MARY’S LIVING & GIVING SHOP, BARNES
CHARITY SHOP
Having worked with the Living & Giving/Save the Children teams on two previous shops sourcing decorative items for them, I was approached to design the latest addition to the family of specialist charity shops.
Set in the leafy environs of Barnes, the premises had most recently been used as a beauty treatment spa. Removing the treatment room partitions left us with one large room, which required as much hanging and display space as possible without leaving it looking dull and uninspired.
INSPIRATION
MOOD
1920/30s (between the wars) and
The Life of a Gentlewoman
FOCUS
Things that have stood the test of time, but now a little warn in and faded. Memories and secrets, things to find and share
COLOUR PALETTE
Strong, grounded, natural colours (dark and mid greens) with softer more feminine shades (dusky pinks and creams) to lighten and give focus for the eye
Stripping the shop back to as near it’s original Victorian roots as possible revealed original butcher’s shop wall tiles and a vast sash window at the rear of the shop that had been covered up for years.
A changing room was built underneath the existing staircase casement, using reclaimed doors as frontage to give a weathered, worn in look for visual interest.
In the dead space next to the changing room a ‘kid’s den’ was created just big enough for little ones to play, wallpapered in vintage 30’s ‘dress up doll’ imagery and an entrance gate created from a vintage abacus.
Meeting HRH The Princess Royal at the Barnes shop. The Princess is President of Save The Children and wanted to visit the shop to recognise and thank all those involved in the making and running of the shop.
