Whatever type of space you have, there are definitely some tricks to making it work. Here are a few of our current favourite design quirks to get you thinking about how to make your space stand out.
Going mobile
In their latest series, UM Project and The New Stand came together to re-invent the newsstand experience by creating flexible shopping environments. Taking inspiration from traditional street pushcarts, the fixtures and furniture are in motion rather than typical static display. The pieces can constantly be rearranged to create different, stimulating spaces that adjust to fit the product.
In the spotlight
The Spanish design trio known as Fos - meaning light in Greek and melted in Catalan - created this four-day head-turning optical illusion on the storefront of the Rayen restaurant in Madrid. They used over 250 metres of yellow tape to mimic the projection of light, as well as painted-over decor items and of course, the spotlight itself.
Return of the Memphis
Taking inspiration from the 1980s Memphis Group, bold colours mix with geometric shapes in the interior of Valencia’s new lifestyle store, Gnomo. Space configuration is made easy with the custom tables and display shelves. The idea was “to create a funny and happy feeling, but without creating a visual disorder,” explains Ana Hernández of Spanish design studio, Masquespacio.
Down to earth
Athens-based 314 Architecture Studio designed this Greek eyewear store to look like a gallery. Mirrored surfaces, simple materials and original features such as rough stone walls give this space a clean aesthetic. "The aim was to create a space characterised by purity that would allow for the products of the store to be highlighted," explains studio Founder, Chatziangelidis.
Colour me beautiful
‘Millennial pink’ strikes again – and this time at the Be Fast Pan y Pasteles bakery in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid. The feel-good hue was incorporated into the space to stand out. Delicious pastries or not, the bubblegum pink floor and ceiling decorated with 12,000 magenta sticks has turned this bakery into a popular tourist hot spot.
Fancy facades
Brazilian studio, Isay Weinfeld, turned this two-story house in São Paulo into a three-floor Livraria da Vila bookstore. The striking storefront made of revolving bookcases invites people to enter the store and explore the rest of the space. We can’t all create pivoting book facades, but the art of window dressing is a crucial part of space design.
Work of art
Paloma Wool founded her small boutique label in Barcelona out of an interest in art, photography and fashion. Her studio spaces explore artistic disciplines as much as the garments themselves. Clean lines, raw materials and stripped-back walls and floors allow for natural beauty, and contrast the female-inspired silhouettes from the collection.
