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Fusion of Flavors

Neiman Marcus’ Mariposa mixes Boca Raton tropical with urban chic

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While many retailers long ago traded in-house restaurants for more sales space or smaller stores, Neiman Marcus remains committed to keeping an upscale food offering part of its shopping experience – and more. “Our restaurants are designed to be a destination of choice,” says Ignaz Gorischek, vp, store development.

As such, no two locations in its sit-down restaurant chain, Mariposa, are designed alike.

“Each has its own personality and menu, depending on the market,” says Gorischek. “Our customers often travel to different markets and we want their experiences to vary slightly. We’re not a cookie-cutter operation.”

Charles Sparks + Co. design firm (Westchester, Ill.), which has designed several Neiman Marcus interiors along with its Mariposa destinations, was charged with creating the chain’s newest environment in Florida’s upscale Boca Raton Town Center Mall. Calling the design a fusion of “Boca Raton tropical meets urban chic,” principal-in-charge Charles Sparks says, “we created a modern gallery setting with the palette and lushness of Southern Florida.”

Naturally Elegant

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The 3600-square-foot space, located on the store’s second floor and adjacent to the tabletop, crystal and silver departments, houses high ceilings, open sightlines and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Subtle references to Florida’s tropical fauna and the Everglades hew to the nature-inspired theme. For instance, a custom-designed area rug running along the window perimeter was inspired by grasses from the local savannah. Similarly, stone tile flooring with natural striations of greens and tans mimics grasses blowing in the wind.

A commissioned glass art piece hangs above the banquet seating area, opposite the wall of windows. Here, artists from Mickelsen Studios (Melbourne, Fla.) created a rhythmic glass sculpture designed by Charles Sparks + Co. with fading bands of color, fastened to the wall by a steel frame. “We wanted it to be musical and full of movement,” says Sparks. The piece also follows the Neiman Marcus tradition of supporting regional artists at each of its store locations.

Another nod to nature is found in the tropical patterned fabric used on the banquets, which complements the glass artwork hanging above. “All of these elements suggest a feeling of the natural landscape outside,” says Sparks.

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A dark wood door frame and a large painted canvas hanging on the wall draw attention to a separate private dining room, located at the end of the restaurant, opposite the reception area. Designed to resemble an outdoor Lanai terrace, the area is furnished with teak slat-backed chairs and tables for a more informal aesthetic.

In the Mood for Food

In the bar area, designers employed a moodier lighting scheme. Illuminated back shelves contrast with the walnut-stained bar, while color-changing LEDs on the bar front add color and drama.

Lemon sorbet-colored tabletops in the main dining room and a rich, chocolate-brown wood finish in the bar area offer a flavorful touch. “We always try to relate the color palette to the food,” says Sparks. Even the Venetian plaster walls anchoring either side of the dining room are painted an avocado green.

In the end, Sparks says, these subtle splashes of color within a bright and airy dining environment create an understated feel that “allows the room itself to become the gallery with the people in it.”

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The retailer is also pleased with the culinary setting. “The restaurant isn’t overly formal, yet it has a level of dining sophistication,” says Gorischek.

The Neiman Marcus Mariposa restaurant in Boca Raton won first place in the sit-down restaurant category in the 2006 ISP/VM+SD International Store Design Competition.

 Client: Neiman Marcus, Dallas – Wayne Hussey, senior vp, properties and store development; Ray Gearhard, vp, property development; Ignaz Gorischek, vp, store development; Chris Lebamoff, vp, store planning; David Volosin, site representative; Paolo Antonini, manager, store planning; Megan Hermann, manager, color and materials

Design: Charles Sparks + Co., Westchester, Ill. – Charles Sparks, principal-in-charge; Donald Stone, account executive; David Koe, senior creative director; Stephen Prosser, account coordinator; Rachel Mikolajczyk, director, resource studio;

Architect: Barteluce Architects & Associates, New York

General Contractor: Keene Construction, Maitland, Fla.

Outside Design Consultants: Integrated Lighting Concepts, Thousand Oaks, Calif. (lighting); KLR Associates, Cincinnati (kitchen); Avcon Design Group, New York (MEP)

Fixturing: Goebel Fixture Co., Hutchinson, Minn.; Faubion Intl., Dallas

Flooring: Innovative Stone, Hauppauge, N.Y.; Surface Group Intl., Barrington, Ill.; Coverings Etc. Inc., Miami

Carpet: Della Robbia Inc., Corona, Calif.

Wall Material: Innovations, Chicago

Paint: Benjamin Moore Paints, Melrose Park, Ill.; Wolf Gordon/Scuffmaster, Chicago

Wood Stain Finish: R.S. Bacon Veneer, Burr Ridge, Ill.

Fabric: Donghia Inc., Chicago; Spinney Beck, Chicago; Maharam, Chicago; Nathan Chapin Ltd., Chicago

Glass: Twin City Creative Mirror & Glass, Burnsville, Minn.

Special Material: Southwest Progressive Enterprises Inc., Dallas; Cascade Coil Drapery, Tualatin, Ore.; Sound Sales Ltd., Elmhurst, Ill.

Ceilings: Armstrong World Industries Inc., Lancaster, Pa.

Lighting: Winona Lighting, Winona, Minn.

Furniture: The Cherner Chair Co., Westport, Conn.; Atta Inc., New York; Shelby Williams, Chicago; David Sutherland, Dallas; Callard & Assoc., Chicago

Wall Frieze: Mickelsen Studios Inc., Melbourne, Fla.

Photography: Charlie Mayer, Oak Park, Ill.

 

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