Maraolo

After a fire destroyed the Maraolo store in Great Neck, N.Y., the Milan-based designer and retailer decided to rebuild the space as a one-of-a-kind showcase for its handcrafted footwear and handbags. Horst Design Intl. (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), retained to turn that vision into reality, opted for a sleek, minimalist look that places the merchandise at center stage.

“We followed the design philosophy that less is more,” says HDI principal Douglas Horst, “and created a crisp, stark white environment incorporating bright, architectural forms and rectilinear shapes without heavy moldings.”

To help attract passersby, the storefront features large windows. But the space itself is narrow and deep, measuring 14-by-80-feet, and is divided into three main areas. The front features handbags, cases and seasonal merchandise; a central customer service area houses the cashwrap and an adjoining showcase carrying wallets, sunglasses and other accessories; and the rear serves as the display area for boots and shoes. To create the appearance of greater spaciousness at the front of the store, its ceiling steps down toward the back. To bring additional dimensionality to the linear space, angular walls were installed in its center. At the perimeter, fixed shelves with frosted glass insets floating between mirrored piers are lit from behind, to give the space a feeling of permanence and quality. Other lighting touches include a central ceiling soffit illuminating the length of the store, and recessed black troughs in the ceiling that house track lighting.

Client Design Team: Maraolo Shoes, Milan – Stefano Maraolo, principal; Agostino Nastasi, vp, marketing; Rosario Cordaro, executive vp

Design Team: Horst Design Intl., Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. – Douglas B. Horst, principal-in-charge; Bernard Rumphorst, principal, project design/management; Cynthia Davidson, director, colors/materials

Suppliers: U.S. Gypsum Co., Chicago (ceilings); Gilford Upholstery, New York (fabrics); Ranallo Woodworking, Massapequa, N.Y. (fixturing); Innovative Marble & Tile, Hauppauge, N.Y. (flooring); Thomas Amato Co., New York, Ranallo Woodworking, Massapequa, N.Y. (furniture); Store Lighting Systems, New York (lighting); Ranallo Construction, Massapequa, N.Y. (signage); Clodan Carpets Inc., New York (carpeting); Benjamin Moore, Montvale, N.J. (paint)