Contract - January 2009 - (Page 66)
interiors awards Inspired by a visit to the Matterhorn mountain in the Swiss Alps, Noah Houghton and Katrina Merrem left their careers in accounting and finance to pursue something more fulfilling— they decided to open a Los Angeles boutique for luxury chocolatier NoKA Chocolate. What distinguishes NoKA from other chocolate is its purity. The company specializes in producing a fine, single-estate dark chocolate with cacao beans that are not blended with other cacao beans. This sense of purity helped inform the Los Angelesbased Shimoda Design Group’s creation of NoKA’s flagship boutique. “We wanted to create a space that reflected the clients’ philosophy of making chocolate, and for it to be a tribute to the craft of making chocolate and a sanctuary for experiencing the taste of chocolate,” says Joey Shimoda, design firm CEO. “Functionally, the goal was to design a unique chocolate boutique that was more like a jewelry store. It was important to make a visit to the boutique a personal and memorable experience for each and every customer.” The cacao bean itself influenced the design of the boutique, as Shimoda translated abstract forms and textures and a restrained color palette on the interior, while also taking cues from NoKA’s signature stainless-steel box in constructing a façade of glass, stainless steel, and black chrome. The textured interior walls (made of high-density fiberboard panels fabricated by Interlam) stand in stark juxtaposition with the sleek display fixtures, much as the rough cacao bean contrasts with the polished container of NoKA chocolate. The vast ceiling height coupled with the small floor plate particularly lent itself to inciting a “larger-than-life, organic experience, similar to the feeling you get when you walk into a pristine place of worship,” Houghton offers. retail By Danine Alati Photography by Benny Chan, fotoworks Noka Chocolate Flagship Boutique client: Noka Chocolate location: Dallas designer: Shimoda Design Group project: 66 contract january 2009 www.contractmagazine.com
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - January 2009
Contract - January 2009
Contents
Editoral
Industry
Resources
Urban Elegance
Beyond Fad
Designers of the Year
Legend Award
The 30th Annual Interiors Awards
Large Office
Small Office
Restaurant
Healthcare
Retail
Education
Public Space
Showroom/Exhibit
Spa/Fitness
Restoration
Environmental Design
Student/Conceptual
Designers Rate: Furniture Systems
Leader, Not a Follower
Deconstructing Costs
Ad Index
Contract - January 2009
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