The Power of Vintage Design to Transform Retail Spaces and Brand Messaging

Vintage designs for retail have become a compelling tool for storytelling among brands. They are pivotal in communicating brand values, shaping customer expectations, and influencing behaviour and purchasing decisions. Despite the market being flooded with online portals to shop, people find it pertinent to walk into a store, experience the brand and the product, and buy it.

By weaving elements of the past into contemporary spaces, brands evoke a sense of authenticity, nostalgia, and a distinctive aesthetic that resonates with customers seeking meaningful connections and helps them drive their sales. At groupDCA, we help our clients design such spaces. The essence of such designs lies in the harmonious interplay of thoughtfully crafted spatial volumes, interior details, artefacts, colours, and materials.

Details that whisper tales of a bygone era

The design for Neeru’s Emporio in Hyderabad, a boutique store for wedding shopping, is rooted in this concept. Since the client wanted the design to imbue a princely and vintage inheritance, the inspiration came from the Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad and American and British universities in the twentieth century. The entrance features an antique chandelier that highlights the generous volume of the space. There are intricately carved details on the doorway and railings. The geometric patterned marble flooring adds elegance, while the vibrant decor evokes Victorian imagery, welcoming visitors.

The store features two floors connected by an elaborate staircase adorned with marble and gold foiling. The colossal columns that stand tall between these floors are also covered in marble and gold foiling and add a sense of opulence and nostalgia to the space. An interactive arrangement resides amidst the circulation areas where the weavers and artisans are weaving. They demonstrate the classic and authentic process behind crafting exquisite designs. The customers can also directly interact with the artisans and help them create their designs. This strategic location and innovative design installation are central to bridging the gap between past and present in the context of retail designs.

Retain vintage elements and mix them with contemporary designs

The design of the Akbarally Men Store in Mumbai embodies the principle of vintage charm in retail design differently through the innovative use of materials and construction around the old and existing structural elements. The store, located in a heritage zone, not bound by heritage norms, celebrates the existing structure and its history by retaining the old arches, broken cornices, and various structural systems to demonstrate the authentic character of the novel aesthetic. Materials like old wood flooring used in its raw and rustic form enhance the spirit of the bygone era. Props crafted from old ship and machine parts have been displayed along the circulation areas to augment the crude yet chic aesthetic. Shelving and display areas use nuts and bolts to create a flexible display system that meets contemporary retail needs. Additional elements, like light fixtures and mirrors, are used in the space to enhance the user journey further and connect them to the classic era in which the brand is rooted.

How to craft timeless spaces?

At groupDCA, we masterfully blend classic and contemporary elements to create environments that tell compelling stories and forge emotional connections. In this competitive market, all brands need design as a tool to embody their identity and ethos. As architects and designers, we should seek design inspiration from the history of brands and the story of their evolution. By keenly observing the experiences that inspire them, we can discern the elements of space-making that create those experiences. This approach enables us to craft a journey through time wrapped in elegance and authenticity.