We designed two award-winning stores for Chiasso, the international retailer of high-end housewares and office accessories. The goal was to create a theatrical setting for the products. We accomplished this by enhancing the merchandise with lively color schemes and floating and fixed architectural pieces, including platforms and cabinets.

In one store, bold colors and simple geometric patterns order the space. We also played with scale to engage the shopper’s attention. Placing small objects on large architectural forms adds drama to the display of the merchandise. In the second store, product displays are finished with faux materials. The walls, which depict a blue fog, further the impression of a stage set.

Awards: Interior Magazine, First Place Award for Retail Design, 1986; Industrial Design Magazine, Citation Award, 1987

Photography: Wayne Cable/Cable Studios