First of Many

When South African sculptor Carrol Boyes was looking to open a retail outlet in either London or New York, little did she know that a cell phone company would help make her decision. Early in 2004, the founder of Carrol Boyes Functional Art began the process of establishing a flagship store on London's posh Kings Road. But British real estate types move slowly — too slowly for Carrol, who by June 2004 found herself in New York, nosing around SoHo, the city's artisan district that attracts high-end retailers.

Before one could explain to her the derivation of the name SoHo (see below), Carroll began negotiations for a retail space at 118 Prince Street. Her goal was to get her shop, either in New York or London, open in time for holiday sales. By September, the staff back at Carrol Boyes headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa, was wondering what stock to start packing, and whether to price it in Yankee dollars or British pounds. Then, with no warning, the European cell phone company O2 grabbed the Kings Road space, leaving New York as Carrol's only option. Increased pressure on the Prince Street realtors resulted in a signed lease by October.

The raw space Boyes took on consisted of three floors in a 19th-century building, each floor measuring about 900 square feet. The basement would be used for storage, the first floor for retail, and the second would have space to meet with corporate buyers (Carrol Boyes also wholesales) and bridal registry clients, as well as room to display larger accent pieces and her signature drinks trolleys.

Carrol knew exactly what she wanted the store to look like. As a flagship store, it would be a prototype for subsequent Carrol Boyes retail outlets. (The next will have opened in Lisbon, Portugal, by the time this article appears.) And since the product is mostly pewter and aluminum (new lines of accent furniture and leather accessories are being added), she wanted a store design that would show off the gleaming metal and unusual shapes and patterns like they stars they are.

With only two months to get the doors open, Carrol and her staff moved into high gear. “We knew what we wanted, and we found a wonderful contractor and a charismatic architect who started work by the last week of October,” says Carrol.

Warmth, light, and sophistication are what first strike the visitor to the completed Carrol Boyes store. The warmth comes from the deep red wall color and the mahogany finish of the fixtures that are, for the most part, built in. Light comes from the many backlit cabinets, flush-mounted miniature flood lights in the ceiling, and metal pendant fixtures above the cash/wrap desk. In addition, natural light pours in through the large front window.

At first glance, the dazzling display of product suggests a gallery rather than a retail store. But moving closer to the displays, the visitor is encouraged to handle product, admiring the many whimsical designs and quality of the finishes. And this being metalware, there's no fear of breakage!

A major triumph in the store's design is created by displaying the majority of product along the perimeter of the narrow space. Often with “bowling alley” configurations, traffic flow is hindered, or worse, by table and other fixtures scattered throughout the space. But The Carrol Boyes Functional Art store leaves plenty of floor space for customers to wander. The lighted back wall displaying larger, sculptural shapes is a natural way to draw shoppers to the rear of the store.

With a hoped-for opening day of December 1, 2004, less than two months away, Carrol, staff, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and a multitude of other laborers worked round the clock. “Our doors opened at noon on Sunday, December 5,” says Carrol. “Four days later than we might have liked, but still an amazing feat.” (She must lead a sainted life to get those kind of results.)

Carrol reports that holiday sales were “heartening,” and continue to improve with each passing month. She has also discovered an added advantage from opening a store in New York. “People seem to feel that because we have a venue in SoHo, we could have one literally anywhere. Maybe,” she adds, “Someday we will.”

The intelligent use of a narrow space and the highlighting of product in a gallery-like setting in the highly competitive retail environment of New York's SoHo district are among the reasons Gifts & Decorative Accessories chooses The Carrol Boyes Store as a 2005 REA finalist for Store Design.

*The name SoHo was created by the real estate industry in the 1970s to promote the district of cast-iron buildings in New York City that was evolving from a manufacturing zone to a mix of retail and residential uses. SoHo is a contraction of South of Houston; Houston Street being a major east-west thoroughfare in lower Manhattan. The street is pronounced “HOW-ston.”