In Flying Colours

Experiential retail is more important than ever, with a pandemic having accelerated the prevalence and importance of ecommerce. Moving forward, customers will demand seamless shopping experiences no matter the retailer. Local interior design studio CAD Associates was appointed the challenging task to create a store that will entice customers off the internet and into the physical space.

“The design requirements for the store were clear. The client wanted the showroom to be like a home,” said lead interior designers Shannie Koh and Bueno Huang.

“We infuse the space with a Scandi-chic atmosphere as a cosy and colourful backdrop for the sleek homeware that the store sells.”

In the design of Yu Home store in Woodland Square, home is clearly where the heart is. The retailer specialises in providing automated laundry rack systems, which comes with a wireless remote controller to make the drying of laundry an easy chore.

Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by a recessed lobby with an arched doorway that provides a warm counterpoint to the colouful interior while effectively splitting the area in two.

“To obtain the essential Scandinavian look and feel, we have worked with carefully selected materials. Scandinavian design is a design movement characterised by simplicity, minimalism, functionality and beauty, and we had to mirror that in Yu Home’s new store,” said Koh and Huang.

“To obtain the essential Scandinavian look and feel, we have worked with carefully selected materials. Scandinavian design is a design movement characterised by simplicity, minimalism, functionality and beauty, and we had to mirror that in Yu Home’s new store.”

The 540 square feet store benefitted from plenty of natural light through a double height and a porch with wall glazing overlooking the neighbourhood. The design team decided to divide the floor area into three different zones; a recessed entrance lobby, a living lounge and a workspace tucked at the back. To amplify this and make the space appear larger Koh and Huang, casted the ceilings and some walls in white, to offset against the colourful scheme of pastel pink, turquoise and gold.

A kitchenette is added into the living room to re-inforce the desired homely ambience. Some Nordic elements, such as an arched doorway and timber beams, are added to keep the store stylish.  French doors open to an open plan office for the store’s employees. A statement wall in paneled leather with studded details lines one wall, offering a stunning complement to the pink elements in the space.

The store’s transformation took just over a month and its new concept dovetails nicely with the idea of a flexible design, allowing Yu Home to constantly modernise their in-person offerings and generate new ways to get customers in the door.

From the recessed entrance, a peek-a-boo wall allows a prelude to an immersive shopping experience with sensory elements that meld to form unique and memorable encounters to Yu Home.