For a detour into the world of decor we bring you the story behind the redone Thomas Pink store in Dupont's Mayflower Hotel. They opened about a week ago and unveiled a new design concept that will be making its way into their other stores throughout the country. The store is modeled after a London townhouse and finds a way to show off its merchandise without clashing with the overall sense that a Kentucky Derby cocktail party would be perfectly appropriate inside these walls. A dresser based on an old map chest shows off the ties and cufflinks, stainless steel pigeonholes set each style of shirt apart from the others, and a video of iconic London scenes are just the beginning of the re-design.
Florence Torrens, Creative Director for Thomas Pink, explains the whole goal for the design was to merge two different eras of style. "We wanted to call out the tension between the old and the new. The paneling, for example, could have an old feel but by bringing in some white paneling it gives it an updated look. Another huge thing for us is color. It was absolutely key to call out the pink and black. For the floor we've used a black granite in a herringbone pattern to link back to the old parquet, but ran a pink line around the perimeter to call out our signature color." That same motif shows up with the black leather club chairs that have a subtle pink trim. Designers also worked in the famous logo of the "cheeky" fox in the door handles and full length mirror.
Architect Steve Lochte, of Brand + Allen, points out that the L-shaped layout of the store turned out to be a blessing in disguise. "When we first looked at the space I said this was probably the most difficult design to work with but it turned out that the unusual configuration lends itself to the idea of different rooms within a townhouse. The changes in the finishes on the walls creates rooms within the space."
Photos by Ron Blunt
· Thomas Pink [Official Site]
Loading comments...