Kasala

If Kasala's flagship store in Seattle is a window into the future, 21st century retail certainly looks bright and funky. The forward-thinking furniture store has been on Seattle's Western Avenue, a.k.a. “Furniture Row,” for 12 years. But to keep up with growing competition in the area — and with its own unique image — the store needed a major facelift.

Enter Seattle-based Paper Scissors Stone. Kasala owner Dan Flickinger commissioned the firm with the design of a retail showplace that would be functional, yet engaging enough to encourage customers to linger and explore. So, architect Scott Cameron and interior designer Lisa Ewing, both of Paper Scissors Stone, gathered a myriad of Northwest artists to carry out their vision.

A wash of warm, rich colors permeate the entire space. Custom ironwork, imported hardwoods, terrazzo floors, pigment-saturated Venetian plaster and copper leafing combine to give the furniture store a worldly feel. Platformed areas serve as stages for specific furniture collections, circular shelving creatively disguises cement pillars, and colorful small-ticket items bring the pillars to life. With its warm, home-like feel and ultra-modern layout, Kasala's new store design intends to keep customers in-store, but competition at bay well into the next century.

Design: Paper Scissors Stone, Seattle — Scott Cameron and Lisa Ewing, principals

Client Design Team: Kasala, Seattle — Dan Flickinger, owner/principal; Robert Bernard, visual merchandiser

Suppliers: Robert Bryan Co., Stanwood, Wash. (terrazzo); Nanjewell, Seattle (stained concrete); PermaGrain Products Inc., Newtown Square, Pa. (wood floor); Betsy Eby, Seattle (venetian plaster curved wall and copper gilded cashwraps wall); Boiler Room, Seattle (handrails); Precis, Newcastle, Wash. (metal logo inlay and illuminated signs); Durkan, Dalton, Ga. (carpet); Cedar Mountain Woodwrights, Ellensburg, Wash. (column display fixtures, cash wrap and hardware display panels); The Zeppelin Studio, Seattle (vinyl/copper leaf lettering)