Green Zebra Grocery- My latest design as the lead designer from King Retail Solutions. This was a fun project to work on, both because of the type of project as well as the team that was involved. The bright colors and fun/hip design that became the Lombard St location were the culmination of months of design work, ideation, collaboration and experimentation. We got the opportunity to work with John Jay (Wieden+Kennedy Garage), as well as Lisa Sedlar to bring it all together to make this project what it is today.
The newest addition to Portland's locally grown, organic grocery scene, Green Zebra is setting out to redefine the urban market with this c-store sized mart that focuses largely on fresh fare, right down to the beer in the fill-your-own growler bar. In designing the space, KRS repurposed original materials from the gutted building, including exterior brick brought inside and exposed clerestory along with douglas fir planks in the previously covered ceiling. An homage to the store's Green Zebra namesake (a type of tomato) non-overt striping is incorporated throughout, including white-on-white randomly arranged subway tiles and striated formica case fronts.
Innovative Custom Signage System
With its ever-evolving, fresh from the fields menu, Green Zebra required a modular signage system that could be quickly updated on a daily basis to highlight seasonal offerings. KRS developed and then custom-built this one-of-a-kind, moveable and changeable signage display system. Plaques are hand-rusticated cold rolled steel metal sheets, stained with a process developed just for this project by the designer. Faux-aged to the desired effect (using coffee, sunlight, dirt, and other elements) the plaques are then sealed with clear coat and mounted in solid wood. The functional duo handles at the bottom of each piece are modeled after industrial peel tools such as those used in wood-fired pizza ovens.
