Design Inspiration: Waffles
For your consideration, some design inspiration that’s perfect for a Tuesday morning, or any morning. Waffles, a Brussels sneaker store was designed by the Belgium firm of Beaverhausen.
They used the company’s name as their inspiration to create a white space filled with waffle patterns. The walls are covered with white tiles to give the store the feeling of a bakery.
The foam-covered shelves, which display the shoes, were created in a waffle shape. The shelves were backed with mirrors so shoppers can see the other side of the shoe. In my experience, everyone picks up the shoe to have a good look, but I like the visual idea. I also like the way the colors pop off the white background.
To top the whole waffle thing off, the store is infused with toasty waffle perfume. Now, I think that’s a bit over the top. It’s great if you’re shopping. If you work there, I think the smell would make you sick to your stomach after a few days.
images: Thomas Francois
4 Responses to “Design Inspiration: Waffles”
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Posted by Jennifer at Design Hole on March 18th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Interesting thought. How much do you think white has to do with that special feeling?
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Posted by misterarthur on March 19th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Probably more than I’m willing to admit in public. :>)
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Posted by Bacchus on March 21st, 2008 at 1:10 am
With a retail background I can say this store is not great from a practical standpoint. Staff will go crazy with all the bright lights & white. It would be very hard on the eyes to look at for a long time, let alone be in it for 8 hours a day. The white will also get dirty very fast and not to mention that there is almost no versatility in it’s lay out, which means if inventory ever changes it could be very hard to display. I work in a store that was designed to be set, after 4 years it has proven that there are some major flaws in the practical sense, versatility of display, storage and lighting. Stores designed like this don’t have the ability to grow without a design overhaul.
Everything does pop though so I guess it is a matter of perspective.
Here’s something else I like about the store. It makes the objects for sale seem (or appear to be) more “worthwhile” – because they’re displayed with such care. It’s sort of like the difference between an Apple store and Compusa or Best Buy.