The Paul Frank Store

Specialty Store, sales area under 1500 sq. ft., First Place
Giorgio Borruso Design, Marina Del Rey, Calif.

When Giorgio Borruso was commissioned to design a boutique store for retailer Paul Frank, his challenge was twofold: make the 1500-square-foot space open and flexible, and dream up a design that would reflect the unique merchandise: hip, modern and quirky but not slick. A floor-to-ceiling glass façade with a vertical graphic that reads “Paul Frank is your friend” welcomes visitors into the well-lighted store.

Inside, the retailer's trademark colors, orange, white, blue and black, dominate the space. To the right, behind the cashwrap, is a wall constructed of Douglas fir (one of Frank's mandates) that curves slightly at the bottom like a half-pipe. It features a flexible peg-like system that Borruso calls “a work in progress,” where the owner can leave notes for customers or hang a bicycle. The cashwrap itself appears to spring from the wall in varying heights and curves, continuing the wave-like feel. To the left, colorful, modular freestanding and wall-mounted fixtures lend color, changeability and an element of surprise. Drawers pull out to create visual interest, large, rolling elements can be easily rearranged and colors can be combined in unique ways. And Frank's fun signature character, Julius, appears throughout the space, as an icon on the exterior signage and on a blue wall at the rear of the store.

Client: Paul Frank Industries, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Design: Giorgio Borruso, Marina Del Rey, Calif.
Giorgio Borruso, principal, designer

General Contractor: Sneden + Bowers, Santa Ana, Calif.

Architect: PBWS Architects, Pasadena, Calif.

Furniture and Fixtures: Studio Concepts, Long Beach, Calif.

Flooring: Abet Laminati, Orange County, Calif.

Signage: Carey Sign Graphics, Anaheim, Calif.

Photography: Benny Chan/Fotoworks, Los Angeles