A.R.E. Awards – Hardline Specialty Store 3,001-7,500 sf – Grand Prize

The goal of Aaron Brothers’ new concept, Artist’s Spirit, is to elevate art supplies, a growing category for the custom and do-it-yourself framing retailer. Polished concrete floors, fixtures on industrial wheels, and hand-hewn accents give the 7,425-square-foot store the feel of an urban artist’s loft. Interactive areas include an wall where customers can compose frame groupings and an Art Bar for technique demonstrations and guided DIY framing. Artwork, including swatches of paint and canvas texture, is integrated into signage to create an artful reflection of the brand.

To organize the many styles of ready-made frames, the design team created an innovative selling system, organizing frames by finish and size on sliding display panels so customers can first determine the style, then the size, they need. The sliding panels conceal inventory.

Designed by Chute Gerdeman

http://www.aredesignawards.com/award_winner_detail.cfm?key=2013145162&key2=Aaron%20Brothers