store the 2008 music inc. design

NOVEMBER 2008 I MUSIC INC. I 51

STOREDESIGN

ANNUAL

THE 2008 MUSIC INC.

Lifestyle retailing hasbeen all the buzz sincethe beginning of thenew millennium, butthe following music

stores shatter that trend. Whilethey still promote the music-making experience, these deal-erships boast store designs thatare more Nordstrom thanBarnes & Noble, more classythan cozy. Special effort hasbeen put into creating a luxuri-ous environment, so they canattract upscale customers alongwith general musicians.

Some of their design con-cepts require a considerableinvestment. Others are as sim-ple as replacing a fixture. Learnfrom their strategies in the fol-lowing walk-throughs.

52 I MUSIC INC. I NOVEMBER 2008

STORE2008 DESIGNANNUALAMERICAN GUITAR & BAND

AMERICAN GUITAR & BANDMAPLE GROVE, MINN., BY ZACH PHILLIPS

bbWORLD’SCOLLIDEClear, block letters on the facade and gothic letterson the windows designate the store’s two customerbases: parents of music students and professionalrockers. (Store owner Cory Lake is pictured below.)

bbSHAPELY FLOOR PLANThe store’s floor plan revolves around a series of shapes on the carpet. These areactually outlines of mirrors hanging in the Viceroy Santa Monica hotel, patternswhich the Lakes decided would help keep displays framed and organized. (Noticethe guitar amps in the top photo.) The shapes also make the industrial carpetingappear more luxurious and were created by a company that transfers images ontorugs. The 5-foot-tall ceiling clock came from an architectural salvage company.

American Guitar & Band’s store designcaters to several different, even con-

trary customers. It’s clean and homey formoms bringing their kids in for music les-sons, yet posh and gear-packed for prosand collectors seeking an upscale shop-

ping experience. And it works effortlessly.Built from the ground up, the store

opened last year. (American Guitar &Band’s previous location, which opened in2000, aimed solely at boutique cus-tomers.) Owner Cory Lake and his wife,

Stephanie, looked outside music retail fordesign inspiration, citing high-end depart-ment stores, specifically Neiman Marcus.They also adhered to a simple rule whenchoosing fixtures and decor: If theywouldn’t put it in their own home, they

wouldn’t put it in their store.“We didn’t want to do anything the-

matic, anything retro, but we wanted it tohave a definite look,” said Stephanie,who’s a designer. “It’s an extension of ourhome. It’s such a personal environment.”


AMERICANGUITAR& BAND

bbPASTORALELEGANCEAmerican Guitar & Band’s 15-foot ceilings give it moreroom to display acoustic guitars than at its previous loca-tion. Cork flooring and cedar slatwall deliver a vibe in theacoustic room that’s both pastoral and elegant. The Lakespurchased the slatwall from Palay Display.

bbCOFFEE LOUNGEThe coffee lounge serves as a place to meet with vendors, a waiting areafor parents and a spot for caterers when American Guitar & Band hostsevents. Stephanie pointed out that giving parents a place to sit during theirkids’ lessons is especially important in Minnesota, where the wintermonths yield frigid temperatures and snow-covered roads.

bbSTUDIOS& MUSEUMSThe Lakes said they intended to make the music lesson studios feel asspacious and uncluttered as possible, with full-view glass doors to easeparents. Each studio has a theme and includes framed photos from theMinnesota Historical Society. The drum room, for instance, features classyblack-and-white shots of percussionists. “Cory will have people come inand want to bring friends back just to see the photos,” Stephanie said.

bbSOPHISTICATEDELECTRIC VIBEMahogany slatwall, halogen track lighting and a chandelier(not pictured) breathe sophistication into the electric guitarboutique. As in the acoustic room, Palay Display suppliedthe slatwall. “We wanted it to feel a little bit more like alibrary or den — a little bit more intimate,” Stephanie said.


LONG & MCQUADESTORE2008 DESIGNANNUAL

LONG & MCQUADEVANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, BY JENNY DOMINE

bbSKY-TRAINVIEWStylized, nearby software com-panies influenced the industriallook of Long & McQuade’s newVancouver building. SkyTrainpassengers can see studentswalking to their music classesthrough floor-to-ceiling win-dows on the second floor.

“Five million people a monthtravel on the SkyTrain,”Buchanan said. “That’s just themost beautiful advertising thatwe could ask for.”

bbLIGHT & COLOR

Scot Buchanan, general manager ofLong & McQuade’s Vancouver location,

initially had concerns about bringing twoformer stores — one combo/pro audio andone print music/band and orchestra — into

a centralized, 34,500-square-foot building.“About three weeks after opening, the

manager of the second floor came to meand said, ‘We have two people from theVancouver Symphony Orchestra on the

second floor trying cellos out,’” Buchanansaid. “I thought that was fantastic, went tothe first floor and there were Angus andMalcolm Young from AC/DC. They were intown recording a record.”

Clear signage, clever displays and acontemporary, industrial look help unitetwo distinct retail floors, a music school,repair shop and rental department in thisdestination location.

Subtle changes in light and color differentiate individual productareas. An example would be the warm and cool colors that sepa-rate the general guitar department on the left side from the bassesand high-end guitars on the right.

“You feel something is different when you walk into that area,but maybe as a customer wouldn’t really put your finger on it,”Buchanan said.

bbCURVED DISPLAYSA vast, curved wall with guitars on both sides catches a customer’seye upon entering the store. This curved display is a common fix-ture throughout the Long & McQuade chain. The blue-tinged slat-wall has a hint of metallic shine that makes the guitars pop.According to Buchanan, the curvature serves no other function thanto “look cool.”


LONG &MCQUADE

bbHIDING SPACESEvery department has a hiding spot that’s built into it for day-to-day storage. In the high-tech recording area, a three-quarter-sizeddoor gives employees access to the space behind the racks, whereeverything is plugged in. This hiding spot houses supplies, whichsaves trips to the warehouse and keeps the area clean and tidy.

bbINFINITE PRINTOn the second floor, the curved walls are exchanged for straightlines and open spaces to accommodate the print music, pianos,and band and orchestra departments. The tall and long printshelves add to the expansive feel. “The eye looks for miles” saidLong & McQuade’s Christie Smith. Cross-promotional print musicdisplays are strategically located on the first floor with clever sig-nage that directs people upstairs to see more.

bbARTY ENTRYWAYOne of the store’s biggest challenges is directing customers to the sec-ond floor. Beside the main entrance, there’s a separate entrance for themusic school, which is located on the second floor, and a third entrancefor the rental department. Well-marked elevators and two stairwells gofrom the first floor to the second. Large posters from the VancouverOpera adorn the staircases. These design elements, along with bulletinboards that publicize upcoming music events, promote the store’s sup-port for the community.

One of the store’s biggest challenges is directing customers to the sec-ond floor. Beside the main entrance, there’s a separate entrance for themusic school, which is located on the second floor, and a third entrancefor the rental department. Well-marked elevators and two stairwells gofrom the first floor to the second. Large posters from the VancouverOpera adorn the staircases. These design elements, along with bulletinboards that publicize upcoming music events, promote the store’s sup-port for the community.


STORE2008 DESIGNANNUALTHE MUSIC ROOM

THE MUSIC ROOMPALATINE, ILL., BY ZACH PHILLIPS

The Music Room’s store design com-bines the best aspects of a full-line

retail environment with a music school.Students can learn their instruments

in cozy, state-of-the-art lesson studios,

while the vast, stocked showroomreminds them of their many options forupgrading.

Company co-owners John Giovannoniand Carol Cook moved into the building

three years ago for its cathedral ceilingand giant windows. (It previously houseda golf shop, Hallmark store and jeweler.)Located in the heart of downtownPalatine, Ill., a Chicago suburb, the 9,600-

square-foot building continues to serveThe Music Room’s growth, as the com-pany’s currently adding a generous guitaramp try-out room and several new instru-ment brands.

bbWINDOWSPerhaps The Music Room’s most obvious design asset is its 20-foot-tall windows. They not only contribute to the store’s expansive feelbut also advertise gear to passersby outside.

bbWIDE-OPEN SPACESLofty, 22-foot ceilings give the main level a sense of grandeur wellbeyond its 4,000 square feet. High-end touches include eggplant-painted walls and a chandelier provided by the building’s previousowner. Giovannoni originally wanted to tear down the chandelierbecause of its dull, gray color. It turned out he only needed to clean it.

bbROTATINGDISPLAYSThe Music Room remains a constant work in progress, and nowhere is thismore evident than its displays. Print music shelves (provided by Hal Leonard)are spread throughout the main floor. Other displays, like the beginner amptable (pictured below), change regularly. According to Giovannoni, this helpshim keep track of stock. “We notice that something doesn’t sell in one place,and we move it, and suddenly it’s the biggest item in the store,” he said.

bbRUSTIC TOUCHESA friend of the store built a rustic check-out desk for The MusicRoom’s previous location. When the company moved, Giovannoniand Cook found a glass case (pictured above) at a local antiquestore. The case happened to fit with the check-out desk, creatingan optimum spot for displaying impulse accessories. The effect isluxury mom-and-pop retail.

bbTHE LOFTA loft above the showroom has been set aside for high-endacoustic and electric guitars and amplifiers. Hang tags on theinstruments will eventually be swapped out for featuresheets. Notice the accessory case, another find at the localantique store.

bbROOM TO LEARNThe Music Room has 10 private studios for its roughly 500-student lessonprogram. These are split, five to each floor, with a large space in the base-ment for group lessons and a room for ensembles. The sound-proofed les-son studios were built and installed by Wenger. Cook noted that they wereinstalled in just four days. “We had talked about putting all the studios inthe basement, but we wanted to make sure people had to walk through[the showroom] to get to their lessons,” Giovannoni said.

bbGUITAR FORTEntry- and mid-level guitars are displayedbeneath an overhang on the main floor, dubbedthe “guitar fort.” Hanging guitars around theperiphery conserves space and gives them facetime from the street.


THEMUSIC ROOM


STORE2008 DESIGNANNUALMERRIAM MUSIC

MERRIAM MUSICOAKVILLE, ONTARIO, BY JEFF CAGLE

Merriam Music recently invested morethan $1 million into its flagship,

25,000-square-foot complex in Oakville,Ontario. President Alan Merriam broughtin a high-end design firm to help create a

feel that combined traditional and con-temporary elements.

Over the past year, the company alsoacquired several high-end piano lines.Merriam set out to showcase them in a

way that oozed elegance and sophistica-tion, but with a listening environment sim-ilar to the instrument’s final home. Thecompany added custom-built shelving forits print music displays and its acces-

sories kiosk, as well as earthtones andwood paneling for a warm, refined feel.“We’ve always tried to do things a littlebit differently and a little more cutting-edge,” Merriam said.

bbHIGH-ENDFLOORMerriam Music’s Oakville,Ontario, showroom hasthree different types ofhigh-end flooring in varioussections: carpeting, slatetile and hardwood. The dif-ferent floors help segmentsections of the showroom,but have an added valuewhen demonstratingacoustics to customers.Employees can show howdifferent flooring typesaffect sound reflectiveness,helping customers get abetter sense of how aninstrument might sound intheir own environment.

bbFLATSCREENSThe store features threelarge, flat screen TVs.Each broadcasts in-house-produced content,including trivia questions,general facts about pianosand specific informationon the lines Merriam sells.


MERRIAMMUSIC

bbWARM LIGHTINGMerriam said he wanted the store to have a “warm feel while still being well-lit.”In many areas, florescent lighting provides an abundance of light, while incan-descent cans are used strategically to add warmth. Merriam added a hangingfixture around the high-end pianos to add an element of refinement. To give theShigeru Kawai section a contemporary Asian feel, he had a series of Japanesewindow sections installed along one wall.

bbCUSTOM SHELVESMerriam had shelves custom-built for his print music selection. The shelvesare constructed of a veneer, but the dark cherry stain gives them an ele-gant look. Some books are displayed in vertical towers, showing the topthird of the cover. Others are displayed on the type of shelves found in anart store, showcasing the entire cover.

bbSALES OFFICESA portion of Merriam Music’s sales offices are aligned in a rowseparated by glass partitions, much like in luxury car dealer-ships. The desks boast a contemporary design, topped with lit-tle more than a computer monitor, telephone and business cardholder. This minimalist feel tells customers that their salespeo-ple have their full and undivided attention. “We wanted the lookand feel of a Mercedes or BMW dealership,” Merriam said.

bb IMPULSE SALESMerriam Music’s accessories kiosk is located next to the staircase lead-ing to the showroom on the retail level, strategically placed in a high-traffic location. It includes a custom-built cabinet and matching slatwalldisplay. “It’s important that accessories are merchandised in a sophisti-cated way, especially because they are impulse buys,” Merriam said.


STORE2008 DESIGNANNUALMERRIAM MUSIC

MERRIAM MUSICOAKVILLE, ONTARIO, BY JEFF CAGLE

Merriam Music recently invested morethan $1 million into its flagship,

25,000-square-foot complex in Oakville,Ontario. President Alan Merriam broughtin a high-end design firm to help create a

feel that combined traditional and con-temporary elements.

Over the past year, the company alsoacquired several high-end piano lines.Merriam set out to showcase them in a

way that oozed elegance and sophistica-tion, but with a listening environment sim-ilar to the instrument’s final home. Thecompany added custom-built shelving forits print music displays and its acces-

sories kiosk, as well as earthtones andwood paneling for a warm, refined feel.“We’ve always tried to do things a littlebit differently and a little more cutting-edge,” Merriam said.

bbHIGH-ENDFLOORMerriam Music’s Oakville,Ontario, showroom hasthree different types ofhigh-end flooring in varioussections: carpeting, slatetile and hardwood. The dif-ferent floors help segmentsections of the showroom,but have an added valuewhen demonstratingacoustics to customers.Employees can show howdifferent flooring typesaffect sound reflectiveness,helping customers get abetter sense of how aninstrument might sound intheir own environment.

bbFLATSCREENSThe store features threelarge, flat screen TVs.Each broadcasts in-house-produced content,including trivia questions,general facts about pianosand specific informationon the lines Merriam sells.


MERRIAMMUSIC

bbWARM LIGHTINGMerriam said he wanted the store to have a “warm feel while still being well-lit.”In many areas, florescent lighting provides an abundance of light, while incan-descent cans are used strategically to add warmth. Merriam added a hangingfixture around the high-end pianos to add an element of refinement. To give theShigeru Kawai section a contemporary Asian feel, he had a series of Japanesewindow sections installed along one wall.

bbCUSTOM SHELVESMerriam had shelves custom-built for his print music selection. The shelvesare constructed of a veneer, but the dark cherry stain gives them an ele-gant look. Some books are displayed in vertical towers, showing the topthird of the cover. Others are displayed on the type of shelves found in anart store, showcasing the entire cover.

bbSALES OFFICESA portion of Merriam Music’s sales offices are aligned in a rowseparated by glass partitions, much like in luxury car dealer-ships. The desks boast a contemporary design, topped with lit-tle more than a computer monitor, telephone and business cardholder. This minimalist feel tells customers that their salespeo-ple have their full and undivided attention. “We wanted the lookand feel of a Mercedes or BMW dealership,” Merriam said.

bb IMPULSE SALESMerriam Music’s accessories kiosk is located next to the staircase lead-ing to the showroom on the retail level, strategically placed in a high-traffic location. It includes a custom-built cabinet and matching slatwalldisplay. “It’s important that accessories are merchandised in a sophisti-cated way, especially because they are impulse buys,” Merriam said.

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