Jenny Lee, Newport Beach, Calif.

While many brides turn to resourceful ideas to stretch a wedding budget, designer Rick McCormack employed the same creative thinking when converting an empty storefront into Jenny Lee’s first bridal and formal wear boutique.

“The budget was very tight so we decided to concentrate on a few eye-catching elements,” says McCormack, chief creative officer, Richard McCormack Design (Costa Mesa, Calif.).

But designers first had to overcome a major challenge – a large structural column centrally located within the 2200-square-foot space. Rather than cover it up – which would have impacted the layout – McCormack featured it using a quilted wallcovering, large ceiling dome and a curtain of hanging crystals.
He even got Lee’s okay to employ her staff’s expertise on some of the decorative elements, including stringing 5000 crystals for five lighting elements and sewing the floor-to-ceiling fabric curtains that frame the dressing rooms.

Judges lauded the project for an effective use of a challenging space. “There’s a sense of exploration here,” says Limited Brand’s Jan Tribbey.

Richard McCormack Design, Costa Mesa, Calif.