Design in a day - A bespoke rug frame WIP
I was approached by a client I am currently building a fantastic relationship with at Peerless. I have previously completed bespoke projects of a similar nature for them before, so relished the opportunity to get going again. This retailer occupies a fantastic spot in a thriving street in central London. The clientele attracted to the store return because of the high quality service and products on offer; naturally the shop fittings are of the utmost quality.
Working from a single in-store photo and a few guiding measurements of the area, the brief was to design and manufacture a frame that could display rugs / runners (roughly 800 x 2500mm) in a more efficient and aesthetically pleasing manor.
I went straight into sketching out some initial concept ideas which could work to fit the space. As no budget or finishing requirements had been mentioned yet the brief was still rather undefined. The end goal for the day was, as promised, provide the client with a conceptual idea, product visuals and very rough quote. Below are a few of the rough sketching pages leading to my 'final' 3 solutions.
After weeding out some concepts which clearly wouldn't fit the space or brief, I concentrated a little more on trying to work out the logistics of how customers would like, and currently do purchase rugs in department stores. How could this product flaunt the fabrics on offer? How could the retailer maximise the width yet somewhat short depth of space we have to work with? Ease of transportation, to and around the store, does this need to be floor fixed on castors etc? Products are viewed from front and back as customers filter up the double stairwell, is this significant and how can I flaunt / keep this in mind?
Materials, finishes, dimensions, weights and transportation, all begin to fall into consideration as I move from off the paper and into a 3D model. As the project was currently conceptual, some minor design details are briefly overlooked at this stage; drain / pressure release holes, weld seams and adjustable feet can be contemplated at a later date.
Both units are constructed from 25 x 25 x 2mm ERW BMS tube, which is not only a popular material for this kind of shopfitting but also matches up with some of the units currently installed in store. During the modelling process I swiftly realised only two of the concepts are feasible in the limited store space, so begin to add a few final aesthetic details. Below you can see a couple of renders from the two concepts, one a simple budget conscious solution, and the other a little more aesthetically pleasing, with the increased practicality of double hanging levels and durable white powder coat finish.
