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The international architecture and interior design firm Barde vanVoltt transformed a 100-year-old farmhouse into a retail space that offers an exclusive and relaxing shopping experience.
At a time when the world feels unpredictable and retailers dial up the stimulation and Insta-worthy backdrops, Calico Club has taken cues from the Japanese zen masters to offer their customers more than exclusive brands—but an environment to nourish creative flow.
With such a loyal following, on-point fashion offering, and a desire to do retail differently, the owners selected an alluring location that’s off-the-beaten-track. Located in a village named Nistelrode in the south of Netherlands, the store needed to offer an experience that’s well worth the journey.
The main objective was to pay respect to the monumental 100-year old farmhouse Calico Club / moved into. All the materials used are layers can be removed easily to keep the original state of the building.
The architects restored the original floor and added natural and sustainable materials, like hot-rolled metal, rippled mirrored glass, walnut wood, jagged whitewashed boulders and sustainable linen. All materials used with age well over time and last a lifetime..
The design philosophy is founded in contrast where Dutch heritage and Japanese tradition collide to form an unexpected expression.
The floor plan is shaped like a Japanese zen garden and its traditional elements of rock, water, and plants have been interpreted in more modern and abstract ways.
Rocks come to form in jagged whitewashed boulders that double as retail displays, polished concrete flooring, stark gray gravel, and elevated white pebble islands to house collections. Rippled mirrored glass resembles water, and sculpted Japanese plants and trees pop against the rustic red farmhouse exterior. To balance the cooler materials, walnut timber and linen bring warmth to the interior. The custom counter, cabinets, and fitting rooms are all carved from walnut and lined with linen. Above, the spacious farmhouse ceiling is filled with draped linen to complement rectangular metal clothes racks and soften the store’s acoustics.
While the design is unexpected, the store never feels overwhelming. Display racks and fitting rooms are each given their own defined space to avoid distraction and encourage focus. One example is the Japanese tree featured at the end of the store. Encased in a circular glass bench, the tree and the fashion collection opposite is given its moment thanks to a sheet of curved, rolled metal to separate it from the fitting rooms. And at the front of the store, customers are shown the best of the collection with floating glass display cylinders filled with hay. All of this builds harmony and is supported with a screen-free store policy too.
The all-new Calico Club rewards those who seek it. It showcases the best brands in a space unlike any other, in a village you would not think of immediately. An original retail experience that will transform you at first sight.
Location Nistelrode, Netherlands
Area 272 sqm
Retail design Barde vanVoltt
Contractor Store3D
Photos courtesy Sarah Wijzenbeek
