02.16.2014Asheville, Architecture
Experience is Everything at Wildflower Bridal
In September, we received a telephone call from a woman who wanted to open a bridal boutique in Asheville. She was looking for help to design her space. We were immediately excited about this project for a number of reasons. 1. There’s something about a big dress & people fussing over you that really makes it a fun experience. 2. We knew we could really help design a layout that would be best for the existing space & help provide a unique experience for her customers.
Like most clients of ours, there was a deadline, or a starting line for her business. It was our job to help get her to that line with a fully functioning store. Early on, we sketched out a few floor plan concepts & below is the one she selected.
Once we had a direction for the overall plan, we further refined the design & generated conceptual renderings. The shop is located in Biltmore Park and has a great storefront for people walking on the sidewalk to see all the custom dresses. Our client knew what she wanted, but wasn’t sure if she could make the existing space work to fit her needs, and future needs. One of our challenges was to design the store so it could hold 30 dresses, but be able to accommodate more in the future-as her business grows. Our design inspiration ranged from ‘modern’ to ‘industrial’ to even ‘glitzy’.
Wildflower Bridal had a Grand Opening a few weeks ago, below are some photographs courtesy of Rachel McIntosh.
Here is the main sales floor. When Wildflower Bridal chooses to carry more dresses, there is a 10′ dress rack on wheels that can be brought to the center of the store.
Grace Construction did a fantastic & job on this project and within a quick timeframe. The dress racks were custom made of steel pipe. They were painted black to make sure they will not smear the dresses. Early on, we had wanted to incorporate some reclaimed wood to give the space a little texture. We’re thrilled with the final outcome-it makes such a nice contrast against the soft, light colored dresses.
And because 1/3 of us loves champagne…
Wildflower Bridal will be taking appointments, so each customer essentially has the store to themselves. Here is a shot of the dressing room. For those of you who have not had the experience of trying on a wedding dress-it’s a two person job.
A view from the dressing room to the “lounge” area with the mirror. Again-we wanted this space to have a little texture with the reclaimed wood but also have soft colors & lighting that will make everyone look their best.
We also included a curtain that can be used if a shy bride does not want to show off her dresses to the pedestrians in Biltmore Park.
As a tenant upfit in Biltmore Park, there are several perks. One is that the exterior is already maintained & in good shape. Here, we simply added new awnings & the Wildflower Bridal logo.
And lastly, the ship light! Admittedly, our early selections for the store were less-jeweled. Our client knew she wanted the store to have some sparkly elements and she was looking for that statement piece. We think she found it in the ship light.
We are very happy to have been a part of the opening of this new business & know that many brides will be thrilled to have a unique wedding dress shopping experience right here in Asheville, North Carolina.
