A Case Study on Rosendorf Evans Fur Salon
Tyson’s Corner, Virginia

The field of interior design can be divided into various categories based on focus and specialization. The most distinctive contrast is between residential and commercial interior design separating the two defined design spaces isn’t as easy as it may appear.

Simply stated, residential interior design projects often range from designing the interiors of a new construction home to re-designing the interior of an existing home. Commercial interior design projects include spaces like:

• Schools
• Hospitals
• Restaurants
• Offices
• Retail shops

As you can likely guess, each project is unique, but the approach to both also varies in the questioning we use to gather a design plan, considerations to take into account, and the permitting needed to execute. Let’s look at considerations and see how they vary via a case study from a previous renovation at a fur salon at Tysons Corner, Virginia.

Background on the project:

Several years ago we had the wonderful experience of renovating a fur salon at Tysons Corner, Virginia. Working with the store manager and the mall leasing agent in charge of store renovations we were able to come up with a design plan that could handle mall traffic. We’ll refer back to this project as relevant in this post!

Budget 

The first consideration for any project is the budget. Both commercial and residential projects need a budget, but the order of it can vary. Commercial projects may need the initial plan to go get financing, vs a residential project budget is typically based on how much you personally want to spend at the beginning of the project.

Scope

Right alongside the budget, the scope of a project should be prepared in advance. Most commonly commercial projects are new construction or a full renovation, as small interior projects don’t normally make sense with the business goals of an organization. (Some exceptions we do find are bathrooms or kitchens in schools and workspaces.) Residential projects can be anything from a half-bathroom to a completely new home, thus, there is more room in the scope to expand throughout the project.

In the Tysons Corner project, our first conversations revolved around their budget and scope of a full renovation of the store.

Design

Now that the scope and budget are decided, the design of the space is the logical next step and processes are fairly similar here. First, we want to understand the vision and aesthetic preference. Next, that is integrated into the design by mapping out what the colors will look like and how they will work together. 

Where these two areas do differ is that for a residential project, the inspiration is typically coming from the owner of the home and their preferences. For commercial design, the design inspiration often comes from the corporate brand image and the design constraints are often tied to functional space limitations and commercial building code requirements. There is still a distinctive personalized aim in commercial projects, but it often involves different textures, colors, and layouts than is found in many residential settings.

For the project in Virginia, it was decided that the colors would be black and white and integrated throughout the store for brand consistency.

Materials

As far as considerations go, this is definitely an area that varies completely in commercial and residential projects.

Residential: Materials are determined by personal preference, the function of the space, and the budget for them. For example, if you are re-doing your back patio it would be crucial that the furniture is water-proof, but beyond that, it’s all up to personal preference on what is selected.

Commercial: In a commercial space the function is absolutely the most important factor. For example with the fur salon, products were chosen for a retail mall setting that would withstand constant customer traffic. The flooring, for example, was a synthetic/vinyl faux wood plank, something that was easy to clean and could take the abuse of constant foot traffic. We incorporated the new vinyl floor with an existing black and white marble floor with a huge custom monogram of ”RE” for Rosendorf Evans. 

To continue the colors of the store I had black bookcases made with shelving for hats, gloves, and scarves. Hooks we’re installed on the back of the bookcases for the beautiful coats and jackets. Custom mirrors with beautiful frames were added to the walls for customers to use when trying on the merchandise.

The lighting in the store was also changed. Sconces with silk lampshades were added to the bookcases. Recessed and track lighting was installed. A beautiful silver/ gold metal chandelier was hung in the middle of the store.

Permitting and Approvals

Finally, an area that can come up in residential projects, but far less frequently is permitting and approval. No matter the commercial project, this is always one of the top considerations for the scope and design is to ensure that it will get approval from the governing body. In the case of the fur salon, the first thing we did before any work was to draw up the plans and submit them to both the mall and the county for approval.

Final Results

In the end, the goal of both for us is to make our clients unbelievably happy with the result on time and on budget! Whether the ultimate goal of the project is to generate revenue from a store, office building, or restaurant, or to create a positive and happy and efficient space, like in schools or hospitals, we start with the end in mind.

Wrapping up the fur salon story, the end result was lovely and gave it a much-needed facelift. I often visit Tysons corner and when I do I always stop to take a look at the beautiful store. You can find the before, during and after below.

Find the before during and after photos below:

Before:

 

 

During:

After:

Whether you are working on a commercial project or have ideas about how you would like to improve your home, we are here to ensure you get the best result in a commercial or residential context! Contact us with any inquiries.