design:retail - July 2017 - 68
068 It is the mission of Design Within Reach (DWR) Since 1998, the company has been giving consumers access to innovative works from iconic designers. For the past seven years, DWR leadership has been working with New York-based, multidisciplinary design firm DFA to bring a new cohesive vision and direction to the retail experience. Together, they have been transforming locations across the country from Stamford, Conn., and New York's SoHo to Portland, Ore., and Atlanta. "DWR offers literally thousands of items, from well-known classics of authentic modern furniture, to collections from design brands new to the U.S. market, the work of emerging designers mentored by DWR, and the creations of our internal product development team-a potentially overwhelming variety, but also an excitingly unique blend," describes Alain Capretz, director of Studio design for Design Within Reach. "Our Studio design concept has evolved over the last seven years as a strategy to make this vast amount of product digestible and relevant to the retail customer looking for room solutions." The new design direction organizes merchandise into "houses." A house consists of a collection of three or four rooms-such as a living room, dining room, bedroom and possibly a study or guestroom-that offer a cohesive aesthetic. "Each group of rooms, informed by a different design sensibility, draws its own visitors responding to materials, color palettes, forms and details that reflect their tastes," Capretz describes. "Some are quite dramatic, even grand, while others are more intimate or more cheerfully playful. It's the variety across rooms and houses that makes the Studio visit so rich." The collection of houses creates an intuitive wayfinding strategy. The combinations make logical sense and encourage customer exploration. Customers easily can pair items together on their own or with staff assistance. In many cases, houses are organized in parallel lines to make it easier for customers to compare and shop between houses. The matrix of houses and standardized rooms surround a core zone where staff and customers can explore and discuss specific products and individual needs and preferences. "Over time, we've found this approach has given our customers the confidence to see beyond JULY 2017 DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM ↑ The 30-ft. Swatch Wall is a featured design element in the Studios that communicates the sense of limitless possibilities. → [Opposite page, left] The new design direction for DWR is to organize merchandise into "houses." individual items, considering full room solutions that are unique expressions of their individual style," Capretz says. The number of houses and composition of the rooms is customized to best suit the size and location of the store. For an 8,000-sq.-ft. to 12,000-sq.-ft. store, that could mean six houses. Dropped ceilings and occasional walls painted white complemented by cerused oak flooring delineate the rooms, while semi-transparent scrims throughout the store provide spatial breaks that create texture, color and rhythm. Poured concrete GLOBALSHOP.ORG → [Opposite page, right] Simple and clean displays highlight chair options in this dining and chair vignette. with a honed but imperfect finish is typically used for flooring in the circulation areas and outdoor furniture displays. "When dealing with a vast collection of furniture, giving the architecture too much attention would be distracting," says Laith Sayigh, principal of DFA. "The architecture offers a neutral background with the furniture providing a distinct point of view." This architectural philosophy is not just applied to the interior. The exterior façade of each store is also simply stated and branded, driving attention to the product that awaits inside.
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