The owner of Caramel, a children’s clothing retailer, asked us to work with her after seeing one of our residential projects. We agreed we wouldn’t design a shop that was overtly for children, but rather use the limited palate of materials and sense of space more usually associated with our residential projects. This would have the effect of presenting the merchandise in a more domestic, lifestyle environment, allowing it to take centre stage, rather than having to fight against the colours and busyness more usually associated with children’s retail.

A tough concrete developer finish to the walls was offset by dramatic plaster planes set at a high level. Against this textural backdrop we designed a lightweight and elegant storage system to display the clothes. At the rear of the shop we added a new window for daylight and a diminutive space for reading and drawing. The relatively clutter-free space has the effect of taking the customer on a journey into and through the shop.