GPD Group partnered with Aramark and Colonial Williamsburg to provide design services to bring the new Brick & Vine retail store to life in Virginia’s historic triangle in Downtown Williamsburg. Brick & Vine is a flagship store combing the home décor products of three previously existing stores into one exceptional 13,000 SF, two-story retail store where “trend meets tradition.”
The GPD team led the design development process for Brick & Vine from discovery and strategy to integration into construction documents, collaborating with the client through the entire process to ensure their vision came to life. The design strategy for the combination of the three independent brands led to the implementation of a new brand identity.
The store layout incorporates unique aesthetics that establish an engaging customer journey, with many upselling/cross-selling opportunities as well as an event space centered around the spacious first floor’s living and kitchen area that can be used by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to host special events. Additionally, the second floor features a Design Center where customers can explore Williamsburg-inspired home décor solutions with the store’s design experts. Due to the age of the building and historic preservation requirements, special attention was given to design elements within the space. All perimeter fixtures and cash wraps were custom designed and manufactured to meet the functional requirements of the store design, while also reflecting the proud history of the building and surrounding area.
“GPD Group is one of the most professional and experienced design firms that I have worked with in my 30 years in Retail…I would highly recommend GPD for any project.” -Eric Flanigan, Vice President, Aramark
In addition to collaborating with Aramark and Colonial Williamsburg throughout the duration of the project, GPD also engaged and coordinated with six retail solution companies, who are fellow members of The MOB (Maximizing Opportunities for Your Business) networking organization, to build innovative and cost-effective solutions:
- Retail Elements – fixture solutions
- Flexecution – in-store project installation and execution
- TTi Logistics – staging and delivery of all store fixtures
- Earl Wasserman – flooring and décor consultation
- Lido Lighting – lighting solution consultation and implementation
- MoodMedia – in-store audio system design and implementation
Despite being designed and constructed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the teams delivered an impressive store project on time and within budget. The increased customer engagement brought about by the intuitive design and new branding has resulted in higher sales that are projected to exceed those of the previous Colonial Williamsburg branded stores.