Celebrity Kids Portrait Studio

When Celebrity Kids Portrait Studios decided to design a new retail environment for its prototype store in Easton Town Center (Columbus, Ohio), it did more than make the studio kid-friendly.

“If it's called Celebrity Kids Portrait Studios, we should design it around the child who's the star for the day,” explains Peter Macrae, who was consulting principal of Retail Design Group Architecture Inc. (Columbus) at the time the firm created the store.

Every detail of the 2700-square-foot store takes cues from a child's-scale movie theater and performance stage, including a ticket-booth cashwrap and a proscenium stage with a red curtain where portraits are displayed. Fixtures continue the theme with film reels adorning the handrailing and an accessories display modeled after an old-fashioned popcorn cart. Customers even get a stroll on a custom-designed red carpet, which features movie projectors, cameras and stars.

Individual dressing rooms on the first floor are themed as actors'make-up stations. Outside, customers are drawn to the space by a movie theater-inspired marquee and spotlights that shine up to the Celebrity Kids logo, which is printed on glass and placed three stories above the entryway.

“We've always been about making it a fun and exciting atmosphere,” says owner Randy DelPrince. “When kids and families come here, it's an event.”

Client Team: Celebrity Kids Portrait Studios, Fishers, Ind. – Randy and Sherrie DelPrince, owners

Design: Retail Design Group Architecture Inc., Columbus, Ohio – Peter Macrae, consulting principal

General Contractor: Kort Builders Inc., Indianapolis – Jeff Morone, project manager

Outside Design Consultants: Wiedenbach-Brown Co. Inc., Delaware, Ohio (lighting); HBK Consultants Ltd., Westerville, Ohio (plumbing, mechanical and electrical engineers); Lantz, Jones & Nebraska Inc., Columbus, Ohio (structural engineers)

Suppliers: The Artglo Co., Columbus, Ohio (graphics and fixture fabricator, film strip, cable and wall standard displays); Wasson's Cabinets, Fairland, Ind. (millwork, cabinetry); Kawneer, Norcross, Ga. (aluminum mullions, glass and storefront finish); Patcraft, Dalton, Ga. (carpet); Centiva Ultraplank, Florence, Ala. (wood flooring); Sbemco, Algona, Iowa (walk-off mat); Congoleum, Mercerville, N.J., Centiva by International Floors of America Inc., Florence, Ala. (vinyl tile); Johnsonite, Chagrin Falls, Ohio (vinyl base); Pittsburgh Paints, Pittsburgh (wall and ceiling paint); Pionite, Auburn, Maine, Decometal, Warren, N.J. (laminates); Cozmyk Enterprises Inc., Columbus, Ohio (ornamental railing system); Beck Studios Inc., Milford, Ohio (drapery); Con-Tech, Northbrook, Ill., Infinity, Carthage, Mo., Mercury, Fairfield, N.J., Spero, Cleveland, Illuminating Experiences, Highland Park, N.J., Manning Lighting, Sheboygan, Wis., Lightolier, Fall River, Maine, BK Lighting, Madera, Calif. (light fixtures)

John Evans, J.E. Evans Photography, Galena, Ohio