Clio Blue

Paris-based Clio Blue prides itself on strict attention to detail with the designs of its exclusive silver jewelry. So when it came to designing its first Canadian store (in downtown Montreal), Clio Blue president Annie Busson employed similar standards, utilizing high-quality materials to create a sophisticated and soft atmosphere.

“The main goal was not to over-furnish the space,” says designer Annie Lacaille.

To keep the 500-square-foot store open and light, designers used a combination of quarter-cut cherry wood and mahogany stain in a chocolate mix with chrome hardware.

Illuminated shelving units, inset into the walls, and merchandise drawers, installed underneath window boxes, help keep the sales floor open. A contrasting light-colored ceiling and dark Brazilian wood floor create a sense of grounding in the space, which has 16-foot high ceilings.

Working with Quartz, a Montreal-based lighting consultant, designers combined white halogen and blue fluorescent lighting to create a dramatic and bright effect on the silver jewels.

On the back wall, the company's logo – a totem of bronze in a light blue – becomes a focal point that is visible through the glass storefront, further drawing shoppers inside. Mr. P. Barthélémy is the designer of the new company emblem.

Client: Clio Blue, Montreal

Design: Annie Lacaille, designer, Quebec

Outside Design Consultant: Quartz, Montreal (lighting)

Suppliers: Audioshop, Montreal (audio/ video); Quartz, Montreal (lighting); Clio Blue, Paris (graphics, signage); MultiModules, Montreal (furniture); Montreal Parquetry Floors Inc., Montreal (flooring)

Photography: Yves LeFebvre, Montreal