a store interior as a story sequence
For the exclusive gift store KKeC in Rotterdam ZOETMULDER was asked to make a design for the retail interior. The wish is to obtain a calm and balanced background in which the offered products are clearly displayed. Clear lines of sight with simple routing and a neutral colour palette form the basis.
The original situation was highly complex and disordered, making it difficult to see that the products offered are chosen with great care and love. The owners passion for the store and its products forms an inspiration for the development of a playful and distinct store concept formulated as: ‘Less is a bore’. In a clear colour palette, furniture is designed with explicit graphical accents on a neutral basis.
Dividing the great diversity of products into three worlds creates a natural order that makes the store readable. These worlds are separately recognisable by three accent colours and are connected by sight lines and materialisation. The luxury world is red, the fun world is yellow and the frame world is green. Every world gets its own centre in the form of a large coloured diamond shape. The unique character of the store is given identity by the shape of this hexagonal diamond shape, the KKeC shape, which is everywhere in the store. This shape defines the contours of the custom made furniture up to the graphic design. The playful colour palette is held together by a neutral palette of light wood furniture, the bright lighting and the gray floor. This makes the store a unique experience and shapes the identity of KKeC.
A unique quality of this store is its position alongside the stairs of the ‘Koopgoot’. We designed several openings alongside these stairs that create specific lines of sight in the store. Descending the stairs, the playful interior of KKeC is visible through the diamond shaped yellow frame in the shop window. From the entrance there is a direct view on the red diamond shape above the cash register. The first step within the store creates a line of sight to the green diamond shape at the back of the store. In this sequence of the arrival in KKeC, the entire story of the store is readable.
Photography by Roza Schous.
