The central idea behind the refurbishment of this small optician’s shop in the centre of Paphos’s commercial district was a journey back in time, one that highlights the timelessness of wearing glasses.
This is expressed through a modern take on the vintage style, seen both in the choice of black and white as the main colour scheme and in the use of black-and-white photographs of old Hollywood stars wearing glasses. The aim was for this setting to create an imaginary line linking the present with the memory of the old, glamorous world of the 1960s and ’70s, and to unfold before the visitor’s eyes the product’s enduring journey through the decades.
Alongside the main concept of the composition, a parallel goal was to use recycled materials and reuse them in a completely different way, in order to create an ensemble with the atmosphere of the past, full of character and a playful spirit.
The wallpaper made from old black-and-white newspapers and the old wood from reused heavy-duty pallets, selectively placed on floors, ceilings and walls, tie together a vintage whole, which is reinforced by the custom-made wire-and-fabric light fittings and by the blackboard in the entrance area.
Finally, for the shop window, white sheet metal was chosen. Folded into planes, it defines the shop window without any dividers and unfolds the products before the customer’s eyes in a play of asymmetrical levels.
DESIGN: mush.room studio
TEXT: Iliana Sokratous, Viki Savva
YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2011
