We know what you were thinking – This can’t be legal! I’ll only take a quick peek!
As it turns out shade cloth fabric is the perfect print media for graphics used in retail marketing. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then an image the size of an entire wall should be priceless. That’s what everyone was thinking when Design Within Reach, a high end furniture retailer, contacted us to take on a unique project.
The concept was simple; create a gallery space within the store using printed scrim panels that ran from floor to ceiling. The scrims needed to be mounted in such a way as to give the impression of emerging from the ceiling and disappearing into the floor. Two large 50 foot long by 10 foot high graphic scrim walls had to be designed from scratch. We worked Neal Cohen at NECO Productions and the architects at Sayigh-Duman to set up a spectacular 8 panel graphics array. Smaller two panel arrays would also be used throughout the store at raised selling platforms.
The biggest challenge was coordinating all of the hardware, fabrication and printing needed to pull this all off. A completely custom ceiling pocket and floor channel system was designed by the technical consultants at Decorating with Fabric. The system passed a rigorous approval process used by the architect and advertising agency developing the concept. We only had one shot to get these scrims set up correctly – there would be no do overs. We “nailed” the first project in Costa Mesa, California and are currently working on stores in Miami and SOHO – more should follow.
Graphics printed on shade cloth open the door to many different marketing applications. In many locations outdoor signage is being restricted and window shades can become an instant and cost effective replacement. For malls, unused over head areas can become a nice selling space and source for additional revenue. Schools can use them in gymnasiums and arenas to promote sports teams, restaurants love them as visual breaks for dining area while marketing their newest offerings. Even museums and theatres can use them to present upcoming events and to give visual impact to their spaces with artwork and interesting graphic designs. The applications are endless wherever images and large spaces come together.
The staff at Decorating with Fabric is well versed in how to use graphic shades in almost any design or project. If the solution doesn’t exist we can create one that will satisfy the most demanding client. Please contact us for a free consultation and site visit to review the possibilities.
