Henry Ford Museum Store

The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. recently underwent a renovation that included an overhaul of its museum store. The shop was first moved from the end of the tour to the entrance, where it gains attraction from even non-ticket holding customers, for a change.

JGA Inc. (Southfield, Mich.) redesigned the 3600-square-foot space, avoiding the cluttered, dark appearance of the previous store. New fixtures offer more merchandise space as well as the ability to adapt to change.

Designers disguised air ducts in the rear of the store by dropping the 18-foot-high ceiling to 13 feet where necessary. The ceiling at the store's front remains 18 feet high, offering a more spacious and open feel despite the large quantities of displayed merchandise.

Divider walls, multi-colored carpet, wallcoverings and signage indicate the store's three main areas — the Inventors area, the Children's section and the Collections area.

Client Team: The Henry Ford Museum Store, Dearborn, Mich. — Terri Anderson, director of retail sales and product development; Wes Hardin, buyer and product development; Pam Foxworth and Toby Hines, buyers; Kim Marcum, Museum Store manager; Karen Smith, Village Store manager; Lynne Friman, project consultant

Design Team: JGA Inc., Southfield, Mich. — Michael Crosson, ceo; Tony Camilletti, senior vp; Kathi McWilliams, creative director; Arvin Stephenson, project manager; Susan Morgowicz, designer; Stephanie Gach, creative resources manager; Brian Eastman, graphic design director; Mike Farris, senior graphic designer

Architect: Ghafari Associates, Dearborn, Mich.

General Contractor: Turner Construction, Detroit

Visual Merchandising: Viz Biz, Huntington Woods, Mich.

Suppliers: Atlas Carpet Mills Inc., Los Angeles; Shaw Contract Group, Dalton, Ga.; PermaGrain Products Inc., Newtown Square, Pa.; Johnsonite Inc., Chagrin Falls, Ohio; and Armstrong World Industries Inc., Lancaster, Pa. (flooring); Benjamin Moore Paint Co., Montvale, N.J.; Valspar Industrial Coatings, Garland, Texas; Ralph Lauren, New York; and Tiger Drylac, St. Charles, Ill. (paint); Nevamar, Odenton, Md.; Pionite Decorative Laminates, Auburn, Maine; Formica Corp., Cincinnati; and ABET Inc., Englewood, N.J. (laminates); Woodworker's Supply, Casper, Wyo.; Stylmark, Minneapolis; VenTec Ltd., Chicago; and Ann Sacks Tile & Stone, Portland, Ore. (fixture finishes); Corman & Associates, Lexington, Ky. (millwork/signage); Grafika, Troy, Mich. (awning)