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Maison – Birks – Est.1879
By : optima design
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 17th edition
Discipline : Interior Design
Categories : Commercial Space / Commercial Space 1,600 - 5,400 sq.ft. (150 - 500 sq.m.) : Bronze Certification
Our mandate for this project was to create an evolution of their previous concept and to develop a way to elevate their brand amongst all the others that they house. Our goal was to help Birks find their own identity through lighting, materials and finishes, and to help their own brand, Bijoux Birks, stand out in their space.
The client: Birks is a Canadian luxury jewellery brand that was founded in 1879. Known for their iconic blue box, Birks is Canada’s leading designer in fine jewellery and is recognized internationally for their incomparable quality.
While developing this interior concept, we wanted to focus on incorporating the following four key elements: lighting, romance, merchandising and distinction.
Lighting: Working through multiple lighting studies, we wanted to ensure the lighting not only made the merchandise glisten, but also helped guide the clients towards the bijoux Birks area and set the tone of the space.
Romance: As buying Birks’ jewelry can be a very personal and often special experience, we wanted to create a romantic and welcoming ambiance.
Merchandising: Wanting to make the natural beauty of Birks’ products shine even brighter, we studied and adjusted the custom millwork and showcases, incorporating custom lighting and different display heights to attract the eye of the consumer straight away.
Distinction: In spaces where bijoux Birks is surrounded by third party brands, we have used the principles of chiaroscuro – an effect of contrast between light and dark – to highlight and draw the consumer to their area. We have also placed Bijoux Birks at the back of the space to ensure it is the focal point for clients as they walk in and is the core that holds all third-party brands together with the main goal of ensuring Birks is distinguishable and recognized.
The main design elements we incorporated to achieve our project goal were: materials, custom millwork and lighting.
Materials: To help us achieve the brand distinction and the principles of chiaroscuro within the space, we studied materials and created two different base palettes – one light for the Bijoux Birks area and one dark for the architectural elements in the third-party brands area. This created a clear border within the space, drawing clients into the Birks area before browsing third party brands. This new lighter palette also helped evolve and create a unique and recognizable identity for Bijoux Birks within the space.
Millwork: We worked with a lighting specialist to study and develop a lighting system within the showcases to highlight the merchandise. Working with two different light temperatures, we designed a custom, sleek fixture that lights up the pieces without drawing any attention to the fixture itself or away from the jeweler. We worked hand in hand with the Birks team to create new display tables and showcases that would not only be updated to match the new concept but would also be updated to improve functionality for team members and clients. We established two different table heights to optimize the client’s viewing experience and to facilitate the staff workflow. Once again, this helped us work towards our goal of elevating the brand within its space by improving the client experience and functionality.
Lighting: We worked through multiple lighting studies to be able to implement the ideal lighting to both allow for flexibility and accentuate the merchandise, as well as provide general lighting in the space. This allowed us to really highlight and distinguish the Bijoux Birks area within the space, while still providing improved lighting for the third-party brands.
