Family Matters

It’s good to be back. In the world of design, that is.

As the new editor of VMSD, I’m over the moon with anticipation as I begin shepherding this storied title. At a time when whiplash-inducing social, economic and cultural changes demand nimbleness and innovation from the store design and merchandising industry, it’s an exciting (and, I’ll admit, a bit daunting) mission.

I may be new to retail but my background in hospitality design should serve me well in covering your equally vibrant and engaged community. As you know, there’s an increasingly strong overlap of the two sectors (as demonstrated by the Ginger Bay Salon and Spa’s redesign, featured on page 36 of the June issue of VMSD).

Actually, retail and design are in my blood. As a young girl, I spent hours propped behind the counter of my grandfather’s dim and dusty hardware store, scribbling on paint sample cards while he genially traded neighborhood gossip with his loyal customers over boxes of nuts and bolts.

On the design side, I’m a descendant of two architects, and take pride in promoting their legacies, which include Baltimore’s B&O Railroad Museum and the converted railroad warehouse that anchors the iconic Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

And then there’s a youthful retail connection that readers of a certain age may relate to: special Saturdays browsing the endless aisles of local department stores, in my case Cleveland’s long-gone but beloved grand dames, Higbee’s and Halle’s. The highlight of an outing with my mother, a former department store model (talk about a throwback), was lunch at Higbee’s art deco fixture, the Silver Grille. There, ladies nibbled delicate finger sandwiches while their less figure-focused daughters indulged in gooey tin roof sundaes.

My daughter and I carry on this bonding rite with an updated twist. We stroll our suburban “lifestyle center,” the local family-owned department stores replaced by big national brands: Banana Republic and Williams-Sonoma for mom, H&M and Charming Charlie for Annie, topped off by lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.

The retail landscape has changed dramatically over my lifetime and while I occasionally yearn for the stores of my past, the shopping experience I cherish has not changed all that much: it’s still about that rush of delight in discovering the new, multi-sensory stimulation from creative displays and social engagement.

So now I get to interact with and share the inspirations, issues and insights of the experts who create the retail magic that has informed and enhanced my life. I can’t wait to get started.