LA-based design firm Bells + Whistles designed the 1,115-square-foot showroom of celebrated San Diego-based brand Marrow Fine Jewelry, debuting in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood. With a nod to Chicago’s rich Art Deco history, the space showcases a divine blend of Art Deco inspiration and modern sophistication. The design pays homage to the Deco era with the use of oversized tambour, monochromatic scarlet tones, soft flowing case lines and bold shapes to create sexy vignettes dripping with opulence and luxury.
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Marrow Fine Chicago
Retail Interior (Built)
Firm
Bells + Whistles
Architect/Designer
Bells + Whistles
Design Team
Barbara Rourke, Jason St John
Location
Chicago, IL
Country
United States
Photographer/Copyright
©Sarah Crowley
In signature Marrow style, the boutique features a captivating plush ‘babe cave,’ designed to evoke the ambiance of an intimate salon privé. Adorned in rich reddish hues, the customer is invited to have a private fitting in this hollowed-out ruby.
The origins of the design are to bring the customer into the elaborate jewelry designs of designer/owner Jillian Sassone with each Marrow Fine location being as unique as the pieces that Jillian Sassone has designed herself. The Chicago location is a monochromatic wonderland of hand troweled pale chartreuse and scarlet Venetian plaster, scarlet crushed velvet, American walnut, patterned fabrics, Italian marble terrazzo, plush broadloom carpet in vivid carmine and blush honed marble accompanied by vintage Italian light fixtures from the 1900s. The bespoke displays built for the showroom feel more like jewelry than furniture themselves.
The intent was to create a conversation between the intricate jewelry Sassone designs for customers and the retail environment. The synergistic language of designs between Sassone and Bells + Whistles becomes an immersive dance that invites the customer into Sassone’s creative dream world.