House of Hackney In Retail Focus
13/08/2013
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The widley acclaimed House of Hackney flagship store in Shoreditch, designed in collaboration with MRA Architecture & Interior Design, features in the August edition of Retail Focus. Here's the article in full: British fashion and homeware brand House of Hackney has opened its first ever store in its namesake borough of London. Designed in collaboration with MRA Architecture & Interior Design, the 186 sq m space is arranged over two floors and divided into a series of themed rooms, including garden, fabric and fashion. ‘House of Hackney wanted to create a space dedicated to their product; a destination for their customers where the beauty of the collections can be seen in their entirety,’ explains MRA director, Stephanie Srivastava. ‘The store provides a “touchpoint” for followers of the brand, a tactile opportunity to engage and be entertained while being immersed in their statement prints.’ The House of Hackney logo is picked out in delicate gold lettering and mounted on the existing stone fascia panel, drawing attention to the store at 131 Shoreditch High Street. Spilling down the steps and onto the street, fresh flowers and plants also draw customers into the space. Here, creative florist Wild at Heart has curated a flower shop inspired by the House of Hackney collections. In this so-called garden room, traditional black-andwhite Victorian-style tiling contrasts with the flamboyant decoration, while a new floral print, used for the papered feature wall and on the bespoke tiles to the back of the florist’s counter top, adds to the natural exuberance. The black-and-white tiling continues further into the store but with a change in scale to delineate the separate areas. In the fabric room, large-format shelving provides a showcase for House of Hackney’s decorative cushions, while wallpapers are displayed on oversized hinged panels to show the full pattern repeat. In addition, a library of fabric and wallpaper samples, and smaller items such as fine bone china, are displayed near the cash desk, which is defined by globe pendant luminaires located above. The space is enhanced by octagonal feature mirror panelling to the ceiling, adding a sense of grandeur that matches the fabrics on display. In the fashion room, a grand ‘conversation seat’ upholstered in Wild Card fabric gives an opulent salon feel and provides a waiting space near the fitting rooms, which are decorated in Hackney Empire Stripe paper and curtains. At the rear of the store, a double-height space shows the full effect of the brand’s signature Hackney Empire luxury wallpaper. Featuring a carnival of animals in a riot of colour, this adds a sense of theatre as customers take the spiral staircase to the lower floor. On the lower ground floor, the furniture showroom features a series of room sets, curated by print. Overhead, a grid system allows for a flexible display space, much like a stage set, where screens can be suspended and moved to form different ‘rooms’. The overall store design embodies the brand’s playful, irreverent style with a backdrop of dark furniture in House of Hackney’s signature midnight colourway. ‘It was important that our design was strong enough to reflect the quality of House of
Hackney’s vibrant collection of fabrics and wallpapers, while not competing visually,’ says Srivastava. ‘Dark furniture allows the product to really stand out, while ornate detailing and the classic black-and-white flooring give a sense of tradition.’ Following the success of the first store, House of Hackney is keen to expand the business into further international locations.