By Simone van der Plas Interior Design
La Petite France Specialty French Gastronomy store
Having recently immigrated to NZ, the client for this project was very keen to expand the taste buds and gastronomic education of Wellingtonians by providing a little taste of France in his specialty homewares, food, wines and dry goods store.
He approached Simone initially for a concept – his brief was very clear as the shop was to reflect a true Parisian shop: High ceilings, rustic details, traditional joinery and lots of shelves for display of wines/foods etc.
The concept that Simone came up with fitted the brief perfectly so she was hired to fully design the shop and manage the fitout of it. See sketch image and digital sampleboard.
NZ Pine sarking was painted in 3 colours, layer over layer and then sanded back with coarse grit sandpaper to give a rustic effect, Traditionally detailed 2.8m high cabinets and display shelves complete with brass price tag slots and a library ladder rail were designed by Simone. In order to keep joinery costs within budget a combination of solid pine and melamine inner carcasses were specified.
Custom made Mason Preserving Jar lighting teamed with industrial styled lights and antiqued industrial tables/stool and cash register counter complete the effect of a Parisian store.
Vive La France!
Locally owned, Encompass Ideas Interior Design and Architecture was formed in 1998 by Simone and David van der Plas. Principal Designer, Simone has a background in design having previously trained and worked in the Display/Exhibition field she then moved into Interior design and small architectural projects in both the Commercial and Residential sectors. This experience (gained over 20 years) ensures that all designs from conceptualisation through to installation is not only unique to the customer but is innovative and meets functional needs. Simone is an award winning designer having won prestigious NZ awards and international awards in particular for her kitchen designs and is a Professional member of the NZ Designer’s Institute and National Kitchen and Bathroom Assoc.
Encompass Ideas Interior Design & Architecture is dedicated to bringing all of your ideas to life with not only stylish but practical, affordable design, ensuring that you, the client, has full involvement in all aspects of the project from the outset to completion.
Simone and her small Wellington-based team of interior designers and architects will communicate closely with you every step of the process to ensure that your requirements are met and you are completely satisfied. Being Wellington based does not hold us back from taking on projects located elsewhere – with today’s online technology enabling us to communicate clearly and effectively with our out of town clients.
As a matter of course Encompass Ideas provides 3D Perspective renderings and floorplans so that you can envisage the size and scale of your commercial or residential interior designs. .
Utilising Simone’s innovative and out-of-the-box approach (in one case she engaged a UK based graphic designer to create a custom designed wallpaper) , Encompass Ideas is dedicated to bringing all of your ideas to life with stylish, unique and affordable design. Our personalised service will ensure that you, our client, has full involvement in all aspects of the project from the outset to completion.