Southern star rises

Having one company provide a turnkey service for a fit-out is an advantage that brings peace of mind for a retailer particularly when the shop in question has a glamorous ambience, composed of several elements.

Armed with the designer's exacting brief, retail fit-out specialists Ancab project-managed and fitted the plush Mi Piaci store from front to back. Along the way, plumbers, glaziers, painters, tilers and security staff were overseen by Ancab until the boutique was ready to open its doors to the public.

Ancab director Alan Annan says many of the firm's diverse manufacturing skills were called into play to create the retail space.

"The shop formwork, gondoliers, central shelving units, and the glass and wood shelving were some of the elements," says Annan. "In addition, we created and installed huge light boxes with oak frames and put in a large wall mirror. To give you an idea of the scale, it took six people to carry the light boxes into the shop they are 3m tall and weighty."

The high-end visual aesthetic plays with light and reflections. Besides the large mirror, the mosaic tiles at the entry create changing light patterns. Overhead lighting is also a feature.

"We introduced a frame-like dropped ceiling element above the wall mirror, for example," says Annan.

Ancab Shopfittings originated as a family business in 1994, servicing the shopfitting industry. Since then, its expertise has extended to concepts, design and development, manufacturing and installation, project management, equipment selection and total ongoing maintenance as required.

For details, contact Ancab Retail Shopfitters, phone (09) 256 2230, website: www.ancab.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas