IN EARLY 2016, LAURA HURON - A FORMER COLLEAGUE AND DEAR FRIEND - STEPPED AWAY FROM HER SUCCESSFUL CORPORATE CAREER AND FOLLOWED HER DREAM OF OPENING AN UPSCALE BEDDING AND LIFESTYLE STORE. SHE SET UP SHOP IN THE HUDSON VALLEY IN THE RIVERSIDE TOWN OF SAUGERTIES, AND GAVE ME THE HONOR OF DESIGNING HER STORE. WORKING WITH A MODEST BUDGET AND AN EXISTING SPACE LOADED WITH CHARMING ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS, WE SET OUT TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD FEEL APPROACHABLE, SPACIOUS AND EASY TO NAVIGATE. THE DESIGN NEEDED TO BE SIMPLE AND FUNCTIONAL, AND NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THE PRODUCT ITSELF. WE ALSO NEEDED TO CREATE A SPACE THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE A GREAT DEAL OF PRODUCT. WITH 550 SF TO WORK WE HAD TO SHOWCASE MULTIPLE CATEGORIES, INCLUDING BEDDING, BATH, TABLE TOP, KITCHEN, BAR WARE, GARDENING, SLEEPWEAR, AND LIFESTYLE (SPECIALTY APPAREL, CANDLES, BOOKS, ETC.). TO DO THIS, WE DECIDED ON SIMPLE UTILITARIAN SHELVING FOR THE PERIMETERS, AND MINIMAL BEECHWOOD BOXES ON CASTERS THAT OFFERED BOTH DISPLAY SURFACES AND MUCH-NEEDED STORAGE AND FLEXIBILITY. A CENTER-PLACED BUTCHER-BLOCK TABLE HOSTS THE TABLE TOP, KITCHEN AND BAR WARE GOODS WHILE A VINTAGE BATHTUB HOUSES THE ASSORTMENT OF SOAPS, TOILETRIES AND CANDLES IN THE GLASS-PANELED ATRIUM. TWIN BENDABLE MANNEQUINS ADD WIT TO THE WINDOWS, ACCOMPANIED BY SEASONAL SLOGANS THAT EMBODYING THE SPIRIT OF THE OWNER AND THE BRAND SHE'S CREATING. INCLUDED HERE ARE ALSO SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN RENDERINGS, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE CREATIVE CONCEPTS FOR THE WINDOWS.
