chic. As with any startup, there is a tight budget for implementing a design plan, so both these styles allowed for the use of flea market, recycled and upcycled items - such as the glossy painted mixed chairs shown above. Alison decided to go with a more urban Industrial chic look where we will incorporate her corporate colors into the decor plan. Since orange is one of her favorite colors - one she looks fantastic in - I suggested that we paint the ceiling a vibrant orange, keep the walls a neutral white to better show off the yarns, and use a natural looking tan or beige sisal "look" carpet on the floor. You can view all of the items that are inspiring my design here.

The ceiling color is going to be Benjamin Moore's Orange Burst. As I said, not your typical fusty old knit shop.

Coordinating colors from her brand are two shades of red and a mid-toned green (see logo up top). There is a tiny wet bar area that we're turning into an official coffee bar and I'm recommending that this space be painted a coordinating red. The green is nice too, but the red seems to really pop. We'll do a cute little burlap counter skirt under the sink to hide the water heater and plumbing and there will be a stainless under counter fridge on the other side.

"Before" as the coffee bar area is now. The carpet has been ripped out since I took this photo.  

And the coffee bar update plan:

The bar height counter will likely be a laminate counter, to save $. I've also suggested:

Ikea's Orgel paper lamp on a swagged light bulb for the bar area. 

Moen's square sink with faucet 

Ekby Jarpen shelves from Ikea (unless we find some cool salvaged shelves.

We're still searching for the best pricing on carpeting, but I'm hoping it will look something like below, which is from Flor carpet tiles. They are too expensive for the size of the space and the budget, but Lowes and other's have carpet tiles as well, so that's a work in progress.

I'll keep you updated on the progress, but meanwhile, if you're in the area - or know a knitter who is - send them over to like Yarn's End Facebook page for updates on the store opening.

Have a great weekend!

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::