United we shop

Two spaces, one seamless experience

Orchard Supply Hardware | San Francisco, Calif.

Size: 36,137 sf

Completion: July 2015

Featured members:

CDW Merchants visual elements

D|Fab Design Fabrications Inc. design, in-store graphics, visual elements

Photography: Jesus Aguilar Photos, Marcelo Fuentes Photography

A pedestrian bridge linking two buildings into a single, seamless store experience isn’t the only unifying factor behind the design for this home improvement retailer. Utilizing a racetrack layout and color coded worlds supplies an easy navigation vibe throughout the multilevel environment.

There’s décor galore too, with elements that denote department categories and help shoppers find inspiration. Design Fabrications Inc. (D|Fab) earned a Merriman Above and Beyond Award for its whimsical and beautiful work. Of particular note, D|Fab’s column wrap, made of actual piping, uses only products available in the store and doubles as a functional selling tool.

Design elements also speak to the urban demographic, such as the custom city skyline front wall mural and structural elevator shafts painted out in International Orange to mirror the Golden Gate Bridge.

The custom mural was designed and painted on the original brick wall by a local artist and reflects the skyline of the city, as seen from the store location. Using the original brick wall is an important nod to the city’s history, as well. Brick is a key architectural element found in many of the original buildings in the North Beach area of San Francisco. The same mural artist was used to hand letter navigational call-outs and icons on wall surfaces in order to help direct customers through the space.