DDi - February/March 2013 - (Page 18)

Photos: Wilson Lee Photography 18 | Design Snapshot California quirky Napa’s historic Oakville Grocery gets a complete overhaul while maintaining its identity and charm By Michelle M. Havich, Managing Editor O akville Grocery in Napa Valley is California’s oldest continuously operating grocery store. Opened in 1881 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the funky roadside convenience store had begun showing its age. So, owner Leslie Rudd, who also owns Dean & Deluca, contacted Dusan Motolik of Berkley, Calif.-based Avila Design, who had previously worked on Rudd’s Dean & Deluca locations on two coasts, to redesign the store. During an initial inspection, it was revealed that the Oakville would need not just visual and layout upgrades, but also would need to be made sound according to current seismic requirements—all while keeping the design true to what the store has been for more than 100 years. The store was stripped down on the inside to the bare wood studs, and the floor was ripped up to lay a new foundation, all without machinery, due to the size of the existing door openings. During the floor work, the team discovered an old capped well under the building. “We liked the idea of exposing it,” Motolik says. Working with a local blacksmith, the team was able to create a | February/March 2013 way to show off this unique element under glass with LED lighting, adding a definitive authenticity to the overall design. After laying the foundation, a structural slab and a cavity were created to run all of the electrical wiring and refrigeration to the various food stations, then the design team installed a tongue-and-groove floor made from distressed oak from Ohio, with quarry (porcelain) tiles in the food-prep areas. As a special touch, when Motolik and his team expanded the walk-in cooler, they used the smaller glass doors of the original cooler to create chilled units where patrons can grab cold drinks. “It has a really authentic hardware and feel,” he says. Motolik also updated the original track lighting with new track heads and additional tracks throughout. As a contrast, the food cases are uniform stainless steel. “The food cases were really the only elements that would become accents with the fabric of the existing building, finishes, etc.,” Motolik says. “And, we really didn’t mind that, because they include all the colorful food and interesting items, which ultimately creates a nice dialogue between historical and modern.” www.ddionline.com http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - February/March 2013

DDi - February/March 2013
Table of Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Newsworthy
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Special Insert: The Carlson Group
Harley-Davidson
Retail’s Expansion Explosion
Aaron Brothers
dELiA*s
Shopper Insights
Value—Retail’s Dirty Word
POP Supplier Listing
POP Products
GlobalShop Show Preview
Right Light
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Think Tank

DDi - February/March 2013