For its first retail store, Mulholland Brothers (San Francisco) wanted an environment that would emphasize the heritage of the family-owned company while also showcasing its extensive line of leather goods, furniture and private-label apparel.
Hired to turn those objectives into a reality was the Barriscale Design Studio (Mill Valley, Calif.).
"The solution was to create a residential atmosphere that reflected the unique Northern California lifestyle as interpreted by Mulholland," says Chris Barriscale, partner-in-charge on the project (and now president of Fitch:San Francisco).
The store, within the Santana Row retail complex in San Jose, Calif., features a suspended ceiling structure utilizing wood beams and plywood panels to create room-like settings for Mulholland's furniture offerings. A trellis-like ceiling element running the length of the store serves as a pathway for customers, drawing them along a series of wall niches displaying collections of leather goods and apparel. Further enhancing the store's residential feel are aged wood floors, residential lighting and accent colors of rust, sage green and golden ochre.
Client: Mulholland Brothers, San Francisco
Design: Barriscale Design Studio, Mill Valley, Calif. - Chris Barriscale, partner-in-charge
Architect-of-Record: RIM Architects, San Francisco - Michelle Jones, associate principal
Outside Design Consultants: Kevin Roche, San Francisco (brand strategy consultant); 2M Group, Tiburon, Calif. (brand communications/graphics); Studio 321, San Francisco (lighting)
Suppliers: Golden State Flooring, San Francisco (flooring); Mulholland Brothers, San Francisco (fixturing, furniture); Lightolier, Fall River, Mass., Tango Lighting, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (lighting); Benjamin Moore Paints, Montvale, N.J. (wallcoverings)