A co-author of a Russian project recentlyof the opened interior boutique Crate & Barrel became the architectural bureau UNK project. This article is about how architects created the interior for a cult American store The first Russian chain store of furniture, dishes and interior items Crate & Barrel was opened in Moscow "Afimoll". For the implementation of the interior project, an architectural bureau with Western principles of work UNK project was invited. The legendary store with a half-century history is located on an area of 3,000 square meters. m in the business center of Moscow. Getting into the interior, you involuntarily feel at home. And the point is not only in the abundance of decor, but also in the interior concept itself. Attention is drawn to the layout of the store. It is built on the principle of a maze to carefully explore one area after another. The window dressing is also interesting. The wide aisle between the showcase and the shelves, designed in the form of full-fledged functional zones, creates the illusion of a home space in rooms, where it is much quieter and more comfortable than in the store itself. Entering here, the visitor himself becomes a part of the shop window, which intrigues and attracts the attention of passing buyers. 
The ceiling in the store is specially made low -from 3.1 to 3.7 meters. This allows you to feel like you are in a familiar home interior, and small pieces of furniture and accessories are not lost in the general mass of goods. The peculiarity of this project is that the terms of the franchise provide for a very strict organization of boutiques in accordance with all the requirements of the brand, and it is not so easy to apply them in Russian realities. The task was complicated by the tight deadlines - the finished project should be implemented within two months. To adapt the project to the Russian market, the architects of the UNK project, headed by Yulia Tryaskina, were invited. During the implementation of the project, the architects faced several difficulties. 
Yulia Tryaskina, co-founder of the architectural bureauUNK project Graduate of the Moscow Architectural Institute, Faculty of Public and Residential Buildings. She began her career at the American architectural bureau HOK. Since 2000, it has been one of the three driving forces of the UNK project architectural bureau. The company leads the HoReCa direction. Russian SNIPs and fire safety standards require special processing of materials, in particular wood, which occupies more than half of the finishing area. However, any actions with the material immediately led to a change in its color. And we had to spend a lot of time choosing the colors that were closest to the corporate style. 
The lighting system also did not matchRussian standards, and General Electric has specially developed lamps in the style of American counterparts, while being suitable for domestic mains voltage. Russian architects very scrupulously studied foreign experience, visiting Crate & Barrel stores in America and communicating with colleagues in order not only to implement a project according to the company's brand book, but also to create a truly Russian atmosphere in the interior. The only difference between the Russian interior and the foreign one was the large gas fireplace, which the architects insisted on. It gives the room an atmosphere of coziness and warmth of a home. 
The very name Crate & Barrel tells the storycreating a brand. More than half a century ago, before the launch of the first store, there was no money left to buy shelving. Therefore, all the goods were laid out on boxes and barrels - hence the name. The idea of primitiveness and ease is also present in the modern design of the store's interior. Products are displayed on display cases that combine various textures and shades of natural materials. And artificial errors in the decoration of the walls organically complement the concept of the author's design of the presented products. In the near future, Crate & Barrel will expand its network in Russia and the CIS countries. UNK project hopes that the projects will be joint. And given that Crate & Barrel was originally a street retail format, the architects are ready to design and build a whole store for the brand. Photos courtesy of Crate & Barrel and UNK Project
How to make the store look like a residential interior: Crate & Barrel in Russia
