Michael LaViano, a third-generation master jeweler and Swiss-trained watchmaker, opened a jewelry shop in Westwood, N.J., in 1945. The business, now operated by the family’s second generation, has opened a second store, in Englewood, N.J.
To cater to the predominantly male watch-buying clientele that LaViano Jewlers had built up over the years, designers from GRID/3 Intl. Inc. (New York) created a “men’s club” environment at the back of the 2600-square-foot space. That zone includes cherry wood paneling and continuous glass showcases that facilitate detailed product examinations and comparison shopping.
The front of the store, where jewelry is displayed, features cream-colored walls accentuated with round, wood-framed mirrors. The idea, says GRID/3 principal Ruth Mellergaard, is to create an open, inviting space that shoppers of both sexes would feel comfortable in. Cherry wood, like that used to panel the watch zone walls, is integrated into the jewelry display cases, visually unifying the space.
The store’s exterior posed a distinct design challenge for a jewelry retailer: it has large windows that the owners worried would make it difficult to effectively display their small-sized goods. To overcome that dilemma, Mellergaard put the merchandise in freestanding cherry showcases that fit in the window cases and are lined with light maple wood.
Project Participants
Client
LaViano Jewelers, Englewood, N.J.
Jeffrey LaViano, Jack LaViano and Robert LaViano, co-owners
Design
GRID/3 Intl. Inc., New York: Ruth Mellergaard and Keith Kovar, principals; Errol Demagajes, associate
Outside Consultants
Charles Fertig, Staten Island, N.Y. (mechanical and electrical engineering)
Thornton Engineering, Westwood, N.J. (structural engineering)
General Contractor
RAD Construction Consultants, Livingston, N.J.
Ceilings
Armstrong Ceiling Systems, Lancaster, Pa.
Fixtures
Eagle Displays, New Kensington, Pa.
Flooring
Crossville Porcelain Tile, Crossville, Tenn.
Patcraft Carpet, Dalton, Ga.
Catco Marble & Granite, Port Reading, N.J.
Armstrong Flooring, Lancaster, Pa.
Lighting
Juno Lighting Group, Des Plaines, Ill.
Columbia Lighting, Spokane, Wash.
Wallcoverings
Koroseal Interior Products, Wilmington, Mass.
Sherwin Williams, Edison, N.J.